I may be blind, but this is a little different than the normal export-to-excel. I've created a solution and would like to know if this is the best way. Or even if there is another way to do it.
Background: WinForms, VisualBasic, VS2012, N-Tier (backend is DB2). My DTOs are set up in order of the DB2 tables. My users want to see the fields in a certain order within the DGV AND be able to export the fields in the same order. Users can also rearrange and hide columns. Hidden columns should not be exported.
My solution does do the normal copy from dgv field by field to excel. The difference is that I had to use DataGridViewColumnCollection so that I could utilize DataGridViewElementStates.Visible in order to make sure I'm only exporting visible columns.
Here is the code.
Private Sub ExportToExcelToolStripMenuItem_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles ExportToExcelToolStripMenuItem.Click
If((dgv.Columns.Count = 0) Or (dgv.Rows.Count = 0)) Then Exit Sub
Dim XlApp = New Excel.Application With {.Visible = True}
xlApp.Workbooks.Add(Excel.XlSheetType.xlWorksheet)
Dim xlWS = xlApp.ActiveSheet
xlWS.Name = "Exported Data"
'Copy visible data from DGV to Excel
Dim columnCollection As DataGridViewColumnCollection = dgv.Columns
Dim currentVisibleColumn AS DataGridViewColumn = columnCollection.GetFirstColumn(DataGridViewElementStates.Visible)
Dim lastColumnExported As DataGridViewColumn = currentVisibleColumn
Dim visibleColumntCount As Integer = columnCollection.GetColumnCount(DataGridViewElementStates.Visible)
'Finally export the data
For c = 1 to VisibleColumnCount
xlWS.Cells(1,c) = currentVisibleColumn.HeaderText
currentVisibleColumn = columnCollection.GetNextColumn(lastColumnExported, DataGridViewElementStates.Visible, DataGridViewElementStates.None)
lastColumnExported = currentVisibleColumn
Next
'Only export visible cells
For r = 0 To dgv.Rows.Count - 1
'Reset values
currentVisibleColumn = columnCollection.GetFirstColumn(DataGridViewElementStates.Visible)
lastColumnExported = currentVisibleColumn
For c = 1 to visibleColumnCount
Dim value = dgv.Rows(r).Cells(currentVisibleColumn.Index).Value
If value <> vbNullString Then
xlWS.Cells(r + 2, c) = value.ToString()
End If
currentVisibleColumn = columnCollection.GetNextColumn(lastColumnExported, DataGridViewElementStates.Visible, DataGridViewElementStates.None)
lastColumnExported = currentVisibleColumn
Next
Next
'Autosize columns in excel
Dim columns = xlWS.UsedRange.Columns
columns.AutoFit()
End Sub
Thank you for your feedback. Brian.