DataGridView.SortedColumn Property

Definition

Gets the column by which the DataGridView contents are currently sorted.

public:
 property System::Windows::Forms::DataGridViewColumn ^ SortedColumn { System::Windows::Forms::DataGridViewColumn ^ get(); };
[System.ComponentModel.Browsable(false)]
public System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewColumn SortedColumn { get; }
[System.ComponentModel.Browsable(false)]
public System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewColumn? SortedColumn { get; }
[<System.ComponentModel.Browsable(false)>]
member this.SortedColumn : System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewColumn
Public ReadOnly Property SortedColumn As DataGridViewColumn

Property Value

The DataGridViewColumn by which the DataGridView contents are currently sorted.

Attributes

Examples

The following code example demonstrates how to use the SortedColumn property in a programmatic sort.

private void sortButton_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
    // Check which column is selected, otherwise set NewColumn to null.
    DataGridViewColumn newColumn =
        dataGridView1.Columns.GetColumnCount(
        DataGridViewElementStates.Selected) == 1 ?
        dataGridView1.SelectedColumns[0] : null;

    DataGridViewColumn oldColumn = dataGridView1.SortedColumn;
    ListSortDirection direction;

    // If oldColumn is null, then the DataGridView is not currently sorted.
    if (oldColumn != null)
    {
        // Sort the same column again, reversing the SortOrder.
        if (oldColumn == newColumn &&
            dataGridView1.SortOrder == SortOrder.Ascending)
        {
            direction = ListSortDirection.Descending;
        }
        else
        {
            // Sort a new column and remove the old SortGlyph.
            direction = ListSortDirection.Ascending;
            oldColumn.HeaderCell.SortGlyphDirection = SortOrder.None;
        }
    }
    else
    {
        direction = ListSortDirection.Ascending;
    }

    // If no column has been selected, display an error dialog  box.
    if (newColumn == null)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Select a single column and try again.",
            "Error: Invalid Selection", MessageBoxButtons.OK,
            MessageBoxIcon.Error);
    }
    else
    {
        dataGridView1.Sort(newColumn, direction);
        newColumn.HeaderCell.SortGlyphDirection =
            direction == ListSortDirection.Ascending ?
            SortOrder.Ascending : SortOrder.Descending;
    }
}
Private Sub SortButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, _
    ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles sortButton.Click

    ' Check which column is selected, otherwise set NewColumn to Nothing.
    Dim newColumn As DataGridViewColumn
    If dataGridView1.Columns.GetColumnCount(DataGridViewElementStates _
        .Selected) = 1 Then
        newColumn = dataGridView1.SelectedColumns(0)
    Else
        newColumn = Nothing
    End If

    Dim oldColumn As DataGridViewColumn = dataGridView1.SortedColumn
    Dim direction As ListSortDirection

    ' If oldColumn is null, then the DataGridView is not currently sorted.
    If oldColumn IsNot Nothing Then

        ' Sort the same column again, reversing the SortOrder.
        If oldColumn Is newColumn AndAlso dataGridView1.SortOrder = _
            SortOrder.Ascending Then
            direction = ListSortDirection.Descending
        Else

            ' Sort a new column and remove the old SortGlyph.
            direction = ListSortDirection.Ascending
            oldColumn.HeaderCell.SortGlyphDirection = SortOrder.None
        End If
    Else
        direction = ListSortDirection.Ascending
    End If


    ' If no column has been selected, display an error dialog  box.
    If newColumn Is Nothing Then
        MessageBox.Show("Select a single column and try again.", _
            "Error: Invalid Selection", MessageBoxButtons.OK, _
            MessageBoxIcon.Error)
    Else
        dataGridView1.Sort(newColumn, direction)
        If direction = ListSortDirection.Ascending Then
            newColumn.HeaderCell.SortGlyphDirection = SortOrder.Ascending
        Else
            newColumn.HeaderCell.SortGlyphDirection = SortOrder.Descending
        End If
    End If

End Sub

Remarks

If the DataGridView is not sorted, this property will return null.

When the column indicated by this property has a SortMode property value of DataGridViewColumnSortMode.Automatic, it will display a sorting glyph based on the value of the SortOrder property.

When the column has a SortMode property value of DataGridViewColumnSortMode.Programmatic, you must display the sorting glyph yourself through the DataGridViewColumnHeaderCell.SortGlyphDirection property.

Note

The value of this property is not meaningful when you sort the control using custom sorting. For more information about custom sorting, see the Sort(IComparer) method and the SortCompare event.

Applies to

See also