Question

I’m trying to get “firstName, lastName, assocID, etc.” to display in a datagrid on my form. I’m a new programmer/script kiddie, sorry if this is a dumb question. I just don’t know how to call associateList.firstName to a readable datagrid entry.

I would like the datagrid to use every associate in associateList if possible. Was considering a basic counter on an index refrence somehow.

Other input on how I’m writing my code is appreciated as well. I’m new, and self-taught.

In short : I want the associates to display in the datagrid using columns to separate the information.

The datagrid name is dataGridAssociates on the windows form.

namespace Associate_Tracker
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public class Associate
        {
            //No idea wtf {get; set;} does but I read that I need it?

            public string firstName { get; set; }
            public string lastName { get; set; }
            public string assocRFID { get; set; }
            public int assocID { get; set; }
            public bool canDoDiverts { get; set; }
            public bool canDoMHE { get; set; }
            public bool canDoLoading { get; set; }
        }

        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void buttonAddAssoc_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            #region Datagrid Creation -- Name: dt
            DataTable dt = new DataTable();
            dt.Columns.Add("First Name");
            dt.Columns.Add("Last Name");
            dt.Columns.Add("RFID");
            dt.Columns.Add("Associate ID#");
            dt.Columns.Add("Diverts");
            dt.Columns.Add("MHE");
            dt.Columns.Add("Loading");
            dataGridAssociates.DataSource = dt;
            #endregion

            //First & Last name splitter
            string allValue = textBoxAssocName.Text;
            string firstNameTemp = String.Empty;
            string lastNameTemp = String.Empty;
            int getIndexOfSpace = allValue.IndexOf(' ');

            for (int i = 0; i < allValue.Length; i++)
            {
                if (i < getIndexOfSpace)
                {
                    firstNameTemp += allValue[i];
                }
                else if (i > getIndexOfSpace)
                {
                    lastNameTemp += allValue[i];
                }
            }
            firstNameTemp = firstNameTemp.Trim(); // To remove empty spaces
            lastNameTemp = lastNameTemp.Trim();   // To Remove Empty spaces
            //End splitter

            int assocIDTemp;    //TryParse succeeds
            bool assocIDparse;  //Bool for TryParse

            //Try Parsing Associate ID to an integer
            //Includes catch -> return
            assocIDparse = int.TryParse(textBoxAssocID.Text, out assocIDTemp);
            if (assocIDparse == false)
            {
                MessageBox.Show("Please use only numbers in the AssocID input");
                return;
            }
            var associateList = new List<Associate>();
            associateList.Add(new Associate
            {
                firstName = firstNameTemp,
                lastName = lastNameTemp,
                assocID = assocIDTemp,
                canDoDiverts = checkBoxDiverts.Checked,
                canDoMHE = checkBoxMHE.Checked,
                canDoLoading = checkBoxLoading.Checked,
            });
            textBoxAssocID.Clear();
            textBoxAssocName.Clear();
            textBoxRFID.Clear();
        }
    }
}

Answer 1

I won’t say that this is the most elegant way of doing this but with WinForms and DataGridView control you can use the BindingSource control to do this. I have added a sample below with the modified code to achieve what you are trying to do.

The key points to note here are as follow:

• Notice the BindingSource instance which is created at the top. This is the element that I have used to bind to the DataGridView in the constructor
• In the constructor, I attach a instance of an Associate list to the DataSource of the BindingSource
• In the constructor again, I attach the BindingSource to the DataSource of the DataGridView control.
• Finally at the bottom of the button event, I first create an instance of Associate using AddNew in the BindingSource (this will automatically create in the Asociate list instance create in the constructor) and assign their appropriate values to it which are then populated in the DataGridView directly.

Any problem let me know.

    readonly BindingSource _bindingSource = new BindingSource();

    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        _bindingSource.DataSource = new List<Associate>();
        dataGridAssociates.DataSource = _bindingSource;
    }

    public class Associate
    {
        public string firstName { get; set; }
        public string lastName { get; set; }
        public string assocRFID { get; set; }
        public int assocID { get; set; }
        public bool canDoDiverts { get; set; }
        public bool canDoMHE { get; set; }
        public bool canDoLoading { get; set; }
    }

    private void buttonAddAssoc_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        //First & Last name splitter
        string allValue = textBoxAssocName.Text;
        string firstNameTemp = String.Empty;
        string lastNameTemp = String.Empty;
        int getIndexOfSpace = allValue.IndexOf(' ');

        for (int i = 0; i < allValue.Length; i++)
        {
            if (i < getIndexOfSpace)
            {
                firstNameTemp += allValue[i];
            }
            else if (i > getIndexOfSpace)
            {
                lastNameTemp += allValue[i];
            }
        }
        firstNameTemp = firstNameTemp.Trim(); // To remove empty spaces
        lastNameTemp = lastNameTemp.Trim(); // To Remove Empty spaces
        //End splitter

        int assocIDTemp; //TryParse succeeds
        bool assocIDparse; //Bool for TryParse

        //Try Parsing Associate ID to an integer
        //Includes catch -> return
        assocIDparse = int.TryParse(textBoxAssocID.Text, out assocIDTemp);
        if (assocIDparse == false)
        {
            MessageBox.Show("Please use only numbers in the AssocID input");
            return;
        }

        var obj = (Associate) _bindingSource.AddNew();
        if (obj != null)
        {
            obj.firstName = firstNameTemp;
            obj.lastName = lastNameTemp;
            obj.assocID = assocIDTemp;
            obj.canDoDiverts = checkBoxDiverts.Checked;
            obj.canDoMHE = checkBoxMHE.Checked;
            obj.canDoLoading = checkBoxLoading.Checked;
        }

        textBoxAssocID.Clear();
        textBoxAssocName.Clear();
        textBoxRFID.Clear();

    }