In order to extend a DataGridView control with the DGV Extension you have to:

 1. Add reference to the main assembly ‘DataGridViewExtension.dll’ and all export DLLs you wish to be supported by the extension in your application like ‘DGVEExcelExporting.dll’ and/or ‘DGVEHtmlExporting.dll’. The assemblies can be found in folder 'v1.1.1\Bin' in the installation\archive.


2. First ensure you have the following imports:
C#
using CompletIT.Windows.DataGridViewExtension;

VB.NET
Imports CompletIT.Windows.DataGridViewExtension


3. Then, after the creation of the instance to DataGridView control(s) add the following lines:
C#
DataGridViewExtensionComponent dgvExtension = new DataGridViewExtensionComponent();
dgvExtension.SetManagedByExtension( dataGridView, true );
//Manage other grids here ...

VB.NET
Dim DGVExtension As DataGridViewExtensionComponent = New DataGridViewExtensionComponent()
DGVExtension.SetManagedByExtension( Me.DataGridViewControl, True )
'Manage other grids here ...


4. Run your application!

It is possible to change the default folder where all Xml data is saved, you just have to insert the following lines of code in your application:

1. Add reference to the main assembly ‘DataGridViewExtension.dll’ and to any of the export dlls you wish to be supported. The assemblies can be found in folder 'v1.1.1\Bin' in the installation\archive.


2. Ensure you have the following imports:
C#
using CompletIT.Windows.DataGridViewExtension;
using CompletIT.Windows.DataGridViewExtension.Persistence;

VB.NET
Imports CompletIT.Windows.DataGridViewExtension
Imports CompletIT.Windows.DataGridViewExtension.Persistence


3. Then add the following lines of code in order to change the persistence folder:
C#
//The new destination folder should be existing
DGVEXmlPersistenceManager.ExtensionSettingsPath = "C:\\MyNewPersistenceFolder";
DataGridViewExtensionComponent.Extension.UpdateAllGridsWithPersistedSettings();
DGVEThemesManager.UpdateListWithSavedThemes();

VB.NET
'The new destination folder should be existing
DGVEXmlPersistenceManager.ExtensionSettingsPath = "C:\\MyNewPersistenceFolder"
DataGridViewExtensionComponent.Extension.UpdateAllGridsWithPersistedSettings()
DGVEThemesManager.UpdateListWithSavedThemes()


4. Run your application!

It is possible to use separately the export functionality to MSExcel provided by DataGridView Extension. There are some simple steps outlined below you have to follow.

1. Add reference to the main assembly ‘DataGridViewExtension.dll’ and export dll ‘DGVEExcelExporting.dll’. The assemblies can be found in folder 'v1.1.1\Bin' in the installation\archive.


2. First ensure you have the following imports:
C#
using CompletIT.Windows.Forms.Export.Excel;

VB.NET
Imports CompletIT.Windows.Forms.Export.Excel


3. Then add the following code in the event handler that has to perform the export:
C#
DGVEExcelExportSettings exportSettings = new DGVEExcelExportSettings();
exportSettings.ExportFileName = ...//Export file name
exportSettings.OpenFileAfterGeneration = true; //Open generated file after export
//Set other settings here...
DGVEExcelExporter exporter = new DGVEExcelExporter();
exporter.Export( dataGridView, exportSettings );

VB.NET
Dim ExportSettings As DGVEExcelExportSettings = New DGVEExcelExportSettings()
ExportSettings.ExportFileName = ...'Export file name
ExportSettings.OpenFileAfterGeneration = True 'Open generated file after export
'Set other settings here...
Dim Exporter As DGVEExcelExporter = New DGVEExcelExporter()
Exporter.Export(Me.DataGridViewControl, ExportSettings)

It is possible to use separately the export functionality to Html provided by DataGridView Extension. There are some simple steps outlined below you have to follow.

1. Add reference to the main assembly ‘DataGridViewExtension.dll’ and export dll ‘DGVEHtmlExporting.dll’. The assemblies can be found in folder 'v1.1.1\Bin' in the installation\archive.


2. First ensure you have the following imports:
C#
using CompletIT.Windows.Forms.Export.Html;

VB.NET
Imports CompletIT.Windows.Forms.Export.Html


3. Then add the following code in the event handler that has to perform the export:
C#
DGVEHtmlExportSettings exportSettings = new DGVEHtmlExportSettings();
exportSettings.ExportFileName = ...//Export file name
exportSettings.OpenFileAfterGeneration = true; //Open generated file after export
//Set other settings here...
DGVEHtmlExporter exporter = new DGVEHtmlExporter();
exporter.Export( dataGridView, exportSettings );

VB.NET
Dim ExportSettings As DGVEHtmlExportSettings = New DGVEHtmlExportSettings()
ExportSettings.ExportFileName = ...'Export file name
ExportSettings.OpenFileAfterGeneration = True 'Open generated file after export
'Set other settings here...
Dim Exporter As DGVEHtmlExporter = New DGVEHtmlExporter()
Exporter.Export(Me.DataGridViewControl, ExportSettings)

The Name is the only necessary property that DataGridView Extension needs in order to manage a DataGridView control. If there is no Name defined the Extension cannot recognize the DataGridView and therefore cannot save any settings for it. Nevertheless it is possible to get this message sometimes in version 1.0 even for grids that do have names defined. The reason for this is the sequence of the code generated design time. Workaround for this problem is to open the source code find the call to the extension:
C#
dgvExtension.SetManagedByExtension( dataGridView, true );
VB.NET
DGVExtension.SetManagedByExtension( Me.DataGridViewControl, True )

and move it after the line where the Name of the same DataGridView control is set so finally you will have:
 
C#
dataGridView.Name = "dataGridView";
dgvExtension.SetManagedByExtension( dataGridView, true );
VB.NET
DataGridViewControl.Name = "dataGridView" 
DGVExtension.SetManagedByExtension( Me.DataGridViewControl, True )

This problem is fixed in version 1.1.

If you want to change the colors of the row and column headers you have to ensure that the option ‘Use Windows Visual Styles’ is not checked in the Header Styles editor - by default this option is checked which means that all headers are using the default colors defined by the system.

No, DataGridView Extension component just decorates the standard DataGridView control provided in .Net 2.0 Framework without any inheritance and with just single line of code.