In this article ,I will explain how you can add any number of template columns inside a gridview dynamically from the code.

Before going to the tutorial,i will copy the exact code snippets that i used.It is not optimizedand i used many counters with out following naming conventions.Sorry for that.The simplified code is explained after this

 Sample.aspx

 

Adding a bound column dynamically is easy as shown below

 

// Create Bound Columns 

BoundColumn nameColumn = new BoundColumn(); 

nameColumn.HeaderText = "Name"; 

nameColumn.DataField = "UserName";

myDataGrid.Columns.Add(nameColumn); 

myDataGrid.DataSource = ds; 

myDataGrid.DataBind();

But adding a template column and any control(dropdown list,checkbox etc) inside a gridview is unfortunately not that easy.

 

Source Code

 







 

 

 protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)

 {

 

//First Bind Some Data on to the datagrid

 

 DataTable dt = new DataTable();

 dt.Columns.Add("Option");

 DataRow dr = dt.NewRow();

 dr["Option"] = "helooo";

 

 dt.Rows.Add(dr);

 

 DataRow dr1 = dt.NewRow();

 

 dr1["Option"] = "helooo";

 

 dt.Rows.Add(dr1);

 

 DataRow dr2 = dt.NewRow();

 

 dr2["Option"] = "helooo";

 

 dt.Rows.Add(dr2);

 

 gv_test.DataSource = dt;

 gv_test.DataBind();

 

//Create a template field and add the template to gridview

 

 TemplateField t = new TemplateField();

 t.ItemTemplate = new AddTemplateToGridView(ListItemType.Item, "au_lname");

 

 for (int x = 0; x < 3; x++)

  {

 gv_test.Columns.Add(t);

 cnt++;

 }

 

 gv_test.DataSource = dt;

 gv_test.DataBind();

 

 

 }

public class AddTemplateToGridView : ITemplate

 {

 ListItemType _type;

 string _colName;

 

 public AddTemplateToGridView(ListItemType type, string colname)

 {

 _type = type;

 

 _colName = colname;

 

 

 }

 void ITemplate.InstantiateIn(System.Web.UI.Control container)

 {

 

 

 

 switch (_type)

 {

 case ListItemType.Item:

 

 

  DropDownList d = new DropDownList();

 

 container.Controls.Add(d);

 }

}

 

 

}

 

Steps

1.Create a template field with the code below

TemplateField t = new TemplateField();

t.ItemTemplate = new AddTemplateToGridView(ListItemType.Item, “au_lname”);

2.Add the class named AddTemplateToGridView : ITemplate to the code

The class contains two functions named

a. AddTemplateToGridView(ListItemType type, string colname)

b. ITemplate.InstantiateIn(System.Web.UI.Control container)

In the second function,the control is created(dropdown,checkbox etc and added to the container)

 

3.Add the template field just created to the gridview dynamically

for (int x = 0; x < 3; x++)

{

gv_test.Columns.Add(t);

cnt++;

}

Here ‘x’ is the number of template columns you want to add dynamically