Search in Windows Forms DataGrid (SfDataGrid)

2 Oct 202311 minutes to read

Windows Forms DataGrid (SfDataGrid) provides the support for search the specific string in the SfDataGrid. This can be achieved by using the SearchController.Search method. The founded matches will be highlighted in the SfDataGrid.

//Search and highlight the text in SfDataGrid.
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.Search("a");
'Search and highlight the text in SfDataGrid.
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.Search("a")

Windows forms datagrid displays search the specific string

Filtering

The filtering based on the search text can be enabled by setting the AllowFiltering property to true.

// Enable the filtering using the search text
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.AllowFiltering = true;

//Search and highlight the text in SfDataGrid.
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.Search("Alice");
' Enable the filtering using the search text
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.AllowFiltering = True

'Search and highlight the text in SfDataGrid.
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.Search("Alice")

Windows forms datagrid displays the filtering based on the search text

Filtering with DataTable

By default, when binding the DataTable collection to SfDataGrid, filtering will not work in searching operation. So, convert the DataTable to Dynamic collection.

public ObservableCollection<ExpandoObject> DynamicOrders
{
    get; set;
}

var collection = GetDataTable();
var dynamicCollection = new ObservableCollection<ExpandoObject>();
foreach (System.Data.DataRow row in collection.Rows)
{
    ExpandoObject expandoObject = new ExpandoObject();
    dynamicCollection.Add(expandoObject);
    foreach (DataColumn column in collection.Columns)
    {
        var dictionary = ((IDictionary<string, object>)(expandoObject));
        dictionary[column.ColumnName] = row[column];
    }
}

DynamicOrders = dynamicCollection;
sfDataGrid1.DataSource = DynamicOrders;
public Property DynamicOrders() As ObservableCollection(Of ExpandoObject)

Dim collection = GetDataTable()
Dim dynamicCollection = New ObservableCollection(Of ExpandoObject)()
For Each row As System.Data.DataRow In collection.Rows
	Dim expandoObject As New ExpandoObject()
	dynamicCollection.Add(expandoObject)
	For Each column As DataColumn In collection.Columns
		Dim dictionary = (CType(expandoObject, IDictionary(Of String, Object)))
		dictionary(column.ColumnName) = row(column)
	Next column
Next row

DynamicOrders = dynamicCollection
sfDataGrid1.DataSource = DynamicOrders

The data can be searched with the case-sensitivity by setting the SearchController.AllowCaseSensitiveSearch property to true.

Windows forms datagrid displays search case sensitive with the data

Searching wrap text

The wrap text can be searched by using the SearchController.Search method.

//Enable text wrapping for the column.
this.sfDataGrid1.Columns[2].AllowTextWrapping = true;

//Search and highlight the search text in SfDataGrid.
this.sfDataGrid1.SearchController.Search("cr");
'Enable text wrapping for the column.
Me.sfDataGrid1.Columns(2).AllowTextWrapping = True

'Search and highlight the search text in SfDataGrid.
Me.sfDataGrid1.SearchController.Search("cr")

Windows forms datagrid displays search applied wrap text in the specific column

Changing Search Highlight Color

The highlighting color of the search text can be changed by using the SearchColor property.

//Set the color for highlighting the search text
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.SearchColor = Color.LightGreen;
'Set the color for highlighting the search text
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.SearchColor = Color.LightGreen

Windows forms datagrid displays changed the highlight color of search text

Disable Highlighting Search Text

The highlighting of the search text can be disabled by setting the AllowHighlightSearchText property to false.

//Disable the highlighting of the search text
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.AllowHighlightSearchText = false;

//Search and filter without highlighting the search text.
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.AllowFiltering = true;
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.Search("SEVES");
'Disable the highlighting of the search text
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.AllowHighlightSearchText = False

'Search and filter without highlighting the search text.
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.AllowFiltering = True
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.Search("SEVES")

Windows forms datagrid displays disabled the highlight of the search text

Search only in Selected Columns

By default the searching is applied for all the columns in the SfDataGrid. This can be changed to search only in the specified columns by using the SearchColumns collection. The column names added to the SearchColumns list is only consider for the search operations.

// Search only in Quantity column
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.SearchColumns.Add("Quantity");
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.Search("2");
' Search only in Quantity column
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.SearchColumns.Add("Quantity")
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.Search("2")

Windows forms datagrid displays search only selected column

Search Condition

By default the searching will be performed based on the Contains condition. This can be changed by using the SearchType property. The SearchType enumeration has the following conditions,

  • StartsWith – Used to find the text which starts with the SearchText.
  • EndsWith – Used to find the text which ends with the SearchText.
  • Contains – Used to find the text which contains the SearchText.

Windows forms datagrid displays find the text which ends with the search text

Navigating based on Search Text

The cells which contains the SearchText can be navigated by using the SearchController.FindNext and SearchController.FindPrevious methods.

// Find the next match and highlight using the HighlightSearchColor.
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.FindNext("Alice");

// Find the previous match and highlight using the HighlightSearchColor.
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.FindPrevious("Alice");
' Find the next match and highlight using the HighlightSearchColor.
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.FindNext("Alice")

' Find the previous match and highlight using the HighlightSearchColor.
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.FindPrevious("Alice")

Windows forms datagrid displays navigate and highlight the text to match and previous text

By default the currently navigated search text will be highlighted with the default color. This can be changed by using the SearchHighlightColor property.

this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.SearchHighlightColor = Color.Red;
// Find the next match and highlight using the HighlightSearchColor.
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.FindNext("MEREP");
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.SearchHighlightColor = Color.Red
' Find the next match and highlight using the HighlightSearchColor.
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.FindNext("MEREP")

Windows forms datagrid displays change the highlight color for currently navigate the search text

Move Current Cell to the Next Match

The current cell can be moved to the next possible match by using the SearchController.CurrentRowColumnIndex property.

// Find the next match and highlight using the HighlightSearchColor.
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.FindNext("MEREP");

// Moves the current cell to the next possible match.
this.sfDataGrid.MoveToCurrentCell(this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.CurrentRowColumnIndex);
' Find the next match and highlight using the HighlightSearchColor.
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.FindNext("MEREP")

' Moves the current cell to the next possible match.
Me.sfDataGrid.MoveToCurrentCell(Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.CurrentRowColumnIndex)

Windows forms datagrid displays search text move from current cell to next cell

The search can be cleared by using the ClearSearch method.

// Clears the search applied by using the search controller.
this.sfDataGrid.SearchController.ClearSearch();
' Clears the search applied by using the search controller.
Me.sfDataGrid.SearchController.ClearSearch()

Search Customization

SfDataGrid process the search operations in SearchController class. The default search behaviors can be customized by overriding the SearchController class and set to SfDataGrid.SearchController property.

public class SearchControllerExt : SearchController
{
    public SearchControllerExt(SfDataGrid grid) :
        base(grid)
    { }
    protected override void HighlightSearchText(Graphics paint, DataColumnBase column, CellStyleInfo style, Rectangle bounds, string cellValue, RowColumnIndex rowColumnIndex)
    {
        //Does not highlight the search text the specific column
        if (column.GridColumn.MappingName == "ProductName")
            return;
        base.HighlightSearchText(paint, column, style, bounds, cellValue, rowColumnIndex);
    }
}
Public Class SearchControllerExt
	Inherits SearchController
	Public Sub New(ByVal grid As SfDataGrid)
		MyBase.New(grid)
	End Sub

	Protected Overrides Sub HighlightSearchText(ByVal paint As Graphics, ByVal column As DataColumnBase, ByVal style As CellStyleInfo, ByVal bounds As Rectangle, ByVal cellValue As String, ByVal rowColumnIndex As RowColumnIndex)
		'Does not highlight the search text the specific column
		If column.GridColumn.MappingName = "ProductName" Then
			Return
		End If

		MyBase.HighlightSearchText(paint, column, style, bounds, cellValue, rowColumnIndex)
	End Sub
End Class

Windows forms datagrid displays highlight the search text not applied to specific column

See also

How to search and select record in WinForms DataGrid (SfDataGrid)