Host a DataGridView on a ContextMenuStrip using ToolStripControlHost

Question

I'm trying to show a small DataGridView in my ContextMenuStrip that I have built.  The DataGridView will show a unique list of values in a DataGridViewTextboxColumn "Sample ID" when its column header is right-clicked.  I can get the unique values just fine, but I'm having trouble displaying the small DataGridView in the ContextMenuStrip.  It currently looks like this.

Notice, there is no data in the DataGridView.  I have confirmed that the DataGridView.DataSource has several rows in it, yet the DataGridView shows nothing.  Plus, I need to increase the size of my DataGridView, thus increasing the size of the ContextMenuStrip to show the DataGridView.

Here is my code (sorry if its too much, just wanted to make sure you see the whole picture):

Public Class ContextMenu_Column_String
    Inherits ContextMenuStrip

    Private dvs As DataGridViewSettings
    Private dgv As DataGridView
    Private ht As DataGridView.HitTestInfo
    Private dfs As DataGridViewFilterAndSorter

    Public Sub New(ByVal sender As DataGridViewSettings, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs)

            Me.dvs = CType(sender, DataGridViewSettings)
            Me.dgv = Me.dvs.DataGridView
            Me.ht = Me.dgv.HitTest(e.X, e.Y)
            Me.dfs = Me.dvs.DataGridViewFilterAndSorter

            Dim dtUniqueValues As DataTable = Me.dfs.MasterDataTable.Copy.AsDataView.ToTable(True, Me.dgv.Columns(ht.ColumnIndex).DataPropertyName)
            dtUniqueValues.Columns.Add("Select", Type.GetType("System.Boolean"))
            Dim dv As DataView = dtUniqueValues.AsDataView
            dv.Sort = Me.dgv.Columns(ht.ColumnIndex).DataPropertyName

            Dim chk As New DataGridViewCheckBoxColumn
            With chk
                .Name = "Select"
                .Width = 25
                .DataPropertyName = "booSelect"
            End With

            Dim tex As New DataGridViewTextBoxColumn
            With tex
                .Name = "Values"
                .Width = 100
                .DataPropertyName = Me.dgv.Columns(ht.ColumnIndex).DataPropertyName
            End With

            Dim dgvUnique As New DataGridView

            dgvUnique.Columns.Add(chk)
            dgvUnique.Columns.Add(tex)
            dgvUnique.Width = 125
            dgvUnique.CellBorderStyle = DataGridViewCellBorderStyle.None
            dgvUnique.ColumnHeadersVisible = False
            dgvUnique.AutoGenerateColumns = False
            dgvUnique.DataSource = dtUniqueValues

            Dim CMS As New ContextMenuStrip
            Dim CM_SubMenu As New ToolStripMenuItem()
            Dim IC As New IconConverter

            With CMS.Items
                .Add(New ToolStripMenuItem("Copy", IC.ConvertTo(My.Resources.copy, GetType(Image)), New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.CopySelectedCells), "nmCopy"))
                .Add(New ToolStripSeparator)
                .Add(New ToolStripMenuItem("Sort A to Z", My.Resources.SortHS, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.SortAZ), "nmSortAZ"))
                .Add(New ToolStripMenuItem("Sort Z to A", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.SortZA), "nmSortZA"))
                .Add(New ToolStripMenuItem("Save My Sortings", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.SaveMySortings)))
                .Add(New ToolStripSeparator)
                .Add(New ToolStripMenuItem("Fill Column With ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.FillColumnWith), "nmFillColumnWith"))
                .Add(New ToolStripSeparator)
                .Add(New ToolStripMenuItem("Hide Column", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.HideColumn)))
                .Add(New ToolStripMenuItem("Edit Column Settings", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.EditColumnSettings)))
                .Add(New ToolStripSeparator)

                With CM_SubMenu
                    .Text = "Add Column Filter"
                    .Name = "nmAddColumnFilter"
                    '.Image = 
                    With .DropDownItems
                        .Add("Equals ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.Equal))
                        .Add("Does Not Equal ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.NotEqual))
                        .Add("Begins With ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.BeginWith))
                        .Add("Does Not Begin With ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.NotBeginWith))
                        .Add("Ends With ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.EndWith))
                        .Add("Does Not End With ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.NotEndWith))
                        .Add("Contains ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.Contain))
                        .Add("Does Not Contain ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.NotContains))
                        .Add("Between ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.Between))
                        .Add("Not Between ...", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.NotBetween))
                        .Add("Is Blank", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.Blank))
                        .Add("Is Not Blank", Nothing, New EventHandler(AddressOf Me.NotBlank))
                    End With
                    .DisplayStyle = ToolStripItemDisplayStyle.Text
                End With
                .AddRange(New ToolStripItem() {CM_SubMenu})

                .Add(New ToolStripControlHost(dgvUnique))
            End With

            ' disable Fill Column With button if the column is Read-Only
            CMS.Items("nmFillColumnWith").Enabled = Not Me.dgv.Columns(Me.ht.ColumnIndex).ReadOnly

            CMS.Show(Me.dgv, e.X, e.Y)

    End Sub
End Class

Anyone have a solution?  I figure using the ToolStripControlHost class is the only way to do this, right?

Thanks,

---

Ryan

Answer 1

Hi Ryan,

there is a lot of class didn't delare.

Pleasse post some correct code here.

Have a nice day.

---

Ghost,
Call me ghost for short, Thanks
To get the better answer, it should be a better question.

Answer 2

Hi Ryan,

I did not use your original codes, but I think we can intialize the DataGridView's BindingContext property to make the databinding work. 

Here are some testing codes to add a ToolStrip for a TextBox for your references:

Private Sub TextBox1_KeyDown(sender As System.Object, e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs) Handles TextBox1.KeyDown
        If e.KeyData = Keys.F1 Then
            d1.BindingContext = New BindingContext
            d1.DataSource = MyTable

            Dim host As New ToolStripControlHost(d1)
            ContextMenuStrip1.Items.Clear()
            ContextMenuStrip1.Items.Add(host)
            ContextMenuStrip1.Show(TextBox1, 0, 27)
        End If
    End Sub

Good day!

Thanks

---

Michael Sun [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 3

Ghost,

Thanks for the reply.  What classes do you need to see?  I believe all the relevant code is posted.

---

Ryan

Answer 4

For example: DataGridViewSettings

But I think DataGridViewSettings class is not directly related to this issue. Right?

So you can make a simple code snippet to show your issue, rather than post such complex one.

Have a nice day.

---

Ghost,
Call me ghost for short, Thanks
To get the better answer, it should be a better question.

Answer 5

Ghost,

Correct, the DataGridViewSettings class is not directly related to this issue.

I shortened the code for better readability.  To test my code you can setup a Form with a DataGridView on it.  Then you can fill the DataGridView with whatever data you please.  Then put this code in the DataGridView_MouseClick Event.  Note:  This code assumes you have a DataTable as the DataGridViews.DataSource.

    Private Sub DataGridView1_MouseClick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles DataGridView1.MouseClick

        Dim dgv As DataGridView = CType(sender, DataGridView)
        Dim ht As DataGridView.HitTestInfo = dgv.HitTest(e.X, e.Y)
        Dim dt As DataTable = CType(dgv.DataSource, DataTable)

        Dim CMS As New ContextMenuStrip
        Dim TMH As New ToolStripControlHost(New DataGridView)

        ' create a table of unique values from the column that was right-clicked
        Dim dtUniqueValues As DataTable = dt.Copy.AsDataView.ToTable(True, dgv.Columns(ht.ColumnIndex).DataPropertyName)

        ' add a Boolean column to the DataTable
        dtUniqueValues.Columns.Add("booSelect", Type.GetType("System.Boolean"), False)

        ' sort the table
        Dim dv As New DataView(dtUniqueValues, Nothing, dgv.Columns(ht.ColumnIndex).DataPropertyName, DataViewRowState.CurrentRows)

        ' create a CheckBox column so the user can select values
        Dim chk As New DataGridViewCheckBoxColumn
        With chk
            .Name = "Select"
            .Width = 5
            .DataPropertyName = "booSelect"
        End With

        ' create a TextBox column to show unique values
        Dim tex As New DataGridViewTextBoxColumn
        With tex
            .Name = "Values"
            .DataPropertyName = "vchAnalyteCode"
        End With

        ' create a binding source to ensure sychronization between DataGridView and DataTable
        Dim bs As New BindingSource
        bs.DataSource = dtUniqueValues

        ' set properties of the DataGridView that will be displayed in the ContextMenuStrip
        With CType(TMH.Control, DataGridView)
            .AutoGenerateColumns = False
            .Columns.Add(chk)
            .Columns(chk.Name).Width = 15
            .Columns.Add(tex)
            .DataSource = bs
            .Width = 186
            .Height = 200
            .CellBorderStyle = DataGridViewCellBorderStyle.None
            .ColumnHeadersVisible = False
            .RowHeadersVisible = False
        End With

        ' add the ToolStripControlHost to the ContextMenuStrip to display our unique values
        CMS.Items.Add(TMH)

        CMS.Show(dgv, e.X, e.Y)

    End Sub

The goal is to display a DataGridView in a ContextMenuStrip.  This DataGridView will contain a CheckBox column and TextBox column that displays all the unique values in the column that was right-clicked.  I will use the values the user selects in the DataGridView as a filter.  Does this help?

Thanks for sticking with this,

---

Ryan

Answer 6

Hi Ryan,

I think initializing the BindingContext as my last post suggested can help you solve the issue.  I customized the codes as following:

Private Sub DataGridView1_MouseClick(sender As System.Object, e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles DataGridView1.MouseClick
        Dim dgv As DataGridView = CType(sender, DataGridView)
        Dim ht As DataGridView.HitTestInfo = dgv.HitTest(e.X, e.Y)
        Dim dt As DataTable = CType(dgv.DataSource, DataTable)

        Dim CMS As New ContextMenuStrip
        Dim d1 As New DataGridView
        d1.BindingContext = New BindingContext
        Dim TMH As New ToolStripControlHost(d1)

        ' create a table of unique values from the column that was right-clicked
        Dim dtUniqueValues As DataTable = dt.Copy.AsDataView.ToTable(True, dgv.Columns(ht.ColumnIndex).DataPropertyName)

        ' add a Boolean column to the DataTable
        dtUniqueValues.Columns.Add("booSelect", Type.GetType("System.Boolean"), False)

        ' sort the table
        Dim dv As New DataView(dtUniqueValues, Nothing, dgv.Columns(ht.ColumnIndex).DataPropertyName, DataViewRowState.CurrentRows)

        ' create a CheckBox column so the user can select values
        Dim chk As New DataGridViewCheckBoxColumn
        With chk
            .Name = "Select"
            .Width = 5
            .DataPropertyName = "booSelect"
        End With

        ' create a TextBox column to show unique values
        Dim tex As New DataGridViewTextBoxColumn
        With tex
            .Name = "Values"
            .DataPropertyName = "vchAnalyteCode"
        End With

        ' create a binding source to ensure sychronization between DataGridView and DataTable
        Dim bs As New BindingSource
        bs.DataSource = dtUniqueValues
        d1.DataSource = bs

        ' set properties of the DataGridView that will be displayed in the ContextMenuStrip
        With CType(TMH.Control, DataGridView)
            .AutoGenerateColumns = False
            .Columns.Add(chk)
            .Columns(chk.Name).Width = 15
            .Columns.Add(tex)
            .DataSource = bs
            .Width = 186
            .Height = 200
            .CellBorderStyle = DataGridViewCellBorderStyle.None
            .ColumnHeadersVisible = False
            .RowHeadersVisible = False
        End With

        ' add the ToolStripControlHost to the ContextMenuStrip to display our unique values
        CMS.Items.Add(TMH)

        CMS.Show(dgv, e.X, e.Y)
    End Sub

Please pay attention to the codes in bold.

Good day!

Thanks

---

Michael Sun [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us