Let user select what columns to display on WPF DataGrid

Question

My DataGrid has a default set of columns to display, but I'd also like to let the user select/un-select columns displayed on their application. Is there a relatively easy way to do that in WPF?

The DataGrid is bound to a DataTable.

Note: I may just go with a simple "Default Columns/All Columns" via RadioButton solution if the above feature is too complicated.

score 6 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:09

6

The short answer is, bind the Visibility property of each column to a boolean flag that you're able to set (via a CheckBox or some other mechanism), and use a BooleanToVisibilityConverter to make the column visibility Collapsed when the flag is unset.

Dig this similar question, and especially this answer! His blog post lists what would be my ideal solution. :)

edited May 23 '17 at 12:09

Community

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answered Jan 12 '11 at 01:10

Dan J

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H.B. · Answer 2 · 2011-05-18T23:59:46.027

Bind the DataGrid.Columns to an ItemsControl with a DataTemplate that contains a CheckBox for visibility-toggling, no code required except for the VisbilityToBoolConverter:

<Window
    ...
    DataContext="{Binding RelativeSource={RelativeSource Mode=Self}}" Loaded="Window_Loaded">
    <Window.Resources>
        <local:VisibilityToBoolConverter x:Key="VisibilityToBoolConv"/>
    </Window.Resources>
    <StackPanel Orientation="Vertical">
        <DataGrid ItemsSource="{Binding Data}" Name="DGrid"/>
        <ItemsControl ItemsSource="{Binding ElementName=DGrid, Path=Columns}" Grid.IsSharedSizeScope="True" Margin="5">
            <ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
                <DataTemplate>
                    <Grid>
                        <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                            <ColumnDefinition SharedSizeGroup="A"/>
                            <ColumnDefinition SharedSizeGroup="B"/>
                        </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                        <TextBlock Text="{Binding Header}" Margin="5"/>
                        <CheckBox Grid.Column="1"  IsChecked="{Binding Visibility, Converter={StaticResource VisibilityToBoolConv}}" Margin="5" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                    </Grid>
                </DataTemplate>
            </ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
        </ItemsControl>
    </StackPanel>
</Window>

Note: I have a TextBlock which assumes the Column-Header to be a string, might need to be adjusted if that is not the case.

VisibilityConverter:

[ValueConversion(typeof(Visibility), typeof(bool))]
public class VisibilityToBoolConverter : IValueConverter
{
    #region IValueConverter Members

    public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
    {
        Visibility vis = (Visibility)value;
        switch (vis)
        {
            case Visibility.Collapsed:
                return false;
            case Visibility.Hidden:
                return false;
            case Visibility.Visible:
                return true;
        }
        return false;
    }

    public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter,
        System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)
    {
        if ((bool)value) return Visibility.Visible;
        else return Visibility.Collapsed;
    }

    #endregion
}

+1 for effort, @H.B. That's a lot of code I didn't bother to write in my answer. :) — Dan J, Jan 12 '11 at 18:06
I definitely invest too much time in this... curse you Stack-Overflow! — H.B., Jan 12 '11 at 18:19

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 04 '19 at 00:06

I prefer to extend DataGrid class and add this functionality.

public class DataGridEx : DataGrid
{
    public DataGridEx() : base()
    {
        // Create event for right click on headers
        var style = new Style { TargetType = typeof(DataGridColumnHeader) };
        var eventSetter = new EventSetter(MouseRightButtonDownEvent, new MouseButtonEventHandler(HeaderClick));
        style.Setters.Add(eventSetter);
        ColumnHeaderStyle = style;
    }

    private void HeaderClick(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
    {
        ContextMenu menu = new ContextMenu();
        // Fill context menu with column names and checkboxes
        var visibleColumns = this.Columns.Where(c => c.Visibility == Visibility.Visible).Count();
        foreach (var column in this.Columns)
        {
            var menuItem = new MenuItem
            {
                Header = column.Header.ToString(),
                IsChecked = column.Visibility == Visibility.Visible,
                IsCheckable = true,
                // Don't allow user to hide all columns
                IsEnabled = visibleColumns > 1 || column.Visibility != Visibility.Visible
            };
            // Bind events
            menuItem.Checked += (object a, RoutedEventArgs ea)
                => column.Visibility = Visibility.Visible;
            menuItem.Unchecked += (object b, RoutedEventArgs eb)
                => column.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
            menu.Items.Add(menuItem);
        }
        // Open it
        menu.IsOpen = true;
    }
}

Now you can use this control instead of original DataGrid:

<dg:DataGridEx ItemsSource="{Binding OfflineData, UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" AutoGenerateColumns="False">
    <dg:DataGridEx.Columns>
        <DataGridTextColumn Binding="{Binding PortID}" Header="ID" Width="50" Visibility="Collapsed"/>
        <DataGridTextColumn Binding="{Binding SwitchIP}" Header="Switch IP" Width="100" Visibility="Visible"/>
        <DataGridTextColumn Binding="{Binding Port}" Header="Port" Width="50" Visibility="Visible"/>
    </dg:DataGridEx.Columns>
</dg:DataGridEx>

Now user can right-click on column header to open menu with checkboxes:

Let user select what columns to display on WPF DataGrid

3 Answers3