VB.NET : How to resize DatagridView column width, when application is running? - vb.net

Question

In VB I am working with Windows forms DatagridView.
So here I am trying to get the feature where after running the application, user should be able to resize the column width(On the Fly).
I have gone through lot of stuff but they only provide static solutions. But what I want to achieve is after the application has started running, then if user wants to customise the column width, what is the option for that?

Answer 1

I'm not sure about being able to do this with the standard .NET DataGridViews, but if you download and use the infragistic controls they allow you to change column widths on the fly as standard.

Answer 2

Unless you set the AllowUserToResizeColumns propery to false, the user should be able to modify them however they want with their mouse, just like a "standard" grid like in Excel.
However, I suspect you're asking how to you preserve that setting, so that next time they run it, the column(s) are set back to the user's preference?
One way to do that is to handle the ColumnWidthChanged event on the event and store the value in the registry:
Private Sub DataGridView1_ColumnWidthChanged(sender As Object, e As System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewColumnEventArgs) Handles data1.ColumnWidthChanged
Dim dt As DataGridView
dt = DirectCast(sender, DataGridView)
With My.Computer.Registry
.CurrentUser.CreateSubKey(csRegKey & "\Columns\" & dt.Name)
.SetValue("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\" & csRegKey & "\Columns\" & dt.Name, e.Column.Name, e.Column.Width, Microsoft.Win32.RegistryValueKind.DWord)
End With
End Sub
Where csRegKey is a constant string value of your choice defining where in the HKCU hive to store the value, eg "Software\MyAppName".
Then, when your app starts up, read the registry for those values and apply them accordingly to the column widths:
Dim key As Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey
key = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(csRegKey & "\Columns\YourDataName")
If key IsNot Nothing Then
For Each colAny As DataGridViewColumn In Me.data1.Columns
If key.GetValue(colAny.Name) <> 0 Then
colAny.Width = key.GetValue(colAny.Name)
End If
Next
key.Close()
End If