Hi

The way I populate a datagrid:

1- Create a dataset and a dataview.
2 - Get the database.
3 - Fill the dataset with the data from the database table.
4 - Set the dataview table to the dataset.
5 - Set the datasource of the datagrid to the dataview.
6 - Set the table style of the datagrid to show what you want to show.

- The column width you can set it up when setting the table style.
- If you want to filter the data, filter the dataview.

Hope it helps

yes sure, the tablestyles can be done with code:

VB.NET Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)

 
        Me.DataGrid1.TableStyles.Clear()
 
        'Step 1: Create a DataGridTableStyle &  set mappingname to table.
        Dim tableStyle As New DataGridTableStyle
        tableStyle.MappingName = "Table1"
 
        Dim column As New DataGridTextBoxColumn
        column.ReadOnly = True
        column.MappingName = "ID"
        column.HeaderText = "Event_#"
        column.Width = 50
        column.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center
       tableStyle.GridColumnStyles.Add(column)
 
 
        column = New DataGridTextBoxColumn
        column.ReadOnly = True
        column.MappingName = "Date"
        column.HeaderText = "Date_Time"
        column.Width = 110
        column.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center
        tableStyle.GridColumnStyles.Add(column)
 
        tableStyle.AlternatingBackColor = Color.Lavender
 
        Me.DataGrid1.TableStyles.Add(tableStyle)

Me.DataGrid1.TableStyles.Clear() 'Step 1: Create a DataGridTableStyle & set mappingname to table. Dim tableStyle As New DataGridTableStyle tableStyle.MappingName = "Table1" Dim column As New DataGridTextBoxColumn column.ReadOnly = True column.MappingName = "ID" column.HeaderText = "Event_#" column.Width = 50 column.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center tableStyle.GridColumnStyles.Add(column) column = New DataGridTextBoxColumn column.ReadOnly = True column.MappingName = "Date" column.HeaderText = "Date_Time" column.Width = 110 column.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Center tableStyle.GridColumnStyles.Add(column) tableStyle.AlternatingBackColor = Color.Lavender Me.DataGrid1.TableStyles.Add(tableStyle)

That will add two of the columns ("ID" and "Date") from Table1 to datagrid1. There you can specify the text you want to display, width, etc.

there is more information here if you wnat to go deeper:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...stDataGrid.asp

That is the way you do it at designt time.
Is that what you mean? is what possible?