Yes... but that would be the easy way out and we wouldnt be programming Micrrosoft products if we settled for that... ;) 

no, actually, I have about a dozen types of logs that contain the same core data, but each log has different sets of property data that would be within the collection.  I would like to avoid defining on specific class for each of the log types.  What I would like to do is have a generic class that contains the core data and then a collection of log entry proprties for the variable stuff.  The collection would contain the property name, ID and value.  When I get my log back I want to create the columns for that log type dynamically, then as I'm populating my rows, assign them to the specific properties within the sub collection.

Hi Ted, 

I'd recommend you check out our 10.1 CTP, which introduces a new column type, called UnboundColumn. 

The way the UnboundColumn works, is it allows you to specify a ValueConverter, and we can use that to allow GroupBy and Sorting without any additional work.  You don't even need to specify a DataTemplate, as we'll use the value from the ValueConverter to fill the cells for that column. 

Hope this helps, 

-SteveZ

Hey Ted, 

Glad this is what you're looking for. 

Do you have a sample, and some steps to reproduce?

This will help ensure that the issue is definitely fixed for the release. 

Thanks,

-SteveZ

I can consistently make the grid crash using the Unbound columns only (about 10 of them) with teh following steps:

Drag Column 3 to Group by by area, Expand first row in list, drag column 4 to group by area.

Then drag Column 3 from the group by area back onto the grid.  I get the above "object not set to instance" error every time.  I will continue to test.

Should the following scenerio work with a Unbound Column:

I am trying to render a Image in a column based on the Url in the dictionary.  the converter runs and returns the correct BitMapImage, but it does not display in the grid.  if i change the image width and height in my custom datatemplate the grid expands so i think the itemtemplate is working correctly

Set the datatemplate of the column to:

<

DataTemplate x:Key="iconPresenterStyle">

<

Image Stretch="Fill" Width="40" Height="40" Source="{Binding}" />

</

DataTemplate>

Code is here:

if

(IsIcon)

{

Application.Current.Resources["iconPresenterStyle"] as DataTemplate;

// Gets absolute url based on location of .xap download

new Hyland.Types.Silverlight.Converters.IconUriConverter();

ValueConverterParameter =

Convert.ToString(columnElement["name"]);

}

Converter is here:

PropertyBag

bag = value as PropertyBag;

string index = parameter as string;

Uri uri = null;

if (null != bag && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(index))

{

if (bag.Contains(index))

{

// ../ assumes the Xap package is in a clientbin folder below the root

new Uri(Application.Current.Host.Source, "../" + bag[index]);

}

}

// return image from onbase web server or an empty image if no

// url found in element

if (null != uri)

{

return new BitmapImage(uri);

}

else

return new BitmapImage();

}

IG

any idea whats wrong with my sample or why that Silverlight is throwing that exception that i posted at the top of page 3, (when you click on one of the cells)????

yeah at the moment i am using this and it seems to work 

Private Function CreateXamTemplateColumn(ByVal i As Integer, _
                                             ByVal propName As String) As ColumnBase

        Dim column As New TemplateColumn()

        column.Key = propName & i

        column.HeaderText = String.Format("Period#{0}.{1}", i, propName)

        column.ItemTemplate = XamlReader.Load(CreateColumnTemplate(i, propName))

        column.EditorTemplate = XamlReader.Load(CreateColumnEditTemplate(i, propName))
        ' //edit template  
        Return column
    End Function

Also, generate a unique key for each colum:

Private Function CreateXamTemplateColumn(ByVal i As Integer, _
                                             ByVal propName As String) As ColumnBase

        Dim column As New TemplateColumn()

        column.Key = propName  //*******  Generate Unqiue key **************// string.format("Column{0}", i); or something like that.  Maybe use a random number or somehting, just make it unique.

        column.HeaderText = String.Format("Period#{0}.{1}", i, propName)

        column.ItemTemplate = XamlReader.Load(CreateColumnTemplate(i, propName))

        column.EditorTemplate = XamlReader.Load(CreateColumnEditTemplate(i, propName))
        ' //edit template  
        Return column
    End Function

make sure you are not concatenating anything to the propName parameter.  Actually just remove it all together, and replace the {1} in the string.format method with the Hours property.  Do this with both the item template and edit template methods.

Private Function CreateColumnEditTemplate(ByVal index As Integer) As String

        Dim CellTemp As New StringBuilder()
        CellTemp.Append("<DataTemplate ")
        CellTemp.Append("xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/")
        CellTemp.Append("2006/xaml/presentation' ")
        CellTemp.Append("xmlns:x='http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml'>")
        CellTemp.Append([String].Format("<TextBox Text='{{Binding Periods[{0}].Hours, Mode=TwoWay}}' TextAlignment='Right'/>", _
                                        index, propertyName))
        CellTemp.Append("</DataTemplate>")

        Return CellTemp.ToString()
    End Function

so i guess based on what you were said earlier about them throwing an error, was it possibly the dup key i error. 

i added the index to "hours" to change the key so i would not throw that exception

i changed it back to test, and just exited the loop after one and it seems to work. 

anythoughts on how to get around this

ALSO, thanks for all the help!