Create DataGrid in WPF using code

In this post I will explain a way to create DataGrid in WPF through code. I will use a DataTable with two columns as a DataSource for the DataGrid. I will display one column as TextBox while the second column will be displayed as ComboBox. You can download complete sample from here. My main Window contains single Grid inside which I will display my DataGrid. I will use MainGrid_Initialized event to create DataGrid.

 Inside MainGrid_Initialized event I am creating a DataGrid and adding two columns inside it. One for the TextBox and other for the ComboBox. Then I am setting a DataTable as DataSource for my DataGrid which contains two columns "TextBoxColumn" and "ComboBoxColumn". At the end, I am placing my DataGrid in the Main Window's Grid.

   1:  DataGrid dataGrid = new DataGrid();

   2:  dataGrid.AutoGenerateColumns = false;

   3:   

   4:  dataGrid.Columns.Add(CreateTextBoxColumn());

   5:  dataGrid.Columns.Add(CreateComboBoxColumn());

   6:  //set DataTable as item source of dataGrid

   7:  dataGrid.ItemsSource = GetDataTable().AsDataView();

   8:   

   9:  //place DataGrid inside main Grid

  10:  Grid.SetColumn(dataGrid,0);

  11:  Grid.SetRow(dataGrid,0);

  12:  MainGrid.Children.Add(dataGrid);

In CreateTextBoxColumn method I am defining my TextBox based column. I am creating two templates one for viewing(TextBlock) and other for editing (TextBox). I am also creating bindings between DataTable's "TextBoxColumn" with the TextBlock and the TextBox templates.

   1:  private DataGridTemplateColumn CreateTextBoxColumn()

   2:          {

   3:              //create a template column

   4:              DataGridTemplateColumn templateColumn = new DataGridTemplateColumn();

   5:              //set title of column

   6:              templateColumn.Header = "TextBoxColumn";

   7:              //non editing cell template.. will be used for viweing data

   8:              DataTemplate textBlockTemplate = new DataTemplate();

   9:              FrameworkElementFactory textBlockElement = new FrameworkElementFactory(typeof(TextBlock));

  10:              Binding textBlockBinding = new Binding("TextBoxColumn");

  11:              textBlockElement.SetBinding(TextBlock.TextProperty, textBlockBinding);

  12:              textBlockTemplate.VisualTree = textBlockElement;

  13:              templateColumn.CellTemplate = textBlockTemplate;

  14:   

  15:              //editing cell template ... will be used when user will edit the data

  16:              DataTemplate textBoxTemplate = new DataTemplate();

  17:              FrameworkElementFactory textboxElement = new FrameworkElementFactory(typeof(TextBox));

  18:              Binding textboxBinding = new Binding("TextBoxColumn");

  19:              textboxElement.SetBinding(TextBox.TextProperty, textboxBinding);

  20:              textBoxTemplate.VisualTree = textboxElement;

  21:              templateColumn.CellEditingTemplate = textBoxTemplate;

  22:              return templateColumn;

  23:          }

Similarly, I am creating a column for ComboBox

   1:   private DataGridTemplateColumn CreateComboBoxColumn()

   2:          {

   3:              //create a template column

   4:              DataGridTemplateColumn templateColumn = new DataGridTemplateColumn();

   5:              //set title of column

   6:              templateColumn.Header = "ComboBoxColumn";

   7:              //non editing cell template.. will be used for viweing data

   8:              DataTemplate textBlockTemplate = new DataTemplate();

   9:              FrameworkElementFactory textBlockElement = new FrameworkElementFactory(typeof(TextBlock));

  10:              Binding textBlockBinding = new Binding("ComboBoxColumn");

  11:              textBlockElement.SetBinding(TextBlock.TextProperty, textBlockBinding);

  12:              textBlockTemplate.VisualTree = textBlockElement;

  13:              templateColumn.CellTemplate = textBlockTemplate;

  14:   

  15:              //editing cell template ... will be used when user will edit the data

  16:              DataTemplate comboboxTemplate = new DataTemplate();

  17:              FrameworkElementFactory comboboxElement = new FrameworkElementFactory(typeof(ComboBox));

  18:              Binding comboboxBinding = new Binding("ComboBoxColumn");

  19:              comboboxElement.SetBinding(ComboBox.TextProperty, comboboxBinding);

  20:   

  21:              //combo box will show these options to select from

  22:              comboboxElement.SetValue(ComboBox.ItemsSourceProperty, new List<string> { "Value1", "Value2" ,"Value3", "Value4" });

  23:              comboboxTemplate.VisualTree = comboboxElement;

  24:              templateColumn.CellEditingTemplate = comboboxTemplate;

  25:              return templateColumn;

  26:          }

You can download complete sample from here and play with it