Version

Please note that this control has been retired and is now obsolete to the XamDataGrid control, and as such, we recommend migrating to that control. It will not be receiving any new features, bug fixes, or support going forward. For help or questions on migrating your codebase to the XamDataGrid, please contact support.

Data Annotations

Topic Overview

Purpose

This topic uses code examples to demonstrate how to apply attributes to data classes using data annotations in xamGrid .

Required background

The following table lists the topics required as a prerequisite to this topic.

Topic Purpose

The xamGrid control allows you to bind to any object that implements the IEnumerable interface. Binding to data is simple and only requires you to set the ItemsSource property of the control.

Configuring Data Annotations

Introduction

Data annotations in xamGrid allow you to apply attributes to your data classes. These annotations are useful for specifying validation rules, determining how data is displayed, and setting relationships between classes

The main advantage of using data annotation attributes on your classes is that you do not have to set the same rules numerous times. This is because the data definition is in one central location thus sparing you from having to set identical rules in multiple locations.

The xamGrid control honors data annotation applied to data classes. The grid exposes a provider model that allows you to change the DataManager used to manage data in the grid.

The AnnotationsDataManagerProvider class takes a dependency on the System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations assembly. Using this provider automatically enables complete honoring of data annotations.

Preview

The following screenshot is a preview of the result. It illustrates the data annotations configured with attributes for the following fields:

  • Category

The specified attribute for Category is:

[DisplayAttribute(``GroupName = "Grouped Category")]

  • Name

The specified attribute for Name is:

[DisplayAttribute(``ShortName = "Short Name")]

  • UnitPrice

The specified attribute for UnitPrice is:

[DisplayFormat(``DataFormatString = "{0:C}", ApplyFormatInEditMode = true)]

xamGrid DataAnnotations 01.png

Requirements

To complete the procedure, you will need the following NuGet package references:

  • Infragistics.WPF.AnnotationsDataManager

  • Infragistics.WPF.Controls.Grids.XamGrid

  • A reference to the Microsoft System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.dll.

  • The XAML file of your application references the following namespace.

xmlns:ig="http://schemas.infragistics.com/xaml"

xmlns:igData="http://schemas.infragistics.com/xaml

  • Set the AnnotationsDataManagerProvider either at design time or before setting an ItemSource. Otherwise, the property will be ignored.

In XAML:

<ig:XamGrid.DataManagerProvider>
    <igData:AnnotationsDataManagerProvider />
</ig:XamGrid.DataManagerProvider>

In C#:

this.xamGrid1.DataManagerProvider = new AnnotationsDataManagerProvider();
this.xamGrid1.ItemsSource = DataUtil.Products;

In Visual Basic:

Me.xamGrid1.DataManagerProvider = New AnnotationsDataManagerProvider()
Me.xamGrid1.ItemsSource = DataUtil.Products

Supported attributes

DisplayAttribute :

  • AutoGenerate – specifies whether a column should be generated for the field

  • ShortName - used as the HeaderText for a column

  • GroupName – used as the HeaderText for a GroupBy Column when it is grouped

  • Order – sets the order in which AutoGenerated columns are positioned

Note
Note:

Setting an order on one field to anything other than int.Max, causes that field to display first, as the order is relative to the other fields that have their order set. In addition, setting order to int.Max results in the default ordering to override the specified order.

DisplayFormatAttribute :

  • ApplyFormatInEditMode – applies a specified FormatString to Text columns when it enters edit mode. For example, while in edit mode, the column displays its value as a currency value, but when the cell enters edit mode, you can still maintain the currency string format.

  • ConvertEmptyStringToNull – when leaving edit mode, if a value is an empty string, the string will be set to null

  • DataFormatString – the FormatString used for TextColumns

  • NullDisplayText – sets the text to be displayed if a value is null

EditableAttribute :

  • AllowEdit – determines whether a field can enter edit mode

  • AllowInitialValue – determines whether editing is allowed on the field in the AddNewRow row

TimestampAttribute :

  • If set, a column will not be auto generated for this attribute.

Applying data class attributes

The following code snippet demonstrates the setting of the DisplayAttribute and DisplayFormat attributes.

In C#:

private string _category;
[DisplayAttribute(GroupName = "Grouped Category")]
public string Category
{
    get { return _category; }
    set
    {
        if (_category != value)
        {
            _category = value;
            this.OnPropertyChanged("Category");
        }
    }
}
private string _name;
[DisplayAttribute(ShortName = "Short Name")]
public string Name
{
    get { return _name; }
    set
    {
        if (_name != value)
        {
            _name = value;
            this.OnPropertyChanged("Name");
        }
    }
}
private double _unitPrice;
[DisplayFormat(DataFormatString = "{0:C}", ApplyFormatInEditMode = true)]
public double UnitPrice
{
    get { return _unitPrice; }
    set
    {
        if (_unitPrice != value)
        {
            _unitPrice = value;
            this.OnPropertyChanged("UnitPrice");
        }
    }
}

In Visual Basic:

Private _category As String
<DisplayAttribute(GroupName := "Grouped Category")> _
Public Property Category() As String
      Get
            Return _category
      End Get
      Set
            If _category <> value Then
                  _category = value
                  Me.OnPropertyChanged("Category")
            End If
      End Set
End Property
Private _name As String
<DisplayAttribute(ShortName := "Short Name")> _
Public Property Name() As String
      Get
            Return _name
      End Get
      Set
            If _name <> value Then
                  _name = value
                  Me.OnPropertyChanged("Name")
            End If
      End Set
End Property
Private _unitPrice As Double
<DisplayFormat(DataFormatString := "{0:C}", ApplyFormatInEditMode := True)> _
Public Property UnitPrice() As Double
      Get
            Return _unitPrice
      End Get
      Set
            If _unitPrice <> value Then
                  _unitPrice = value
                  Me.OnPropertyChanged("UnitPrice")
            End If
      End Set
End Property

Related Content

Topics

The following topics provide additional information related to this topic.

Topic Purpose

This section is your gateway to important conceptual and task-based information that will help you to use the various features and functionalities provided by the xamGrid control.