How to Access RadSpreadsheet's Editor

Updated on Aug 27, 2026

Environment

Product Version	Product	Author
2021.1.122	RadSpreadsheet for WinForms	Desislava Yordanova

Description

This article demonstrates how to access the RadSpreadsheet's editor and handle the user's input while editing a cell.

The required references are listed below:

• Telerik.WinControls
• Telerik.WinControls.UI
• TelerikCommon
• Telerik.WinControls.RadSpreadsheet
• Telerik.Windows.Documents.Core
• Telerik.Windows.Documents.Spreadsheet

Solution

The editor can be detected via the Selection property that the SpreadsheetElement.ActiveWorksheetEditor offers. It triggers the ActiveCellModeChanged event when the selected cell enters edit mode. By default, a Microsoft RichTextBox is hosted inside the editor:

C#

private Telerik.WinForms.Controls.Spreadsheet.Worksheets.RadWorksheetEditor activeEditor;
private NormalWorksheetEditorPresenter activePresenter;

public Form1()
{
    InitializeComponent();

    this.radSpreadsheet1.SpreadsheetElement.ActiveSheetEditorChanged += SpreadsheetElement_ActiveSheetEditorChanged;
    InitializeSubscription();
}

public void InitializeSubscription()
{
    this.activeEditor = this.radSpreadsheet1.SpreadsheetElement.ActiveWorksheetEditor;
    this.activePresenter = this.activeEditor.ActivePresenter as NormalWorksheetEditorPresenter;

    this.activeEditor.Selection.ActiveCellModeChanged -= Selection_ActiveCellModeChanged;
    this.activeEditor.ActivePresenterChanged -= activeEditor_ActivePresenterChanged;

    this.activeEditor.Selection.ActiveCellModeChanged += Selection_ActiveCellModeChanged;
    this.activeEditor.ActivePresenterChanged += activeEditor_ActivePresenterChanged;
}

void SpreadsheetElement_ActiveSheetEditorChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    InitializeSubscription();
}

void activeEditor_ActivePresenterChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    this.activePresenter = this.activeEditor.ActivePresenter as NormalWorksheetEditorPresenter;
}

void Selection_ActiveCellModeChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    if (activeEditor.Selection.ActiveCellMode == Telerik.WinForms.Controls.Spreadsheet.Worksheets.ActiveCellMode.Edit)
    {
        CellInputUILayer uiLayer = this.activePresenter.UILayers.GetByName(WorksheetPredefinedUILayers.CellInput) as CellInputUILayer;
        CellEditor cellEditor = uiLayer.ActiveCellEditor as CellEditor;
        if (cellEditor != null)
        {
            RadHostItem editorHost = cellEditor.Children.First() as RadHostItem;
            if (editorHost != null)
            {
                RichTextBox rtb = editorHost.HostedControl as RichTextBox;
                rtb.KeyDown -= rtb_KeyDown;
                rtb.KeyDown += rtb_KeyDown;
            }
        }
    }
}

private void rtb_KeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
{
    Console.WriteLine(e.KeyCode);
}
  

VB.NET

Private activeEditor As RadWorksheetEditor
Private activePresenter As NormalWorksheetEditorPresenter

Public Sub New()
    InitializeComponent()
    AddHandler Me.RadSpreadsheet1.SpreadsheetElement.ActiveSheetEditorChanged, AddressOf SpreadsheetElement_ActiveSheetEditorChanged
    InitializeSubscription()
End Sub

Public Sub InitializeSubscription()
    Me.activeEditor = Me.RadSpreadsheet1.SpreadsheetElement.ActiveWorksheetEditor
    Me.activePresenter = TryCast(Me.activeEditor.ActivePresenter, NormalWorksheetEditorPresenter)
    RemoveHandler Me.activeEditor.Selection.ActiveCellModeChanged, AddressOf Selection_ActiveCellModeChanged
    RemoveHandler Me.activeEditor.ActivePresenterChanged, AddressOf activeEditor_ActivePresenterChanged
    AddHandler Me.activeEditor.Selection.ActiveCellModeChanged, AddressOf Selection_ActiveCellModeChanged
    AddHandler Me.activeEditor.ActivePresenterChanged, AddressOf activeEditor_ActivePresenterChanged
End Sub

Private Sub SpreadsheetElement_ActiveSheetEditorChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
    InitializeSubscription()
End Sub

Private Sub activeEditor_ActivePresenterChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
    Me.activePresenter = TryCast(Me.activeEditor.ActivePresenter, NormalWorksheetEditorPresenter)
End Sub

Private Sub Selection_ActiveCellModeChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
    If activeEditor.Selection.ActiveCellMode = Telerik.WinForms.Controls.Spreadsheet.Worksheets.ActiveCellMode.Edit Then
        Dim uiLayer As CellInputUILayer = TryCast(Me.activePresenter.UILayers.GetByName(WorksheetPredefinedUILayers.CellInput), CellInputUILayer)
        Dim cellEditor As CellEditor = TryCast(uiLayer.ActiveCellEditor, CellEditor)

        If cellEditor IsNot Nothing Then
            Dim editorHost As RadHostItem = TryCast(cellEditor.Children.First(), RadHostItem)

            If editorHost IsNot Nothing Then
                Dim rtb As RichTextBox = TryCast(editorHost.HostedControl, RichTextBox)
                RemoveHandler rtb.KeyDown, AddressOf rtb_KeyDown
                AddHandler rtb.KeyDown, AddressOf rtb_KeyDown
            End If
        End If
    End If
End Sub

Private Sub rtb_KeyDown(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As KeyEventArgs)
    Console.WriteLine(e.KeyCode)
End Sub
 

See Also

• Working with UI Selection