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Controls / GridView / Hierarchical Grid / Binding to Hierarchical Data Programmatically
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Binding to Hierarchical Data Programmatically

Updated over 6 months ago
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|RadGridView for WinForms Hierarchy Overview
In this video you will learn the various ways you can display hierarchical data in a RadGridView. (Runtime: 12:13)|WinForms RadGridView Hierarchy Tutorial|

There are many cases when you wouldn't want to include the whole dataset and hierarchy in your application. In such cases you cannot use the automatically mode for hierarchical data binding and you will need to set up the hierarchy in code manually.

Setting the Hierarchical Grid in Bound Mode

For setting the hierarchy, you will need the special GridViewRelation class, which defines the related field in parent and child tables. Consider the sample below:

C#
        
private void BindingToHierarchicalGridProgramatically_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    this.productsTableAdapter.Fill(this.nwindDataSet.Products);
    this.suppliersTableAdapter.Fill(this.nwindDataSet.Suppliers);
    
    radGridView1.DataSource = nwindDataSet.Suppliers;
    
    GridViewTemplate template = new GridViewTemplate();
    template.DataSource = nwindDataSet.Products;
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Templates.Add(template);
    
    GridViewRelation relation = new GridViewRelation(radGridView1.MasterTemplate);
    relation.ChildTemplate = template;
    relation.RelationName = "SuppliersProducts";
    relation.ParentColumnNames.Add("SupplierID");
    relation.ChildColumnNames.Add("SupplierID");
    radGridView1.Relations.Add(relation);
}

The column names specified in the relation must be present in the parent and child templates. If you don't want these columns to be shown, just manage their visibility but make sure that they are present in the respective templates.

You can also set the relation in design-time, using the provided collection editor as in the figure below:

WinForms RadGridView Hierarchical Grid in Bound Mode

If you generate the columns manually either at design time or run time, note that it is necessary the FieldName and Name properties of the columns participating in the relation to have equal values.

Setting the Multi-Level Hierarchy in Bound Mode

It is possible to manually set up the child templates and the relations between them in order to build a multi-level hierarchy as well. The code snippet below demonstrates the approach, which uses three data tables from the Northwind database:

WinForms RadGridView Multi-Level Hierarchy in Bound Mode

C#
        
private void BindingToMultiLevelHierarchicalGridInBoundMode_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    this.order_DetailsTableAdapter.Fill(this.nwindDataSet.Order_Details);
    this.productsTableAdapter.Fill(this.nwindDataSet.Products);
    this.categoriesTableAdapter.Fill(this.nwindDataSet.Categories);
    radGridView1.DataSource = nwindDataSet.Categories;
    
    GridViewTemplate firstChildtemplate = new GridViewTemplate();
    firstChildtemplate.DataSource = nwindDataSet.Products;
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Templates.Add(firstChildtemplate);
    
    GridViewRelation relation = new GridViewRelation(radGridView1.MasterTemplate);
    relation.ChildTemplate = firstChildtemplate;
    relation.RelationName = "CategoriesProducts";
    relation.ParentColumnNames.Add("CategoryID");
    relation.ChildColumnNames.Add("CategoryID");
    radGridView1.Relations.Add(relation);
    
    GridViewTemplate secondChildtemplate = new GridViewTemplate();
    secondChildtemplate.DataSource = nwindDataSet.Order_Details;
    firstChildtemplate.Templates.Add(secondChildtemplate);
    
    GridViewRelation relation2 = new GridViewRelation(firstChildtemplate);
    relation2.ChildTemplate = secondChildtemplate;
    relation2.RelationName = "ProductsOrderDetails";
    relation2.ParentColumnNames.Add("ProductID");
    relation2.ChildColumnNames.Add("ProductID");
    radGridView1.Relations.Add(relation2);
}

WinForms RadGridView Multi-Level Hierarchy

Hierarchical Grid in Unbound mode

Setting the hierarchical grid in unbound mode is quite similar to that for the bound mode with only difference is setting the unbound mode itself. First of all you need to create and add the columns you need. After that set up the relation and finally load the data.

Note that the GridViewRelation is created by using the GridViewDataColumn.Name, not the FieldName. As in the example below it is best if you create the column and pass the FieldName in the column's constructor. This will automatically set its Name to the same value.

C#
    
public void creatingHierarchicalGridInUnboundMode()
{
    //setup the master template
    GridViewImageColumn column = new GridViewImageColumn("Photo");
    column.ImageLayout = ImageLayout.Stretch;
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Columns.Add(column);
    GridViewTextBoxColumn textColumn = new GridViewTextBoxColumn("Name");
    textColumn.Width = 150;
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Columns.Add(textColumn);
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("Salary"));
    GridViewDateTimeColumn dateTimeColumn = new GridViewDateTimeColumn("Hire Date");
    dateTimeColumn.Width = 100;
    dateTimeColumn.TextAlignment = ContentAlignment.MiddleCenter;
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Columns.Add(dateTimeColumn);
    textColumn = new GridViewTextBoxColumn("Title");
    textColumn.Width = 150;
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Columns.Add(textColumn);
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewCheckBoxColumn("Active"));
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewCommandColumn("Action"));
    
    //setup the child template
    GridViewTemplate template = new GridViewTemplate();
    template.AllowAddNewRow = true;
    template.Columns.Add(new GridViewTextBoxColumn("Name"));
    template.Columns.Add(new GridViewTextBoxColumn("Product Number"));
    template.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("Quantity"));
    template.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("Discount"));
    template.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("Total"));
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Templates.Add(template);
    
    //create the relation
    GridViewRelation relation = new GridViewRelation(radGridView1.MasterTemplate);
    relation.ChildTemplate = template;
    relation.RelationName = "EmployeesOrders";
    relation.ParentColumnNames.Add("Name");
    relation.ChildColumnNames.Add("Name");
    radGridView1.Relations.Add(relation);
    
    //load data
    LoadUnboundData();
}
    
private void LoadUnboundData()
{
    using (radGridView1.DeferRefresh())
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < nwindDataSet.Employees.Count; i++)
        {
            Random random = new Random((int)DateTime.Now.Ticks);
            NwindDataSet.EmployeesRow row = nwindDataSet.Employees[i];
            string name = row.FirstName + " " + row.LastName;
            radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Rows.Add(GetImageFromData(row.Photo), name, random.Next(45000), row.HireDate, row.Title, (random.Next(100) > 50), "View");
            GridViewTemplate template = radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Templates[0];
            int rowCount = random.Next(20);
            for (int j = 0; j < rowCount; j++)
            {
                template.Rows.Add(name, random.Next(1000), random.Next(50), random.Next(100), random.Next(10000));
            }
        }
    }
}
    
private Image GetImageFromData(byte[] imageData)
{
    const int OleHeaderLength = 78;
    
    MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream();
    
    if (HasOleContainerHeader(imageData))
    {
        memoryStream.Write(imageData, OleHeaderLength, imageData.Length - OleHeaderLength);
    }
    else
    {
        memoryStream.Write(imageData, 0, imageData.Length);
    }
        
    Bitmap bitmap = new Bitmap(memoryStream);
        
    return bitmap.GetThumbnailImage(55, 65, null, new IntPtr());
}
    
private bool HasOleContainerHeader(byte[] imageByteArray)
{
    const byte OleByte0 = 21;
        
    const byte OleByte1 = 28;
        
    return (imageByteArray[0] == OleByte0) && (imageByteArray[1] == OleByte1);
}

Multi-Level Hierarchical Grid in Unbound mode

Following the introduced approach in the previous section, the three-level hierarchy can be loaded in unbound mode as follows:

C#
    
public void CreatingMultiLevelHierarchicalGridInUnboundMode()
{ 
    this.order_DetailsTableAdapter.Fill(this.nwindDataSet.Order_Details);
    this.categoriesTableAdapter.Fill(this.nwindDataSet.Categories);
    this.productsTableAdapter.Fill(this.nwindDataSet.Products);
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("CategoryID"));
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Columns.Add("CategoryName");
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Columns.Add("Description");
    
    GridViewTemplate firstChildtemplate = new GridViewTemplate();
    
    firstChildtemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("ProductID"));
    firstChildtemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewTextBoxColumn("ProductName"));
    firstChildtemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("CategoryID"));
    firstChildtemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("SupplierID"));
    radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Templates.Add(firstChildtemplate);
    
    GridViewRelation relation = new GridViewRelation(radGridView1.MasterTemplate);
    relation.ChildTemplate = firstChildtemplate;
    relation.RelationName = "CategoriesProducts";
    relation.ParentColumnNames.Add("CategoryID");
    relation.ChildColumnNames.Add("CategoryID");
    radGridView1.Relations.Add(relation);
    
    GridViewTemplate secondChildtemplate = new GridViewTemplate();
    
    secondChildtemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("OrderID"));
    secondChildtemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("ProductID"));
    secondChildtemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("UnitPrice"));
    secondChildtemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("Quantity"));
    secondChildtemplate.Columns.Add(new GridViewDecimalColumn("Discount"));
    firstChildtemplate.Templates.Add(secondChildtemplate);
    
    GridViewRelation relation2 = new GridViewRelation(firstChildtemplate);
    relation2.ChildTemplate = secondChildtemplate;
    relation2.RelationName = "ProductsOrderDetails";
    relation2.ParentColumnNames.Add("ProductID");
    relation2.ChildColumnNames.Add("ProductID");
    radGridView1.Relations.Add(relation2);
        
    LoadDataInUnboundMode();
}
    
private void LoadDataInUnboundMode()
{
    using (radGridView1.DeferRefresh())
    {
        GridViewTemplate firstLevelTemplate = radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Templates[0];
        GridViewTemplate secondLevelTemplate = radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Templates[0].Templates[0];
            
        for (int i = 0; i < nwindDataSet.Categories.Count; i++)
        {
            NwindDataSet.CategoriesRow categoryRow = nwindDataSet.Categories[i];
            radGridView1.MasterTemplate.Rows.Add(categoryRow.CategoryID,
                categoryRow.CategoryName, categoryRow.Description);
        }
            
        for (int j = 0; j < nwindDataSet.Products.Count; j++)
        {
            NwindDataSet.ProductsRow productRow = nwindDataSet.Products[j];
            firstLevelTemplate.Rows.Add(productRow.ProductID, productRow.ProductName,
                productRow.CategoryID, productRow.SupplierID);
        }
        for (int k = 0; k < nwindDataSet.Order_Details.Count; k++)
        {
            NwindDataSet.Order_DetailsRow orderDetailsRow = nwindDataSet.Order_Details[k];
            secondLevelTemplate.Rows.Add(orderDetailsRow.OrderID, orderDetailsRow.ProductID,
                orderDetailsRow.UnitPrice, orderDetailsRow.Quantity, orderDetailsRow.Discount);
        }
    }
}

WinForms RadGridView Multi-Level Hierarchical Grid in Unbound mode

See Also

In this article
Setting the Hierarchical Grid in Bound ModeSetting the Multi-Level Hierarchy in Bound ModeHierarchical Grid in Unbound modeMulti-Level Hierarchical Grid in Unbound modeSee Also
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