XtraGrid Layout View

The Grid View displays data in a two-dimensional table. This topic describes the Grid View and its basic features. The Views and Levels topic provides brief information about Views in general.

Like Card Views, Layout Views display data records as cards, consisting of card fields. However, unlike Card Views, Layout Views support multiple card layouts and allow card fields to be arranged within a card in numerous ways.

The Layout View's features are powered by the comprehensive layout management library used in the XtraLayoutControl Suite. To use a Layout View in your application, ensure that the DevExpress.XtraLayout.vX.Y.dll library is referenced by the project.


Card Layouts
The Layout View represents data in a card format, where records are represented by cards, and record fields are represented by card fields. Cards by default contain expand/collapse buttons used to minimize and restore cards:

The Header Panel at the top of the Layout View provides a set of buttons that allow an end-user to switch between various display modes. Like the Card View, the Layout View cannot represent a master data table in master-detail mode. In other respects, the Layout View's behavior is similar to other Views.

The Layout View is encapsulated by the LayoutView class, which is the ColumnView class' descendant. The Layout View inherits all the functionality implemented by the Column View, supporting work with columns and records, data sorting and filtering, and introduces new methods to work with cards.

Multiple card layouts are supported by the Layout View. To select a card layout, use the LayoutViewOptionsView.ViewMode property (accessible via the LayoutView.OptionsView object). Cards can be displayed using one or multiple columns or rows, or it's possible to display a single card centered within the View at one time. The following collage shows some of the layouts:

In addition to these card layouts, the Layout View supports arranging cards in an ellipse, called carousel mode. In this mode, all cards, except for the current card are painted using a transparency effect and are visually displayed below the current card. When scrolling cards using the scroll bar, arrow keys or mouse wheel, cards are moved along the specified ellipse curve.

Various display options affecting the card layout in carousel mode can be customized via the LayoutView.OptionsCarouselMode object.


Card Field Layouts
A card in a Layout View consists of card fields, and these can be arranged using multiple layouts (compared to the Card View, in which card fields are always positioned one under another). Card fields can be positioned next to each other, one under another and each field can span over several adjacent fields. Moreover, card fields can be combined into groups to emulate a Group Box's grouping feature. The following collage demonstrates sample cards:

A card field always contains a value region that represents the corresponding data field's value. It also contains the caption region, which can be hidden, if required.

Card fields are represented by LayoutViewColumn objects, derived from the GridColumn class. Column objects specify only display and behavior settings, they do not directly store layout settings. Card fields' layout settings (position within a card, indents, field caption's visibility and alignment, etc) are specified by layout fields represented by LayoutViewField objects.

In a Layout View, each column object corresponds to a specific layout field object and vice versa. When a column is created, a layout field is created as well, and its methods can be used to position the field within the card, and customize other layout options.

Layout fields arranged in a specific manner form a template card that is used as a pattern when creating cards at runtime. The template card can accommodate more than layout fields. It can contain empty regions, and groups combining other layout fields and empty regions. The template card can be accessed via the LayoutView.TemplateCard property.

The easiest way to customize the template card (add and position layout fields, combine them into groups, specify the location, alignment and visibility of card fields' captions, and many other layout settings) is to use the Layout Page of the Grid Control's Designer.


Layout View Main Features
The following are the main features supported by Layout Views:

� Layout customization at design time via the control's Designer

� Hints
Hints are supported for cells with truncated text, and in carousel mode, hints are supported for cards displayed in the background.

� Sorting Records
This feature provides the ability to sort data against one or multiple columns. When sorting is applied to a View, cards are re-arranged to meet the current sort settings.

� Filtering Records
Filtering allows you to display a subset of records from a data source. When filtering is applied to a View, only those records that meet the current filter criteria are displayed. You can filter data against single or multiple card fields.

� Selecting Multiple Cards
This feature can be useful for end-users. See the End-User Capabilities: Selecting Rows/Cards topic for details.

? Dev Components ? DevExpress Controls for WinForms ? DevExpress XtraGrid

Source of Information : 1998-2010 Developer Express Inc Help

XtraGrid Grid View

The Grid View displays data in a two-dimensional table. This topic describes the Grid View and its basic features. The Views and Levels topic provides brief information about Views in general.


Grid View Basics
The bound data is arranged in columns and rows. Each column's GridColumn.FieldName property corresponds to a unique field name within the data source. All columns are stored in the ColumnView.Columns collection.

Each row can be identified by its row handle. See the Identifying Rows and Cards topic for details. The Overview of Columns and Card Fields and Rows and Cards Overview topics provide detailed information about columns and rows respectively.

The Grid View is the ancestor of the Banded Grid View and Advanced Banded Grid View. The latter two display data in a tabular form similar to the Grid View while organizing columns in bands.



Grid View Main Features
Grid Views enable you to represent data using a wide range of features:

� Master-Detail Support
This type of data representation requires the presence of at least two datasets - master and detail. These tables are linked by a one-to-many relationship, i.e. a single row in the first table can be related to one or more rows in the second table, but a row in the second table can be related to only one row in the first table.

� Grouping Rows
Enables you to group data against one or more columns. If you group data by a column, records with identical column values are arranged into corresponding data groups. The group row can be expanded to access the underlying data rows.

� Sorting Records
This feature provides the ability to sort data against one or multiple columns. When sorting is applied to a view, rows are re-arranged to meet the current sort settings.

� Filtering Records
Filtering allows you to display a subset of records from a data source. When filtering is applied to a Grid View, only those records that meet the current filter criteria are displayed. You can filter data against a single or multiple columns.

� Displaying the Preview Section
This feature allows each row to display a preview section. The Preview Section is a suitable place to display memo fields or any custom data for a given record. It is displayed across all the View's columns, thus the preview section's width is equal to the total column width.

� Hiding Unused Columns
The customization form provides facilities for adding and removing columns from a View at runtime by using drag & drop. Dragging the column by its header and dropping it within the customization form client area hides the column from the current View. The column reappears when the header is dragged from the customization form to the View's client area. Banded Views support the same operations with bands. See the topic for details.

� Displaying Popup Menus
Such menus provide the ability to perform actions linked to particular visual elements. A context menu can be invoked by right-clicking on any of the following visual elements: Column Header, Footer Cell and Group Panel. See the topic for details.

� Displaying Hints
In Grid Views, hints can be displayed both in cells and column headers.

� Displaying Summaries
This feature can be used to customize brief information about group rows or particular columns displayed within the Group Row, Footer Cell and Group Footer.

� Selecting Multiple Rows
This feature can be useful for end-users. See the End-User Capabilities: Selecting Rows/Cards topic for details.

� Grid layout customization at design time or runtime.
Each column within a Grid View can be moved, resized or fixed at a particular position. See the Columns Layout and Auto Width topic for details. Rows also can also be resized.

? Dev Components ? DevExpress Controls for WinForms ? DevExpress XtraGrid

Source of Information : 1998-2010 Developer Express Inc Help

XtraGrid Views Hierarchy

XtraGrid uses views to display data from a bound data source. This document describes the hierarchy of View classes provided by XtraGrid.


Views Hierarchy
� BaseView is the ultimate View class and it implements basic functionality. The class is abstract and so you cannot create instances. It declares virtual methods to work with editors, appearances, hints, details, and saving and restoring layouts, but these are implemented by class descendants.

� ColumnView introduces methods to work with columns and rows/records. The class is abstract, so you cannot create instances.

Columns represent fields from the bound data source, while rows correspond to data source records. ColumnView does not determine how columns and rows are arranged. The ColumnView class implements methods to manipulate columns, access particular rows and cells, maximize details, display hints, sort and filter data, multiple row selection.

� GridView represents data in a tabular form.

The View supports grouping, incremental search, calculating summaries, displaying master-detail relationships, and displaying preview sections. It also provides the means to customize the View layout via context menus. Columns can be anchored to the left or to the right View edge. Such columns are not horizontally scrolled with the View.

� BandedGridView extends the functionality of the Grid View by introducing bands used to combine similar columns. Columns can be displayed only by adding them into a band. Hiding a band automatically hides all columns that belong to that band. The BandedGridView class supports only a single-line column arrangement. Bands can be anchored to the left or to the right edge. Fixed columns are not supported.

� AdvBandedGridView extends the functionality of the BandedGridView. The View allows you to arrange columns within bands into multiple lines. Columns can have different heights.

� LayoutView displays records as cards, supporting multiple field layouts. Cards can be arranged in single or multiple columns or rows, or using an advanced carousel mode, where cards form an ellipse with a transparency effect.

� CardView displays each record as a simple card, arranging fields vertically in a single column. See the Card View document to learn more.


If these Views do not suit your particular needs, you can create a custom View class by deriving from the one that most closely matches your requirements. If you need to implement a completely new data representation, you can derive from the BaseView class. The ColumnView class provides methods to work with columns. So you can derive from this class, if arranging columns in a particular manner is required. If you only need to modify the default behavior of GridView, BandedGridView, AdvBandedGridView or CardView, then you should use the corresponding class as the ancestor for your custom View.

Information on the layout of the View's elements is stored in the View's protected ViewInfo object. This specifies the position and size of its elements. Each View also provides a Painter object which paints based on the current look and feel. The Painter object renders the View using information from ViewInfo and the View's settings. Handler is another significant View object. It handles the keyboard and mouse events transmitted by the GridControl class.

? Dev Components ? DevExpress Controls for WinForms ? DevExpress XtraGrid

Source of Information : 1998-2010 Developer Express Inc Help

XtraGrid Views and Levels

XtraGrid does not actually display data itself. It uses Views to represent data from the bound data source. Views specify how records and record fields are arranged. They provide multiple edit, display and customization options, provide means for changing the look and feel, etc.


Views
You can use one of the following Views to display data according to your needs:
� Grid View displays data in a two-dimensional table.

� Layout View displays records as cards while supporting multiple field and card layouts.

� Banded Grid View displays data in a tabular form similar to a Grid View, while organizing columns into bands

� Advanced Banded Grid View displays data similar to a Banded Grid View. However, columns can be arranged one under another, and can have different heights.

� Card View displays data as cards, each of which arranges fields vertically, in a single column.

Each View provides numerous settings to customize its appearance and behavior. If a View does not suit your particular needs, you can create a custom View by deriving from a suitable View class for your customized View. Or you can inherit from a base View class if you need to represent data in a more diverse form (ChartView, for instance).


Hierarchical Data Representation
XtraGrid supports hierarchical data sources, i.e. data sources with master-detail relationships set up between recordsets. In this case, each recordset can be displayed using a particular View (Grid View, Card View, etc.). The grid organizes Views into a hierarchical structure to reflect the relationships between the recordsets.

To connect a grid control to a data source, use the GridControl.DataSource and GridControl.DataMember properties. The data source referenced by these properties is represented by a main view and this is always displayed at the top level in XtraGrid. You can access the main View via the GridControl.MainView property. By default, the main View is represented by a Grid View. In this case, the GridControl.MainView property refers to an instance of the GridView class. To use another View type for the main view, you need to assign the corresponding View object to that property.

In master-detail mode, a master recordset can have several master-detail relationships. In this case, each master row in XtraGrid provides access to several detail Views corresponding to particular master-detail relationships. A detail View opened by expanding a master row is called a clone View. If you expand another row, another clone View is created to represent the corresponding detail data. Clone Views are destroyed when master rows are collapsed.

Clone Views for a master-detail relationship, but displayed for different master rows, copy their settings from a single View called a pattern. Pattern Views serve as templates for creating real detail Views. They do not contain data and they are never displayed within a grid control. For more information on Views in master-detail mode, see the Pattern and Clone Views document.

To associate pattern Views with particular relationships, you can use the GridControl.LevelTree property. At design time, you can use the Level Designer for this purpose. It also helps you specify the main View for the grid control.


Level Designer
The Level Designer is a helper control displayed at design time at the right bottom corner of the grid control. It facilitates the grid's customization, and provides quick access to the MainView and pattern Views associated with particular relationships.

When the grid control is bound to DataTable containing master-detail relationships, the grid obtains the relationships' structure and presents this as levels via the Level Designer. You can use the Level Designer to assign pattern Views to relationships.


Working with Views
Views are Component descendants. So, you can refer to the main View and pattern Views created at design time by using their names. You can also refer to the main View via the GridControl.MainView property. If you need to determine a pattern View associated with a particular relationship, you can use the GridControl.LevelTree hashtable.

To access the currently focused View (main View or detail clone), use the GridControl.FocusedView property.

The GridControl.MainView and GridControl.FocusedView properties return objects of the BaseView class. This represents the base class for all Views in XtraGrid. In some cases, you may need to typecast the returned object to a particular View type (GridView, CardView, etc) to obtain the functionality required.

All Views that are currently displayed within the grid control at runtime can be obtained via the GridControl.Views collection. The first collection element always refers to the GridControl.MainView. Other elements refer to the detail clones displayed by expanding master rows. Once master rows are collapsed, the detail Views are deleted and the corresponding elements are removed from the GridControl.Views collection.

View objects in XtraGrid provide numerous methods to work with rows, columns and styles. To get the column collection for a View you can use the View's ColumnView.Columns property (the ColumnView class is an ancestor of the GridView, LayoutView and CardView classes). Rows in XtraGrid are identified by row handles (unique integer values specifying the order in which rows are displayed within a view). The Overview of Columns and Card Fields and Rows and Cards Overview documents provide general information on organizing columns and rows in XtraGrid.

As stated above, pattern Views are only templates for creating real Views (clones). They do not contain data and they are never displayed within the grid control at runtime. Therefore, you cannot apply data related methods to pattern Views, such as getting/setting row values or expanding rows. Pattern Views only specify layout and appearance settings. Clone Views will copy these settings upon creation. For instance, you can create a pattern View and apply grouping against a particular column. All clone Views based upon this pattern View will have this grouping.

When a grid control is created, its GridControl.MainView property is already set to an instance of the GridView class. To change the main view, you can create a View object and assign it to the GridControl.MainView property. XtraGrid allows you to create Views either by using constructors or by calling the grid's GridControl.CreateView method. Creating Views can also be useful when associating pattern Views with master-detail relation names via the GridControl.LevelTree property.

The following code shows how to assign a BandedGridView object to the grid's main view:

Sample C# Code

using DevExpress.XtraGrid.Views.BandedGrid;

//Dispose of the old view 
gridControl1.MainView.Dispose();
//Create a Banded Grid View 
BandedGridView bandedView = new BandedGridView(gridControl1);
gridControl1.MainView = bandedView;
//Add one band and one column to the view 
GridBand band = bandedView.Bands.AddBand("General");
BandedGridColumn column = (BandedGridColumn)bandedView.Columns.AddField("CustomerID");
column.OwnerBand = band;
column.Visible = true;

Sample VB .Net Code

Imports DevExpress.XtraGrid.Views.BandedGrid

'Dispose of the old view 
GridControl1.MainView.Dispose()
'Create a Banded Grid View 
Dim bandedView As BandedGridView = New BandedGridView(GridControl1)
GridControl1.MainView = bandedView
'Add one band and one column to the view 
Dim band As GridBand = bandedView.Bands.AddBand("General")
Dim column As BandedGridColumn = bandedView.Columns.AddField("CustomerID")
column.OwnerBand = band
column.Visible = True

? Dev Components ? DevExpress Controls for WinForms ? DevExpress XtraGrid

Source of Information : 1998-2010 Developer Express Inc Help

XtraGrid Control Overview

XtraGrid is an advanced customizable control that allows you to present data in a tabular, banded tabular or card form. It allows you to work both with data-aware sources and data created at runtime. The grid control is represented by the GridControl class. Its GridControl.DataSource and GridControl.DataMember properties allow you to bind the grid to a data source.


Views
The grid control displays data using Views. You can think of a View as a visual component incorporated into the grid control which:
� presents data from a data source to an end-user
� provides the means to edit data
� contains multiple edit, customization and behavior options, etc

You can use one of the following Views to display data: Grid View, Layout View, Banded Grid View, Advanced Banded Grid View or Card View. Or, you can create a custom View if the standard Views do not suit your particular needs.

XtraGrid supports master-detail data representation. Master and detail tables are presented using independent Views. For instance, you can display the master table in a Grid View while displaying detail tables using card Views. The hierarchical structure of Views reflects master-detail relationships between the tables in the data source.

To access the View displayed at the top hierarchy level, use the GridControl.MainView property. This View represents the table referenced by the GridControl.DataSource and GridControl.DataMember properties. When the grid control is created, its GridControl.MainView property already refers to an instance of the GridView class, i.e. the top level data table will be represented using a Grid View.

The GridControl.LevelTree property allows you to specify pattern Views for representing particular master-detail relationships. These Views are never displayed onscreen. They only provide settings for creating real detail Views (clones) that appear when master rows are expanded.


Appearances
The XtraGrid provides a number of ways to customize its look and feel. The GridControl.LookAndFeel property allows you to control the overall look and feel of the grid (how headers, scrollbars, borders, buttons and other elements are painted). By default, all the Views use these look and feel settings. It's also possible to specify look and feel settings for individual Views. This can be done via a View's BaseView.PaintStyleName property.

The Appearance technology allows the styles of particular visual elements in a View to be controlled. Each View has an BaseView.Appearance property which contains multiple style properties that correspond to all the available visual elements. You can specify the element's foreground, background colors, font settings, gradient mode, text options, etc.

The XtraGrid also provides various predefined painting schemes which facilitate customizing the grid.

Skins is another way to bring a unique and unconventional look and feel to the control.


Design-Time Capabilities
XtraGrid provides the Level Designer and XtraGrid Designer to customize the control and Views at design time.

The Level Designer shows the hierarchical structure of Views representing master-detail relationships. It helps you access and change the main View and pattern Views, and create new levels("relation name - pattern view" associations). The latter can be useful if you wish to implement master-detail relationships via code, but create and customize pattern Views at design time.

You can select a View in the Level Designer to access its settings via the Properties window. If a pattern View is selected, the grid displays it as if it were the main View. If you need to access a column's settings at design time, you can simply click its header right on the form. This displays the column settings in the Properties window.

For a Grid View or its descendant, you can customize the layout right on the form, using only mouse operations.

Some tasks (such as creating columns and bands, accessing columns in a card view, applying grid formats, etc) can only be performed via the grid's designer. The XtraGrid Designer allows you to manage levels, Views, bands, columns, summaries, column editors (repository items), style settings and printing options.

? Dev Components ? DevExpress Controls for WinForms ? DevExpress XtraGrid

Source of Information : 1998-2010 Developer Express Inc Help

XtraCharts Main Features

The XtraCharts Suite makes 2D and 3D charting easier than ever. It includes multiple palettes to automatically color your series, so that appearances are never a concern. It can even show a preview of a chart before you've supplied any data for it. You can access any element's settings by simply clicking that element. And there are so many additional automatic adjustments, that it takes little effort to create a smart, professional looking chart.

With the XtraCharts Suite you can visualize data stored almost anywhere - from a database to a collection. You can even supply point data directly to a chart which is in unbound mode. And the XtraCharts Suite is extremely flexible, not only with the data it displays, but also in the ways you can output that data. Using the Swift Plot, you can easily create a lightweight chart for quick processing of very large amounts of data points. Our charting engine allows you to display charts not only on Windows Forms, but also on Web Sites, in reports created with the XtraReports Suite, or even print them directly.

The features and benefits that the XtraCharts Suite:


Multiple Target Platforms
� Windows Application - The XtraCharts Suite includes a ChartControl component that provides charting capabilities for Windows Forms applications.

� ASP.NET - The WebChartControl allows you to add charts to your ASP.NET web pages. It delivers the same exact features as its Windows Forms counterpart.

� Printed Page or Banded Report - You can combine the XtraCharts Suite with either XtraPrinting Library of XtraReports Suite to produce an attractive printing output.


2D Chart Types
The XtraCharts Suite supports displaying of multiple series within a single chart, if only they have their view types compatible (Combining Different Series Views). Moreover, most of 2D series (or a group of series) can be plotted on individual panes, and accompanied by its own set of secondary axes.

Following is the brief survey of the available 2D series view types.

� Swift Plot - This view is intended for quick series rendering, based on a lightened charts generation algorithm.

� Bar Views - Three kinds of Bar views are available: Side-by-Side Bar, Stacked Bar and Full-Stacked Bar. The following features are available for all of them: rotated view (horizontal bars); automatically or manually specified bar width; automatic individual coloring of each bar in a series; and many more.

� Range Bar Views - Two slightly different Range Bar views are available: Overlapped Range Bar (displays overlapped bars if multiple bars correspond to the same argument) and Side-by-Side Range Bar (displays bars corresponding to the same argument side-by-side).

� Gantt Views - Gantt views help to plan or analyze multiple-resource tasks or multi-task processes. Gantt views ship in two slightly different versions: Overlapped Gantt (displays overlapped bars if there are multiple time intervals for the same resource) and Side-by-Side Gantt (displays bars corresponding to the same resource side-by-side).

� Point and Bubble Views - In addition to the conventional Point view, the special Bubble view is also available, which supports second value (weight) for each argument to be visually represented as a bubble's size.

� Line Views - Four different Line views are available: Line, Step Line, Scatter Line (which doesn't sort points as the Line view do, e.g. to allow graphic representation of math functions) and Spline (a curved line).

� Area Views - Three slightly different versions of Area views are available: Area (series are drawn over each other), Stacked Area (areas are stacked on each other) and Full-Stacked Area (areas are stacked on each other and are stretched to fit the view vertically).

� Spline Area Views - The available Spline Area views are similar to the Area views, with the only difference that the Spline Area views are built upon curved lines: Spline Area, Stacked Spline Area and Full-Stacked Spline Area.

� Pie, Doughnut and Funnel Views - The Pie view shows the proportion of parts to the whole. The Doughnut view is a pie with a hole in its center (whose diameter can be controlled). And, the Funnel chart finds its use mostly to represent proportions between series points. All these views allow you to specify the height-to-width ratio, the fraction of the chart area occupied by a series, series rotation angle, as well as to display pie slices spread apart ("exploded"), etc.

� Radar and Polar Views - These are circular charts. A Radar view is drawn on a circular grid and has multiple axes along which data can be plotted. A Polar view displays values on the basis of angles. Both views support the point, line and area drawing styles.

� Financial Series - For stock data analysis, the XtraCharts Suite offers you the following financial chart views: Candle Stick and Stock.


3D Chart Types
� Variety of 3D Views Available - In XtraCharts, most of the views that are available in 2D, have their 3D counterparts. Among the most popular 3D views are: Manhattan Bar, Line, Spline and Step Line, Pie, Doughnut and Funnel, Area, Stacked Area and Full-Stacked Area.

� Multiple Series Support - As with 2D views, you can easily combine different 3D views within one chart control, if they share the same diagram type. For more information, refer to Combining Different Series Views.

� Easy Replacement of Existing 2D Charts with Their 3D Equivalents - There is no difference in the chart customization interface and data management between 2D or 3D charting using the XtraCharts Suite. All you need to do is to change the series view type, which is a single property.

� True OpenGL Rendering - Since OpenGL has proven its stability and power, you'll see fewer bugs. You'll achieve life-like pictures with real light sources, real shadows and flares.

� Full Anti-Aliasing Support - We have implemented an advanced multi-stage smoothing algorithm, so that there are always clean and sharp lines and no rough edges.

� Perspective Projection Support - You can change the viewing angle to control how large fronted objects appear relative to background objects.

� Gradient Fill and Texture Support.

� Transparency Support - You can specify a transparency for any 3D view except the Pie View.


Data Binding and Exchange
� Support for All Common Data Sources - XtraCharts can be bound to various data sources. This also includes full ADO+ support.

� Unbound Mode - A series can be manually populated with data by specifying values for the (X) and (Y) coordinates of the points. It's also possible to combine bound and unbound series views within a single diagram.

� Binding Individual Series - XtraCharts can display data from multiple data sources, as each series can be bound to its own data table.

� Using Series Templates - In this mode the ChartControl creates series Views automatically, and there is no need to populate the Series collection manually.

� Filter Series Data - This feature allows you to apply filter criteria to the data displayed by specific series, so you can avoid flooding the chart control with irrelevant data.

� Sort Series Data - XtraCharts allows you to sort data within a series. You can sort by either the X or Y portion of the series.

� Printing and Exporting - If you own the XtraPrinting Library, you can easily export your chart to: an image file (BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, WMF, EMF file formats are supported); a PDF file; an image embedded into an HTML page; an image embedded into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet; a printed page.


Intuitive Design-Time Customization
� On-form Object Access - This key feature greatly simplifies the process of customizing XtraCharts. Just click a control, diagram, series or axis and the associated settings will be displayed in the Properties window.

� Wizard Dialog - XtraCharts provides an easy-to-use Wizard which significantly simplifies the process of customizing the ChartControl.

� Previewing Real Data at Design Time - If the ChartControl is bound to a DataTable at design time, you can preview the underlying data with a single click.

� Selecting a Series via the Legend - If there are many Series Views within a diagram, simply select a specific series via the Legend box.


Appearance Customization
� Appearance Customization For Individual Elements - The XtraCharts suite allows you to customize not only simple things such as font/text color, solid/gradient/texture backgrounds, and border style customization, but also shadow color and size; advanced background gradients - even circle gradients if you build a pie chart; hatch backgrounds; various line styles and thickness options.

� Multiple Palettes for Automatic Series Coloring - With the XtraCharts Suite, little time and effort is required to create stunning and consistently colored series. We offer you several built-in palettes (or style schemes) that are used to automatically color bars in a bar view, sectors in a pie view, etc.

� Custom Draw - The chart control offers you two events that fire before a particular element is painted. These events allow you to change appearance attributes for each individual element even if you can't reach this element via properties.


End-User Capabilities
� Selecting Chart Elements - End-users are able to highlight and select different chart elements at runtime via the mouse pointer. This feature is useful, if for example, it's required to show certain information when the mouse pointer hovers over specific chart elements.

� Zooming and Scrolling - End-users can zoom and scroll both 2D and 3D views.

� Rotating - You are toggling a single property to allow end-users to rotate a 3D chart in any direction by simply clicking and dragging. So, you don't have to guess which rotation angle to specify in order to make the entire chart's content visible.

� Live Chart Resizing - When a form with a chart is resized, and the chart changes its size with its parent form, all the chart's elements are automatically resized. All elements of the chart change interactively.

? Dev Components ? DevExpress Controls for WinForms ? DevExpress XtraCharts

Source of Information : 1998-2010 Developer Express Inc Help

DevExpress XtraGrid Features

The following is a summary of the features available to you in the XtraGrid Suite, the must-have component library for .NET.


Data Specifics
� Full ADO+ Support - The XtraGrid takes full advantage of ADO+. Using this data access architecture and the separation of internal data modules from data presentation, the XtraGrid does not use any extra buffers in any of its modes. Even when grouping columns, the XtraGrid will use a minimum of memory and perform the operation as fast as the data source can supply the data.

� Support for Data Lists - The XtraGrid works with any source which supports the IList, ITypedList or IBindingList interface plus all inherited interfaces.

� Unbound Columns - It's possible to combine bound and unbound data modes. Just add unbound columns and supply data via an event. End-users can edit the values within unbound columns and the changes can then be saved to a custom data source.

� True Master-Detail Support - The XtraGrid allows you to establish and present master-detail information in either bound or unbound mode. You can even use the drill down mode to zoom into each detail level, allowing even the most complicated sets of relationships to be manipulated easily.

� Server-side Data Management - The GridControl and GridLookUpEdit controls support a new data-binding mode, called Server Mode, which has been specifically designed to support large data sets (consisting of 50,000 records and even more). Loading data from a data store in small portions, when required, and performing all data-aware operations on the server side are the key features of this data binding that ensure quick access to data, even if the sorting, grouping, filtering and summary features are used. 


Data Representation Specifics
� View Based Architecture - Every level in the XtraGrid can be represented by a different View. The XtraGrid comes with five Views: Grid View that displays data using the standard row and column layout, Layout View that displays records as cards supporting multiple layouts, Card View that displays data records as cards using a simple layout, and Banded Grid View and Advanced Banded Grid View, that are similar to the Grid View, but support arranging columns into bands. Views can even be changed on the fly.

� View Repository - You can create Views, and then assign them to particular levels as your needs dictate (at design time or runtime).

� Multiple detail Views for Each Level - You can incorporate as many details Views into each level as you require. If more then one View is available at a level, users can select the desired View via selectable tool tips or tab controls.

� Automatic Creation of detail Views for Properties Implementing the IList Interface - If a specific property in the grid's data source implements the IList interface, a detail View will be created automatically to display the contents of the list referenced by this property.

� Displaying Only Predefined Master-Detail Relationships - It's possible to display all or only specific master-detail relationships from the data source.


In-place Editing
� 25+ Data Editors, which can be used as standalone or in-place within the XtraGrid.

� Editor Repository - You can setup a single in-place editor, for instance a pick image edit, as an editor for a payment type field, and use it for as many grids as you wish. When you use the repository and you have to add a different credit card payment type, you need only change one in-place editor.

� Multiple Editors per Column - The XtraGrid's flexibility is demonstrated by its ability to use different individual editors for the same column.


Views Specifics
� Automatic Column Sorting for Any Datasource - With the XtraGrid, you can sort against an unlimited number of columns, without writing a single line of code.

� Automatic Data Filtering for Any Datasource (Including IList) - Via its Excel(R) Style Filtering feature, you can filter data based upon the contents of a column. The filter expression is even displayed at the bottom, keeping your users informed of exactly what they are looking at. You can even create your own custom filter dialog to adapt the filtering feature to meet the needs of your end-users.

� Sorting by Values and Display Text - For each column you can specify how the column's data should be sorted - by the edit values or displayed values. Moreover, the columns that use LookupEdit and ImageComboBox in-place editors are sorted by default by the displayed values, while other columns are sorted by edit values.

� Custom Sorting - You can implement a custom sorting algorithm by handling a specific event.

� Row's Visibility - Use an event to hide records or make them visible regardless of a View's filter.

� Filter History - Views and columns support Filter History which allows end-users to apply the most recently used filter criteria to the values displayed within the grid.

� Filter Editor - This embedded control provides advanced capabilities to create complex filter criteria for the grid control. Also, if you apply a filter to the grid in some other way, the Filter Editor will parse the criteria and present them in a well-structured form - as individual filter conditions combined by logical operators.

� Custom Text for Cells via Events - You can provide custom display text for any column, and this will be used when printing or exporting the grid or when sorting by display text is applied against a column.

� Single and Multiple Record Selection

� Zooming Detail Views in Master-Detail Mode.


Grid View (and Descendants) Specifics
� Automatic Data Grouping for Any Datasource - Allow your users to group the data stored in the XtraGrid against an unlimited number of columns, giving them an unprecedented ability to analyze and edit information.

� Grouping by Intervals - When grouping against a column that stores date/time values the rows can be grouped by the date, month, or year part of the column's values, or in a more comprehensive manner (Today, Tomorrow, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Next Week, Next Month, Last Week, Last Month, ...).

� Custom Grouping - The XtraGrid provides an event to implement custom grouping logic.

� Full Data Summaries - Summaries allow you to present statistical information such as MIN, MAX, AVG, SUM, and COUNT directly in the grid itself, without having to resort to the age-old ugly work around of using an individual edit control. Even better: You can handle summary specific events to implement complex functions with ease. Standard deviation, and all sorts of other statistical formulas are now available.

� Sorting Group Rows by Summary Values.

� Fixed Column and Band Support - Designed to help data entry, this feature allows you to freeze columns and bands on the left or right side of the XtraGrid

� Intelligent Column Resizing - With the AutoWidth and BestFit options, your end-users can manage and control the widths of columns as their needs dictate.

� Cell Merging - With this feature enabled, cells with matching values in adjacent rows will be merged.

� Custom Cell Merging - Just handle the event to control how cells are merged.

� Preview Pane - With the preview pane, you can let your end-users View large text or memo fields directly in the Grid, without the need to open an external editor or drop-down window.

� New Item Row - Using the New-Item row, you can provide consistent insert functionality for end-users. This row can be displayed at the top or bottom of a View.

� Auto Filter Row - This allows end-users to filter data on the fly - by typing values directly within this row.

� Row Separators - This feature allows you to fully control indentation between individual rows with a single property setting.

� Custom Row Height and Runtime Row Resizing

� Multiple Cell Selection Mode - Use the CTRL and SHIFT keys.

� Incremental Searching - This allows end-users to locate information within the XtraGrid on the fly.

� Runtime Column Customization - With the XtraGrid, your end-users can control the appearance of the grid as they wish, by adding and removing columns using drag and drop.

� Multiple Data Scrolling Modes.

� Joined Group Panel - With this feature, your end-users can group against any detail View without having to display the data grouping pane within the detail View itself.


Layout View Specifics
� Multiple Card Layouts - One or multiple columns, one or multiple rows, carousel mode, etc.

� Customizable Card Field Layouts

� Support for Automatic Filtering and Sorting

� Support for Multiple Card Selection.

� Card Collapsing/Expanding


Card View Specifics
� Support of Automatic Filtering and Sorting - End-users can apply filtering and sort order settings for Card Views via the Customize button.

� Support of Multiple Selection of Cards.

� Cards Can Be Expanded/Collapsed.

� Card Field Visibility - End-users are able to specify the visibility of specific card fields via the Customize button.


Painting Specifics
� Extended Look and Feel Support. Built-in XP Theme Support.

� Various Paint Styles in Views (Office2003, Web, Flat, WindowsXP, Style3D, etc).

� Skins Support - Skins will bring a striking look and feel to your applications, far beyond the normal painting standards.

� Office 2003 Style for Group Rows.

� Appearances - A powerful mechanism to control the entire look and feel of the grid. You can customize the appearance of almost any visual element of the XtraGrid, and even apply them conditionally to reflect certain states, such as errors. The XtraGrid ships with an easy to use Appearance editor.

� Extended Gradient and AlphaBlending Support - With the XtraGrid, you can apply gradient and alpha blending to any grid element via the design time property settings.

� Custom Draw - allows you to paint almost any of the XtraGrid's elements, as your needs dictate.


Design-Time
� Advanced Design-Time Support - The XtraGrid provides an advanced design time editor and Level Designer that allow you to control virtually every aspect of the XtraGrid, without having to write a single line of code. Instead of writing code to manage the appearance, you can instead, concentrate on writing code to handle the really "interesting" tasks. Using Advanced design time support, you can manage such advanced features as levels, styles, columns, and summaries.

� Assign Views from the Repository to Levels - In the Level Designer you can assign a specific View from the repository to a level. The View currently assigned to the level is not disposed of.

� Feature Browser - This design-time facility provides a quick and intuitive interface to modify options which correspond to a specific feature. Use this browser to locate only those settings that affect a specific feature.

� Advanced Appearance Designer - It's very easy to customize appearance settings for the grid with this designer. If you need to set the appearance of a specific element, simply click the required element in the Preview window, and the associated appearance objects will be displayed.

� Design-time column/band selection - Not only can you select a column/band in the properties grid, but you can also select it directly in the XtraGrid at design time.

� Design-Time Card Field Selection in Card Views.


Miscellaneous
� Built-in Menus - Grid control menus let you put the power and flexibility of the XtraGrid at your user's finger tips by using a set of standard popup menus that you can enable or disable at will. With these popup menus, your end-users can invoke column customizations, apply sorting, grouping, and even create summaries.

� Column Header and Cell Hint Support.

� Embedded Data Navigator - The XtraGrid Suite allows you to include a built-in data navigator similar to the Microsoft(R) Access(R) data grid.

� Custom Buttons in the Embedded Navigator - You can add custom buttons to the embedded navigator to implement custom functionality.

� ErrorInfo Support - The XtraGrid supports the standard IDataErrorInfo interface.

� Save and Load View Layouts - The XtraGrid allows you to save and load View layouts at both runtime and design time.

� Export to TXT, HTML, XML and MS Excel (R) formats.

� Printing (via the XtraPrinting Library).

� Localization of Every Interface Element.

? Dev Components ? DevExpress Controls for WinForms ? DevExpress XtraGrid

Source of Information : 1998-2010 Developer Express Inc Help