Custom ListView that is DataGrid like

This ListView has some extra features that a normal ListView doesn't have. First, you have add all the columns that you want to show. You provide the column name (from a datatable/dataview), the header text, the width (in pixels), and the cell alignment of the text (left, center, right). After that, you can LoadData, passing in a datatable or dataview, along with a start and ending index of the rows you want displayed (not providing any will default to show all rows). This will also automatically handle any and all sorting via a DataView. (If you sent in a datatable, I automatically put it into a dataview).

VB Code:

Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Drawing
 
Public Class MKPPListView
   Inherits System.Windows.Forms.ListView
 
#Region "<< Variables >>"
   Private _columns As ArrayList
   Private _captions As ArrayList
   Private _widths As ArrayList
   Private _dataSource As Object
   Private _start As Int32
   Private _finish As Int32
   Private _contextMenu As ContextMenu
   Private _helpText As String
   Private _sorting As Boolean
#End Region
 
#Region "<< Properties >>"
   <Browsable(True), DefaultValue(True)> _
   Public Property AllowSorting() As Boolean
      Get
         Return _sorting
      End Get
      Set(ByVal Value As Boolean)
         _sorting = Value
      End Set
   End Property
   <Browsable(True)> _
   Public Property HelpText() As String
      Get
         Return _helpText
      End Get
      Set(ByVal Value As String)
         _helpText = Value
      End Set
   End Property
   <Browsable(False)> _
   Public ReadOnly Property SelectedIndex() As Int32
      Get
         For i As Int32 = 0 To Me.Items.Count - 1
            Dim row As ListViewItem = Me.Items(i)
            If row.Selected = True Then
               Return i
            End If
         Next
         Return -1
      End Get
   End Property
   Public Property RowFilter() As String
      Get
         If TypeOf _dataSource Is DataView Then
            Return CType(_dataSource, DataView).RowFilter
         End If
      End Get
      Set(ByVal Value As String)
         If TypeOf _dataSource Is DataView Then
            CType(_dataSource, DataView).RowFilter = Value
         End If
      End Set
   End Property
   Public Property SortData() As String
      Get
         If TypeOf _dataSource Is DataView Then
            Return CType(_dataSource, DataView).Sort
         End If
      End Get
      Set(ByVal Value As String)
         If TypeOf _dataSource Is DataView Then
            CType(_dataSource, DataView).Sort = Value
            MyBase.Items.Clear()
            SetupListView()
         End If
      End Set
   End Property
   Public ReadOnly Property Count() As Int32
      Get
         Return MyBase.Items.Count
      End Get
   End Property
#End Region
 
#Region "<< Startup >>"
   Public Sub New()
      MyBase.New()
      _columns = New ArrayList
      _widths = New ArrayList
      _captions = New ArrayList
      MyBase.View = View.Details
      MyBase.FullRowSelect = True
      MyBase.MultiSelect = False
      MyBase.ForeColor = Color.Yellow
      MyBase.BackColor = Color.Black
      MyBase.AllowColumnReorder = True
      MyBase.Scrollable = True
      _sorting = True
      AddColumn("", "", 0, HorizontalAlignment.Center)
      _contextMenu = New ContextMenu
      Me.ContextMenu = _contextMenu
      Me.ContextMenu.MenuItems.Add(New MenuItem("What's This?", AddressOf WhatsThis))
   End Sub
#End Region
 
#Region "<< Helper Methods >>"
   Private Sub WhatsThis(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
      Help.ShowPopup(Me, HelpText, System.Windows.Forms.Form.MousePosition)
   End Sub
#End Region
 
#Region "<< Public Methods >>"
   Public Sub SetCaption(ByVal index As Int32, ByVal newCaption As String)
      _captions(index) = newCaption
      Me.Columns(index).Text = newCaption
   End Sub
   Public Function SelectedItem(ByVal Column As String) As String
      Dim i As Int32
      For i = 0 To _columns.Count - 1
         If CType(_columns(i), String) = Column Then
            Return SelectedItem(i)
         End If
      Next
      Throw New DataException(Column & " does not exist!")
   End Function
   Public Function SelectedItem(ByVal Column As Int32) As String
      Dim selected As New ListView.SelectedListViewItemCollection(Me)
      If selected.Count = 0 Then
         Return Nothing
      Else
         Return selected.Item(0).SubItems(Column).Text
      End If
   End Function
   Public Function SelectedItem() As ListViewItem
      Dim selected As New ListView.SelectedListViewItemCollection(Me)
      If selected.Count = 0 Then
         Return Nothing
      Else
         Return selected.Item(0)
      End If
   End Function
   Public Sub TypeFind(ByVal item As String, ByVal Column As String)
      Dim i As Int32
      For i = 0 To _columns.Count - 1
         If CType(_columns(i), String) = Column Then
            TypeFind(item, i)
            Exit For
         End If
      Next
   End Sub
   Public Sub TypeFind(ByVal item As String, ByVal Column As Int32)
      Dim i As Int32
      For i = 0 To MyBase.Items.Count - 1
         If MyBase.Items(i).SubItems(Column).Text.ToLower.StartsWith(item.ToLower) Then
            MyBase.Items(i).EnsureVisible()
            MyBase.Items(i).Selected = True
            Exit For
         End If
      Next
   End Sub
   Public Sub SetAlternateRowColor(ByVal ForeColor As Color, ByVal BackColor As Color)
      Dim i As Int32
      For i = 0 To MyBase.Items.Count - 1
         If i Mod 2 = 1 Then
            MyBase.Items(i).BackColor = BackColor
            MyBase.Items(i).ForeColor = ForeColor
         End If
      Next
   End Sub
#End Region
 
#Region "<< Add Column >>"
   Public Sub AddColumn(ByVal Column As String, ByVal Caption As String)
      AddColumn(Column, Caption, 0)
   End Sub
   Public Sub AddColumn(ByVal Column As String, ByVal Caption As String, ByVal Width As Int32)
      AddColumn(Column, Caption, Width, HorizontalAlignment.Left)
   End Sub
   Public Sub AddColumn(ByVal Column As String, ByVal Caption As String, ByVal Alignment As HorizontalAlignment)
      AddColumn(Column, Caption, 0, Alignment)
   End Sub
   Public Sub AddColumn(ByVal Column As String, ByVal Caption As String, ByVal Width As Int32, ByVal Alignment As HorizontalAlignment)
      _columns.Add(Column)
      _captions.Add(Caption)
      _widths.Add(Width)
      MyBase.Columns.Add(Caption, Width, Alignment)
   End Sub
#End Region
 
#Region "<< Load Data >>"
   Public Sub LoadData(ByRef Data As DataTable)
      LoadData(Data, 0, Data.Rows.Count - 1)
   End Sub
   Public Sub LoadData(ByRef Data As DataView)
      LoadData(Data, 0, Data.Count - 1)
   End Sub
   Public Sub LoadData(ByRef Data As DataTable, ByVal Start As Int32, ByVal Finish As Int32)
      LoadData(New DataView(Data), Start, Finish)
   End Sub
   Public Sub LoadData(ByRef Data As DataView, ByVal Start As Int32, ByVal Finish As Int32)
      MyBase.Items.Clear()
      _dataSource = Data
      _start = Start
      _finish = Finish
      SetupListView()
   End Sub
#End Region
 
#Region "<< SetupListView >>"
   Private Sub SetupListView()
      Dim i As Int32, j As Int32
      If TypeOf _dataSource Is DataTable Then
         With CType(_dataSource, DataTable)
            For i = _start To _finish
               Dim item As New ListViewItem(.Rows(i)(CType(_columns(1), Int32)).ToString)
               For j = 1 To _columns.Count - 1
                  item.SubItems.Add(.Rows(i)(CType(_columns(j), Int32)).ToString)
               Next
               MyBase.Items.Add(item)
            Next
         End With
      ElseIf TypeOf _dataSource Is DataView Then
         With CType(_dataSource, DataView)
            For i = _start To _finish
               Dim item As New ListViewItem(.Item(i)(CType(_columns(1), String)).ToString)
               For j = 1 To _columns.Count - 1
                  item.SubItems.Add(.Item(i)(CType(_columns(j), String)).ToString)
               Next
               MyBase.Items.Add(item)
            Next
         End With
      End If
      If MyBase.Columns(1).Width = 0 Then
         Dim gr As Graphics = MyBase.CreateGraphics
         For i = 1 To _columns.Count - 1
            Dim width As Int32 = CType(gr.MeasureString(MyBase.Columns(i).Text, Me.Font).Width, Int32)
            width += 5
            For j = 0 To MyBase.Items.Count - 1
               Dim myWidth As Int32 = CType(gr.MeasureString(MyBase.Items(j).SubItems(i).Text, MyBase.Font).Width, Int32)
               If i > 1 Then
                  myWidth += 5
               End If
               If myWidth > width Then
                  width = myWidth
               End If
            Next
            MyBase.Columns(i).Width = width
            width = 0
         Next
      End If
   End Sub
#End Region
 
#Region "<< Column Sorting >>"
   Private Sub MKPPListView_ColumnClick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.ColumnClickEventArgs) Handles MyBase.ColumnClick
      If AllowSorting Then
         If TypeOf _dataSource Is DataView Then
            Dim col As String = MyBase.Columns(e.Column).Text
            Dim i As Int32
            For i = 0 To _captions.Count - 1
               If CType(_captions(i), String) = col Then
                  col = CType(_columns(i), String)
                  Exit For
               End If
            Next
            If CType(_dataSource, DataView).Sort = col Then
               CType(_dataSource, DataView).Sort = col & " DESC"
            Else
               CType(_dataSource, DataView).Sort = col
            End If
            MyBase.Items.Clear()
            SetupListView()
         End If
      End If
   End Sub
#End Region
 
End Class

It would be preferable to declare a DataSource property to maintain consistency with the existing .NET data-binding mechanism. Also, every DataTable already has an associated DataView in its DefaultView property.

Thanks for the feedback.

It will be more comfortable, if it is posted as a solution file