Dynamic WPF datagrid with usercontrols - wpf

Question

I've been at this for several times during the last couple of months, but I can't figure out how to do it.
I have a DataGrid that should show a clickable usercontrol in all columns except the first one, which should be a regular textcolumn without editing possibilities. The problem is that the number of columns has to be dynamic, there can be 2 to n ones.
Since I don't even know where to start I don't have any sample code.
If anyone could help getting me on track, I would be very grateful. The solution doesn't have to be proper MVVM or extremely fancy, it just has to work.

Answer 1

UPDATE 1 - A self-containing c# version.
Code:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.Windows.Documents;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Imaging;
using System.Windows.Navigation;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
using System.Collections.Specialized;
using System.Globalization;
namespace DynamicColumns
{
/// <summary>
/// Interaction logic for MainWindow.xaml
/// </summary>
public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
public MainWindow()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Loaded +=
(o, e) =>
{
this.PopulateItemsSource();
};
}
private void PopulateItemsSource()
{
int months = Math.Max(new Random().Next(12), 1);
this.d.ItemsSource =
new string[]
{
"John",
"Paul",
"Peter"
}.Select(t =>
MonthlyPerformance.CreateDummy(t, months)).ToList();
}
private void RePopulateButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
this.PopulateItemsSource();
}
}
#region "Interfaces - must be in the shared between Objects & UI"
public interface IDynamicPropertiesObject
{
Dictionary<string, string> Properties { get; }
}
#endregion
#region "Objects"
public class MonthlyPerformance : IDynamicPropertiesObject
{
public string PerformerName
{
get;
set;
}
public Dictionary<string, string> Properties
{
get;
private set;
}
public static MonthlyPerformance CreateDummy(string performerName,
int months)
{
if (months < 1 || months > 12)
{
throw new ArgumentException(months.ToString());
}
Random random = new Random();
return new MonthlyPerformance()
{
PerformerName =
performerName,
Properties =
Enumerable.Range(1, months).ToDictionary(k => new DateTime(1, k, 1).ToString("MMM"), v => random.Next(100).ToString())
};
}
}
#endregion
#region "UI"
internal class DynamicPropertyValueConverter: IValueConverter
{
public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
{
IDynamicPropertiesObject o = value as IDynamicPropertiesObject;
if (o != null)
{
return o.Properties[parameter.ToString()];
}
return Binding.DoNothing;
}
public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
}
public class ExtendedDataGrid: DataGrid
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty IsDynamicColumnProperty =
DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("IsDynamicColumn",
typeof(Boolean),
typeof(ExtendedDataGrid),
new PropertyMetadata(false));
private DynamicPropertyValueConverter converter = null;
public ExtendedDataGrid()
{
this.EnableColumnVirtualization = true;
this.EnableRowVirtualization = true;
this.AutoGenerateColumns = false;
}
private DynamicPropertyValueConverter Converter
{
get
{
if (this.converter == null)
{
converter = new DynamicPropertyValueConverter();
}
return this.converter;
}
}
protected override void OnItemsChanged(NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs e)
{
base.OnItemsChanged(e);
this.ReGenerateColums();
}
private bool TryGetDynamicColumn(out DataGridColumn column)
{
column =
this.Columns.FirstOrDefault(t=>(bool)t.GetValue(ExtendedDataGrid.IsDynamicColumnProperty));
return column != null;
}
private void ClearDynamicColumns()
{
DataGridColumn column;
while (this.TryGetDynamicColumn(out column))
{
this.Columns.Remove(column);
}
}
private void ReGenerateColums()
{
this.ClearDynamicColumns();
if (this.Items.Count > 0)
{
IDynamicPropertiesObject o =
this.Items[0] as IDynamicPropertiesObject;
if (o != null)
{
foreach (KeyValuePair<string, string> property
in o.Properties)
{
DataGridTextColumn column =
new DataGridTextColumn()
{
Header = property.Key,
Binding = new Binding()
{
Converter = this.Converter,
ConverterParameter = property.Key
}
};
column.SetValue(ExtendedDataGrid.IsDynamicColumnProperty, true); // so we can remove it, when calling ClearDynamicColumns
this.Columns.Add(column);
}
}
}
}
}
#endregion
}
Markup:
<Window x:Class="DynamicColumns.MainWindow"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:DynamicColumns"
Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
<Grid>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
<RowDefinition Height="*"/>
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<Button x:Name="RePopulateButton" Grid.Row="0" Click="RePopulateButton_Click">Re-Populate</Button>
<local:ExtendedDataGrid x:Name="d" Grid.Row="1">
<local:ExtendedDataGrid.Columns>
<DataGridTextColumn Width="Auto" Binding="{Binding PerformerName}"/>
</local:ExtendedDataGrid.Columns>
</local:ExtendedDataGrid>
</Grid>
</Window>