Programmatically perform click on a DataGridView Button Cell from another Button

Question

I have a question regarding DataGridView control in .NET.

I inserted a DataGridView from the toolbox and I connected it with a database that I setup in access. Then I added a column with buttons from the edit columns of the DataGridView tasks panel.

The click events of the DataGridView buttons work without a problem!

I want to perform a click on DataGridView button programmatically when I click another button outside of the DataGridView. How should I do this?

The code of the DataGridView is:

Private Sub dgvAnimSel_CellContentClick(sender As Object, e As DataGridViewCellEventArgs) _
    Handles dgvAnimSel.CellContentClick
    Dim V As String = dgvAnimSel.Rows(e.RowIndex).Cells(0).Value
    If e.ColumnIndex = 3 Then
        If V = 1 Then
            If A1 = 1 Then
                'this is the uncheck state
                Me.dgvAnimSel.CurrentCell.Style.BackColor = Color.White
                Me.dgvAnimSel.CurrentCell.Style.ForeColor = Color.Black
                Me.dgvAnimSel.CurrentCell.Value = "Select"
                ItemTextNew = ItemTextOr + "1"
                ItemName = ListView1.FindItemWithText(ItemTextNew, False, 0, True)
                ListView1.Items.Remove(ItemName)
                A1 = 0
            Else
                'this is the check state
                Me.dgvAnimSel.CurrentCell.Style.BackColor = Color.Green
                Me.dgvAnimSel.CurrentCell.Style.ForeColor = Color.White
                Me.dgvAnimSel.CurrentCell.Value = "Selected"
                a = ListView1.Items.Add(" " + "Animation 1 ", 0)
                A1 = 1
            End If
        End If
End Sub

Thank you in advance!

Solution 1

You can use either of the following options:

• Calling the event handler of CellContentClick like a normal method by creating an instance of DataGridViewCellEventArgs and pass it to the event handler method.
• Or put the whole logic inside a method and call that method whenever you need, from CellContentClick of the DataGridView or Click of the button.

VB.NET

Example 1 - Perform Click for DataGrdiView Button Cell by calling the event handler

To programmatically click on button in specific row, you can call the method that you created as event handler of CellContentClick event, using suitable DataGridViewCellEventArgs as e and your DataGridView as sender:

Private Sub AnotherButton_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) _
    Handles AnotherButton.Click
    ' zero based ColumnIndex of your button column= 3 (for example)
    ' zero based RowIndex that you want to click on its button column = 2 (for example)
    Dim arg = New DataGridViewCellEventArgs(3, 2) 
    DataGridView1_CellContentClick(DataGridView1, arg)
End Sub

Private Sub DataGridView1_CellContentClick(sender As Object, _
    e As DataGridViewCellEventArgs) Handles DataGridView1.CellContentClick
    MessageBox.Show(e.RowIndex.ToString())
End Sub

Example 2 - Putting the logic in another method and call the method when you need

As another option you can put the logic related to click on a cell button in a method, dependent from Cell and Row objects and only pass suitable values to that method. Then you can call the method wherever you need.

Private Sub DoSomething(rowIndex as Integer, columnIndex as Integer)
    MessageBox.Show(rowIndex.ToString())
End Sub

Private Sub AnotherButton_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) _
    Handles AnotherButton.Click
    ' zero based ColumnIndex of your button column= 3 (for example)
    ' zero based RowIndex that you want to click on its button column = 2 (for example)
    DoSomething(2, 3) 
End Sub

Private Sub DataGridView1_CellContentClick(sender As Object, _
    e As DataGridViewCellEventArgs) Handles DataGridView1.CellContentClick
    DoSomething(e.RowIndex, e.ColumnIndex)
End Sub

C#

Example 1 - Perform Click for DataGrdiView Button Cell by calling the event handler

To programmatically click on button in specific row, you can call the method that you created as event handler of CellContentClick event, using suitable DataGridViewCellEventArgs as e and your DataGridView as sender:

private void anotherButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    ' zero based ColumnIndex of your button column= 3 (for example)
    ' zero based RowIndex that you want to click on its button column = 2 (for example)
    var arg = new DataGridViewCellEventArgs(3, 2); 
    aataGridView1_CellContentClick(dataGridView1, arg);
}

private void dataGridView1_CellContentClick(object sender, DataGridViewCellEventArgs e)
{
    MessageBox.Show(e.RowIndex.ToString());
}

Example 2 - Putting the logic in another method and call the method when you need

As another option you can put the logic related to click on a cell button in a method, dependent from Cell and Row objects and only pass suitable values to that method. Then you can call the method wherever you need.

private void DoSomething(int rowIndex, int columnIndex)
{
    MessageBox.Show(rowIndex.ToString());
}

private void anotherButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    ' zero based ColumnIndex of your button column= 3 (for example)
    ' zero based RowIndex that you want to click on its button column = 2 (for example)
    DoSomething(2, 3); 
}

private void dataGridView1_CellContentClick(object sender, DataGridViewCellEventArgs e)
{
    DoSomething(e.RowIndex, e.ColumnIndex);
}

Solution 2

If you want to generate programmatically click on DataGridViewButtonCell instance, you can use DataGridViewCell.AccessibilityObject property and call DoDefaultAction method.

Something like this (sorry for C#, I'm sure you can translate it to VB):

DataGridViewButtonCell otherCell = ...;
otherCell.AccessibilityObject.DoDefaultAction();

Test:

using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace Samples
{
    static class Program
    {
        [STAThread]
        static void Main()
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
            var form = new Form();
            var grid = new DataGridView { Dock = DockStyle.Fill, Parent = form, AutoGenerateColumns = false };
            var col0 = new DataGridViewTextBoxColumn { Name = "Col0", HeaderText = "Col0", DataPropertyName = "Col0" };
            var col1 = new DataGridViewButtonColumn { Name = "Col1", HeaderText = "Col1", DataPropertyName = "Col1" };
            grid.Columns.AddRange(new DataGridViewColumn[] { col0, col1 });
            grid.CellContentClick += (sender, e) =>
            {
                MessageBox.Show("Clicked Cell[" + e.RowIndex + "," + e.ColumnIndex + "]");
            };
            grid.DataSource = Enumerable.Range(0, 10).Select(n => new { Col0 = "Cell[" + n + ",0]", Col1 = "Cell[" + n + ",1]" }).ToList();
            var button = new Button { Dock = DockStyle.Bottom, Parent = form, Text = "Click" };
            button.Click += (sender, e) =>
            {
                var cell = grid.CurrentRow.Cells[col1.Index];
                cell.AccessibilityObject.DoDefaultAction();
            };
            Application.Run(form);
        }
    }
}