Professional DevExpress™ ASP.NET Controls

Chapter 3. Using the ASPxTreeList, ASPxDataView, and ASPxNewsControl

Users have come to expect that data appear in anticipated ways based on the kinds of data. Rows of data are expected to be in grids or forms with some kind of navigation bar; something that looks like a file system is expected to be presented in trees; and so on. This is not to say that these visual metaphors are mandatory or one must not deviate from expected cues. In truth, if you can create something new and cool and your users will buy it, that's great. Most of the time, however, you have enough to do without dramatically trying to change what users expect.

Consider this example: Many of us have a ton of what is referred to as muscle memory invested in the old menu system of Microsoft Office tools. I am not sure who was clamoring for the ribbon style menus Office uses now, but for a while it caused me some personal consternation. Generally, people can become a little disoriented if things are moved around too much — like when my local mega-supermarket rearranges the shelves — or the expected visual cues aren't present. If you want to invent something new, you can assemble new visual metaphors from DevExpress controls. If you want to use existing metaphors — components and controls — in expected ways, you'll find them in this chapter, which demonstrates trees, lists, and the news controls.

Displaying Data in Tree Views

I am listening to Bonedriven by Bush with Mekon and Phatty's Lunchbox by Mekon as I write this. ...