Tools & Code: Using The DataGrid In VS.NET 2005

How many technicians have upgraded their .NET 1.1 ASP.NET applications only to find that working with their upgraded datagrids has become a somewhat convoluted affair without the “property builder” popup?

I did just this since I had started developing a web-site in 1.1 only to later upgrade what work I had completed to 2005 with little thought to not being able to work with the datagrid control. Like everyone else I came to the conclusion that Microsoft had suddenly dropped a key development component right out from under all of us… until I did a little experimenting. Yes, the “property builder” is still in there, you just have to know where to look. And here it is…

Right click on a datagrid in VS.NET 2005′s design-view and select “properties” and then look at the two screen displays below…

VS.NET 2005 DataGrid Property Builder Popup

Note the “Columns” item highlighted in the “Properties” screen snapshot below…
Select the “…” button to the right of the “Columns” item descriptor.

What do you see in the screen snapshot below this one? Looks like a “property builder” to me…