Ways to write both textbox and datagridview data into a single file

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Hello Guys,

I am pretty new to c#, thus need your advice - I am trying to figure out the ways to write data from textboxes and datagridview on a form to a file.

Tried to search for a similar things thru net, but unfortunately found info about writing either textboxes (serialization) or datagridview data (xml) separately.

What I need is to combine the data coming from all textboxes and a datagridview into a single file, so that later could read it back to them.

Textboxes controls as well as datagridview may contain multiline texts. The datgridview is unbound.

Please help...
Any info is appreciated :)

Posted 29-Sep-14 0:51am

Bratec_Lis

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Abdul Samad KP · Answer 1 · 2014-09-29T01:16:00

Solution 1

You can do it in many ways, one way is use dataset
For Example

//Declare a table
DataTable dtbl = new DataTable("TextBoxValues");
//Add columns for each text box
dtbl.Columns.Add("Textbox1", typeof(string));
//Declare data row
DataRow dr = dtbl.NewRow();
//Assign column values
dr["Textbox1"] = Textbox1.Text;
//Addd row to datatable
dtbl.Rows.Add(dr);
//Declare a dataset
DataSet ds = new DataSet();
//Add table to dataset
ds.Tables.Add(dtbl);
//Add grid bound table to dataset
//Assume your datasource is a datatable
ds.Tables.Add((DataTable)DataGridview1.DataSource);
//Write data with schema to xml file
ds.WriteXml("C:\\test\\test.xml", XmlWriteMode.WriteSchema);

Posted 29-Sep-14 1:16am

Abdul Samad KP

Updated 29-Sep-14 5:55am

v2

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Bratec_Lis 29-Sep-14 7:27am

Thanks! Will try your way :)

Bratec_Lis 29-Sep-14 7:52am

This row
ds.Tables.Add(DataGridview1.DataSource);

throws error:
Argument '1': cannot convert from 'object' to 'System.Data.DataTable'

Could you please help me with this?

Abdul Samad KP 29-Sep-14 11:47am

How you are binding your DataGrid?
If you are binding from datatable try this
ds.Tables.Add((DataTable)DataGridview1.DataSource);

Bratec_Lis 30-Sep-14 2:03am

Hello Abdul,

My data is not from DB - all the grid is fulfilled manually as well as the textboxes.
I have already found the way to fix this and currently able to write data from textboxes as well as datagrid.

Now, I am trying to find a solution of how to retrieve the data back from xml to the form.
The way of writing is as follows:
1. Combine data from textboxes to datatable: 1 row with strings from textboxes as well as # of columns = number of boxes on the form
2. Add the datatable (namely i.e. "txtDataTable" to created DataSet)
3. Take data from datagridview to newly created datatable (namely i.e. "dgvDataTable" where # of columns and rows = # of them in the dgv)
4. Add the "dgvDataTable" to the DataSet
5. Writing the DataSet to XML file using XmlWriteMode.WriteSchema
...
6. Now I am trying to find a way to read the schema from XML back to the form (textboxes and dgv). Any suggestions?
Thx!

Abdul Samad KP 30-Sep-14 4:57am

Just reverse the process
1. Declare the dataset
2. Read xml (ds.ReadXml("your xml filepath", XmlReadMode.ReadSchema);)
3. Get dgvDataTable from the ds and bind to grid
(If you have given a name to the datattable while declaring it(before saving) then you can get it by name like ds.Tables["dgvDataTable "]; or you can use index)
4. Get txtDataTable from the ds
5. Get textbox value from the txtDataTable
If you have marked "# of columns" as primary key then you can find the row by txtDataTable.Rows.Find(<column number="">)(this will return datarow) else you can use txtDataTable.Select("[# of columns]=<column number="">") (this will return datarow array)

6. Assign values to textbox

Bratec_Lis 30-Sep-14 5:45am

Thought in the same way - anyway thx much for the help.
Finally could read the schema and load data to textboxes.
But there is still one problem exist:
if I use
datagridview1.DataSource = ds.Tables["dgvDataTable"];
the datagridview is duplicated by columns, which I assume means that the schema read from XML is applied to the dgv and not data only. Loading data from file is initiated manually by user while the datagridview is created at the form load. Meaning that user can fill dgv by manually typing or load from XML file, then add/delete (update) anything and save the changes.
Could you point me to the correct way of taking data and loading it into dgv?

Abdul Samad KP 30-Sep-14 6:12am

Set
datagridview1.AutoGenerateColumns=false;

Bratec_Lis 30-Sep-14 6:24am

If I set it before assignment (DataSource), dgv appears to be blank with all the columns and rows there.
If I set it after, columns are duplicated as stated above :(

Well... I think I do smth wrong with the data storage into XML. Trying to figure this out now. The way you suggested initially does not suit:
ds.Tables.Add((DataTable)DataGridview1.DataSource);

Abdul Samad KP 30-Sep-14 7:33am

Assign DataPropertyName for all datagrid columns (you can do it in the designer)
It is better to create the datattable with your datagridview structure(columns) in the page load and bind it to the grid, so that you can easily handle the grid

Bratec_Lis · Answer 2 · 2014-10-02T02:35:00

Finally got it working (below is the code for anyone might be interested in - could appear not ideal, but at least works for me:)):

//Writing script to file
        private void SaveToFile()
        {

            DataTable dtbl = new DataTable("TestScriptHeader");
            dtbl.Columns.Add("TestScriptDescription", typeof(string));
            dtbl.Columns.Add("TestScriptPre-Cond", typeof(string));
            DataRow dr = dtbl.NewRow();
            dr["TestScriptDescription"] = DescriptionText.Text;
            dr["TestScriptPre-Cond"] = PreliminaryConditionsText.Text;
            dtbl.Rows.Add(dr);
            DataSet DS = new DataSet();
            DS.Tables.Add(dtbl);

            ////
            DataTable tsgDataTable = new DataTable("TestScriptGridDataTable");

            foreach (DataGridViewColumn column in TestScriptGrid.Columns)
            {
                if (column.Visible)
                {
                    tsgDataTable.Columns.Add(column.HeaderText);
                }
            }

            object[] cellValues = new object[TestScriptGrid.Columns.Count];
            foreach (DataGridViewRow row in TestScriptGrid.Rows)
            {
                for (int i = 0; i < row.Cells.Count; i++)
                {
                    cellValues[i] = row.Cells[i].Value;
                }
                tsgDataTable.Rows.Add(cellValues);
            }
            DS.Tables.Add(tsgDataTable);
            ////

            DS.WriteXml(@"C:\temp\1111111111.xml", XmlWriteMode.WriteSchema);
        }
        
        //Open script file
        private void FileOpen_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (opnFileDialog.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
            {
                fileName = opnFileDialog.FileName;

                DataSet DSFromXML = new DataSet();
                DSFromXML.ReadXml(fileName, XmlReadMode.ReadSchema);

                DataRow dr = DSFromXML.Tables["TestScriptHeader"].Rows[0];
                DescriptionText.Text = dr["TestScriptDescription"].ToString();
                PreliminaryConditionsText.Text = dr["TestScriptPre-Cond"].ToString();

                //////Retrieving data from xml to TestScriptGrid
                DataTable DTFromXMLtoGrid = DSFromXML.Tables["TestScriptGridDataTable"];
                object[] columnCellValues = new object[DTFromXMLtoGrid.Columns.Count];
                TestScriptGrid.Rows.Clear();

                foreach (DataRow DRdgv in DTFromXMLtoGrid.Rows)
                {
                    if (DTFromXMLtoGrid.Rows.IndexOf(DRdgv) == DTFromXMLtoGrid.Rows.Count - 1)
                        break;
                    for (int c = 0; c < DRdgv.ItemArray.Count(); c++)
                    {
                        columnCellValues[c] = DRdgv.ItemArray[c];
                    }
                    TestScriptGrid.Rows.Add(columnCellValues);
                }
            }
        }