In List for WinForms, a split is similar to the split window features of products such as Microsoft Excel and Word. You can use splits to present your data in multiple horizontal or vertical panes. The list pictured below, for example, includes two splits, a horizontal and a vertical split, to create four distinct panes.
These panes, or splits, can display data in different colors and fonts. They can scroll as a unit or individually, and they can display different sets of columns or the same set. You can also use splits to prevent one or more columns or a set of rows from scrolling. Unlike other list products, fixed (nonscrolling) columns or rows in List for WinForms do not have to be at the left edge of the list, but can be at the right edge or anywhere in the middle. You can even have multiple groups of fixed columns or rows within a list. Splits open up an endless variety of possibilities for presenting data to users of your applications.
Whenever you use List for WinForms, you are always using a split. A list always contains at least one horizontal split, and the default values for the split properties are set so that you can ignore splits until you want to use them. Therefore, you can skip this chapter if you do not need to create and manipulate more than one split within a list.
You create and manipulate splits by working with Split objects and the SplitCollection object. Since an individual column can be visible in one split but hidden in another, each Split object maintains its own collection of columns, known as C1DisplayColumnCollection. This gives you complete control over the appearance of each split and the columns they contain.