Modify the DragDropService behavior

Updated over 6 months ago

This article demonstrates how to customize the TreeViewDragDropService behavior and more precisely how to customize it to copy the nodes when dropped, instead of moving them.

To achieve this scenario we will need to create a descendant of TreeViewDragDropService (lets call it CustomDragDropService) where we will expose the RadTreeViewElement as a field, so we can use it later. This field will be assigned in the CustomDragDropService class constructor. We will also need another field of type RadTreeNode which will hold the dragged node. The latter will be assigned in the PerformStart and will be cleared in the PerformStop method.

Next we need to override the OnPreviewDragOver method, where we will specify upon what conditions a drop will be allowed and finally, in the OnPreviewDragDrop method override, we will add the logic for copying the selected nodes instead of moving them:

C#

class CustomDragDropService : TreeViewDragDropService
{
    RadTreeViewElement owner;
    RadTreeNode draggedNode;
    //Initialize the service
    public CustomDragDropService(RadTreeViewElement owner)
        : base(owner)
    {
        this.owner = owner;
    }
    //Save the dragged node
    protected override void PerformStart()
    {
        base.PerformStart();
        TreeNodeElement draggedNodeElement = this.Context as TreeNodeElement;
        this.draggedNode = draggedNodeElement.Data;
    }
    //Clean the saved node
    protected override void PerformStop()
    {
        base.PerformStop();
        this.draggedNode = null;
    }
    //If tree element is hovered, allow drop
    protected override void OnPreviewDragOver(RadDragOverEventArgs e)
    {
        base.OnPreviewDragOver(e);
        RadTreeViewElement targetElement = e.HitTarget as RadTreeViewElement;
        if (targetElement != null && targetElement != this.owner)
        {
            e.CanDrop = true;
        }
    }
    //Create copies of the selected node(s) and add them to the hovered node/tree
    protected override void OnPreviewDragDrop(RadDropEventArgs e)
    {
        TreeNodeElement targetNodeElement = e.HitTarget as TreeNodeElement;
        RadTreeViewElement targetTreeView = targetNodeElement == null ? e.HitTarget as RadTreeViewElement : targetNodeElement.TreeViewElement;
        if (targetTreeView == this.owner)
        {
            base.OnPreviewDragDrop(e);
            return;
        }
        if (targetTreeView == null)
        {
            return;
        }
        List<RadTreeNode> draggedNodes = this.GetDraggedNodes(draggedNode);
        targetTreeView.BeginUpdate();
        this.owner.BeginUpdate();
        bool copyNodes = this.IsCopyingNodes;
        foreach (RadTreeNode node in draggedNodes)
        {
            RadTreeNode newNode = CreateNewTreeNode(node);
            if (targetNodeElement != null)
            {
                targetNodeElement.Data.Nodes.Add(newNode);
            }
            else
            {
                targetTreeView.Nodes.Add(newNode);
            }
        }
        this.owner.EndUpdate();
        targetTreeView.EndUpdate();
    }
    //Return a copy of a node
    protected virtual RadTreeNode CreateNewTreeNode(RadTreeNode node)
    {
        return node.Clone() as RadTreeNode;
    }
}

VB.NET

Class CustomDragDropService
    Inherits TreeViewDragDropService
    Private owner As RadTreeViewElement
    Private draggedNode As RadTreeNode
    'Initialize the service
    Public Sub New(ByVal owner As RadTreeViewElement)
        MyBase.New(owner)
        Me.owner = owner
    End Sub
    'Save the dragged node
    Protected Overrides Sub PerformStart()
        MyBase.PerformStart()
        Dim draggedNodeElement As TreeNodeElement = TryCast(Me.Context, TreeNodeElement)
        Me.draggedNode = draggedNodeElement.Data
    End Sub
    'Clean the saved node
    Protected Overrides Sub PerformStop()
        MyBase.PerformStop()
        Me.draggedNode = Nothing
    End Sub
    'If tree element is hovered, allow drop
    Protected Overrides Sub OnPreviewDragOver(ByVal e As RadDragOverEventArgs)
        MyBase.OnPreviewDragOver(e)
        Dim targetElement As RadTreeViewElement = TryCast(e.HitTarget, RadTreeViewElement)
        If Not targetElement Is Nothing AndAlso Not targetElement Is Me.owner Then
            e.CanDrop = True
        End If
    End Sub
    'Create copies of the selected node(s) and add them to the hovered node/tree
    Protected Overrides Sub OnPreviewDragDrop(ByVal e As RadDropEventArgs)
        Dim targetNodeElement As TreeNodeElement = TryCast(e.HitTarget, TreeNodeElement)
        Dim targetTreeView As RadTreeViewElement
        If targetNodeElement Is Nothing Then
            targetTreeView = TryCast(e.HitTarget, RadTreeViewElement)
        Else
            targetTreeView = targetNodeElement.TreeViewElement
        End If
        If targetTreeView Is Me.owner Then
            MyBase.OnPreviewDragDrop(e)
            Return
        End If
        If targetTreeView Is Nothing Then
            Return
        End If
        Dim draggedNodes As List(Of RadTreeNode) = Me.GetDraggedNodes(draggedNode)
        targetTreeView.BeginUpdate()
        Me.owner.BeginUpdate()
        Dim copyNodes As Boolean = Me.IsCopyingNodes
        For Each node As RadTreeNode In draggedNodes
            Dim newNode As RadTreeNode = CreateNewTreeNode(node)
            If Not targetNodeElement Is Nothing Then
                targetNodeElement.Data.Nodes.Add(newNode)
            Else
                targetTreeView.Nodes.Add(newNode)
            End If
        Next node
        Me.owner.EndUpdate()
        targetTreeView.EndUpdate()
    End Sub
    'Return a copy of a node
    Protected Overridable Function CreateNewTreeNode(ByVal node As RadTreeNode) As RadTreeNode
        Return TryCast(node.Clone(), RadTreeNode)
    End Function
End Class

After the custom drag and drop behavior is created, we need to replace the default one. This can be achieved in the CreateDragDropService method of RadTreeViewElement, so we create a new element for the purpose:

C#

class CustomTreeViewElement : RadTreeViewElement
{
    //Enable themeing for the element
    protected override Type ThemeEffectiveType
    {
        get
        {
            return typeof(RadTreeViewElement);
        }
    }
    //Replace the default drag drop service with the custom one
    protected override TreeViewDragDropService CreateDragDropService()
    {
        return new CustomDragDropService(this);
    }
}

VB.NET

Class CustomTreeViewElement
    Inherits RadTreeViewElement
    'Enable themeing for the element
    Protected Overrides ReadOnly Property ThemeEffectiveType() As Type
        Get
            Return GetType(RadTreeViewElement)
        End Get
    End Property
    'Replace the default drag drop service with the custom one
    Protected Overrides Function CreateDragDropService() As TreeViewDragDropService
        Return New CustomDragDropService(Me)
    End Function
End Class

Now we need to use this CustomTreeViewElement in the tree. To do that we need to pass a new instance of this element in the CreateTreeViewElement method of RadTreeView descendant:

C#

class CustomTreeView : RadTreeView
{
    //Replace the default element with the custom one
    protected override RadTreeViewElement CreateTreeViewElement()
    {
        return new CustomTreeViewElement();
    }
    //Enable theming for the control
    public override string ThemeClassName
    {
        get
        {
            return typeof(RadTreeView).FullName;
        }
    }
}

VB.NET

Class CustomTreeView
    Inherits RadTreeView
    'Replace the default element with the custom one
    Protected Overrides Function CreateTreeViewElement() As RadTreeViewElement
        Return New CustomTreeViewElement()
    End Function
    'Enable theming for the control
    Public Overrides Property ThemeClassName As String
        Get
            Return GetType(RadTreeView).FullName
        End Get
        Set(value As String)
            MyBase.ThemeClassName = value
        End Set
    End Property
End Class

Finally, lets populate the tree and test the new behavior:

C#

customTreeView1.AllowDragDrop = true;
customTreeView1.MultiSelect = true;
customTreeView2.AllowDragDrop = true;
customTreeView2.MultiSelect = true;
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
{
    customTreeView1.Nodes.Add("First tree node " + i);
    customTreeView2.Nodes.Add("Second tree node " + i);
}

VB.NET

CustomTreeView1.AllowDragDrop = True
CustomTreeView1.MultiSelect = True
CustomTreeView2.AllowDragDrop = True
CustomTreeView2.MultiSelect = True
For i As Integer = 0 To 9
    CustomTreeView1.Nodes.Add("First tree node " & i)
    CustomTreeView2.Nodes.Add("Second tree node " & i)
Next i

The result can be observed at the screen shot at the top.

See Also

• Cancel a Drag and Drop Operation

• Drag and Drop in bound mode

• Enabling Drag and Drop