Serializing DataTable with data inputted from DataGridView

Question

Hi everyone,

I am wondering if it's possible to add data to a DataTable through a DataGridView and save the data in the DataTable by serializing it--and all of this without having to create an underlying database. One DataTable is sufficient for the amount of data I am trying to store and a database is definitely overkill.

Thanks!

Answer 1

I don't think I understand you question about the serialization.

If you assign a DataTable to a DataGridView DataSource property, when you input data in the form, it will be automatically added to the DataTable.

If you want to persist the data inside the DataTable outside a DB, you should use the DataTable WriteXml() method (and ReadXml() to load the data). As you see, the data is serialized in xml format.

Answer 2

Thank you! I will try this.

Answer 3

Not only possible but pretty straightforward. I am going just that with a dataset containing datatables that use datagridviews for input. The dgv use bindingsources as their data source and the bindingsource has the dataset as a its datasource and datatable as datamember.

I serialize the dataset to a varbinary(max) column in SQL Server.

( I use strongly typed properties on my business object, but this should give you the idea )

    '-- Copy dataset to property

    '-- Establish locals
    Dim loFormatter As New BinaryFormatter()
    Dim loStream As New System.IO.MemoryStream()

    '-- Serialize the business object
    loFormatter.Serialize(loStream, Me.DsPolicies1)


    '-- Return the created stream
    Me.PoliciesBO1.Dataset_Bytes = loStream.ToArray()

When the policy record is navigated, the property is deserialized

      If Me.PoliciesBO1.Count > 0 And Me.PoliciesBO1.CurrentRowIndex >= 0 Then

            Me.clear_bindingsources()

            Dim loformatter As New BinaryFormatter()
            Dim lomemorystream As MemoryStream = _
               New MemoryStream(Me.PoliciesBO1.Dataset_Bytes, 0, _
               Me.PoliciesBO1.Dataset_Bytes.Length, True)

            Me.DsPolicies1 = _
                  CType(loformatter.Deserialize(lomemorystream), dsPolicies)

            '-- Rehook datasource 

            Me.rehook_Bindingsources()

            Me.refresh_dgvs()

The last two subs just reset the bindingsource datasource and datamember for each table and then refresh each dgv

( I use these for data gathering to fill PDF Forms )

The only tricky part is remembering the datasource has to be empty on a new record and must be completely reloaded from data after a "parent" record pointer moves.