Print Multiple-layered column header in datagridview

Recently someone had asked a question on a forum of “How to create multiple-layered column header in datagridview and also have a print preview of it in vb.net”. Creating multiple-layered column header is available on “Windows Forms Data Controls and Data Binding Forum FAQ” on MSDN Forum but the code is provided in VC#. So I have created a code in VB.NET through which multiple-layered column header can be created as well we can have print preview of it.

Multiple-layered Column Header DatagridView

To create a datagridview with multiple column header we have to handle the DataGridView.Painting and DataGridView.CellPainting events, so that we can draw header as we want. We can use PrintPage event of PrintDocument to build the page for printing.

Print Preview of Multi-layered Column Datagridview

Code for Datagridview

Imports System.Drawing.Printing
Public Class DemoForm
    Dim names() As String = {"Microsoft", "Adobe", "SUN"}
    Dim WithEvents MyPrintDocument As New PrintDocument
    Private Sub DemoForm_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Me.DataGridView1.Columns.Add("clmProduct1", "Product")
        Me.DataGridView1.Columns.Add("clmPrice1", "Price")
        Me.DataGridView1.Columns.Add("clmProduct2", "Product")
        Me.DataGridView1.Columns.Add("clmPrice2", "Price")
        Me.DataGridView1.Columns.Add("clmProduct3", "Product")
        Me.DataGridView1.Columns.Add("clmPrice3", "Price")
        DataGridView1.ColumnHeadersHeightSizeMode = DataGridViewColumnHeadersHeightSizeMode.EnableResizing
        DataGridView1.ColumnHeadersHeight = DataGridView1.ColumnHeadersHeight * 2
        DataGridView1.ColumnHeadersDefaultCellStyle.Alignment = DataGridViewContentAlignment.BottomCenter
    End Sub
    Private Sub DataGridView1_Paint(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs) Handles DataGridView1.Paint
        For i As Integer = 0 To 5 Step 2
            Dim rec As Rectangle = DataGridView1.GetCellDisplayRectangle(i, -1, True)
            rec.X += 1
            rec.Y += 1
            rec.Width = rec.Width * 2 - 2
            rec.Height = rec.Height / 2 - 2
            e.Graphics.FillRectangle(New SolidBrush(Me.DataGridView1.ColumnHeadersDefaultCellStyle.BackColor), rec)
            Dim format As New StringFormat
            format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center
            format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center
            e.Graphics.DrawString(names(i / 2), DataGridView1.ColumnHeadersDefaultCellStyle.Font, New SolidBrush(DataGridView1.ColumnHeadersDefaultCellStyle.ForeColor), rec, format)
        Next
    End Sub
    Private Sub DataGridView1_CellPainting(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewCellPaintingEventArgs) Handles DataGridView1.CellPainting
        If e.RowIndex = -1 And e.ColumnIndex <> -1 Then
            e.PaintBackground(e.CellBounds, False)
            Dim rec As Rectangle = e.CellBounds
            rec.Y += e.CellBounds.Height / 2
            rec.Height = e.CellBounds.Height / 2
            e.PaintContent(rec)
            e.Handled = True
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub btnPrint_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnPrint.Click
        Dim dg As New PrintPreviewDialog
        dg.Document = MyPrintDocument
        dg.ShowDialog()
    End Sub

    Private Sub PrintDocument1_PrintPage(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Drawing.Printing.PrintPageEventArgs) Handles MyPrintDocument.PrintPage
        Dim leftMargin As Integer = 10
        Dim position As Integer = leftMargin
        Dim yPosition As Integer
        Dim height As Integer = DataGridView1.ColumnHeadersHeight / 2
        yPosition = 0
        For i As Integer = 0 To 5 Step 2
            Dim totalWidth As Double = DataGridView1.Columns(i).Width + DataGridView1.Columns(i + 1).Width
            e.Graphics.FillRectangle(New SolidBrush(Color.LightGray), New Rectangle(position, yPosition, totalWidth, height))
            e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(Pens.Black, New Rectangle(position, yPosition, totalWidth, height))
            Dim format As New StringFormat
            format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center
            format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center
            e.Graphics.DrawString(names(i / 2), New Font("Arial", 12, FontStyle.Bold), Brushes.Black, position, yPosition)
            position = position + totalWidth
        Next

        position = leftMargin
        yPosition = DataGridView1.ColumnHeadersHeight / 2
        For Each dr As DataGridViewColumn In DataGridView1.Columns
            Dim totalWidth As Double = dr.Width
            e.Graphics.FillRectangle(New SolidBrush(Color.LightGray), New Rectangle(position, yPosition, totalWidth, height))
            e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(Pens.Black, New Rectangle(position, yPosition, totalWidth, height))
            e.Graphics.DrawString(dr.HeaderText, New Font("Arial", 12, FontStyle.Bold), Brushes.Black, position, yPosition)
            position = position + totalWidth
        Next

        For Each dr As DataGridViewRow In DataGridView1.Rows
            position = leftMargin
            yPosition = yPosition + DataGridView1.ColumnHeadersHeight / 2
            For Each dc As DataGridViewCell In dr.Cells
                Dim totalWidth As Double = dc.OwningColumn.Width
                e.Graphics.FillRectangle(New SolidBrush(Color.White), New Rectangle(position, yPosition, totalWidth, height))
                e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(Pens.Black, New Rectangle(position, yPosition, dc.OwningColumn.Width, height))
                e.Graphics.DrawString(dc.Value, New Font("Arial", 12, FontStyle.Regular), Brushes.Black, position, yPosition)
                position = position + totalWidth
            Next
        Next
    End Sub

End Class