Chapter 16. Using the DataGrid Control

OBJECTIVES

• Learn to use the DataGrid control on a Web Form

• Format the data in a DataGrid control

• Page data within a DataGrid control

• Sort columns within a DataGrid control

• Select a row within a DataGrid control

One of the important features of ASP.NET and the whole Microsoft .NET platform is that you can create rich, full-featured Web applications quickly and easily. To make this goal possible, Microsoft has provided a large group of server controls, all providing server-side functionality and events. Many of these server controls provide data-binding capabilities, as well. These controls run on the server yet send HTML code out to the client's browser. If you need to display a table of information on an HTML page, one of the best tools for this job is the DataGrid control.

If you need to display tabular data, and you want the maximum flexibility, the DataGrid control is the control you want. (You'll also find the DataList and Repeater controls, covered in other chapters, useful. But these controls provide less functionality than the DataGrid control.) Using the DataGrid control, you can add these features to your display:

• Sorting by column

• Editing

• Deleting rows

• Selecting rows

• Hyperlinked columns

• Automatic paging

• Alternate row formatting

• Templated columns

And there's more, of course—we're just introducing the control here. In this chapter, you'll learn about formatting the DataGrid control. You'll learn more about editing and managing data using the DataGrid control in a later chapter.