VB.NET datagridview one-to-one mapping of combobox - vb.net

Question

I have a datagridview with two textbox columns and one combobox column. The combobox's DataSource is bound to enums for the values of the dropdown. The datagridview's DataSource is bound to a custom class with datatypes of string, string and enum.
The first two columns are pre-populated with values and in the third column the user must select a value from the dropdown. All this is working excellent so far except....
The combobox field should be a one-to-one kind of mapping, meaning no two comboboxes should have the same value. I am really not sure how to implement this kind of behavior. Should the chosen value be removed from the remaining dropdowns? should the chosen value remain in the dropdown and just give an error when two of the same are selected?
Any ideas and how to implement these ideas will be of great help.
Thanks
note the only acceptable value that can be used more than once is 'None'

Answer 1

I have an idea based off your intent to possibly remove the chosen value from the remaining dropdowns.
I have a class called Runner which has a similar setup to your example.
Public Class Runner
Public Property FirstName As String
Public Property LastName As String
Public Property Placement As Result
Public Sub New(fn As String, ln As String)
FirstName = fn
LastName = ln
Placement = Result.None
End Sub
End Class
I also have an enum called Result which will get populated into the ComboBoxCell:
Public Enum Result
None = 0
Bronze = 1
Silver = 2
Gold = 3
End Enum
When I create data objects and bind them to the DataGridView, I do so like this (note - Placements is a global List(Of Result) and Runners is a global List(Of Runner):
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Placements.Add(Result.None)
Placements.Add(Result.Bronze)
Placements.Add(Result.Silver)
Placements.Add(Result.Gold)
Runners.Add(New Runner("John", "Smith"))
Runners.Add(New Runner("Jane", "Doe"))
Runners.Add(New Runner("Bill", "Jones"))
Column1.DataPropertyName = "FirstName"
Column2.DataPropertyName = "LastName"
Column3.DataPropertyName = "Placement"
Column3.DataSource = Placements
DataGridView1.DataSource = Runners
End Sub
Now, whenever the value of a cell in the ComboBoxColumn changes, you remove the new value from the list that contains the enums:
Private Sub DataGridView1_CellValueChanged(sender As Object, e As DataGridViewCellEventArgs) Handles DataGridView1.CellValueChanged
If (e.RowIndex > -1 And e.ColumnIndex = 2) Then
Dim currentvalue As Result = DataGridView1.Rows(e.RowIndex).Cells(e.ColumnIndex).Value
If currentvalue <> Result.None Then
Placements.Remove(currentvalue)
End If
End If
End Sub
Be careful when changing drop down selections... as per this Discussion, you have to trick the DataGridView into committing values as soon as the ComboBox value changes. I used an answer from that discussion and did something like this:
Private Sub DataGridView1_CurrentCellDirtyStateChanged(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles DataGridView1.CurrentCellDirtyStateChanged
Dim col As DataGridViewColumn = DataGridView1.Columns(DataGridView1.CurrentCell.ColumnIndex)
If col.Name = "Column3" Then
DataGridView1.CommitEdit(DataGridViewDataErrorContexts.Commit)
Dim selected As DataGridViewCell = DataGridView1.CurrentCell
DataGridView1.CurrentCell = Nothing //This line and the next one simply hide
DataGridView1.CurrentCell = selected //an odd display effect that occurs
//because we remove a value and change the
//selection at the same time
End If
End Sub
Finally, you want to handle the DataError event for the DataGridView and leave it blank so that you don't get Exceptions thrown at you when removing values from your list of enums.
This gets you about 90% of the way there. It will not re-add items to the list when you change a value. For example if I change from Gold to Silver, Gold should be added back to the list. You can probably figure out what events to handle to get the old value and the new one, and insert the old value back into the list at the correct index based on its enum value.

Answer 2

I decided to use the CellValidating event of the DataGridView to check whether or not the same value is selected more than once. If it is then a error message is displayed in the row header column.
The combobox in error will not lose focus until the error is resolved.
Private Sub DataGridView1_CellValidating(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewCellValidatingEventArgs) Handles DataGridView1.CellValidating
Dim headerText As String = DataGridView1.Columns(e.ColumnIndex).HeaderText
'Abort validation if cell is not in the Mapping column.
If Not headerText.Equals("Column Mapping") Then Return
'Clear error on current row.
DataGridView1.Rows(e.RowIndex).ErrorText = Nothing
e.Cancel = False
Dim newMappingValue As XmlElement = DirectCast([Enum].Parse(GetType(XmlElement), e.FormattedValue), XmlElement)
' Abort validation if cell value equal XmlElement.None
If newMappingValue.Equals(XmlElement.None) Then Return
For Each dgvRow As DataGridViewRow In DataGridView1.Rows
Dim currentMappingValue As XmlElement = dgvRow.Cells.Item(headerText).Value
If dgvRow.Index <> e.RowIndex Then
If currentMappingValue.Equals(newMappingValue) Then
DataGridView1.Rows(e.RowIndex).ErrorText = "Value already selected, please select a different value."
e.Cancel = True
End If
End If
Next
End Sub