# GridViewDataColumn **GridViewDataColumn** inherits from [GridViewColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/gridviewcolumn) and is the base class for all column types. **GridViewDataColumn** is an abstract class and you can not use it in its pure form. Below is a list of the column types that **RadGridView** offers. All of them inherit from the **GridViewDataColumn** and enhance its capabilities: | Column's type | Data type | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | [GridViewTextBoxColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewtextboxcolumn) | presents String values | | [GridViewDecimalColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewdecimalcolumn) | presents Decimal values | | [GridViewDateTimeColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewdatetimecolumn) | presents DateTime objects | | [GridViewTimeSpanColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewtimespancolumn) | presents TimeSpan objects | | [GridViewHyperlinkColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewhyperlinkcolumn) | presents Hyperlinks | | [GridViewColorColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewcolorcolumn) | presents Colors | | [GridViewCheckBoxColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewcheckboxcolumn) | presents Boolean values | | [GridViewImageColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewimagecolumn) | presents Images | | [GridViewCalculatorColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewcalculatorcolumn) | represents Calculator | | [GridViewCommandColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewcommandcolumn) | represents Buttons | | [GridViewBrowseColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewbrowsecolumn) | represents File paths | | [GridViewSparklineColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewsparklinecolumn) | represents Sparklines | | [GridViewComboBoxColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewcomboboxcolumn) | represents a column whose cells contains comboboxes | | [GridViewMaskBoxColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewmaskboxcolumn) | represents a column whose cells contain masked text boxes with String values | | [GridViewRatingColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewratingcolumn) | represents a column that visualizes the cell's value by using a rating element | | [GridViewMultiComboBoxColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/column-types/gridviewmulticomboboxcolumn) | represents a column that contain multi column combo boxes | By default, **RadGridView** will generate its columns automatically based on the underlying data source. For example, if the column contains string values, **RadGridView** will create a **GridViewTextBoxColumn**, etc. Then, depending on the column's type, **RadGridView** activates an appropriate editor to handle the cell's value changes. If you have a **GridViewTextBoxColumn**, the editor is **RadTextBoxEditor**. A list with all supported editors is available [here](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/features/editing/editors/default-editors). > note **GridViewDataColumn** doesn't have associated editor. Each of the above mentioned column types has a default editor. The following table shows the properties that **GridViewDataColumn** offers: | Property | Description | | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **AutoFilterDelay** | Gets or set the value in Milliseconds indicating delay between last key press and filtering operation. | | **AllowFiltering** | Gets or sets a value indicating whether the user can filter by this column. | | **AllowGroup** | Gets or sets a value indicating whether the user can group data based on the content of this column. | | **AllowHide** | Gets or sets value indicating whether the user can hide the column. | | **AllowReorder** | Gets or sets a value indicating whether the user can reorder this column using the mouse. | | **AllowResize** | Gets or sets value indicating whether the user can resize the column. | | **AllowSort** | Gets or sets value indicating whether the user can sort data based on the contents of this column. | | **AllowSearching** | Gets or sets a value indicating whether the user can search by this column. | | **AllowNaturalSort** | Gets or sets a value indicating whether clicking on the header cell of this column would allow the user to set natural (no) sort. | | **AutoEllipsis** | Gets or sets a value which determines whether an ellipsis is shown when the whole text of the cells can not be displayed. | | **DataTypeConverter** | Gets or sets the data type converter used to convert data between the data source and grid editors. | | **UseDataTypeConverterWhenSorting** | Gets or sets a value indicating whether the data type converter of this column should be used when sorting. | | **FilterDescriptor** | Gets or sets the filter descriptor. | | **DataType** | Gets or sets the data type of the column. | | **ExcelExportType** | Gets or sets the type of the excel export. | | **ExcelExportFormatString** | Gets or sets the excel export format string. Note that this format is considered only if ExcelExportType property is set to DisplayFormatType.*Custom* | | **FormatInfo** | Gets or sets the culture info used when formatting cell values. | | **FormatString** | Gets or sets the format string applied to the textual content of each cell in the column. | | **NullValue** | Gets or sets the cell display value corresponding to a cell value of System.DBNull or null. | | **ReadOnly** | Gets or sets a value indicating whether the user can edit the data in the column's cells. | | **DataSourceNullValue** | Gets or sets a value to the data source when the user enters a null value into a cell. | | **DistinctValues** | Gets the distinct values. | | **DistinctValuesWithFilter** | Gets the distinct values with filter. | | **HeaderText** | Gets or sets the caption text on the column's header cell. | | **HeaderTextAlignment** | Gets or sets a value indicating the position of the HeaderText within the header cell. | | **TextAlignment** | Gets or sets a value indicating the position of the cell content within a column's cells. | | **DisableHTMLRendering** | Disable or enable HTML-like text rendering in the column. | | **WrapText** | Gets or sets value indicating whether the text in each cell in the column should be wrapped. | ## See Also * [Accessing and Iterating through Columns](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/accessing-and-iterating-through-columns) * [Calculated Columns (Column Expressions)](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/calculated-column-expressions) * [Converting Data Types](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/converting-data-types) * [Data Formatting](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/data-formatting) * [Generating Columns](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/generating-columns) * [GridViewColumn](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/gridviewcolumn) * [Pinning and Unpinning Columns](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/gridview/visual-elements/columns/pinning-and-unpinning-columns)