DataFilter for WinForms | ComponentOne
Data Filters / Quick Start
In This Topic
    Quick Start
    In This Topic

    This quick start will guide you through the steps of adding DataFilter and DataGridView controls to an application, binding DataGridView to a data source and setting the properties of controls.

    The following image shows filtered values in DataGridView on the basis of filters applied in the DataFilter control.

    Data Filter UI

    Complete the steps given below to see how the DataFilter control appears after data binding and setting properties.

    Step 1: Setting up the application

    1. Create a new Windows Forms App.
    2. Drag and drop the C1DataFilter control from the Toolbox onto your form. Set its Dock property to Left.
    3. Drag and drop the MS DataGridView control from the Toolbox onto your form. Set its Dock property to Right.

    Back to Top

    Step 2: Binding DataGridView to a data source

    1. Open the DataGridView Tasks menu by clicking on the smart tag glyph on the upper-right corner of the DataGridView control.
    2. In the DataGridView Tasks menu, click the Choose Data Source drop-down arrow and select the Add Project Data Source link from the drop-down box. The Data Source Configuration Wizard appears.
    3. On the Choose a Data Source Type page, select Database and click Next.
    4. On the Choose a Database Model page, leave Dataset selected and click Next.
    5. Click the New Connection button to create a new connection or choose one from the drop-down list. When you click New Connection, the Add Connection dialog box appears. Set Microsoft Access Database File as the Data source.
    6. Click the Browse button under Database file name. In the Select Microsoft Access Database File dialog box, browse to the C1NWind.mdb database in the Documents\ComponentOne Samples\Common directory. Select the C1NWind.mdb file and click Open.
    7. In the Add Connection dialog box, click the Test Connection button to make sure that you have successfully connected to the database or server and click OK.
    8. Click OK to close the Add Connection dialog box .
    9. Click the Next button to continue. A dialog box will appear asking if you would like to add the data file to your project and modify the connection string. Since it is not necessary to copy the database to your project, click No.
    10. Save the connection string in the application configuration file by checking the Yes, save the connection as box and entering a name. Click the Next button to continue.
    11. On the Choose Your Database Objects page, expand the Tables node, and select the Brand, Model, Category and Price fields of the Cars table.
    12. Click Finish.

    C1NWindDataSet.xsd is added to your project and DataSource property of the DataGridView is set to carsBindingSource.

    Back to Top

    Step 3: Configuring DataFilter

    1. Select the DataFilter control and set its AutoGenerateFilters property to true from the Properties window.
      Note that setting AutoGenerateFilters property to true automatically generates the filters depending on the type of the fields present in the data source of DataFilter.
    2. To customize the auto generated filters for defining the filtering criterias such as the minimum /maximum values for the RangeFilter and the checklist items for the CheckListFilter, subscribe to the FilterAutoGenerating event of DataFilter.
      Visual Basic
      Copy Code
      'Subscribe the FilterAutoGenerating event of DataFilter to define criterias for the filters.
      c1DataFilter1.FilterAutoGenerating = (c1DataFilter1.FilterAutoGenerating + C1DataFilter1_FilterAutoGenerating)
      
      C#
      Copy Code
      //Subscribe the FilterAutoGenerating event of DataFilter to define criterias for the filters.
      c1DataFilter1.FilterAutoGenerating += C1DataFilter1_FilterAutoGenerating;
      
                             
    3. Add the following code in the event handler of the FilterAutoGenerating event which provides the checklist items for the two filters namely “Brand”, “Category” and sets the maximum and minimum value for the price filter.

      Defining these filters allows you to filter the cars listing by a specific brand, category or price which are the basic criterias used to view a car listing.

      VIsual Basic
      Copy Code
      Private Sub C1DataFilter1_FilterAutoGenerating(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As C1.DataFilter.FilterAutoGeneratingEventArgs)
              Select Case (e.Property.Name)
                  Case "Brand"
                      Dim brandFilter = CType(e.Filter,C1.Win.DataFilter.ChecklistFilter)
                      brandFilter.ItemsSource = c1NWindDataSet.Cars
                      brandFilter.ValueMemberPath = "Brand"
                      brandFilter.SelectAll
                  Case "Category"
                      Dim categoryFilter = CType(e.Filter,C1.Win.DataFilter.ChecklistFilter)
                      categoryFilter.ItemsSource = c1NWindDataSet.Cars
                      categoryFilter.ValueMemberPath = "Category"
                      categoryFilter.SelectAll
                  Case "Price"
                      Dim priceFilter = CType(e.Filter,C1.Win.DataFilter.RangeFilter)
                      priceFilter.Maximum = c1NWindDataSet.Cars.AsEnumerable.Max(() => {  }, x.Field(Of Double)("Price"))
                      priceFilter.Minimum = c1NWindDataSet.Cars.AsEnumerable.Min(() => {  }, x.Field(Of Double)("Price"))
                      priceFilter.Increment = 1000
                      priceFilter.Digits = 0
                  Case Else
                      e.Cancel = true
              End Select
      End Sub
      
      C#
      Copy Code
      private void C1DataFilter1_FilterAutoGenerating(object sender, C1.DataFilter.FilterAutoGeneratingEventArgs e)
      {
          switch (e.Property.Name)
          {
              //Set the checklist items for Brand filter
              case "Brand":
                  var brandFilter = (C1.Win.DataFilter.ChecklistFilter)e.Filter;
                  brandFilter.ItemsSource = c1NWindDataSet.Cars;
                  brandFilter.ValueMemberPath = "Brand";
                  brandFilter.SelectAll();
                  break;
              //Set the checklist items for Category filter
              case "Category":
                  var categoryFilter = (C1.Win.DataFilter.ChecklistFilter)e.Filter;
                  categoryFilter.ItemsSource = c1NWindDataSet.Cars;
                  categoryFilter.ValueMemberPath = "Category";
                  categoryFilter.SelectAll();
                  break;
              //Set the minimum/maximum value for the Price filter
              case "Price":
                  var priceFilter = (C1.Win.DataFilter.RangeFilter)e.Filter;
                  priceFilter.Maximum = c1NWindDataSet.Cars.AsEnumerable().Max(x => x.Field<double>("Price"));
                  priceFilter.Minimum = c1NWindDataSet.Cars.AsEnumerable().Min(x => x.Field<double>("Price"));
                  priceFilter.Increment = 1000;
                  priceFilter.Digits = 0;
                  break;
              //Cancels the creation of all other filters
              default:
                  e.Cancel = true;
                  break;
          }
      }
      
    4. In the Form Load event handler, set the DataSource property of DataFilter to carsBindingSource.
      VIsual Basic
      Copy Code
      'Set the datasource of C1DataFilter equal to the datasource assigned to DataGridView
      c1DataFilter1.DataSource = carsBindingSource
      
      C#
      Copy Code
      //Set the datasource of C1DataFilter equal to the datasource assigned to DataGridView
      c1DataFilter1.DataSource = carsBindingSource;
      

    Run the application and observe that filters are automatically applied to the rendered grid because the AutoApply property of the DataFilter control is set to true by default. Use interactive UI of DataFilter to change the filter values and observe how the grid gets filtered.

    Back to Top


    The following image shows filtered values in DataGridView on the basis of filters applied in the DataFilter control.

    Data Filter UI

    Complete the steps given below to see how the DataFilter control appears after data binding and setting properties.

    Set up the application

    1. Create a new Windows Forms application.

    2. Initialize the DataFilter and DataGridView objects using the following code:

      C#
      Copy Code
      //Initialize Objects
      this.dataGridView1 = new System.Windows.Forms.DataGridView();
      this.c1DataFilter1 = new C1.Win.DataFilter.C1DataFilter();
      
    3. Set the DataGrid and DataFilter properties using the following code.

      C#
      Copy Code
       //DataGrid
       this.dataGridView1.AutoGenerateColumns = false;
       this.dataGridView1.Columns.AddRange(new System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewColumn[] {
       this.brandDataGridViewTextBoxColumn,
       this.modelDataGridViewTextBoxColumn,
       this.categoryDataGridViewTextBoxColumn,
       this.priceDataGridViewTextBoxColumn});
       this.dataGridView1.ColumnHeadersHeightSizeMode = System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewColumnHeadersHeightSizeMode.AutoSize;
       this.dataGridView1.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Right;
       this.dataGridView1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(310, 0);
       this.dataGridView1.Name = "dataGridView1";
       this.dataGridView1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(446, 575);
       this.dataGridView1.TabIndex = 3;
       this.Controls.Add(this.dataGridView1);
      
       //DataFilter
       this.c1DataFilter1.AutoGenerateFilters = true;
       this.c1DataFilter1.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Left;
       this.c1DataFilter1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(0, 0);
       this.c1DataFilter1.Name = "c1DataFilter1";
       this.c1DataFilter1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(304, 575);
       this.c1DataFilter1.TabIndex = 0;
       this.c1DataFilter1.Text = "c1DataFilter1";
       this.c1DataFilter1.Dock = DockStyle.Left;
      // this.c1DataFilter1.Anchor=AnchorStyles.
       this.Controls.Add(this.c1DataFilter1);
      

    Bind DataGridView to a data source

    1. Bind the DataGridView to a data source using the following code:

      C#
      Copy Code
      //Data Binding Code
      dt = new DataTable();
      string connectionString = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=" +
                   System.IO.Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyDocuments),
                   @"ComponentOne Samples\Common\C1NWind.mdb") + ";";
      OleDbConnection conn = new OleDbConnection(connectionString);
      OleDbDataAdapter adapter = new OleDbDataAdapter("Select Brand, Model, Category, Price from Cars", conn);
      adapter.Fill(dt);
      this.dataGridView1.DataSource = dt;
      

    Configure DataFilter

    1. Set the AutoGenerateFilters property of DataFilter to true.
    2. Subscribe to the FilterAutoGenerating event of DataFilter to customize the auto generated filters for defining the filtering criterias such as the minimum /maximum values for the RangeFilter and the checklist items for the CheckListFilter.
      C#
      Copy Code
      //Subscribe the FilterAutoGenerating event of DataFilter to define criterias for the filters.
      c1DataFilter1.FilterAutoGenerating += C1DataFilter1_FilterAutoGenerating;
      
    3. Add the following code in the event handler of the FilterAutoGenerating event to provide the checklist items for the two filters namely “Brand”, “Category” and set the maximum and minimum value for the price filter.
      C#
      Copy Code
      private void C1DataFilter1_FilterAutoGenerating(object sender, C1.DataFilter.FilterAutoGeneratingEventArgs e)
      {
      
          switch (e.Property.Name)
          {
              //Set the checklist items for Brand filter
              case "Brand":
                  var brandFilter = (C1.Win.DataFilter.ChecklistFilter)e.Filter;
                  brandFilter.SelectAll();
                  break;
      
              //Set the checklist items for Category filter
              case "Category":
                  var categoryFilter = (C1.Win.DataFilter.ChecklistFilter)e.Filter;
                  categoryFilter.SelectAll();
                  break;
      
              //Set the minimum/maximum value for the Price filter
              case "Price":
                  var priceFilter = (C1.Win.DataFilter.RangeFilter)e.Filter;
                  priceFilter.Maximum = dt.AsEnumerable().Max(x => x.Field<double>("Price"));
                  priceFilter.Minimum = dt.AsEnumerable().Min(x => x.Field<double>("Price"));
                  priceFilter.Increment = 1000;
                  priceFilter.Digits = 0;
                  break;
      
              //Cancels the creation of all other filters
              default:
                  e.Cancel = true;
                  break;
          }
      
    4. In the Form Load event handler, set the DataSource property of DataFilter using the following code.
      C#
      Copy Code
      //Set DataSource for DataFilter
      c1DataFilter1.DataSource = dt;
      
    Note: WinForms .NET Edition does not include rich design-time support yet. We will enhance it in future releases.