Access the Dashboard Control

• Jun 10, 2024
• 4 minutes to read

This topic describes how to access the DashboardViewer control in a WinForms application, ASPxDashboard control in an ASP.NET Web Forms application, and the DxDashboard component model in an ASP.NET Core Blazor application.

Note

Refer to the following help topic for information on how to access the DashboardDesigner control: How to: Access the WinForms Dashboard Designer.

Important

Before you proceed, ensure that your platform-specific module (if exists) or application project (in solutions without the platform-specific Module project) references the corresponding assemblies or NuGet packages:

• WinForms: the DevExpress.Dashboard.v24.1.Win.dll and DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Win.v24.1.dll assemblies;
• ASP.NET Web Forms: the DevExpress.Dashboard.v24.1.Web.dll and DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Web.v24.1.dll assemblies;
• ASP.NET Core Blazor: the DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Blazor.24.1 NuGet package.

WinForms and ASP.NET Web Forms Applications

To access the dashboard control, follow the steps below in the WinForms and ASP.NET Web Forms module project (MySolution.Module.Win, MySolution.Module.Web). If your solution does not contain the WinForms module project, follow the steps in the application project (MySolution.Win).

1. Add a Controller that activates for IDashboardData Detail Views.
2. In the Controller’s OnActivated method, use the CompositeView.FindItem method to find the View Item with the “DashboardViewer” identifier.
3. Handle the ViewItem.ControlCreated event and use the WinDashboardViewerViewItem.Viewer (WinForms) or WebDashboardViewerViewItem.DashboardControl property (ASP.NET Web Forms) to access the dashboard control.

WinForms

File:
MySolution.Win\Controllers\WinDashboardController.cs in solutions without the WinForms-specific module project. MySolution.Module.Win\Controllers\WinDashboardController.cs(.vb) in solutions with the WinForms-specific module project.

WinDashboardController.cs

using System;
using DevExpress.DashboardWin;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Win;
using DevExpress.Persistent.Base;
// ...
public class WinDashboardController : ObjectViewController<DetailView, IDashboardData> {
    private WinDashboardViewerViewItem dashboardViewerViewItem;
    protected override void OnActivated() {
        base.OnActivated();
        dashboardViewerViewItem = View.FindItem("DashboardViewer") as WinDashboardViewerViewItem;
        if(dashboardViewerViewItem != null) {
            if(dashboardViewerViewItem.Viewer != null) {
                CustomizeDashboardViewer(dashboardViewerViewItem.Viewer);
            }
            else {
                dashboardViewerViewItem.ControlCreated += DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated;
            }
        }
    }
    private void DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated(object sender, EventArgs e) {
        CustomizeDashboardViewer(((WinDashboardViewerViewItem)sender).Viewer);
    }
    private void CustomizeDashboardViewer(DashboardViewer dashboardViewer) {
        dashboardViewer.AllowPrintDashboardItems = true;
    }
    protected override void OnDeactivated() {
        if(dashboardViewerViewItem != null) {
            dashboardViewerViewItem.ControlCreated -= DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated;
            dashboardViewerViewItem = null;
        }
        base.OnDeactivated();
    }
}

WinDashboardController.vb

Imports System
Imports DevExpress.DashboardWin
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Win
Imports DevExpress.Persistent.Base
' ...
Public Class WinDashboardController
    Inherits ObjectViewController(Of DetailView, IDashboardData)
    Private dashboardViewerViewItem As WinDashboardViewerViewItem
    Protected Overrides Sub OnActivated()
        MyBase.OnActivated()
        dashboardViewerViewItem = TryCast(View.FindItem("DashboardViewer"), WinDashboardViewerViewItem)
        If dashboardViewerViewItem IsNot Nothing Then

            If dashboardViewerViewItem.Viewer IsNot Nothing Then
                CustomizeDashboardViewer(dashboardViewerViewItem.Viewer)
            Else
                AddHandler dashboardViewerViewItem.ControlCreated, AddressOf DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated
            End If
        End If
    End Sub
    Private Sub DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
        CustomizeDashboardViewer((CType(sender, WinDashboardViewerViewItem)).Viewer)
    End Sub
    Private Sub CustomizeDashboardViewer(ByVal dashboardViewer As DashboardViewer)
        dashboardViewer.AllowPrintDashboardItems = True
    End Sub
    Protected Overrides Sub OnDeactivated()
        If dashboardViewerViewItem IsNot Nothing Then
            RemoveHandler dashboardViewerViewItem.ControlCreated, AddressOf DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated
            dashboardViewerViewItem = Nothing
        End If
        MyBase.OnDeactivated()
    End Sub
End Class

ASP.NET Web Forms

File: MySolution.Module.Web\Controllers\WebDashboardController.cs(.vb).

WebDashboardController.cs

using System;
using DevExpress.DashboardWeb;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Web;
using DevExpress.Persistent.Base;
// ...
public class WebDashboardController : ObjectViewController<DetailView, IDashboardData> {
    private WebDashboardViewerViewItem dashboardViewerViewItem;
    protected override void OnActivated() {
        base.OnActivated();
        dashboardViewerViewItem = View.FindItem("DashboardViewer") as WebDashboardViewerViewItem;
        if(dashboardViewerViewItem != null) {
            if(dashboardViewerViewItem.DashboardControl != null) {
                SetHeight(dashboardViewerViewItem.DashboardControl);
            }
            else {
                dashboardViewerViewItem.ControlCreated += DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated;
            }
        }
    }
    private void DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated(object sender, EventArgs e) {
        SetHeight(((WebDashboardViewerViewItem)sender).DashboardControl);
    }
    private void SetHeight(ASPxDashboard dashboardControl) {
        dashboardControl.Height = 760;
    }
    protected override void OnDeactivated() {
        if(dashboardViewerViewItem != null) {
            dashboardViewerViewItem.ControlCreated -= DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated;
            dashboardViewerViewItem = null;
        }
        base.OnDeactivated();
    }
}

WebDashboardController.vb

Imports System
Imports DevExpress.DashboardWeb
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Web
Imports DevExpress.Persistent.Base
' ...
Public Class WebDashboardController
    Inherits ObjectViewController(Of DetailView, IDashboardData)
    Private dashboardViewerViewItem As WebDashboardViewerViewItem
    Protected Overrides Sub OnActivated()
        MyBase.OnActivated()
        dashboardViewerViewItem = TryCast(View.FindItem("DashboardViewer"), WebDashboardViewerViewItem)

        If dashboardViewerViewItem IsNot Nothing Then

            If dashboardViewerViewItem.DashboardControl IsNot Nothing Then
                SetHeight(dashboardViewerViewItem.DashboardControl)
            Else
                AddHandler dashboardViewerViewItem.ControlCreated, AddressOf DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated
            End If
        End If
    End Sub
    Private Sub DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
        SetHeight((CType(sender, WebDashboardViewerViewItem)).DashboardControl)
    End Sub
    Private Sub SetHeight(ByVal dashboardControl As ASPxDashboard)
        dashboardControl.Height = 760
    End Sub
    Protected Overrides Sub OnDeactivated()
        If dashboardViewerViewItem IsNot Nothing Then
            RemoveHandler dashboardViewerViewItem.ControlCreated, AddressOf DashboardViewerViewItem_ControlCreated
            dashboardViewerViewItem = Nothing
        End If

        MyBase.OnDeactivated()
    End Sub
End Class

ASP.NET Core Blazor Applications

To access the DxDashboard component model, follow the steps below in the ASP.NET Core Blazor application project (MySolution.Blazor.Server). A component model defines a Blazor component in code. When you modify the model, the underlying component reflects these changes. Refer to the following help topic for more information on component models: Underlying Controls and Components Behind UI Elements (ASP.NET Core Blazor).

1. Add a Controller activated in the IDashboardData Detail Views.
2. In the Controller’s OnActivated method, use the CustomizeViewItemControl<T>(DetailView, Controller, Action<T>) extension method to customize the BlazorDashboardViewerViewItem before the DxDashboard component is rendered. Declare a CustomizeDashboardViewerViewItem method and customize the View Item in it.
3. In the CustomizeDashboardViewerViewItem method access the BlazorDashboardViewerViewItem.ComponentModel property.

The following example demonstrates how to set the default dashboard working mode to Designer.

File: MySolution.Blazor.Server\Controllers\BlazorDashboardController.cs

BlazorDashboardController.cs

using DevExpress.DashboardWeb;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Blazor.Components;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Dashboards.Blazor.Components.Models;
using DevExpress.Persistent.Base;

namespace MySolution.Blazor.Server.Controllers;
public class BlazorDashboardController : ObjectViewController<DetailView, IDashboardData> {
    protected override void OnActivated() {
        base.OnActivated();
        View.CustomizeViewItemControl<BlazorDashboardViewerViewItem>(this, CustomizeDashboardViewerViewItem);
    }
    void CustomizeDashboardViewerViewItem(BlazorDashboardViewerViewItem dashboardViewerViewItem) {
        dashboardViewerViewItem.ComponentModel.WorkingMode = WorkingMode.Designer;
    }
}