Handling DataTable Events

The DataTable object provides a series of events that can be processed by an application. The following table describes DataTable events.

Additional Related Events

The Constraints property holds a ConstraintCollection instance. The ConstraintCollection class exposes a CollectionChanged event. This event fires when a constraint is added, modified, or removed from the ConstraintCollection.

The Columns property holds a DataColumnCollection instance. The DataColumnCollection class exposes a CollectionChanged event. This event fires when a DataColumn is added, modified, or removed from the DataColumnCollection. Modifications that cause the event to fire include changes to the name, type, expression or ordinal position of a column.

The Tables property of a DataSet holds a DataTableCollection instance. The DataTableCollection class exposes both a CollectionChanged and a CollectionChanging event. These events fire when a DataTable is added to or removed from the DataSet.

Changes to DataRows can also trigger events for an associated DataView. The DataView class exposes a ListChanged event that fires when a DataColumn value changes or when the composition or sort order of the view changes. The DataRowView class exposes a PropertyChanged event that fires when an associated DataColumn value changes.

Sequence of Operations

Here is the sequence of operations that occur when a DataRow is added, modified, or deleted:

1. Create the proposed record and apply any changes.

2. Check constraints for non-expression columns.

3. Raise the RowChanging or RowDeleting events as applicable.

4. Set the proposed record to be the current record.

5. Update any associated indexes.

6. Raise ListChanged events for associated DataView objects and PropertyChanged events for associated DataRowView objects.

7. Evaluate all expression columns, but delay checking any constraints on these columns.

8. Raise ListChanged events for associated DataView objects and PropertyChanged events for associated DataRowView objects affected by the expression column evaluations.

9. Raise RowChanged or RowDeleted events as applicable.

10. Check constraints on expression columns.

Example

The following example demonstrates how to create event handlers for the RowChanged, RowChanging, RowDeleted, RowDeleting, ColumnChanged, ColumnChanging, TableNewRow, TableCleared, and TableClearing events. Each event handler displays output in the console window when it is fired.

static void DataTableEvents()
{
    DataTable table = new("Customers");
    // Add two columns, id and name.
    table.Columns.Add("id", typeof(int));
    table.Columns.Add("name", typeof(string));

    // Set the primary key.
    table.Columns["id"].Unique = true;
    table.PrimaryKey = new DataColumn[] { table.Columns["id"] };

    // Add a RowChanged event handler.
    table.RowChanged += Row_Changed;

    // Add a RowChanging event handler.
    table.RowChanging += Row_Changing;

    // Add a RowDeleted event handler.
    table.RowDeleted += Row_Deleted;

    // Add a RowDeleting event handler.
    table.RowDeleting += Row_Deleting;

    // Add a ColumnChanged event handler.
    table.ColumnChanged +=
        Column_Changed;

    // Add a ColumnChanging event handler.
    table.ColumnChanging +=
        Column_Changing;

    // Add a TableNewRow event handler.
    table.TableNewRow +=
        Table_NewRow;

    // Add a TableCleared event handler.
    table.TableCleared +=
        Table_Cleared;

    // Add a TableClearing event handler.
    table.TableClearing +=
        Table_Clearing;

    // Add a customer.
    DataRow row = table.NewRow();
    row["id"] = 1;
    row["name"] = "Customer1";
    table.Rows.Add(row);

    table.AcceptChanges();

    // Change the customer name.
    table.Rows[0]["name"] = "ChangedCustomer1";

    // Delete the row.
    table.Rows[0].Delete();

    // Clear the table.
    table.Clear();
}

static void Row_Changed(object sender, DataRowChangeEventArgs e) =>
    Console.WriteLine("Row_Changed Event: name={0}; action={1}",
        e.Row["name"], e.Action);

static void Row_Changing(object sender, DataRowChangeEventArgs e) =>
    Console.WriteLine("Row_Changing Event: name={0}; action={1}",
        e.Row["name"], e.Action);

static void Row_Deleted(object sender, DataRowChangeEventArgs e) =>
    Console.WriteLine("Row_Deleted Event: name={0}; action={1}",
        e.Row["name", DataRowVersion.Original], e.Action);

static void Row_Deleting(object sender,
DataRowChangeEventArgs e) =>
    Console.WriteLine("Row_Deleting Event: name={0}; action={1}",
        e.Row["name"], e.Action);

static void Column_Changed(object sender, DataColumnChangeEventArgs e) =>
    Console.WriteLine("Column_Changed Event: ColumnName={0}; RowState={1}",
        e.Column.ColumnName, e.Row.RowState);

static void Column_Changing(object sender, DataColumnChangeEventArgs e) =>
    Console.WriteLine("Column_Changing Event: ColumnName={0}; RowState={1}",
        e.Column.ColumnName, e.Row.RowState);

static void Table_NewRow(object sender,
    DataTableNewRowEventArgs e) =>
    Console.WriteLine("Table_NewRow Event: RowState={0}",
        e.Row.RowState.ToString());

static void Table_Cleared(object sender, DataTableClearEventArgs e) =>
    Console.WriteLine("Table_Cleared Event: TableName={0}; Rows={1}",
        e.TableName, e.Table.Rows.Count.ToString());

static void Table_Clearing(object sender, DataTableClearEventArgs e) =>
    Console.WriteLine("Table_Clearing Event: TableName={0}; Rows={1}",
        e.TableName, e.Table.Rows.Count.ToString());

Private Sub DataTableEvents()

    Dim table As New DataTable("Customers")
    ' Add two columns, id and name.
    table.Columns.Add("id", Type.GetType("System.Int32"))
    table.Columns.Add("name", Type.GetType("System.String"))

    ' Set the primary key.
    table.Columns("id").Unique = True
    table.PrimaryKey = New DataColumn() {table.Columns("id")}

    ' Add a RowChanged event handler.
    AddHandler table.RowChanged, _
           New DataRowChangeEventHandler(AddressOf Row_Changed)

    ' Add a RowChanging event handler.
    AddHandler table.RowChanging, _
           New DataRowChangeEventHandler(AddressOf Row_Changing)

    ' Add a RowDeleted event handler.
    AddHandler table.RowDeleted, New _
           DataRowChangeEventHandler(AddressOf Row_Deleted)

    ' Add a RowDeleting event handler.
    AddHandler table.RowDeleting, New _
           DataRowChangeEventHandler(AddressOf Row_Deleting)

    ' Add a ColumnChanged event handler.
    AddHandler table.ColumnChanged, _
           New DataColumnChangeEventHandler(AddressOf Column_Changed)

    ' Add a ColumnChanging event handler for the table.
    AddHandler table.ColumnChanging, New _
           DataColumnChangeEventHandler(AddressOf Column_Changing)

    ' Add a TableNewRow event handler.
    AddHandler table.TableNewRow, New _
           DataTableNewRowEventHandler(AddressOf Table_NewRow)

    ' Add a TableCleared event handler.
    AddHandler table.TableCleared, New _
           DataTableClearEventHandler(AddressOf Table_Cleared)

    ' Add a TableClearing event handler.
    AddHandler table.TableClearing, New _
           DataTableClearEventHandler(AddressOf Table_Clearing)

    ' Add a customer.
    Dim row As DataRow = table.NewRow()
    row("id") = 1
    row("name") = "Customer1"
    table.Rows.Add(row)

    table.AcceptChanges()

    ' Change the customer name.
    table.Rows(0).Item("name") = "ChangedCustomer1"

    ' Delete the row.
    table.Rows(0).Delete()

    ' Clear the table.
    table.Clear()
End Sub


Private Sub Row_Changed(ByVal sender As Object, _
    ByVal e As DataRowChangeEventArgs)
    Console.WriteLine("Row_Changed Event: name={0}; action={1}", _
     e.Row("name"), e.Action)
End Sub

Private Sub Row_Changing(ByVal sender As Object, _
    ByVal e As DataRowChangeEventArgs)
    Console.WriteLine("Row_Changing Event: name={0}; action={1}", _
     e.Row("name"), e.Action)
End Sub

Private Sub Row_Deleted(ByVal sender As Object, _
    ByVal e As DataRowChangeEventArgs)
    Console.WriteLine("Row_Deleted Event: name={0}; action={1}", _
     e.Row("name", DataRowVersion.Original), e.Action)
End Sub

Private Sub Row_Deleting(ByVal sender As Object, _
    ByVal e As DataRowChangeEventArgs)
    Console.WriteLine("Row_Deleting Event: name={0}; action={1}", _
       e.Row("name"), e.Action)
End Sub

Private Sub Column_Changed(ByVal sender As Object, _
    ByVal e As DataColumnChangeEventArgs)
    Console.WriteLine("Column_Changed Event: ColumnName={0}; RowState={1}", _
       e.Column.ColumnName, e.Row.RowState)
End Sub

Private Sub Column_Changing(ByVal sender As Object, _
    ByVal e As DataColumnChangeEventArgs)
    Console.WriteLine("Column_Changing Event: ColumnName={0}; RowState={1}", _
       e.Column.ColumnName, e.Row.RowState)
End Sub

Private Sub Table_NewRow(ByVal sender As Object, _
ByVal e As DataTableNewRowEventArgs)
    Console.WriteLine("Table_NewRow Event: RowState={0}", _
       e.Row.RowState.ToString())
End Sub

Private Sub Table_Cleared(ByVal sender As Object, _
    ByVal e As DataTableClearEventArgs)
    Console.WriteLine("Table_Cleared Event: TableName={0}; Rows={1}", _
       e.TableName, e.Table.Rows.Count.ToString())
End Sub

Private Sub Table_Clearing(ByVal sender As Object, _
    ByVal e As DataTableClearEventArgs)
    Console.WriteLine("Table_Clearing Event: TableName={0}; Rows={1}", _
       e.TableName, e.Table.Rows.Count.ToString())
End Sub

See also

• Manipulating Data in a DataTable
• Handling DataAdapter Events
• Handling DataSet Events
• ADO.NET Overview