Searching a grid with huge data source can be a tedious task even in a grid that supports column filtering and sorting. To make this task easier, FlexGrid supports searching the entire data source connected to the grid through full text filtering. To apply full text filtering, you need to use BindingPaths property of the FullTextFilterCondition class, which specifies the data column(s) that will participate in the full text search filtering. For searching, you can use an editor control to act as a search box where user provides the input for obtaining the search results. You need to handle an event depending on whether you want to search as the user types in or once the input has completed. In that event, you can invoke ApplyFullTextFilter method of the C1CollectionView class which accepts input text and instance of the FullTextFilterCondition class as its parameters.

In addition, the FullTextFilterCondition class provides conditions to perform full text search filtering in the control. These conditions can be applied to the user input for customizing the filtering behavior using the MatchCase, MatchWholeWord and TreatSpacesAsAndOperator properties.

In the following example, we used a TextBox as a search box and invoked the ApplyFullTextFilter method in TextChanged event of the TextBox to implement full text search filtering in FlexGrid.

1. Add C1FlexGrid and TextBox control to the XAML designer and add five columns to the grid to display data using the following code:

   XAML

   Copy Code

   <Grid> <TextBox x:Name="filterTextBox" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" TextChanged="filterTextBox_TextChanged" Margin="0,20,0,0" Width="250"/> <Custom:C1FlexGrid x:Name="c1FlexGrid1" HorizontalAlignment="Left" AutoGenerateColumns="false" ColumnHeaderForeground="Black" Margin="0,60,0,0"> <Custom:C1FlexGrid.Columns> <Custom:Column Binding="{Binding ID, Mode=TwoWay}"/> <Custom:Column Binding="{Binding Name, Mode=TwoWay}" Width="*"/> <Custom:Column Binding="{Binding Email, Mode=TwoWay}" Width="*" /> <Custom:Column Binding="{Binding OrderDate, Mode=TwoWay}" Width="*"/> <Custom:Column Binding="{Binding OrderTotal, Mode=TwoWay}" Width="*"/> </Custom:C1FlexGrid.Columns> </Custom:C1FlexGrid> </Grid>

2. Switch to the Code view and create a class, Customers, to add data in the FlexGrid.
   
   • Visual Basic
   • C#

   • Visual Basic

   Public Class Customer
       Private _id As Integer
       Private _name, _email As String
       Private _OrderDate As DateTime
       Private _orderTotal As Double
           
       Shared _rnd As Random = New Random()
       Shared _firstNames As String() = "Andy|Ben|Charlie|Dan|Ed|Fred|Herb|Elena|Stefan|Gina".Split("|"c)
       Shared _lastNames As String() = "Ambers|Bishop|Cole|Danson|Evers|Frommer|Heath|Salvatore|Spencer|Rodriguez".Split("|"c)
       Shared _emailServers As String() = "gmail|yahoo|outlook|aol".Split("|"c)
   
       Public Sub New()
           Me.New(_rnd.[Next]())
       End Sub
   
       Public Sub New(ByVal id As Integer)
           ID = id
           Name = GetName()
           Email = String.Format("{0}@{1}.com", (Name.Substring(0, 1)).ToLower(), GetString(_emailServers))
           OrderDate = DateTime.Today.AddDays(-_rnd.[Next](1, 365)).AddHours(_rnd.[Next](0, 24)).AddMinutes(
                                           _rnd.[Next](0, 60))
           OrderTotal = Math.Round(_rnd.NextDouble() * 10000.00, 2)
       End Sub
   
       Public Property ID As Integer
           Get
               Return _id
           End Get
           Set(ByVal value As Integer)
   
               If value <> _id Then
                   _id = value
               End If
           End Set
       End Property
   
       Public Property Name As String
           Get
               Return _name
           End Get
           Set(ByVal value As String)
   
               If value <> _name Then
                   _name = value
               End If
           End Set
       End Property
   
       Public Property Email As String
           Get
               Return _email
           End Get
           Set(ByVal value As String)
   
               If value <> _email Then
                   _email = value
               End If
           End Set
       End Property
   
       Public Property OrderDate As DateTime
           Get
               Return _OrderDate
           End Get
           Set(ByVal value As DateTime)
   
               If value <> _OrderDate Then
                   _OrderDate = value
               End If
           End Set
       End Property
   
       Public Property OrderTotal As Double
           Get
               Return _orderTotal
           End Get
           Set(ByVal value As Double)
   
               If value <> _orderTotal Then
                   _orderTotal = value
               End If
           End Set
       End Property
   
       Private Shared Function GetString(ByVal arr As String()) As String
           Return arr(_rnd.[Next](arr.Length))
       End Function
   
       Private Shared Function GetName() As String
           Return String.Format("{0} {1}", GetString(_firstNames), GetString(_lastNames))
       End Function
   
       Public Shared Function GetCustomerList(ByVal count As Integer) As ObservableCollection(Of Customer)
           Dim list = New ObservableCollection(Of Customer)()
   
           For i As Integer = 0 To count - 1
               list.Add(New Customer(i))
           Next
   
           Return list
       End Function
   End Class
   

   • C#

   public class Customer
   {
       //fields
       int _id;
       string _name, _email;
       DateTime _OrderDate;
       double _orderTotal;
   
       //data generators
       static Random _rnd = new Random();
       static string[] _firstNames = "Andy|Ben|Charlie|Dan|Eddy|Fred|Herb|Elena|Stefan|Gina".Split('|');
       static string[] _lastNames = "Ambers|Bishop|Cole|Danson|Evers|Frommer|Heath|Salvatore|Spencer|Rodriguez".Split('|');
       static string[] _emailServers = "gmail|yahoo|outlook|aol".Split('|');
   
       public Customer()
           : this(_rnd.Next())
       {
       }
       public Customer(int id)
       {
           ID = id;
           Name = GetName();
           Email = string.Format("{0}@{1}.com", (Name.Substring(0, 3)).ToLower(),
                   GetString(_emailServers));
           OrderDate = DateTime.Today.AddDays(-_rnd.Next(1, 365)).AddHours(
                       _rnd.Next(0, 24)).AddMinutes(_rnd.Next(0, 60));
           OrderTotal = Math.Round(_rnd.NextDouble() * 10000.00, 2);
       }
       //Object model       
       public int ID
       {
           get { return _id; }
           set
           {
               if (value != _id)
               {
                   _id = value;
               }
           }
       }
       public string Name
       {
           get { return _name; }
           set
           {
               if (value != _name)
               {
                   _name = value;
               }
           }
       }
       public string Email
       {
           get { return _email; }
           set
           {
               if (value != _email)
               {
                   _email = value;
               }
           }
       }
       public DateTime OrderDate
       {
           get { return _OrderDate; }
           set
           {
               if (value != _OrderDate)
               {
                   _OrderDate = value;
               }
           }
       }
   
       public double OrderTotal
       {
           get { return _orderTotal; }
           set
           {
               if (value != _orderTotal)
               {
                   _orderTotal = value;
               }
           }
       }
   
       // ** utilities
       static string GetString(string[] arr)
       {
           return arr[_rnd.Next(arr.Length)];
       }
       static string GetName()
       {
           return string.Format("{0} {1}", GetString(_firstNames), GetString(_lastNames));
       }
       // ** static list provider
       public static ObservableCollection<Customer> GetCustomerList(int count)
       {
           var list = new ObservableCollection<Customer>();
           for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
           {
               list.Add(new Customer(i));
           }
           return list;
       }
   }
   

3. Add the following code to filter data using full text filtering in the FlexGrid control.
   
   • Visual Basic
   • C#

   • Visual Basic

   Public NotInheritable Partial Class MainPage
       Inherits Page
   
       Private cv As C1CollectionView
       Private FilterCondition As FullTextFilterCondition
   
       Public Sub New()
           Me.InitializeComponent()
           Dim list = New ObservableCollection(Of Customer)()
   
           For i As Integer = 0 To 100 - 1
               list.Add(New Customer())
           Next
   
           cv = New C1CollectionView(list)
           c1FlexGrid1.ItemsSource = cv
           FilterCondition = New FullTextFilterCondition()
           FilterCondition.BindingPaths = New List(Of String)() From {
               "ID",
               "Name",
               "OrderDate",
               "OrderTotal"
           }
           FilterCondition.MatchCase = True
       End Sub
   
       Private Sub filterTextBox_TextChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As TextChangedEventArgs)
           cv.ApplyFullTextFilter(filterTextBox.Text, FilterCondition)
       End Sub
   End Class
   

   • C#

   public sealed partial class MainPage : Page
   {
       C1CollectionView cv;
       FullTextFilterCondition FilterCondition;
       public MainPage()
       {
           this.InitializeComponent();
   
           var list = new ObservableCollection<Customer>();
           for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++)
               list.Add(new Customer());
   
           // create a C1CollectionView from the list
           cv = new C1CollectionView(list);
           
           c1FlexGrid1.ItemsSource = cv;
   
           FilterCondition = new FullTextFilterCondition();
           FilterCondition.BindingPaths = new List<string>() { "ID", "Name",
                       "OrderDate", "OrderTotal" };
           
           // Update FullTextFilterCondition
           FilterCondition.MatchCase = true;
       }
       void filterTextBox_TextChanged(object sender, TextChangedEventArgs e)
       {
           // Apply FullTextFilter
           cv.ApplyFullTextFilter(filterTextBox.Text, FilterCondition);
       }
   }