Server-Side Filtering

We already mentioned that it is generally desirable to restrict the data returned from the server to the client, and we demonstrated how C1DataSource facilitates this with the use of the FilterDescriptor Collection Editor. Now we’ll demonstrate how to provide the end user with the means to achieve server-side filtering.

The user will select a Product Category from a combo box, for example, although other GUI controls can be used, and that will load a DataGrid with new data from the server.

To implement server-side filtering, follow these steps:

Add a new form with a C1DataSource component to the project used in Simple Binding. You can make this form the project's start up form to save time when you run the project.
Establish the C1DataSource as before, but this time define two view sources: Categories and Products. Click the Add button twice in the ViewSourceCollection. Enter Categories next to the EntityViewSourceProperties.EntitySetName property for the first member (0) and enter Products for the second member (1). For Products, we’ll define a filter as shown in the following picture:

Add a ComboBox control to the form and set the following properties:
- DataSource = C1DataSource Name (typically C1DataSource1)
- DisplayMember = Categories.CategoryName
- ValueMember = Categories.CategoryID
Add a DataGrid control to the form and set the following properties:
- DataSource = C1 DataSource Name (typically C1DataSource1)
- DataMember = Products

Add the following code to the form to handle the combo box’s SelectedValueChanged event:

To write code in Visual Basic

Visual Basic	Copy Code
Private Sub comboBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) c1DataSource1.ViewSources("Products").FilterDescriptors(0).Value = comboBox1.SelectedValue End Sub

To write code in C#

C#	Copy Code
private void comboBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e) { c1DataSource1.ViewSources["Products"].FilterDescriptors[0].Value = comboBox1.SelectedValue; }

Add the following code to the Form_Load event, to set the AutoGenerateColumns property, of the dataGridView control to 'true'.

To write code in Visual Basic

Visual Basic	Copy Code
dataGridView1.AutoGenerateColumns = True

To write code in C#

Save, build and run the application. Select a category in the combo box and notice how products related to that category are displayed in the grid. Switch between categories and notice how the data is returned. As before, all the items in the grid are editable.