WinForms Grid - the New Find Feature (coming in v2010 vol 2)

Thinking Out Loud
19 October 2010

With the upcoming release of the XtraGrid Suite, we'll introduce a new "Find" feature - a quick and easy way for your end-users to locate data displayed within the grid. Its implementation is straightforward...at design time, you'll specify the columns against which to filter (you can include all visible columns or restrict columns that should not be searched against). The Find feature uses the Like operator and looks something like this: "col1 like '%text%' or col2 like '%text%"

At runtime, your end users can activate the Find panel by pressing the CTRL + F key combinations (or you can enable it by default)...Once the Find Panel is visible, entering a few characters into the Find field executes the search.

A picture is worth a thousand words...so here's an animation demonstrating the new WinForms Grid Find Feature.

 

Free DevExpress Products – Get Your Copy Today

The following free DevExpress product offers remain available. Should you have any questions about the free offers below, please submit a ticket via the DevExpress Support Center at your convenience. We’ll be happy to follow-up.
Sigol
Sigol

That's great - nice touch and simple for beginners. Some users find the filters a little too complicated, so this new feature will really help. Well done.

19 October 2010
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)

That's exactly who it's been engineered for...Thanks for the feedback Simon.

19 October 2010
Neal
Neal

Hallelujah!  Thanks for implementing (www.devexpress.com/issue=S90935) and my discussion (with myself) here: community.devexpress.com/.../92857.aspx

This functionality, as you know, needs to be in EVERY data component:  XtraTreeList, XtraVerticalGrid, XtraReports, XtraXtraReadAllAboutIt - on and on...this is a MUST.

Thanks DX!!!

19 October 2010
Neal
Neal

The drop down needs to be MRU (if not already) and also have the option of removing the MRU items (x on the right) that's in 10.2.

FYI

19 October 2010
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)

It is an MRU and you can remove MRU entries via the close button and that is a new feature of the MRU control that you can incorporate in your next app.

19 October 2010
Neal
Neal

Well, let's go for comment #3 (out of excitement) - I hope this search control is also stand-alone (reminded after re-reading my forum post) so that we can attach the search capability to any control. I'm sure it will as the filter control etc. evolved to stand-alone controls.  Hope sooner vs. later with the reduced release sched.

Deep breath -- back to work! :)

19 October 2010
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)

Sure  Neal - first things first. For now you get to use this feaure in the grid (what a fine grid it is).

19 October 2010
Mark Bissett 2
Mark Bissett 2

This is excellent news - well done guys!

19 October 2010
Callon Campbell
Callon Campbell

Looks awesome.

Question...if we already have our own search "toolba" which is a DXBar on top of an XtraGrid...can we hook in to get similar results?

19 October 2010
Callon Campbell
Callon Campbell

Is this a sample app that might ship with DX 10.2.x?

19 October 2010
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)

Good dig Neal :-)

As always, you are more than welcome to give me a call and I'll explain how any release schedule (whether 2 or 3 or 4 per year) will impact deliverables.

I dont expect we'll have this as a standalone control...but who knows...not sure I see the value just yet.

19 October 2010
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)

Yes, we are working on a new demo - showing off some of the features of our WinForms products and ways you might be able to think "out of the box" when creating database apps.

19 October 2010
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)

Yes Callon - should be able to do that...

19 October 2010
Callon Campbell
Callon Campbell

Great...thanks. Looking forward to the release

19 October 2010
Brendon Muck [DevExpress MVP]
Brendon Muck [DevExpress MVP]

This will be a very helpful feature for my users. I think it's a lot more intuitive than the auto-filter row, and the highlighting is a great addition.

19 October 2010
Glen Harvy
Glen Harvy

You did this on purpose didn't you.... Just to make me look like a liar ... perhaps you are listening ... :-)

Good work Ray - this is an excellent improvement and very much appreciated.

19 October 2010
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)

Wasnt me - it was Mike :-)

19 October 2010
Michael Proctor [DX-Squad]
Michael Proctor [DX-Squad]

Great ray, that is definately something that will be used in my application. As Simon mentioned, some users find Filtering just a tad too complicated, this will be a great value-add to my application.

I would also like to point out that WinForms has been getting the love, just there finesse features instead ;) Great work

19 October 2010
Sigurd Decroos
Sigurd Decroos

Neat little thingy, now give us the serious new stuff of WinForms :)

19 October 2010
Robert Fuchs
Robert Fuchs

I hope this does search in visible columns only - would be kind of confusing to an end user to see rows without any highlighting.

19 October 2010
John Newcombe
John Newcombe

Awesome feature, I hope that the Ctrl + F shortcut key is changeable, as I currently use this shortcut to query the DB.

19 October 2010
Peter Thorpe
Peter Thorpe

This is great I have been doing something like this manually.

How exactly does it work though?

What happens if the end user has already applied filters on columns? Does this search work on top of those filters or does this search wipe out the existing filters?

19 October 2010
Mike Falcon (DevExpress)
Mike Falcon (DevExpress)

Robert Fuchs: yes, it is.

20 October 2010
Mike Falcon (DevExpress)
Mike Falcon (DevExpress)

Peter Thorpe: It will be combined with existing filter.

e.g. if you have filter by "Amount > 1000", final filter will be

"Amount > 1000 and (col1 like '%text%' or col2 like '%text%' etc)"

20 October 2010
Steve Sharkey
Steve Sharkey

Excellent - beginning to look like WinForms wasn't forgotten after all. This is very nice (and of course will need to be implemented in the WPF/SL grid too otherwise it's another reason to remain with WinForms forever (I know you just can't win eh?)

20 October 2010
Mark Harby
Mark Harby

doh!

Just spent a couple of days providing a similar feature.

Seriously though, this looks good.

20 October 2010
Luke Grews
Luke Grews

ASPxGridView please take a hint!

Great stuff... This volume is going one of the best of

all times features wise.

20 October 2010
Neal
Neal

Mike,

A few thoughts:

1) If you clear the quick filter will it also clear the existing "filter"?  Hopefully it will just restore it

2) Not sure what the "find" button is for, seems like the filtering is automatic.

3) Would be neat to NOT have to assign columns but have a second mode where we could assign Types, for example, automatically include all columns with bound type of String.  In other words include all text columns in one fell swoop.  And as R.F. said, option to search VisibleColumns or AllColumns?

4) I'd like to see this integrated into a single search box just like in Windows and Mac.  Have the X as a button in the buttons collection so it shows on the right edge of the search box.  The X out in left field is odd, if that's to hide the search "bar" then maybe an up arrow on the right edge or something?  And as discussed, Find and Clear are not necessary, they should be integrated inside the search box itself.

My $.02 - keep up the great work - innovating! (and listening to your loudest customers) :)

20 October 2010
Mike Falcon (DevExpress)
Mike Falcon (DevExpress)

Neal:

1) Find filter is not affected by columns filter.

2) Find button (or <enter> key) required for server mode or large datasets

3) You can control which columns are used for find filter (but it still restriced to visible columns)

4) You can implement your own search box. For example, using xtrabars or ribbon. Basically, all you need is call  view.ApplyFindFilter("text");

20 October 2010
Crono
Crono

This looks awesome! Thanks! :D

20 October 2010
Jim Clay
Jim Clay

Sweet!  This will make my users happy as well.

20 October 2010
ThomasKehl
ThomasKehl

Will this feature also be available for DXGrid?

20 October 2010
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)
Ray Navasarkian (DevExpress)

Yes Thomas - it will but not this release.

20 October 2010
Hakan Mesakkat
Hakan Mesakkat

Great, this will improve user exp. a lot. Good work

22 October 2010

Please login or register to post comments.