ToolTip in Windows Forms Grid Control

15 Jan 202410 minutes to read

ToolTip can be added to the individual cells. This allows a user to show more information about the particular cell on mouse hover.

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Adding ToolTip

The ToolTip can be added to the particular cell by setting the CellTipText property of a cell. The tool tip text will be displayed in the tool tip.

//Set the ToolTip text for particular cell.
this.gridControl1[2, 2].CellTipText = "Hello";
'Set the ToolTip text for particular cell.
Me.gridControl1(2, 2).CellTipText = "Hello"

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Adding ToolTip to Column

The ToolTip can be added to the specific column by setting the CellTipText property of the ColStyles property.

//Adding ToolTip to the specific column
this.gridControl1.ColStyles[1].CellTipText = "Hello";
'Adding ToolTip to the specific column
Me.gridControl1.ColStyles(1).CellTipText = "Hello"

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Adding ToolTip to Row

The ToolTip can be added to specific row by setting the CellTipText property of the RowStyles property.

//Adding ToolTip to the specific row
this.gridControl1.RowStyles[2].CellTipText = "Hello";
'Adding ToolTip to the specific row
Me.gridControl1.RowStyles(2).CellTipText = "Hello"

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Adding ToolTip using QueryCellInfo Event

The ToolTip can be added conditionally to the specific cell or row or column by using the QueryCellInfo event.

this.gridControl1.QueryCellInfo += gridControl1_QueryCellInfo;

void gridControl1_QueryCellInfo(object sender, GridQueryCellInfoEventArgs e)
{
    // Enabling comment tip for particular cell.
    if (e.RowIndex == 1 && e.ColIndex == 1)
        e.Style.CellTipText = "Cell comment";

    // Enabling comment tip for row.
    if (e.ColIndex > 0 && e.RowIndex == 5)
        e.Style.CellTipText = "Row comment";

    // Enabling comment tip for column.
    if (e.RowIndex > 0 && e.ColIndex == 4)
        e.Style.CellTipText = "Column comment";
}
AddHandler gridControl1.QueryCellInfo, AddressOf gridControl1_QueryCellInfo

Private Sub gridControl1_QueryCellInfo(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As GridQueryCellInfoEventArgs)

'Enabling comment tip for particular cell.
    If e.RowIndex = 1 AndAlso e.ColIndex = 1 Then
        e.Style.CellTipText = "Cell comment"
    End If

'Enabling comment tip for row.
    If e.ColIndex > 0 AndAlso e.RowIndex = 5 Then
        e.Style.CellTipText = "Row comment"
    End If

'Enabling comment tip for column.
    If e.RowIndex > 0 AndAlso e.ColIndex = 4 Then
        e.Style.CellTipText = "Column comment"
    End If
End Sub

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NOTE

The ToolTip will not be enabled for a cell if the CellTipText property of the cell is empty.

Removing ToolTip

The ToolTip for the cell can be removed by using ResetCellTipText method. It will reset the CellTipText property to the default values.

//Reset ToolTip for the particular cell.
this.gridControl1[2, 2].ResetCellTipText();
'Reset ToolTip for the particular cell.
Me.gridControl1(2, 2).ResetCellTipText()

Disabling ToolTip for Control

The displaying of ToolTip on mouse hover for control can be restricted by setting the Active property of CellToolTip to false.

//Disable the ToolTip for GridControl.
this.gridControl1.CellToolTip.Active = false;
'Disable the ToolTip for GridControl.
Me.gridControl1.CellToolTip.Active = False

Setting ToolTip Delay Time

The below properties are used to set the ToolTip delay time.

AutoPopDelay

The CellToolTip.AutoPopDelay property enables you to shorten or lengthen the time that the ToolTip is displayed when the pointer is on a control. User can increase the value of this property to ensure that the user has sufficient time to read the text. The maximum time you can delay a popup is 5000 milliseconds.

//Set the ToolTip display time.
this.gridControl1.CellToolTip.AutoPopDelay = 5000;
'Set the ToolTip display time.
Me.gridControl1.CellToolTip.AutoPopDelay = 5000

InitialDelay

The CellToolTip.InitialDelay property enables you to shorten or lengthen the time that the ToolTip waits before displaying a ToolTip. User can use this property to ensure that the user has ToolTips displayed quickly by shortening the time specified. The value for this property cannot exceed 32767.

//Set the ToolTip Initial delay time.
this.gridControl1.CellToolTip.InitialDelay = 1000;
'Set the ToolTip Initial delay time.
Me.gridControl1.CellToolTip.InitialDelay = 1000

ReshowDelay

The CellToolTip.ReshowDelay property enables you to shorten or lengthen the time that the ToolTip waits before displaying a ToolTip after a previous ToolTip is displayed.

When a ToolTip is currently being displayed and the user moves the pointer to another control that displays a ToolTip, the value of the CellToolTip.ReshowDelay property is used before showing the ToolTip for the new control.

The ToolTip from the previous control must still be displayed in order for the delay specified in the CellToolTip.ReshowDelay property to be used; otherwise the CellToolTip.InitialDelay property value is used.

//Set the ToolTip reshow delay time.
this.gridControl1.CellToolTip.ReshowDelay = 500;
'Set the ToolTip reshow delay time.
Me.gridControl1.CellToolTip.ReshowDelay = 500

AutomaticDelay

The AutomaticDelay property enables you to set a single delay value, which is then used to set the values of the AutoPopDelay , InitialDelay, and ReshowDelay properties. Each time the CellToolTip.AutomaticDelay property is set, the following values are set by default.

Property

 Default Values
AutoPopDelay

 10 times the AutomaticDelay value.
InitialDelay

 Equal to the AutomaticDelay value.
ReshowDelay

 1/5 of the AutomaticDelay value.

 
//Set the delay time for ToolTip
this.gridControl1.CellToolTip.AutomaticDelay = 1000;
'Set the delay time for ToolTip
Me.gridControl1.CellToolTip.AutomaticDelay = 1000

Event

ActivateToolTip

ActivateToolTip event will be triggered when the mouse hovers on a cell which has the valid CellTipText (CellTipText should not be empty).

this.gridControl1.ActivateToolTip += GridControl1_ActivateToolTip;

private void GridControl1_ActivateToolTip(object sender, GridActivateToolTipEventArgs e)
{
    e.Style.CellTipText = "Active";
}
AddHandler gridControl1.ActivateToolTip, AddressOf GridControl1_ActivateToolTip

Private Sub GridControl1_ActivateToolTip(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As GridActivateToolTipEventArgs)
    e.Style.CellTipText = "Active"
End Sub

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Disabling the ToolTip for particular cell

The displaying of ToolTip on mouse hover for particular cells can be restricted by canceling the ActivateToolTip event instead of setting the empty string to CellTipText property.

this.gridControl1.ActivateToolTip += GridControl1_ActivateToolTip;

private void GridControl1_ActivateToolTip(object sender, GridActivateToolTipEventArgs e)
{

//Disable the ToolTip for particular cell.
    if (e.ColIndex == 3 && e.RowIndex == 3)
    {
        e.Cancel = true;
    }
}
AddHandler gridControl1.ActivateToolTip, AddressOf GridControl1_ActivateToolTip

Private Sub GridControl1_ActivateToolTip(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As GridActivateToolTipEventArgs)

'Disable the ToolTip for particular cell.
    If e.ColIndex = 3 AndAlso e.RowIndex = 3 Then
        e.Cancel = True
    End If
End Sub

Identify whether Cell has ToolTip

To identify whether the cell has ToolTip or not, HasCellTipText property can be used in the QueryCellStyleInfo event.

The below code illustrates that back color and text color are changed for the cells which has ToolTip.

this.gridControl1.QueryCellInfo += gridControl1_QueryCellInfo; 

void gridControl1_QueryCellInfo(object sender, GridQueryCellInfoEventArgs e)
{

//Checking whether the cell has ToolTip or not.
    if (e.Style.HasCellTipText)
    {
        e.Style.BackColor = Color.Green;
        e.Style.TextColor = Color.White;
    }
}
AddHandler gridControl1.QueryCellInfo, AddressOf gridControl1_QueryCellInfo

Private Sub gridControl1_QueryCellInfo(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As GridQueryCellInfoEventArgs)

'Checking whether the cell has ToolTip or not.
    If e.Style.HasCellTipText Then
        e.Style.BackColor = Color.Green
        e.Style.TextColor = Color.White
    End If
End Sub

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