How to: Implement Custom Sorting

• Aug 01, 2019
• 3 minutes to read

This example demonstrates how to implement custom sorting in the GridControl. Handle the GridControl.CustomColumnSort event, assign your custom sorted list to the e.Result property and set the e.Handled property to true.

Note

A complete sample project is available at https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/how-to-implement-custom-sorting-e963.

Window1.xaml

<Window x:Class="CustomSorting.Window1" 
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" 
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" 
        xmlns:dxg="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/grid" 
        Title="Custom Column Sort" Height="300" Width="300" >
    <Grid>
        <dxg:GridControl ItemsSource="{Binding Items}" Grid.Row="1" 
                         CustomColumnSort="OnCustomColumnSort">
            <dxg:GridControl.Columns>
                <dxg:GridColumn FieldName="Day" GroupIndex="0" SortMode="Custom" />
                <dxg:GridColumn FieldName="Employee" />
            </dxg:GridControl.Columns>
            <dxg:GridControl.View>
                <dxg:TableView />
            </dxg:GridControl.View>
        </dxg:GridControl>
    </Grid>
</Window>

Window1.xaml.cs

using System.Windows;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using DevExpress.Xpf.Grid;
using CustomSorting;
using System;

namespace CustomSorting {

    public partial class Window1 : Window {
        public Window1() {
            InitializeComponent();
            DataContext = new SchedulerData();
        }

        void OnCustomColumnSort(object sender, CustomColumnSortEventArgs e) {
            if (e.Column.FieldName == "Day") {
                int dayIndex1 = GetDayIndex((string)e.Value1);
                int dayIndex2 = GetDayIndex((string)e.Value2);
                e.Result = dayIndex1.CompareTo(dayIndex2);
                e.Handled = true;
            }
        }

        int GetDayIndex(string day) {
            return (int)Enum.Parse(typeof(DayOfWeek), day);
        }
    }
}

Window1.xaml.vb

Imports System.Windows
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports DevExpress.Xpf.Grid
Imports CustomSorting
Imports System

Namespace CustomSorting

    Partial Public Class Window1
        Inherits Window

        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
            DataContext = New SchedulerData()
        End Sub

        Private Sub OnCustomColumnSort(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As CustomColumnSortEventArgs)
            If e.Column.FieldName = "Day" Then
                Dim dayIndex1 As Integer = GetDayIndex(DirectCast(e.Value1, String))
                Dim dayIndex2 As Integer = GetDayIndex(DirectCast(e.Value2, String))
                e.Result = dayIndex1.CompareTo(dayIndex2)
                e.Handled = True
            End If
        End Sub

        Private Function GetDayIndex(ByVal day As String) As Integer
            Return DirectCast(System.Enum.Parse(GetType(DayOfWeek), day), Integer)
        End Function
    End Class
End Namespace

SchedulerSource.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace CustomSorting {
    public class SchedulerData {
        const int daysInWeek = 7;
        string[] employees = new string[] { 
            "Jane", "Martin", "John", "Jack", "Amanda", "Carmen", "Wins", "Todd", "Ashley" };
        Random rnd = new Random();
        public List<SchedulerItem> Items { get; set; }
        public SchedulerData() {
            Items = new List<SchedulerItem>();
            GenerateRandomData();
        }
        void GenerateRandomData() {
            for (int i = 0; i < daysInWeek; i++) {
                int e1 = rnd.Next(employees.Length - 1);
                int e2 = e1 + 1;
                string day = DateTime.Today.AddDays(i).DayOfWeek.ToString();
                Items.Add(new SchedulerItem() { Day = day, Employee = employees[e1] });
                Items.Add(new SchedulerItem() { Day = day, Employee = employees[e2] });
            }
        }
    }

    public class SchedulerItem {
        public string Day { get; set; }
        public string Employee { get; set; }
    }
}

SchedulerSource.vb

Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Collections.ObjectModel
Imports System.Linq
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

Namespace CustomSorting
    Public Class SchedulerData
        Private Const daysInWeek As Integer = 7
        Private employees() As String = { 
            "Jane", "Martin", "John", "Jack", "Amanda", "Carmen", "Wins", "Todd", "Ashley" }
        Private rnd As New Random()
        Public Property Items() As List(Of SchedulerItem)
        Public Sub New()
            Items = New List(Of SchedulerItem)()
            GenerateRandomData()
        End Sub
        Private Sub GenerateRandomData()
            For i As Integer = 0 To daysInWeek - 1
                Dim e1 As Integer = rnd.Next(employees.Length - 1)
                Dim e2 As Integer = e1 + 1
                Dim day As String = Date.Today.AddDays(i).DayOfWeek.ToString()
                Items.Add(New SchedulerItem() With {.Day = day, .Employee = employees(e1)})
                Items.Add(New SchedulerItem() With {.Day = day, .Employee = employees(e2)})
            Next i
        End Sub
    End Class

    Public Class SchedulerItem
        Public Property Day() As String
        Public Property Employee() As String
    End Class
End Namespace