C# DataGridView not updated when datasource is changed

Question

I have a list of object

List<MobilePhone> results;

so i added the list to the datagridview

dataGridView.DataSource = phase3Results;

so i have a few dropdown boxes which dictate the list results at any change of selected item in the dropdown boxes, so my list results changes, but on the datagridview its not reflected. is there any way to "refresh" the changes?

Answer 1

Quick and dirty solution:

dataGridView.DataSource = null;
dataGridView.DataSource = phase3Results;

Clean and correct solution:

Use a BindingList<T> instead of List<T> as your DataSource. List<T> does not fire events when its collection changes.

Also, if you additionally implement INotifyPropertyChanged for T, BindingList<T> automatically subscribes to property changes for each T in the collection and lets the view know about the change.

Answer 2

Try using a BindingList<> instead of List<> and (as already suggested by Daniel), implement INotifyPropertyChanged. However, I think you can also call .Refesh() if you didn't want to implement the INotifyPropertyChanged interface.

Here's an example ripped from here

public class Car : INotifyPropertyChanged
 {
   private string _make;
   private string _model;
   private int _year;

  public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;

  public Car(string make, string model, int year)
   {
     _make = make;
     _model = model;
     _year = year;
   }

  public string Make
   {
     get { return _make; }
     set
     {
       _make = value;
       this.NotifyPropertyChanged("Make");
     }
   }

  public string Model
   {
     get { return _model; }
     set
     {
       _model = value;
       this.NotifyPropertyChanged("Model");
     }
   }

  public int Year
   {
     get { return _year; }
     set
     {
       _year = value;
       this.NotifyPropertyChanged("Year");
     }
   }

  private void NotifyPropertyChanged(string name)
   {
     if(PropertyChanged != null)
       PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
   }
 }

_dgCars.AutoGenerateColumns = false;

DataGridViewTextBoxColumn makeColumn = new DataGridViewTextBoxColumn();
 makeColumn.DataPropertyName = "Make";
 makeColumn.HeaderText = "The Car's Make";

DataGridViewTextBoxColumn modelColumn = new DataGridViewTextBoxColumn();
 modelColumn.DataPropertyName = "Model";
 modelColumn.HeaderText = "The Car's Model";

DataGridViewTextBoxColumn yearColumn = new DataGridViewTextBoxColumn();
 yearColumn.DataPropertyName = "Year";
 yearColumn.HeaderText = "The Car's Year";

_dgCars.Columns.Add(makeColumn);
 _dgCars.Columns.Add(modelColumn);
 _dgCars.Columns.Add(yearColumn);

BindingList<Car> cars = new BindingList<Car>();

cars.Add(new Car("Ford", "Mustang", 1967));
 cars.Add(new Car("Shelby AC", "Cobra", 1965));
 cars.Add(new Car("Chevrolet", "Corvette Sting Ray", 1965));

_dgCars.DataSource = cars;