3.4 Filter andSortRecords Using theDataViewObject
After your data is loaded into the data table, you will probably want to be able to view
your data using different filters andsort orders. To do this, you can use theDataView
object. This How-To goes into detail and shows you how to take advantage of the
DataView control to manipulate your data.
Although you can put data into the DataGrid control and let the users sort data usingthe
columns, you want to display a ComboBox control and let users pick a field from the
drop-drown list. How can you filter andsortrecords using theDataViewobject to present
your data in different ways?
Technique
This How-To displays a set of command buttons that display a letter and an extra
command button that displays all records. A data adapter, data table, and data view are
declared at the form level. The data adapter is created andthe DataTable is filled when
the form is loaded with all customers. Using a DataColumn object, a combo box is filled
by getting the names of each column that is in the data table. You can see this form in
action in Figure 3.5.
Figure 3.5. Selecting a letter here limits the data displayed in the DataGrid control.
Using the command buttons, a routine is called that creates a DataView object, sets the
RowFilter property, and then assigns the data view to the DataSource property of a
DataGrid control.
Tip
Although the RowFilter allows you to filter data based on a criteria such
as CompanyName Like 'A%', you can set another property to display
data based on the state of the row in which data occurs. The property is
called RowStateFilter.
You can set the RowStateFilter to one of the following
DataViewRowState values in Table 3.5.
Table 3.5. Label, TextBox, and ComboBox Control Property Settings
Setting Description
Added New rows
CurrentRows Current rows including unchanged, new, and modified rows
Deleted Deleted rows
ModifiedCurrent A current version, which is a modified version of original data (see
ModifiedOriginal)
ModifiedOriginal The original version (although it has since been modified and is
available as ModifiedCurrent)
None None
OriginalRows Original rows including unchanged and deleted rows
Unchanged Unchanged row
The Sort property of theDataViewobject is used when a column name is chosen from
the ComboBox. The current setting of theSort property is compared to the column name
that is chosen. If the Name matches, then the expression DESC is added to the value that
is assigned to theSort property.
Steps
Open and run the VB.NET-Chapter 3 solution. From the main form, click on the
command button with the caption How-To 3.4. When the form loads, click on different
letters that are displayed. You will see the data grid display different customers based on
their first letter.
If you choose a column name from the Column to Sort On ComboBox control, the data
grid will then be sorted based on the column chosen.
1. Create a new Windows Form.
2. Add a GroupBox control with the text property set to Click on a Letter.
3. Now you will be creating buttons that you will place within the GroupBox control
you just created. The buttons will have their property set as listed in Table 3.6.
Table 3.6. Buttons Property Settings
Object Property Setting
Button Name btnA
Caption A
Button Name btnB
Caption B
Button Name btnC
Caption C
Button Name btnZ
Caption Z
Button Name btnAll
Caption All
4. Add the DataGrid, the Label, andthe ComboBox controls shown in Listing 3.6.
Table 3.7. DataGrid, Label, and ComboBox Controls Property Settings
Object Property Setting
DataGrid Name dgCustomers
Label Name Label1
Label Caption Column to Sort On:
ComboBox Name cboSortColumns
5. In the class module for the form, add the following three Private declarations just
below the line of code that reads Windows Form Designer generated code. These
three objects will be used throughout the form.
6. Private modaCust As OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter
7. Private mdtCust As DataTable = New DataTable()
8. Private mdvCust As DataView = New DataView()
9. Add the following code to the Load event of the form as shown in Listing 3.6.
This code starts out by setting up the modaCust data adapter to grab all the
customers to fill the data table called mdtCust. Note that at this point, the data grid
has not been filled.
The next task is to load cboSortColumns with the column headings by iterating
through each of the data columns in mdtCust and adding them to the Items
collection in cboSortColumns. Last, the SetDataViewFilter routine is called. This
routine is discussed in step 8.
Listing 3.6 frmHowTo3_4.vb: Loading the Data Table to Be Used in the
Form, and Adding Column Names to a ComboBox Control
Private Sub frmHowTo3_4_Load(ByVal sender As Object, _
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim strSQL As String
Dim dcCurr As DataColumn
' Set up the exception catch
Try
' Create the data adapter and fill the data table
modaCust = New _
OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter("Select * From Customers", _
(BuildCnnStr("(local)", "Northwind")))
modaCust.Fill(mdtCust)
' Load the column names into thesort ComboBox control
For Each dcCurr In mdtCust.Columns
Me.cboSortColumns.Items.Add(dcCurr.ColumnName)
Next
SetDataViewFilter("B")
Catch oexpData As OleDb.OleDbException
MsgBox(oexpData.Message)
End Try
End Sub
10. For each of the command buttons that has a single letter, add the first subroutine
displayed here in Listing 3.7 to each of its Click events. For the btnAll Button
control, add the second subroutine to the Click event. Each Button control will
pass the letter that it represents to the subroutine called SetDataViewFilter,
discussed in the next step. The btnAll code simply passes the empty string.
Listing 3.7 frmHowTo3_4.vb: Click Events for Each of the Button Controls
Private Sub btnA_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnA.Click
SetDataViewFilter("A")
End Sub
Private Sub btnAll_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnAll.Click
SetDataViewFilter("")
End Sub
11. Add the subroutine that is found in Listing 3.8 to the class module of the form.
This routine takes the letter value that is passed in strFilterLetter as a parameter.
The first task to perform is assigning the DefaultView of the mdtCust DataTable
object to the mdvCust data view. Next, the RowFilter property of mdvCust is set
to compare the CompanyName column with the Like expression usingthe
strFilterLetter andthe % (wildcard). Note that if "" is passed to strFilterLetter, all
the records will be listed. Finally, mdvCust is set as the DataSource for
dgCustomers, which is the DataGrid control.
Listing 3.8 frmHowTo3_4.vb: Setting the RowFilter Property for a DataView
Object
Sub SetDataViewFilter(ByVal strFilterLetter As String)
mdvCust = mdtCust.DefaultView
mdvCust.RowFilter = "CompanyName Like '" & strFilterLetter & "%'"
dgCustomers.DataSource = mdvCust
End Sub
12. Add the piece of code that is shown in Listing 3.9 to the SelectdIndexChanged
event of the cboSortColumns ComboBox control. This routine compares the
current setting of mdvCust's Sort property to the current column name chosen in
cboSortColumns. If the two are the same, then the column name is assigned to the
Sort property with the DESC keyword added on. If not, then the name of the
column is assigned to theSort property.
Listing 3.9 frmHowTo3_4.vb: Specifying a Column on Which to Sort
Private Sub cboSortColumns_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As
System.Object,
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles cboSortColumns.SelectedIndexChanged
' Check to see if the column is currently the sorted field.
' If it is, sort on the column in descending order.
' Otherwise, set thesort to the name of column.
If mdvCust.Sort = Me.cboSortColumns.Text Then
mdvCust.Sort = Me.cboSortColumns.Text & " DESC"
Else
mdvCust.Sort = Me.cboSortColumns.Text
End If
End Sub
How It Works
When the user clicks on a letter, the data view is created, andthe data grid reflects the
new data. When a field is selected from the ComboBox control, theSort property of the
data view is set andthe data grid automatically reflects the new sort order, also showing
an arrow in the column heading. If the user chooses the field again, the column will sort
in descending order.
Comments
Using theDataView object, you can keep track of multiple views of your data and
display them for the users' use. You can also access all of the default views of the data
tables in your data set usingthe DefaultViewManager.
Note
Some people might think that the sorting combo box that was added to
this example is unnecessary. It was added for two reasons. First, it shows
how to use theSort property of a DataView object. Second, it's
convenient for the user. The user might not want to have to scroll over to
a column that is not displayed in the data grid. By usingthe combo box,
he can sort on fields that are not currently displayed.
. display a ComboBox control and let users pick a field from the
drop-drown list. How can you filter and sort records using the DataView object to present
your. displayed in the DataGrid control.
Using the command buttons, a routine is called that creates a DataView object, sets the
RowFilter property, and then assigns