Applying Data Annotations

• Aug 03, 2020
• 6 minutes to read

Overview

The GridControl supports multiple Data Annotation Attributes that are used for customizing data classes, to specify how data is displayed from a data source, define validation rules, and set relationships between data classes.

To use data annotation attributes, reference the System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations assembly. To use additional attributes for setting masks, reference the DevExpress.Mvvm.v18.2 assembly.

Note

Non-string IEnumerable properties are not automatically populated. To generate editors for such properties, use the [Display(AutoGenerateField = true)] data annotation attribute.

Smart Columns Generation

The Smart Columns Generation is enabled by default and can be disabled by setting the DataControlBase.EnableSmartColumnsGeneration property to false.

Below is a list of the Smart Columns Generation features.

Data Field	Generated Column’s Settings
Numeric (nullable numeric) data type	TextEditSettings  TextEditSettings.MaskType = MaskType.Numeric;
Boolean (nullable Boolean) data type	CheckEditSettings
Decimal	TextEditSettings  TextEditSettings.MaskType = MaskType.Simple;  TextEditSettings.Mask = ‘C’;  TextEditSettings.MaskPlaceHolder= ‘’;
Enum data type	ComboBoxEditSettings  LookUpEditSettingsBase.ItemsSource = new EnumItemsSource;
DateTime (nullable DateTime) data type or [DataType(DataType.Date)] attribute	DateEditSettings
Numeric data type and [DataType(DataType.PhoneNumber)] or [PhoneAttribute] attribute	TextEditSettings  TextEditSettings.MaskType = MaskType.Simple;  TextEditSettings.Mask = ‘[phone]’;  TextEditSettings.MaskUseAsDisplayFormat= true;
DateTime data type and [DataType(DataType.DateTime)] attribute	DateEditSettings  TextEditSettings.Mask = ‘g’;  TextEditSettings.MaskUseAsDisplayFormat= true;
DateTime data type and [DataType(DataType.Time)] attribute	DateEditSettings  TextEditSettings.Mask = ‘t’;  TextEditSettings.MaskUseAsDisplayFormat= true;
String data type and [DataType(DataType.MultilineText)] attribute	MemoEditSettings
String data type and [DataType(DataType.Password)] attribute	PasswordBoxEditSettings
[Url] attribute or [DataType(DataType.Url)]	HyperlinkEditSettings
[DataType(DataType.ImageUrl)]	PopupImageEditSettings
[ReadOnly(true)] attribute	ColumnBase.ReadOnly = true;
[Editable(false)] attribute	ColumnBase.AllowEditing = false;
[Display(Order<0)] attribute or [HiddenAttribute] attribute	BaseColumn.Visible = false;
[Display(Description=DESCRIPTION)] attribute	BaseColumn.HeaderToolTip = ‘DESCRIPTION’;
[Display(ShortName=NAME)] attribute or [Display(Name=NAME)] attribute	BaseColumn.Header = ‘NAME’;
[Display(GroupName = “GROUPNAME”)] attribute	The column is placed into the GridControlBand.Columns collection of the band which BaseColumn.Name property is set to ‘GROUPNAME’.

In addition, the following attributes allow you to specify the editor’s mask settings: DateTimeMaskAttribute, NumericMaskAttribute, RegExMaskAttribute, RegularMaskAttribute, and SimpleMaskAttribute.

Example

This example shows how to apply data annotation attributes to 'Product' class members.

Note

A complete sample project is available at https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/how-to-apply-data-annotations-e2579.

Products.cs

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;

public class Product {
    [Display(Order = 0, ShortName = "Company")]
    public string CompanyName { get; set; }
    public string Country { get; set; }
    public string City { get; set; }
    [ReadOnly(true)]
    public double UnitPrice { get; set; }
   [Display(Description = "This field is hidden", Order = -1)]
    public int Quantity { get; set; }
    [Display(AutoGenerateField = false, Description = "This column isn't created")]
    public string AdditionalInfo { get; set; }
}

public class ProductList {
    static public List<Product> GetData() {
        List<Product> list = new List<Product>();
        list.Add(new Product() { CompanyName = "Island Trading", Country = "UK", City = "Cowes", UnitPrice = 19, Quantity = 10 });
        list.Add(new Product() { CompanyName = "Reggiani Caseifici", Country = "Italy", City = "Reggio Emilia", UnitPrice = 12.5, Quantity = 16 });
        list.Add(new Product() { CompanyName = "Ricardo Adocicados", Country = "Brazil", City = "Rio de Janeiro", UnitPrice = 19, Quantity = 12 });
        list.Add(new Product() { CompanyName = "QUICK-Stop", Country = "Germany", City = "QUICK-Stop", UnitPrice = 22, Quantity = 50 });
        list.Add(new Product() { CompanyName = "Split Rail Beer & Ale", Country = "USA", City = "Reggio Emilia", UnitPrice = 18, Quantity = 20 });
        list.Add(new Product() { CompanyName = "Ernst Handel", Country = "Austria", City = "Graz", UnitPrice = 21, Quantity = 52 });
        list.Add(new Product() { CompanyName = "Save-a-lot Markets", Country = "USA", City = "Boise", UnitPrice = 7.75, Quantity = 120 });
        list.Add(new Product() { CompanyName = "Tortuga Restaurante", Country = "Mexico", City = "México D.F.", UnitPrice = 21, Quantity = 15 });
        list.Add(new Product() { CompanyName = "Bottom-Dollar Markets", Country = "Canada", City = "Tsawwassen", UnitPrice = 44, Quantity = 16 });
        return list;
    }
}

MainWindow.xaml

<Window x:Class="Apply_Data_Annotations.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525"
        xmlns:dxg="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/grid"
        xmlns:dx="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/core"
        xmlns:dxe="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/editors">
    <Grid>
        <dxg:GridControl Name="grid" AutoGenerateColumns="AddNew"/>
    </Grid>
</Window>

MainWindow.xaml.cs

using System.Windows;

namespace Apply_Data_Annotations {
    /// <summary>
    /// Interaction logic for MainWindow.xaml
    /// </summary>
    public partial class MainWindow : Window {
        public MainWindow() {
            InitializeComponent();
            grid.ItemsSource = ProductList.GetData();
        }
    }
}

MainWindow.xaml.vb

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports System.Windows

Namespace Apply_Data_Annotations
    ''' <summary>
    ''' Interaction logic for MainWindow.xaml
    ''' </summary>
    Partial Public Class MainWindow
        Inherits Window
        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
            grid.ItemsSource = ProductList.GetData()
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

Products.vb

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations

Public Class Product
    Private privateCompanyName As String
    <Display(Order := 0, ShortName := "Company")> _
    Public Property CompanyName() As String
        Get
            Return privateCompanyName
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            privateCompanyName = value
        End Set
    End Property
    Private privateCountry As String
    Public Property Country() As String
        Get
            Return privateCountry
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            privateCountry = value
        End Set
    End Property
    Private privateCity As String
    Public Property City() As String
        Get
            Return privateCity
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            privateCity = value
        End Set
    End Property
    Private privateUnitPrice As Double
    Public Property UnitPrice() As Double
        Get
            Return privateUnitPrice
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Double)
            privateUnitPrice = value
        End Set
    End Property
    Private privateQuantity As Integer
    Public Property Quantity() As Integer
        Get
            Return privateQuantity
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Integer)
            privateQuantity = value
        End Set
    End Property
    Private privateAdditionalInfo As String
    <Display(AutoGenerateField := False, Description := "This field is hidden")> _
    Public Property AdditionalInfo() As String
        Get
            Return privateAdditionalInfo
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            privateAdditionalInfo = value
        End Set
    End Property
End Class

Public Class ProductList
    Public Shared Function GetData() As List(Of Product)
        Dim list As New List(Of Product)()
        list.Add(New Product() With {.CompanyName = "Island Trading", .Country = "UK", .City = "Cowes", .UnitPrice = 19, .Quantity = 10})
        list.Add(New Product() With {.CompanyName = "Reggiani Caseifici", .Country = "Italy", .City = "Reggio Emilia", .UnitPrice = 12.5, .Quantity = 16})
        list.Add(New Product() With {.CompanyName = "Ricardo Adocicados", .Country = "Brazil", .City = "Rio de Janeiro", .UnitPrice = 19, .Quantity = 12})
        list.Add(New Product() With {.CompanyName = "QUICK-Stop", .Country = "Germany", .City = "QUICK-Stop", .UnitPrice = 22, .Quantity = 50})
        list.Add(New Product() With {.CompanyName = "Split Rail Beer & Ale", .Country = "USA", .City = "Reggio Emilia", .UnitPrice = 18, .Quantity = 20})
        list.Add(New Product() With {.CompanyName = "Ernst Handel", .Country = "Austria", .City = "Graz", .UnitPrice = 21, .Quantity = 52})
        list.Add(New Product() With {.CompanyName = "Save-a-lot Markets", .Country = "USA", .City = "Boise", .UnitPrice = 7.75, .Quantity = 120})
        list.Add(New Product() With {.CompanyName = "Tortuga Restaurante", .Country = "Mexico", .City = "México D.F.", .UnitPrice = 21, .Quantity = 15})
        list.Add(New Product() With {.CompanyName = "Bottom-Dollar Markets", .Country = "Canada", .City = "Tsawwassen", .UnitPrice = 44, .Quantity = 16})
        Return list
    End Function
End Class