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How to: Customize Auto-Generated Columns in the DataGrid Control

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The DataGrid control supports the option to automatically generate columns based on the collection data bound through the ItemsSource property.

<controls:DataGrid AutoGenerateColumns="True"/>
<!-- Autogenerates column headers and columns based on the Data model provided -->

You can modify the DataGrid.Columns collection at run time regardless of whether it contains generated columns. However, if you specify columns in XAML, you should set AutoGenerateColumns to false in order to avoid duplication.

You can handle the DataGrid's AutoGeneratingColumn event to modify, replace, or cancel a column that is being generated. The AutoGeneratingColumn event occurs one time for each public, non-static property in the bound data type when the ItemsSource property is changed and the AutoGenerateColumns property is true.

To handle the AutoGeneratingColumn event

  1. Create an event handler for the DataGrid's AutoGeneratingColumn event.

    private void dataGrid1_AutoGeneratingColumn(object sender, DataGridAutoGeneratingColumnEventArgs e)
{
 //...
}

  2. Add the event handler to the DataGrid instances events.

    <controls:DataGrid x:Name="dataGrid1"
         AutoGenerateColumns="True"
         AutoGeneratingColumn="dataGrid1_AutoGeneratingColumn"/>

To modify a generated column

In the AutoGeneratingColumn event handler, access the DataGridColumn properties by referencing the DataGridAutoGeneratingColumnEventArgs.Column property.

//Modify the header of the "Name" column
if (e.Column.Header.ToString() == "Name")
{
    e.Column.Header = "Task";
}

To replace a generated column

  1. In the AutoGeneratingColumn event handler, create a new DataGridColumn.

    //Replace the DueDate column with a custom template column.
if (e.PropertyName == "DueDate")
{
 //Create a new template column.
 var templateColumn = new DataGridTemplateColumn();
 templateColumn.Header = "Due Date";
 //...
}

  2. Replace the column from the DataGridAutoGeneratingColumnEventArgs.Column property with the new DataGridColumn instance.

    //Replace the auto-generated column with the templateColumn.
e.Column = templateColumn;

To cancel generation of a column

Set the Cancel property to true.

//Cancel AutoGeneration of all boolean columns.
if (e.PropertyType == GetType(Boolean))
{
    e.Cancel = True;
}

See Also