In this Article, I am explaining how to make use JavaScript in the ASP.Net GridView control and make it more elegant by reducing postbacks.
Functions such as
- 1. Highlighting selected row
- 2. Check/Uncheck all records using single checkbox.
- 3. Highlight row on mouseover event.
The above three functions can be easily achieved using JavaScript thus avoiding postbacks.
Basic Concept
The basic concept behind this is when the GridView is rendered on the client machine it is rendered as a simple HTML table. Hence what the JavaScript will see a HTML table and not the ASP.Net GridView control.
Hence once can easily write scripts for GridView, DataGrid and other controls once you know how they are rendered.
To start with I have a GridView control with a header checkbox and checkbox for each individual record
<asp:GridView ID="GridView1" runat="server" HeaderStyle-CssClass = "header"
AutoGenerateColumns = "false" Font-Names = "Arial"
OnRowDataBound = "RowDataBound"
Font-Size = "11pt" AlternatingRowStyle-BackColor = "#C2D69B" >
<Columns>
<asp:TemplateField>
<HeaderTemplate>
<asp:CheckBox ID="checkAll" runat="server" onclick = "checkAll(this);" />
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<asp:CheckBox ID="CheckBox1" runat="server" onclick = "Check_Click(this)" />
</ItemTemplate>
</asp:TemplateField>
<asp:BoundField ItemStyle-Width="150px" DataField="CustomerID" HeaderText="CustomerID" />
<asp:BoundField ItemStyle-Width="150px" DataField="City"
HeaderText="City" />
<asp:BoundField ItemStyle-Width="150px" DataField="Country"
HeaderText="Country"/>
<asp:BoundField ItemStyle-Width="150px" DataField="PostalCode" HeaderText= "PostalCode"/>
</Columns>
</asp:GridView>
Above you will notice I am calling two JavaScript functions checkAll and Check_Click which I have explained later. Also I have attached a RowDataBound event to the GridView to add mouseover event
Highlight Row when checkbox is checked
<script type = "text/javascript">
function Check_Click(objRef)
{
//Get the Row based on checkbox
var row = objRef.parentNode.parentNode;
if(objRef.checked)
{
//If checked change color to Aqua
row.style.backgroundColor = "aqua";
}
else
{
//If not checked change back to original color
if(row.rowIndex % 2 == 0)
{
//Alternating Row Color
row.style.backgroundColor = "#C2D69B";
}
else
{
row.style.backgroundColor = "white";
}
}
//Get the reference of GridView
var GridView = row.parentNode;
//Get all input elements in Gridview
var inputList = GridView.getElementsByTagName("input");
for (var i=0;i<inputList.length;i++)
{
//The First element is the Header Checkbox
var headerCheckBox = inputList[0];
//Based on all or none checkboxes
//are checked check/uncheck Header Checkbox
var checked = true;
if(inputList[i].type == "checkbox" && inputList[i] != headerCheckBox)
{
if(!inputList[i].checked)
{
checked = false;
break;
}
}
}
headerCheckBox.checked = checked;
}
</script>
The above function is invoked when you check / uncheck a checkbox in GridView row
First part of the function highlights the row if the checkbox is checked else it changes the row to the original color if the checkbox is unchecked.
The Second part loops through all the checkboxes to find out whether at least one checkbox is unchecked or not.
If at least one checkbox is unchecked it will uncheck the Header checkbox else it will check it
Check all checkboxes functionality
<script type = "text/javascript">
function checkAll(objRef)
{
var GridView = objRef.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode;
var inputList = GridView.getElementsByTagName("input");
for (var i=0;i<inputList.length;i++)
{
//Get the Cell To find out ColumnIndex
var row = inputList[i].parentNode.parentNode;
if(inputList[i].type == "checkbox" && objRef != inputList[i])
{
if (objRef.checked)
{
//If the header checkbox is checked
//check all checkboxes
//and highlight all rows
row.style.backgroundColor = "aqua";
inputList[i].checked=true;
}
else
{
//If the header checkbox is checked
//uncheck all checkboxes
//and change rowcolor back to original
if(row.rowIndex % 2 == 0)
{
//Alternating Row Color
row.style.backgroundColor = "#C2D69B";
}
else
{
row.style.backgroundColor = "white";
}
inputList[i].checked=false;
}
}
}
}
</script>
The above function is executed when you click the Header check all checkbox When the Header checkbox is checked it highlights all the rows and checks the checkboxes in all rows.
And when unchecked it restores back the original color of the row and unchecks the checkboxes.
Note:
The check all checkboxes checks all the checkboxes only for the current page of the GridView and not all.
Highlight GridView row on mouseover event
<script type = "text/javascript">
function MouseEvents(objRef, evt)
{
var checkbox = objRef.getElementsByTagName("input")[0];
if (evt.type == "mouseover")
{
objRef.style.backgroundColor = "orange";
}
else
{
if (checkbox.checked)
{
objRef.style.backgroundColor = "aqua";
}
else if(evt.type == "mouseout")
{
if(objRef.rowIndex % 2 == 0)
{
//Alternating Row Color
objRef.style.backgroundColor = "#C2D69B";
}
else
{
objRef.style.backgroundColor = "white";
}
}
}
}
</script>
The above JavaScript function accepts the reference of the GridView Row and the event which has triggered it.
Then based on the event type if event is mouseover it highlights the row by changing its color to orange else if the event is mouseout it changes the row’s color back to its original before the event occurred.
The above function is called on the mouseover and mouseout events of the GridView row. These events are attached to the GridView Row on the RowDataBound events refer the code below
C#
protected void RowDataBound(object sender, GridViewRowEventArgs e)
{
if (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.DataRow )
{
e.Row.Attributes.Add("onmouseover","MouseEvents(this, event)");
e.Row.Attributes.Add("onmouseout", "MouseEvents(this, event)");
}
}
VB.Net
Protected Sub RowDataBound(ByVal sender As Object,
ByVal e As GridViewRowEventArgs)
If e.Row.RowType = DataControlRowType.DataRow Then
e.Row.Attributes.Add("onmouseover", "MouseEvents(this, event)")
e.Row.Attributes.Add("onmouseout", "MouseEvents(this, event)")
End If
End Sub
You can try out the functionality discussed above using the sample GridView here
| CustomerID | City | Country | PostalCode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALFKI | Berlin | Germany | 12209 | |
| ANATR | México D.F. | Mexico | 05021 | |
| ANTON | México D.F. | Mexico | 05023 | |
| AROUT | London | UK | WA1 1DP | |
| BERGS | Luleå | Sweden | S-958 22 | |
| BLAUS | Mannheim | Germany | 68306 | |
| BLONP | Strasbourg | France | 67000 | |
| BOLID | Madrid | Spain | 28023 | |
| BONAP | Marseille | France | 13008 | |
| BOTTM | Tsawassen | Canada | T2F 8M4 |
The above JavaScript functions are tested in the following Browsers
- 1. Internet Explorer 7
- 2. Mozilla Firefox 3
- 3. Google Chrome
You can download the source code here.