---
title: "Nested Datagrid in C# winforms"  
description: "Here I will describe how to show data in nested datagrid using C# winforms"  
author: "Devesh Omar"  
published: 2014-06-17  
updated: 2020-07-14  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/1415/nested-datagrid-in-c-sharp-winforms  
category: "asp.net"  
tags: ["asp.net"]  
reading_time: 3 minutes  

---

# Nested Datagrid in C# winforms

##### Introduction

Here I will describe how to show data in nested datagrid using C# winforms

This is applicable to those cases where we have to display master and child content / rows.

Example Student Table

Here in this example we have list of Students and inside we have details of student marks

| ##### StudentId | ##### Student name | ##### Student Roll number |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Devesh omar | 0302713014 |
|  | \| SubjectID \| SubjectName \| Marks \| \| --- \| --- \| --- \| \| 123 \| Physics \| 75 \| \| 321 \| chemistry \| 99 \| \| 555 \| Maths \| 100 \| \| \| \| \| |  |
| SubjectID | SubjectName | Marks |
| 123 | Physics | 75 |
| 321 | chemistry | 99 |
| 555 | Maths | 100 |
|  |  |  |
| 2 | Nikhil | 03027130145 |
|  | \| SubjectID \| SubjectName \| Marks \| \| --- \| --- \| --- \| \| 123 \| Physics \| 72 \| \| 321 \| C# \| 100 \| \| 555 \| Maths \| 100 \| \| \| \| \| |  |
| SubjectID | SubjectName | Marks |
| 123 | Physics | 72 |
| 321 | C# | 100 |
| 555 | Maths | 100 |
|  |  |  |

Our purpose is to display this type of data using C# Winforms

Steps and Code:

1. First we need to create Master and child tables.
2. To identify the relationship between tables we should have Primary and Foreign Keys in tables
3. Here we are creating datatable for master and child tables.
4. Master table (student)

```
                //Parent table            DataTable dtstudent = new DataTable();            dtstudent.Columns.Add("Student_ID", typeof(int));            dtstudent.Columns.Add("Student_Name", typeof(string));            dtstudent.Columns.Add("Student_RollNo", typeof(string));
```

5. Child Table (Student Marks)

```
//Child table            DataTable dtstudentMarks = new DataTable();            dtstudentMarks.Columns.Add("Student_ID", typeof(int));            dtstudentMarks.Columns.Add("Subject_ID", typeof(int));            dtstudentMarks.Columns.Add("Subject_Name", typeof(string));            dtstudentMarks.Columns.Add("Marks", typeof(int)); 
```

f. Understanding Relation ship between Master and child table

![Nested Datagrid in C# winforms](http://www.mindstick.com/MindStickArticle/af00a21e-6f45-4027-b4db-7b58c1e0e325/Images/Untitled.png)

g. In brief

dtstudent.StudentID = dtstudentMarks.StudentID

Adding Rows to Master table (Student Table)

```
//Adding Rows             dtstudent.Rows.Add(111, "Devesh", "03021013014");            dtstudent.Rows.Add(222, "ROLI", "0302101444");            dtstudent.Rows.Add(333, "ROLI Ji", "030212222");            dtstudent.Rows.Add(444, "NIKHIL", "KANPUR"); 
```

i. Adding Row to Child table (Student Marks table)

```
   // data for devesh ID=111            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(111, "01","Physics", 99);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(111, "02","Maths", 77);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(111, "03","C#", 100);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(111, "01","Physics", 99);              //data for ROLI ID=222            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(222, "01", "Physics", 80);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(222, "02", "English", 95);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(222, "03", "Commerce", 95);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(222, "01", "BankPO", 99);
```

Adding master and child table to dataset.

```
DataSet dsDataset = new DataSet();  dsDataset.Tables.Add(dtstudent);  dsDataset.Tables.Add(dtstudentMarks);
```

Defining relationship between Master and child table

\

\

```
DataRelation Datatablerelation = new DataRelation("DetailsMarks", dsDataset.Tables[0].Columns[0], dsDataset.Tables[1].Columns[0],true);            dsDataset.Relations.Add(Datatablerelation);
```

l. Adding Datagrid control in winforms

As per screen below we can add datagrid to winforms

Right click in tool bar -> choose item

![Nested Datagrid in C# winforms](http://www.mindstick.com/MindStickArticle/af00a21e-6f45-4027-b4db-7b58c1e0e325/Images/image002.png)

\
m. Binding data

```
dataGrid1.DataSource = dsDataset.Tables[0]; 
```

\
n. All code together

```
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)        {            //Parent table            DataTable dtstudent = new DataTable();            // add column to datatable              dtstudent.Columns.Add("Student_ID", typeof(int));            dtstudent.Columns.Add("Student_Name", typeof(string));            dtstudent.Columns.Add("Student_RollNo", typeof(string));                        //Child table            DataTable dtstudentMarks = new DataTable();            dtstudentMarks.Columns.Add("Student_ID", typeof(int));            dtstudentMarks.Columns.Add("Subject_ID", typeof(int));            dtstudentMarks.Columns.Add("Subject_Name", typeof(string));            dtstudentMarks.Columns.Add("Marks", typeof(int));                         //Adding Rows             dtstudent.Rows.Add(111, "Devesh", "03021013014");            dtstudent.Rows.Add(222, "ROLI", "0302101444");            dtstudent.Rows.Add(333, "ROLI Ji", "030212222");            dtstudent.Rows.Add(444, "NIKHIL", "KANPUR");                 // data for devesh ID=111            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(111, "01","Physics", 99);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(111, "02","Maths", 77);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(111, "03","C#", 100);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(111, "01","Physics", 99);              //data for ROLI ID=222            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(222, "01", "Physics", 80);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(222, "02", "English", 95);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(222, "03", "Commerce", 95);            dtstudentMarks.Rows.Add(222, "01", "BankPO", 99);               DataSet dsDataset = new DataSet();            //Add two DataTables  in Dataset             dsDataset.Tables.Add(dtstudent);            dsDataset.Tables.Add(dtstudentMarks);                        DataRelation Datatablerelation = new DataRelation("DetailsMarks", dsDataset.Tables[0].Columns[0], dsDataset.Tables[1].Columns[0], true);            dsDataset.Relations.Add(Datatablerelation);            dataGrid1.DataSource = dsDataset.Tables[0];         }
```

o. Running code

We will get following screen having expandable rows in datagrid.

![Nested Datagrid in C# winforms](http://www.mindstick.com/MindStickArticle/af00a21e-6f45-4027-b4db-7b58c1e0e325/Images/image004.png)\

p. Expanding row to see details

\
![Nested Datagrid in C# winforms](http://www.mindstick.com/MindStickArticle/af00a21e-6f45-4027-b4db-7b58c1e0e325/Images/image006.png)

\
q. Click on DetailsMarks to get Marks details

\
![Nested Datagrid in C# winforms](http://www.mindstick.com/MindStickArticle/af00a21e-6f45-4027-b4db-7b58c1e0e325/Images/image008.png)

\
r. Details screen for student_Id=222

\
![Nested Datagrid in C# winforms](http://www.mindstick.com/MindStickArticle/af00a21e-6f45-4027-b4db-7b58c1e0e325/Images/image010.png)

s. Go to back for Master details

\
Click on highlighted back button to go master detail form

\
![Nested Datagrid in C# winforms](http://www.mindstick.com/MindStickArticle/af00a21e-6f45-4027-b4db-7b58c1e0e325/Images/image011.png)

\
t. Main form

\
![Nested Datagrid in C# winforms](http://www.mindstick.com/MindStickArticle/af00a21e-6f45-4027-b4db-7b58c1e0e325/Images/image013.png)

Conclusion

\
We have learned how to show data in datagrid with master and child relationship.

---

Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/1415/nested-datagrid-in-c-sharp-winforms

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