Aligning Particular Columns in a Data Grid

[Jennifer]

Hi! I've got a datagrid on an asp page and I'd like to set a few of
the columns to center-align. The rest should be left align.

The datagrid (called dgDSR) has 61 columns. It is databound using a
data table.

The code I was trying out to center just the columns I want is:

dgDSR.Columns(2).ItemStyle.HorizontalAlign = HorizontalAlign.Center

I get the error message that the index is out of bounds. I thought
that was odd, since there really are 61 columns. So I got the value
of dgDSR.Items.Count and it was 1.

So I guess my question is, can I change the alignment of certain
columns? And if so, what is the proper way to do that?

Thanks,
Jennifer

 

[Scott Mitchell [MVP]]

Jennifer, are you using AutoGenerateColumns=False? If so, you can
specify the alignment specifically, like so:

<asp:BoundColumn ... ItemStyle-HorizontalAlign="Center" ... />

If you are having the column automatically generated, you can
programmatically set their alignment, it's just a matter of doing it at
the right time. Namely, you have to do it after the call to the
DataGrid's DataBind() method. So your code should look something like:

DataGridID.DataSource = ...
DataGridID.DataBind()

'Code to set alignment of columns

hth

--

Scott Mitchell
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.4GuysFromRolla.com

* When you think ASP.NET, think 4GuysFromRolla.com!

 

[Jennifer]

Scott,

Thank you for replying. The columns are being automatically generated. I
do try to set the alignment after the data binding. I'm going to post my
almost-full code below (I'm just not going to show the code for each of the
61 columns - that would be too much.) Do you have any other suggestions?
Perhaps the way I am setting up the grid in the first place is wrong?

I appreciate any advice you can give me.

Thanks,
Jennifer


Private Sub FillGrid(ByVal SortExp As String)
Dim dvMain As DataView
Dim X As Int64
Dim dtMain As New DataTable()
Dim DR As DataRow
Dim Update_User As String
If txtStartDate.Text <> "*" Then
If txtEndDate.Text = "*" Then Exit Sub
End If
dvMain = GetDailySales(txtUnitID.Text, txtStartDate.Text,
txtEndDate.Text)
If SortExp <> "" Then
dvMain.Sort = SortExp
End If
Dim Col1, Col2, Col3, Col4, Col5, Col6, Col7, Col8, Col9, Col10 As
String
Dim Col11, Col12, Col13, Col14, Col15, Col16, Col17, Col18, Col19,
Col20 As String
Dim Col21, Col22, Col23, Col24, Col25, Col26, Col27, Col28, Col29,
Col30 As String
Dim Col31, Col32, Col33, Col34, Col35, Col36, Col37, Col38, Col39,
Col40 As String
Dim Col41, Col42, Col43, Col44, Col45, Col46, Col47, Col48, Col49,
Col50, Col51, Col52 As String
Dim Col53, Col54, Col55, Col56, Col57, Col58, Col59, Col60, Col61,
Col62, Col63, Col64 As String


Col1 = "Unit"
Col2 = "Date"
Col3 = "Status"
Col4 = "Deposit" & vbCrLf & "Evening" & vbCrLf & "$"
Col55 = "Deposit" & vbCrLf & "Evening" & vbCrLf & "$" & vbCrLf &
"Verified"
Col5 = "Deposit" & vbCrLf & "Early_Bird" & vbCrLf & "$"
'-----more column names set here------------

dtMain.Columns.Add(Col1)
dtMain.Columns.Add(Col2)
dtMain.Columns.Add(Col3)
dtMain.Columns.Add(Col4)
If chkViewVerif.Checked = True Then dtMain.Columns.Add(Col55)
'-----adding the rest of the columns to the data row here

Dim BD As Date
For X = 0 To dvMain.Count - 1
DR = dtMain.NewRow
DR(Col1) = dvMain(X)("Unit_ID")
BD = dvMain(X)("Business_Date")
DR(Col2) = BD.ToShortDateString
DR(Col3) = dvMain(X)("Status")
If IsDBNull(dvMain(X)("User_ID")) Then
DR(Col50) = dvMain(X)("User_ID")
Else
Update_User = dvMain(X)("User_ID")
DR(Col50) = Update_User.Substring(12)
End If
DR(Col4) = Format(dvMain(X)("Deposit_Eve_Amt"), "N")
If chkViewVerif.Checked = True Then DR(Col55) =
dvMain(X)("Deposit_Eve_Amt_Verified")
'--- assigning the rest of the values here
dtMain.Rows.Add(DR)
Next

dgDSR.DataSource = dtMain
dgDSR.DataBind()
'---trying to align a column here (and it doesn't work)
dgDSR.Columns(2).ItemStyle.HorizontalAlign = HorizontalAlign.Center

End Sub

 

[Scott Mitchell [MVP]]

And if you use the debugger to step through, you see that
dtMain.Columns.Count > 1, but the DataGrid's Columns.Count property = 1?
That is indeed odd.

Scott,

Thank you for replying. The columns are being automatically generated. I
do try to set the alignment after the data binding. I'm going to post my
almost-full code below (I'm just not going to show the code for each of the
61 columns - that would be too much.) Do you have any other suggestions?
Perhaps the way I am setting up the grid in the first place is wrong?

I appreciate any advice you can give me.

Thanks,
Jennifer


Private Sub FillGrid(ByVal SortExp As String)
Dim dvMain As DataView
Dim X As Int64
Dim dtMain As New DataTable()
Dim DR As DataRow
Dim Update_User As String
If txtStartDate.Text <> "*" Then
If txtEndDate.Text = "*" Then Exit Sub
End If
dvMain = GetDailySales(txtUnitID.Text, txtStartDate.Text,
txtEndDate.Text)
If SortExp <> "" Then
dvMain.Sort = SortExp
End If
Dim Col1, Col2, Col3, Col4, Col5, Col6, Col7, Col8, Col9, Col10 As
String
Dim Col11, Col12, Col13, Col14, Col15, Col16, Col17, Col18, Col19,
Col20 As String
Dim Col21, Col22, Col23, Col24, Col25, Col26, Col27, Col28, Col29,
Col30 As String
Dim Col31, Col32, Col33, Col34, Col35, Col36, Col37, Col38, Col39,
Col40 As String
Dim Col41, Col42, Col43, Col44, Col45, Col46, Col47, Col48, Col49,
Col50, Col51, Col52 As String
Dim Col53, Col54, Col55, Col56, Col57, Col58, Col59, Col60, Col61,
Col62, Col63, Col64 As String


Col1 = "Unit"
Col2 = "Date"
Col3 = "Status"
Col4 = "Deposit" & vbCrLf & "Evening" & vbCrLf & "$"
Col55 = "Deposit" & vbCrLf & "Evening" & vbCrLf & "$" & vbCrLf &
"Verified"
Col5 = "Deposit" & vbCrLf & "Early_Bird" & vbCrLf & "$"
'-----more column names set here------------

dtMain.Columns.Add(Col1)
dtMain.Columns.Add(Col2)
dtMain.Columns.Add(Col3)
dtMain.Columns.Add(Col4)
If chkViewVerif.Checked = True Then dtMain.Columns.Add(Col55)
'-----adding the rest of the columns to the data row here

Dim BD As Date
For X = 0 To dvMain.Count - 1
DR = dtMain.NewRow
DR(Col1) = dvMain(X)("Unit_ID")
BD = dvMain(X)("Business_Date")
DR(Col2) = BD.ToShortDateString
DR(Col3) = dvMain(X)("Status")
If IsDBNull(dvMain(X)("User_ID")) Then
DR(Col50) = dvMain(X)("User_ID")
Else
Update_User = dvMain(X)("User_ID")
DR(Col50) = Update_User.Substring(12)
End If
DR(Col4) = Format(dvMain(X)("Deposit_Eve_Amt"), "N")
If chkViewVerif.Checked = True Then DR(Col55) =
dvMain(X)("Deposit_Eve_Amt_Verified")
'--- assigning the rest of the values here
dtMain.Rows.Add(DR)
Next

dgDSR.DataSource = dtMain
dgDSR.DataBind()
'---trying to align a column here (and it doesn't work)
dgDSR.Columns(2).ItemStyle.HorizontalAlign = HorizontalAlign.Center

End Sub


:

--

Scott Mitchell
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.4GuysFromRolla.com

* When you think ASP.NET, think 4GuysFromRolla.com!

 

[Jennifer]

Yes, that is exactly the case. I am stumped. Any suggestions? Is this
perhaps caused by how I am filling the datagrid? I'm no expert at datagrids
and my experience with them is limited. I'd love any advice.

Thank you for all your help!

Jennifer