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Generate Diagrams from Hierarchical Data

  • 5 minutes to read

You can use the DiagramOrgChartController class to generate diagrams from hierarchical (organizational chart) data.

WPF Diagram - DiagramOrgChartBehavior

View Example: Use DiagramOrgChartController to Generate a Diagram from a Collection

Set Up the Behavior

Attach DiagramOrgChartController in one of two ways:

  • Open the DiagramControl‘s Smart Tag and select Add OrgChartController:

    Diagram Data Controllers

  • Add DiagramOrgChartController in code:

    diagramOrgChartController1 = new DevExpress.XtraDiagram.DiagramOrgChartController();
    diagramOrgChartController1.Diagram = diagramControl1;
    

Bind to Data

DiagramOrgChartController supports two source types:

Use the DataSource property to specify a source collection of data items that describe shapes/containers. DiagramOrgChartController automatically generates diagram connectors according to the parent-child relationship.

Bind to Self-Referential Data Source

Each item in a self-referential data source contains a unique item identifier and the identifier of its parent. That allows DiagramOrgChartController to determine the parent-child relationship and build a diagram accordingly.

Use the following properties to configure the hierarchy:

Property Description
KeyMember Specifies a source property that uniquely identifies shapes/containers.
ParentMember Specifies a source property that identifies an item parent.

OrgChartBehaviorExample

diagramOrgChartController1.Diagram = diagramControl1;
OrgChart chart = new OrgChart();
diagramOrgChartController1.DataSource = chart.Data;
diagramOrgChartController1.KeyMember = "Id";
diagramOrgChartController1.ParentMember = "ParentId";
// ...
public class OrgChart {
    public List<Employee> Data { get; set; }
    public OrgChart() {
        Data = new List<Employee>();
        Data.Add(new Employee() { Id = 0, Name = "Carl" });
        Data.Add(new Employee() { Id = 1, ParentId = 0, Name = "Bob" });
        Data.Add(new Employee() { Id = 2, ParentId = 1, Name = "Ann" });
        Data.Add(new Employee() { Id = 3, ParentId = 1, Name = "Jack" });
    }
}
public class Employee {
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public int ParentId { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

Bind to Hierarchical Data Source

A hierarchical data structure is a set of nested objects where a “children” field contains child records. Parents and children can be objects of different types.

Use the following properties to configure the hierarchy:

KeyMember
Specifies a source property that uniquely identifies shapes/containers.
ChildrenPath

Specifies a source property that contains a collection of child items.

OrgChartBehaviorExample2

diagramOrgChartController1.Diagram = diagramControl1;
OrgChart chart = new OrgChart();
diagramOrgChartController1.DataSource = chart.Data;
diagramOrgChartController1.KeyMember = "ItemId";
diagramOrgChartController1.ChildrenPath = "Children";
// ...
public class OrgChart {
    public List<Employee> Data { get; set; }
    public OrgChart() {
        Data = new List<Employee>();
        Employee emp = new Employee() { Name = "Carl", Children = new List<Employee>() };
        emp.Children.Add(new Employee() { Name = "Ann" });
        emp.Children.Add(new Employee() { Name = "Bob" });
        Data.Add(emp);
    }
}
public class Employee {
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public List<Employee> Children { get; set; }
}
ChildrenSelector

Specifies an object that returns collections of child items based on custom logic.

diagramOrgChartController1.Diagram = diagramControl1;
OrgChart chart = new OrgChart();
diagramOrgChartController1.DataSource = chart.Data;
diagramOrgChartController1.ChildrenSelector = new ChildrenSelector();
// ...
public class ChildrenSelector : IChildrenSelector {
    public IEnumerable<object> GetChildren(object parent) {
        if (parent is Department item)
            return item.Employees;
        else {
            //...
        }
    }
}

Define and Configure Generated Diagram Items

You can use the following techniques to define and configure generated items:

Expand and Collapse Children

DiagramOrgChartController allows you to expand and collapse levels to make the diagram more readable.

The following properties allow you to configure the expand/collapse behavior:

Property Description
ExpandSubordinatesButtonMode Controls the availability of the expand/collapse button.
GenerationDepth Specifies the number of hierarchy levels retrieved from the data source when the diagram is generated.
ExpansionDepth Specifies the number of hierarchy levels that expand when the diagram is generated.

The following example demonstrates an organizational chart that displays three hierarchy levels. Additional shapes are generated and displayed when a user clicks the expand button.

ExpandCollapse Subordinates Animation

diagramOrgChartController1.Diagram = diagramControl1;
OrgChart chart = new OrgChart();
diagramOrgChartController1.DataSource = chart.Data;
diagramOrgChartController1.KeyMember = "Id";
diagramOrgChartController1.ParentMember = "ParentId";
diagramOrgChartController1.GenerationDepth = 2;
diagramOrgChartController1.ExpansionDepth = 2;
diagramOrgChartController1.ExpandSubordinatesButtonMode = ExpandSubordinatesButtonMode.AlwaysVisible;

Video Tutorial

This video demonstrates how to use the Organization Chart functionality to generate relationship diagrams from the data source.