How do you automatically resize columns in a DataGridView control AND allow the user to resize the columns on that same grid

Question

I am populating a DataGridView control on a Windows Form  C  2 0 not WPF    My goal is to display a grid that neatly fills all available width with cells - i e  no unused  dark grey  areas down the right and sizes each column appropriately according to the data it contains  but also allows the user to resize any of the columns to their liking   I am attempting to achieve this by setting the AutoSizeMode of each column to be DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells except for one of the columns which I set to DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode Fill in order to ensure the entire area of the grid is neatly filled with data   I don t mind that when the user attempt to resize this column it springs back to a size that ensures the horizontal space is always used    However  as I mentioned  once loaded I would like to allow the user to resize the columns to suit their own requirements - in setting these AutoSizeMode values for each column it appears the user is then unable to then resize those columns   I ve tried not setting the AutoSizeMode of all the columns which does allow resizing BUT doesn t set the initial size according to the data the cells contain  The same result occurs when changing the grid s AutoSizeMode back to  Not Set  after loading the data   Is there a setting I m missing here which allows automatic setting of default column widths AND user resizing or is there another technique I must use when populating the DataGridView control

User · Answer

You could do something like this      grd DataSource   getDataSource         if  grd ColumnCount  gt  1                for  int i   0  i  lt  grd ColumnCount-1  i                grd Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells           grd Columns grd ColumnCount-1  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode Fill             if  grd ColumnCount  1          grd Columns 0  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode Fill    All columns will adapt to the content except the last one will fill the grid

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If you bind your datasource to a datatable for example  you need to set the properties after the binding is done           private void dgv DataBindingComplete object sender  DataGridViewBindingCompleteEventArgs e                        dgv AutoSizeColumnsMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode None              dgv AutoResizeColumns                dgv AllowUserToResizeColumns   true

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After adding the data to the grid add the following code which will adjust the column according to the length of data in each cell  dataGrid1 AutoResizeColumns                dataGrid1 AutoSizeColumnsMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode AllCells    Here is the Result

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Resume of the question  Have column width adapt to the content  with different method across the column   but then allow the user to set the column width     Developing from Miroslav Zadravec s answer  for me what worked was immediately using the auto computed column Width to set    column Width   foreach  DataGridViewColumn column in dataGridView Columns        if    It s not your special column                  column AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells          column Width   column Width    This is important  otherwise the following line will nullify your previous command         column AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode NotSet             Now do the same using Fill instead of AllCells for your special column   This is tested to work when the DataGridView is already created  using a trick like this

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dataGridView1 AutoResizeColumns

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This autofits all columns according to their content  fills the remaining empty space by stretching a specified column and prevents the  jumping  behaviour by setting the last column to fill for any future resizing      autosize all columns according to their content dgv AutoResizeColumns DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode AllCells      make column 1  or whatever  fill the empty space dgv Columns 1  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode Fill     remove column 1 autosizing to prevent  jumping  behaviour dgv Columns 1  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode None     let the last column fill the empty space when the grid or any column is resized  more natural expected behaviour   dgv Columns GetLastColumn DataGridViewElementStates None  DataGridViewElementStates None  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode Fill

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foreach  DataGridViewColumn c in dataGridView Columns      c Width   c GetPreferredWidth DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells  true     This should work whether the dataGridView has been displayed or not  i e  even if called from the class constructor    The same method  but with DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode DisplayedCells  fails in the above case for the obvious reason - no cell has been displayed yet  For some non-obvious reason  AutoResizeColumns also fails in this case

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Slightly neater C  code from Miroslav Zadravec s code assuming all columns are to be autosized  for  int i   0  i  lt  dgvProblems Columns Count  i          dgvProblems Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells      int colw   dgvProblems Columns i  Width      dgvProblems Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode None      dgvProblems Columns i  Width   colw

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The column widths set to fit its content I have used the bellow statement  It resolved my issue   First Step      RadGridViewName AutoSize   true    Second Step       This mode  fit in the header text and column data for all visible rows   this grdSpec MasterTemplate BestFitColumns      Third Step       for  int i   0  i  lt  grdSpec Columns Count  i              The column width adjusts to fit the contents all cells in the control      grdSpec Columns i  AutoSizeMode   BestFitColumnMode AllCells

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In my application I have set  grid AutoSizeColumnsMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode Fill  grid AutoSizeRowsMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeRowsMode None    Also  I have set the   grid AllowUserToOrderColumns   true  grid AllowUserToResizeColumns   true    Now the column widths can be changed and the columns can be rearranged by the user  That works pretty well for me   Maybe that will work for you

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This did wonders for me    dataGridView1 AutoResizeColumns DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode AllCells

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Maybe you could call  dataGridView1 AutoResizeColumns DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode Fill     After setting datasource  It will set the width and allow resize   More on MSDN DataGridView AutoResizeColumns Method  DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode

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I had to do this in VB and prefer to split it out to a method that I placed in a Module  You can add the Fill column as another ByRef parameter if desired        lt summary gt      Makes all columns in a DataGridView autosize based on displayed cells      while leaving the column widths user-adjustable       lt  summary gt       lt param name  dgv  gt A DataGridView to adjust lt  param gt  Friend Sub MakeAdjustableAutoSizedGridCols ByRef dgv As DataGridView      Dim width As Integer      For Each col As DataGridViewColumn In dgv Columns         col AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells         width   col Width         col AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode None         col Width   width     Next     dgv AllowUserToResizeColumns   True End Sub

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Another version of Miroslav Zadravec s code  but slightly more automated and universal       public Form1                 InitializeComponent            dataGridView1 DataSource   source          for  int i   0  i  lt  dataGridView1 Columns Count - 1  i                  dataGridView1 Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells                    dataGridView1 Columns dataGridView1 Columns Count  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode Fill              void Form1Shown object sender  EventArgs e                for   int i   0  i  lt  dataGridView1 Columns Count  i                           int colw   dataGridView1 Columns i  Width              dataGridView1 Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode None              dataGridView1 Columns i  Width   colw                    I put second part into separate event  because I fill datagridvew in initialization of form and if both parts are there  nothing is changing  because probably autosize calculates widths after datagridview is displayed  so the widths are still default in Form1   method  After finishing this method  autosize does its trick and immediately after that  when form is shown  we can set the widths by second part of the code  here in Form1Shown event   This is working for me like a charm

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A C  version of  Miroslav Zadravec s code  for  int i   0  i  lt  dataGridView1 Columns Count-1  i          dataGridView1 Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells    dataGridView1 Columns dataGridView1 Columns Count - 1  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode Fill   for  int i   0  i  lt  dataGridView1 Columns Count  i          int colw   dataGridView1 Columns i  Width      dataGridView1 Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode None      dataGridView1 Columns i  Width   colw      Posted as Community Wiki so as to not mooch off of the reputation of others

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Here s a simplified code for Miroslav Zadravec s answer in c    CurrentDGV AutoSizeColumnsMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode AllCellsExceptHeader  for  int i   0  i  lt  dataGridView1 Columns Count  i    dataGridView1 Columns i  Width   dataGridView1 Columns i  Width  CurrentDGV AutoSizeColumnsMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode None

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Thanks for the solution above  To iterate through the DataGridView Columns  change AutoSizeMode to a valid one  collect width value and set it back after change AutoSizeMode to DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode None    I struggled with it  and noticed it won t work whenever it is called from the class constructor or any line before Form Show   or Form ShowDialog    So I put this code snippet in the Form Shown event and this works for me   My transformed code  reguardless of whatever DataGridView AutoSizeColumnsMode set before  I use DataGridViewColumn GetPreferredWidth   instead of changing DataGridViewColumn AutoSizeMode and set the width value immediately  then change DataGridView AutoSizeColumnsMode once    private void form Shown object sender  EventArgs e            foreach  DataGridViewColumn c in dataGridView Columns              c Width   c GetPreferredWidth DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode DisplayedCells  true           dataGridView AutoSizeColumnsMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode None     Be sure to set           dataGridView AllowUserToResizeColumns   true   I don t know how come this only works after the form is shown

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Well  I did this like this   dgvReport AutoSizeColumnsMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode None  dgvReport AutoResizeColumns    dgvReport AllowUserToResizeColumns   true  dgvReport AllowUserToOrderColumns   true    in that particular order  Columns are resized  extended  AND the user can resize columns afterwards

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With  array being the contents of a PSCustomObject  this works     dataGridView1 DataSource  collections arraylist   array   dataGridView1 Columns   Foreach-Object    AutoSizeMode    System Windows Forms DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode   AllCells

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A little improvement from Schnapple s version  int nLastColumn   dgv Columns Count - 1  for  int i   0  i  lt  dgv Columns Count  i          if  nLastColumn    i                dgv Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode Fill            else               dgv Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells           for  int i   0  i  lt  dgv Columns Count  i          int colw   dgv Columns i  Width      dgv Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode None      dgv Columns i  Width   colw

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Did you try to set up the FillWeight property of your DataGridViewColumns object   For example   this grid1 AutoSizeColumnsMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode Fill  this grid1 Columns 0  FillWeight   1 5    I think it should work in your case

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A simple two lines of code works for me   dataGridView DataSource   dataTable  dataGridView AutoResizeColumns

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This trick works for me      grd DataSource   DT          Set your desired AutoSize Mode      grd Columns 0  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells      grd Columns 1  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode AllCells      grd Columns 2  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode Fill          Now that DataGridView has calculated it s Widths  we can now store each column Width values      for  int i   0  i  lt   grd Columns Count - 1  i                     Store Auto Sized Widths          int colw   grd Columns i  Width              Remove AutoSizing          grd Columns i  AutoSizeMode   DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnMode None              Set Width to calculated AutoSize value          grd Columns i  Width   colw         In the Code above  You set the Columns AutoSize Property to whathever AutoSizeMode you need  Then  Column by Column  you store each column Width value  from AutoSize value   Disable the AutoSize Property and finally  set the Column Width to the Width value you previously stored

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If I understood the question correctly there should be an easier way to accomplish what you need  Call  dgvSomeDataGrid AutoResizeColumns DataGridViewAutoSizeColumnsMode AllCells    That should do the trick  However  there is one pitfall as you cannot simply call this method directly after populating your DataGridView control  Instead you will have to add an EventHandler for the VisibleChanged event and call the method in there

[c#] How do you automatically resize columns in a DataGridView control AND allow the user to resize the columns on that same grid?

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