How to start?

The following screen shot, shows a general idea how parts and objects of the control are arranged:

click to enlarge

The following steps shows you progressively how to start programming the Exontrol's ExGrid component:

• Load / Save Data. The control provides several ways to serialize your data, as listed:

• LoadXML / SaveXML methods, to load / save data using XML format.
• DataSource property, to load / update / save data from a table, query, dataset and so on.
• GetItems / PutItems methods, to load / save data from a/to safe array of data.

For instance, 

With Grid1
	.LoadXML "https://www.exontrol.net/testing.xml"
End With

loads control's data from specified URL.

• Columns. The control supports multiple columns, so always you can add / remove / move / hide any column

• Add method, adds a new column.
• ExpandColumns property specifies the columns to be shown/hidden when the column is expanded or collapsed.

For instance, 

With Grid1
	With .Columns.Add("Check")
		.Position = 0
		.Def(exCellHasCheckBox) = True
	End With
End With

adds a new column that displays check-boxes, and that's the first visible column.

• Editors. Any cell / column of the control supports built-in editors, that let user edits data

• EditType method, specifies the built-in to be assigned to a cell or column.
• Editor property, gets access to the column's built-in editor
• CellEditorVisible property specifies the built-in editor for a particular cell.

For instance, 

With Grid1
	With .Columns.Add("Date")
		.Editor.EditType = DateType
	End With
End With

adds a new column that displays and edits column's data as date type.

• Items. Any item can hold a collection of child items. Any item is divided in cells, once cell for each column in the control.

• AddItem method, adds a new item.
• InsertItem method, inserts a child item 
• InsertControlItem method, inserts a child item that hosts another control inside.

For instance, 

With Grid1
	With .Items
		.AddItem "new item"
	End With
End With

adds a new item.

• Cells. An item contains a collection of cells, one cell for each column in the control. Any cell can be split or merge with one or more neighbor cells.

• CellValue property, specifies the cell's value.

For instance, 

With Grid1
	With .Items
		h = .InsertItem(.FocusItem,"","item 1.1")
		.CellValue(h,1) = "item 1.2"
		.CellValue(h,2) = "item 1.3"
		.ExpandItem(.FocusItem) = True
	End With
End With

adds a new child item of the focused item, and fills the cell's value for the second and third column.

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