C#.Net - Programmatically Group Gridview Column Headers in ASP.Net,VB.Net

In this tutorial i am going to explain about how to programmatically group gridview column headers to give specific titles to the columns.

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Grouping grid view column headers is achieved using on OnRowCreated even of the grid view.

For explanation purpose i have created a new empty asp.net website and added default.aspx file into the website. Inside the webform i have dragged grid view control from the toolbox and added to the web form and added the columns that i would like to display as the bound field with the headertext. I have mentioned some styles that can be used to render the grid view.

HTML Markup:

Grouping Grid View Column Header By .Net Pickles


    
    
    
    

    
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
    

    
    
    
    
    

I code behind file i have created a datatable and created some columns in that datatable to insert employee records. Once the table is created i have inserted the sample records and then binded that datatable to gridview. On OnRowCreated event of the grid view the master header that is the columns are grouped and master header is added. Below is the code.

C#.Net

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using System.Data;

public partial class _Default : System.Web.UI.Page
{
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    DataTable dt = new DataTable();
    // Columns to store personal details
    dt.Columns.Add("EmpId", typeof(int));
    dt.Columns.Add("Name", typeof(string));
    dt.Columns.Add("Qualification", typeof(string));

    // Columns to store location details
    dt.Columns.Add("Location", typeof(string));
    dt.Columns.Add("Branch", typeof(string));

    // Columns to store salary details
    dt.Columns.Add("Designation", typeof(string));
    dt.Columns.Add("Department", typeof(string));
    dt.Columns.Add("Salary", typeof(string));

    // Adding sample rows
    DataRow drow;
    dt.Rows.Add(1, "Arun", "BTech", "Bangalore", "Branch1", "Developer", "Development Team", "$1000/Month");
    dt.Rows.Add(1, "Raghav", "BE", "Chennai", "Branch2", "Designer", "Design Team", "$1500/Month");
    dt.Rows.Add(1, "Anthony", "BCA", "Bangalore", "Branch1", "Tester", "Testing Team", "$2000/Month");
    dt.Rows.Add(1, "Saxena", "MTech", "Mumbai", "Branch2", "Project Manager", "Development Team", "$2500/Month");
    dt.Rows.Add(1, "Xavier", "MBA", "Chennai", "Branch1", "Product Manager", "Product Team", "$3000/Month");
    dt.Rows.Add(1, "Mustaffa", "MBA", "Mumbai", "Branch2", "Product Manager", "Product Team", "$3500/Month");

    //Binding datatable to grid view
    GridEmployeeDetails.DataSource = dt;
    GridEmployeeDetails.DataBind();

}

protected void GridEmployeeDetails_RowCreated(object sender, GridViewRowEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.Header)
    {
        GridViewRow HeaderRow = new GridViewRow(0, 0, DataControlRowType.Header, DataControlRowState.Insert);

        TableCell MasterHeader = new TableCell();
            
        // First Three Coluns come under Personal Details
        // So ColumnSpan set to 3
        MasterHeader.Text = "Personal Details";
        MasterHeader.ColumnSpan = 3;
        HeaderRow.Cells.Add(MasterHeader);

        // 3rd & 4th Coluns come under Office Details
        // So ColumnSpan set to 2
        MasterHeader = new TableCell();
        MasterHeader.Text = "Office Details";
        MasterHeader.ColumnSpan = 2;
        HeaderRow.Cells.Add(MasterHeader);

        // 5th,6th & 7th Coluns come under Salary Details
        // So ColumnSpan set to 3
        MasterHeader = new TableCell();
        MasterHeader.Text = "Salary details";
        MasterHeader.ColumnSpan = 3;
        HeaderRow.Cells.Add(MasterHeader);

        GridEmployeeDetails.Controls[0].Controls.AddAt(0, HeaderRow);
    }
}
}

VB.Net:

Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Linq
Imports System.Web
Imports System.Web.UI
Imports System.Web.UI.WebControls
Imports System.Data

Public Partial Class _Default
 Inherits System.Web.UI.Page
 Protected Sub Page_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
  Dim dt As New DataTable()
  ' Columns to store personal details
  dt.Columns.Add("EmpId", GetType(Integer))
  dt.Columns.Add("Name", GetType(String))
  dt.Columns.Add("Qualification", GetType(String))

  ' Columns to store location details
  dt.Columns.Add("Location", GetType(String))
  dt.Columns.Add("Branch", GetType(String))

  ' Columns to store salary details
  dt.Columns.Add("Designation", GetType(String))
  dt.Columns.Add("Department", GetType(String))
  dt.Columns.Add("Salary", GetType(String))

  ' Adding sample rows
  Dim drow As DataRow
  dt.Rows.Add(1, "Arun", "BTech", "Bangalore", "Branch1", "Developer", _
   "Development Team", "$1000/Month")
  dt.Rows.Add(1, "Raghav", "BE", "Chennai", "Branch2", "Designer", _
   "Design Team", "$1500/Month")
  dt.Rows.Add(1, "Anthony", "BCA", "Bangalore", "Branch1", "Tester", _
   "Testing Team", "$2000/Month")
  dt.Rows.Add(1, "Saxena", "MTech", "Mumbai", "Branch2", "Project Manager", _
   "Development Team", "$2500/Month")
  dt.Rows.Add(1, "Xavier", "MBA", "Chennai", "Branch1", "Product Manager", _
   "Product Team", "$3000/Month")
  dt.Rows.Add(1, "Mustaffa", "MBA", "Mumbai", "Branch2", "Product Manager", _
   "Product Team", "$3500/Month")

  'Binding datatable to grid view
  GridEmployeeDetails.DataSource = dt
  GridEmployeeDetails.DataBind()

 End Sub

 Protected Sub GridEmployeeDetails_RowCreated(sender As Object, e As GridViewRowEventArgs)
  If e.Row.RowType = DataControlRowType.Header Then
   Dim HeaderRow As New GridViewRow(0, 0, DataControlRowType.Header, DataControlRowState.Insert)

   Dim MasterHeader As New TableCell()

   ' First Three Coluns come under Personal Details
   ' So ColumnSpan set to 3
   MasterHeader.Text = "Personal Details"
   MasterHeader.ColumnSpan = 3
   HeaderRow.Cells.Add(MasterHeader)

   ' 3rd & 4th Coluns come under Office Details
   ' So ColumnSpan set to 2
   MasterHeader = New TableCell()
   MasterHeader.Text = "Office Details"
   MasterHeader.ColumnSpan = 2
   HeaderRow.Cells.Add(MasterHeader)

   ' 5th,6th & 7th Coluns come under Salary Details
   ' So ColumnSpan set to 3
   MasterHeader = New TableCell()
   MasterHeader.Text = "Salary details"
   MasterHeader.ColumnSpan = 3
   HeaderRow.Cells.Add(MasterHeader)

   GridEmployeeDetails.Controls(0).Controls.AddAt(0, HeaderRow)
  End If
 End Sub
End Class

The output will look like below

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Sourcecode of programmatically grouping gridview column header in C#.Net VB.Net