A WPF GiftWorse (AKA Xceed DataGrid for WPF)

Now some time ago I wrote an article at Codeproject that was a simple contact keeper which used LINQ / XLINQ and one of its core requirements was an editable datagrid.

The article was published at Codeproject and can be found right here.

Those that use WPF will know that there is NO native control within the standard WPF tool set that fulfils this role. So I spent a great deal of time scouring the Internet looking for a free datagrid for WPF that did what I wanted. And low and behold I found one.

The Xceed DataGrid For WPF, which offers a Express (free) version to developers. There is a Professional edition, but I found the Express (free) version did everything I wanted from a DataGrid, and more actually.

Here is a screen shot of the v1.0 Xceed DataGrid used in my own “MyFriends” article

And here is some more screen shots of what other sort of things were possible with it. And all this for free. Hooray

So you may be asking yourself why I am writing about this control again. Well Xceed just released V2.0 of this great control, and when there is a great (free) control that helps me and others, I feel duty bound to blog about it.

Here is some of the new stuff it does

Express Edition (Free remember)

• Hierarchical master/detail. Which means that each datarow—whether in the main grid or in a detail—can have an unlimited number of details attached to it. Furthermore, details can have “sibling” or “child” details, or both, and also support headers and footers, grouping, sorting, and autofiltering, as well as custom detail relations and different styles for the data items contained in each same-level detail.
• Finally, custom grouping in grid and details is supported
• Design time configuration window lets you set up the most important features quickly and easily
• Resource Center application now available with the component centralizes various DataGrid for WPF assets and provides a news feed for the latest developments concerning the product
• Design-time support in Visual Studio 2008 and Expression Blend.

Professional Edition

• All the new Express edition features mentioned above
• Automatic Excel-like end-user filtering
• Fixed columns
• Printing
• XPS export capabilities
• Office 2007, Windows Media Player 11, and Glass themes

For a full list of features check out the Xceed DataGrid page and also check out the XBAP demo right here

Also of note is the fact that Xceed are also working on a 3D set of views, one of which looks similiar to the Apple album browser. You know the one, basically this type of view

This screen shot came from the Channel 9 post video that Xceeds Pascal Bourque published. The video url is

http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=349974

Should you be interested. Which I think you should be. Check it out, and what about this view

I just hope when they release whatever version of the DataGrid that has the 3D stuff in it turns out to be, that they make it available in the Express version as well, as I like this view more than a lot.

In closing if you do any sort of WPF work that works with data, go download the Xceed DataGrid for WPF its absolutely awesome.

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)