Toggling word wrap on a DataGrid column header in Flex

by Peter deHaan on September 14, 2008

in DataGrid, DataGridColumn

The following example shows how you can toggle word wrapping on a Flex DataGrid control’s DataGridColumn by setting the headerWordWrap property.

Full code after the jump.

View MXML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/09/14/toggling-word-wrap-on-a-datagrid-column-header-in-flex/ -->
<mx:Application name="DataGridColumn_headerWordWrap_test"
        xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
        layout="vertical"
        verticalAlign="top"
        backgroundColor="white">

    <mx:XML id="dp" source="data/products.xml" />

    <mx:ApplicationControlBar dock="true">
        <mx:Form styleName="plain">
            <mx:FormItem label="headerWordWrap:">
                <mx:CheckBox id="checkBox" />
            </mx:FormItem>
            <mx:FormItem label="rowCount:">
                <mx:HSlider id="slider"
                        minimum="2"
                        maximum="10"
                        value="6"
                        snapInterval="1"
                        tickInterval="1"
                        liveDragging="true"
                        showTrackHighlight="true" />
            </mx:FormItem>
        </mx:Form>
    </mx:ApplicationControlBar>

    <mx:DataGrid id="dataGrid"
            dataProvider="{dp.product}"
            rowCount="{slider.value}"
            verticalScrollPolicy="on"
            width="300">
        <mx:columns>
            <mx:DataGridColumn id="dataGridColumn1"
                    dataField="@name"
                    headerText="This is a column with a long title:"
                    headerWordWrap="{checkBox.selected}"
                    minWidth="80" />
            <mx:DataGridColumn id="dataGridColumn2"
                    dataField="@price"
                    headerText="Price:"
                    headerWordWrap="false"
                    minWidth="20" />
        </mx:columns>
    </mx:DataGrid>

</mx:Application>

And the XML file, data/products.xml, is as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/09/14/toggling-word-wrap-on-a-datagrid-column-header-in-flex/ -->
<products>
	<product name="Product 1" price="1.99" />
	<product name="Product 2" price="2.99" />
	<product name="Product 3" price="3.99" />
	<product name="Product 4" price="4.99" />
	<product name="Product 5" price="5.99" />
	<product name="Product 6" price="6.99" />
	<product name="Product 7" price="7.99" />
	<product name="Product 8" price="8.99" />
	<product name="Product 9" price="9.99" />
	<product name="Product 0" price="0.99" />
</products>

View source is enabled in the following example.

You can also set the headerWordWrap property using ActionScript, as seen in the following example:

View MXML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/09/14/toggling-word-wrap-on-a-datagrid-column-header-in-flex/ -->
<mx:Application name="DataGridColumn_headerWordWrap_test"
        xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
        layout="vertical"
        verticalAlign="top"
        backgroundColor="white">

    <mx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            private function checkBox_change(evt:Event):void {
                dataGridColumn1.headerWordWrap = checkBox.selected;
            }
        ]]>
    </mx:Script>

    <mx:XML id="dp" source="data/products.xml" />

    <mx:ApplicationControlBar dock="true">
        <mx:Form styleName="plain">
            <mx:FormItem label="headerWordWrap:">
                <mx:CheckBox id="checkBox"
                        change="checkBox_change(event);" />
            </mx:FormItem>
            <mx:FormItem label="rowCount:">
                <mx:HSlider id="slider"
                        minimum="2"
                        maximum="10"
                        value="6"
                        snapInterval="1"
                        tickInterval="1"
                        liveDragging="true"
                        showTrackHighlight="true" />
            </mx:FormItem>
        </mx:Form>
    </mx:ApplicationControlBar>

    <mx:DataGrid id="dataGrid"
            dataProvider="{dp.product}"
            rowCount="{slider.value}"
            verticalScrollPolicy="on"
            width="300">
        <mx:columns>
            <mx:DataGridColumn id="dataGridColumn1"
                    dataField="@name"
                    headerText="This is a column with a long title:"
                    minWidth="80" />
            <mx:DataGridColumn id="dataGridColumn2"
                    dataField="@price"
                    headerText="Price:"
                    headerWordWrap="false"
                    minWidth="20" />
        </mx:columns>
    </mx:DataGrid>

</mx:Application>

Due to popular demand, here is the “same” example in a more ActionScript friendly format:

View MXML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/09/14/toggling-word-wrap-on-a-datagrid-column-header-in-flex/ -->
<mx:Application name="DataGridColumn_headerWordWrap_test"
        xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
        layout="vertical"
        verticalAlign="top"
        backgroundColor="white"
        initialize="init();">

    <mx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            import mx.containers.ApplicationControlBar;
            import mx.containers.Form;
            import mx.containers.FormItem;
            import mx.controls.CheckBox;
            import mx.controls.DataGrid;
            import mx.controls.HSlider;
            import mx.controls.dataGridClasses.DataGridColumn;
            import mx.core.ScrollPolicy;
            import mx.events.SliderEvent;

            private var checkBox:CheckBox;
            private var slider:HSlider;
            private var dataGrid:DataGrid;
            private var dataGridColumn1:DataGridColumn;
            private var dataGridColumn2:DataGridColumn;

            private function init():void {
                checkBox = new CheckBox();
                checkBox.addEventListener(Event.CHANGE,
                            checkBox_change);

                slider = new HSlider();
                slider.minimum = 2;
                slider.maximum = 10;
                slider.value = 6;
                slider.snapInterval = 1;
                slider.tickInterval = 1;
                slider.liveDragging = true;
                slider.setStyle("showTrackHighlight", true);
                slider.addEventListener(SliderEvent.CHANGE,
                            slider_change);

                var formItem1:FormItem = new FormItem();
                formItem1.label = "headerWordWrap:";
                formItem1.addChild(checkBox);

                var formItem2:FormItem = new FormItem();
                formItem2.label = "rowCount:";
                formItem2.addChild(slider);

                var form:Form = new Form();
                form.styleName = "plain";
                form.addChild(formItem1);
                form.addChild(formItem2);

                var appControlBar:ApplicationControlBar;
                appControlBar = new ApplicationControlBar();
                appControlBar.dock = true;
                appControlBar.addChild(form);
                addChildAt(appControlBar, 0);

                dataGridColumn1 = new DataGridColumn();
                dataGridColumn1.dataField = "@name";
                dataGridColumn1.headerText = "This is a column with a long title:";
                dataGridColumn1.minWidth = 80;

                dataGridColumn2 = new DataGridColumn();
                dataGridColumn2.dataField = "@price";
                dataGridColumn2.headerText = "Price:";
                dataGridColumn2.headerWordWrap = false;
                dataGridColumn2.minWidth = 20;

                dataGrid = new DataGrid();
                dataGrid.columns = [dataGridColumn1, dataGridColumn2];
                dataGrid.dataProvider = dp.product;
                dataGrid.rowCount = 6;
                dataGrid.verticalScrollPolicy = ScrollPolicy.ON;
                dataGrid.width = 300;
                addChild(dataGrid);
            }

            private function checkBox_change(evt:Event):void {
                dataGridColumn1.headerWordWrap = checkBox.selected;
            }

            private function slider_change(evt:SliderEvent):void {
                dataGrid.rowCount = evt.value;
            }
        ]]>
    </mx:Script>

    <mx:XML id="dp" source="data/products.xml" />

</mx:Application>

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Jeff September 16, 2008 at 12:33 pm

Just what I needed. Thanks.

Now, how do I center the header text?

Reply

2 peterd September 16, 2008 at 2:31 pm

Jeff,

Try this:

<mx:Style>
    DataGrid {
        headerStyleName: centerAlignedBold;
    }

    .centerAlignedBold {
        fontWeight: bold;
        textAlign: center;
    }
</mx:Style>

Peter

Reply

3 peterd September 16, 2008 at 11:04 pm
4 Akhil Kumar October 3, 2008 at 12:33 am

HI,
how to insert button within the columns of data grid.

thanks a lot..
Akhil

Reply

5 Dan G October 19, 2009 at 2:39 pm

Seems if you try and style the header with CSS fontSize or fontFamily the header text doesn’t wrap. However, if I set the headerHeight high enough then it does. Is this a bug?

Reply

6 Peter deHaan October 19, 2009 at 2:55 pm

@Dan G,

I’m not sure if it’s a bug. Can you file a bug at http://bugs.adobe.com/flex/ and include your test case and somebody more familiar with the DataGrid control can investigate.

Thanks,
Peter

Reply

7 Ajaz February 17, 2010 at 4:47 am

I have create a headerRenderer with a TextInput for a DataGridColumn in datagrid component.. But when i am doing filtering through the textinput change then i am getting filter data based on last type letter only …. and also i can not see the letter what i have typed in textinput … can anyone plzzzz help me in this aspect???

Reply

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