Columns in in gantt control

3 Jan 202424 minutes to read

The column displays information from a bound data source, and you can edit the values of column to update the task details through TreeGrid. The operations such as sorting, filtering, and searching can be performed based on column definitions. To display a Gantt column, the Field property should be mapped from the data source to the column.

NOTE

If the column Field is not specified in the data source, the column values will be empty.

The TreeColumnIndex property is used to define the expander column in the Gantt control to expand and collapse the child rows.

Defining columns

Using the Columns property, you can define the columns in Gantt. If the columns are not defined, then the default columns will be rendered based on the mapped data source fields in the TaskFields property. Refer to the following code example for defining the columns in Gantt along with their widths.

<ejs-gantt id='Gantt' dataSource="ViewBag.dataSource" height="450px">
                    <e-gantt-taskfields id="TaskId" name="TaskName" startDate="StartDate"
                            endDate="EndDate" duration="Duration" progress="Progress" child="SubTasks">
                    </e-gantt-taskfields>
                    <e-gantt-columns>
                        <e-gantt-column field="TaskId" width="150"> </e-gantt-column>
                        <e-gantt-column field="TaskName" headerText="Job Name" width="250"></e-gantt-column>
                    </e-gantt-columns>
                </ejs-gantt>
public IActionResult Index()
{
    ViewBag.DataSource = ganttData();
    return View();
}

public static List<GanttDataSource> ganttData()
        {
            List<GanttDataSource> GanttDataSourceCollection = new List<GanttDataSource>();

            GanttDataSource Record1 = new GanttDataSource()
            {
                TaskId = 1,
                TaskName = "Project initiation",
                StartDate = new DateTime(2019, 04, 02),
                EndDate = new DateTime(2019, 04, 21),
                SubTasks = new List<GanttDataSource>()
            };
            GanttDataSource Child1 = new GanttDataSource()
            {
                TaskId = 2,
                TaskName = "Identify site location",
                StartDate = new DateTime(2019, 04, 02),
                Duration = 4,
                Progress = 50
            };
            GanttDataSource Child2 = new GanttDataSource()
            {
                TaskId = 3,
                TaskName = "Perform soil test",
                StartDate = new DateTime(2019, 04, 02),
                Duration = 4,
                Progress = 50
            };
            GanttDataSource Child3 = new GanttDataSource()
            {
                TaskId = 4,
                TaskName = "Soil test approval",
                StartDate = new DateTime(2019, 04, 02),
                Duration = 4,
                Progress = 50
            };
            Record1.SubTasks.Add(Child1);
            Record1.SubTasks.Add(Child2);
            Record1.SubTasks.Add(Child3);

            GanttDataSource Record2 = new GanttDataSource()
            {
                TaskId = 5,
                TaskName = "Project estimation",
                StartDate = new DateTime(2019, 04, 02),
                EndDate = new DateTime(2019, 04, 21),
                SubTasks = new List<GanttDataSource>()
            };
            GanttDataSource Child4 = new GanttDataSource()
            {
                TaskId = 6,
                TaskName = "Develop floor plan for estimation",
                StartDate = new DateTime(2019, 04, 04),
                Duration = 3,
                Progress = 50
            };
            GanttDataSource Child5 = new GanttDataSource()
            {
                TaskId = 7,
                TaskName = "List materials",
                StartDate = new DateTime(2019, 04, 04),
                Duration = 3,
                Progress = 50
            };
            Record2.SubTasks.Add(Child4);
            Record2.SubTasks.Add(Child5);

            GanttDataSourceCollection.Add(Record1);
            GanttDataSourceCollection.Add(Record2);

            return GanttDataSourceCollection;
        }

        public class GanttDataSource
        {
            public int TaskId { get; set; }
            public string TaskName { get; set; }
            public DateTime StartDate { get; set; }
            public DateTime EndDate { get; set; }
            public int? Duration { get; set; }
            public int Progress { get; set; }
            public List<GanttDataSource> SubTasks { get; set; }
	    }

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Custom column header

The column header text can be defined using the HeaderText property, and you can customize the column headers using the HeaderTemplate property.

<ejs-gantt id='Gantt' dataSource="ViewBag.dataSource" height="450px">
                    <e-gantt-taskfields id="TaskId" name="TaskName" startDate="StartDate"
                          endDate="EndDate" duration="Duration" progress="Progress" child="SubTasks">
                    </e-gantt-taskfields>
                    <e-gantt-columns>
                        <e-gantt-column field="TaskName" headerTemplate="#projectName" width="150"></e-gantt-column>
                        <e-gantt-column field="StartDate" headerTemplate="#dateTemplate" width="150"></e-gantt-column>
                        <e-gantt-column field="Duration" headerTemplate="#durationTemplate" width="150"></e-gantt-column>
                        <e-gantt-column field="Progress" headerTemplate="#progressTemplate" width="150"></e-gantt-column>
				    </e-gantt-columns>
                </ejs-gantt>
				
				
	<script type="text/x-template" id="projectName">
        <div>
            <div>
                <img src="taskname.png" width="20" height="20" class="e-image" />  Task Name
            </div>
        </div>
    </script>

    <script type="text/x-template" id="dateTemplate">
        <div>
            <div>
                <img src="startdate.png" width="20" height="20" class="e-image" />  Start Date
            </div>
        </div>
    </script>

    <script type="text/x-template" id="durationTemplate">
        <div>
            <div>
                <img src="duration.png" width="20" height="20" class="e-image" />  Duration
            </div>
        </div>
    </script>

    <script type="text/x-template" id="progressTemplate">
        <div>
            <div>
                <img src="progress.png" width="20" height="20" class="e-image" />  Progress
            </div>
        </div>
    </script>
public IActionResult Index()
{
    ViewBag.DataSource = GanttData.ProjectNewData();
    return View();
}

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Format

To format the cell values based on a specific culture, use the Columns.Format property. The Gantt control uses the Internationalization library to format number and date values.

<ejs-gantt id='Gantt' dataSource="ViewBag.dataSource" height="450px">
                    <e-gantt-taskfields id="TaskId" name="TaskName" startDate="StartDate"
                            endDate="EndDate" duration="Duration" progress="Progress" child="SubTasks">
                    </e-gantt-taskfields>
                    <e-gantt-columns>
                        <e-gantt-column field="TaskId" width="150"></e-gantt-column>
                        <e-gantt-column field="Progress" width="150" format="C"></e-gantt-column>
                    </e-gantt-columns>
                </ejs-gantt>
public IActionResult Index()
{
    ViewBag.DataSource = GanttData.ProjectNewData();
    return View();
}

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NOTE

By default, the number and date values are formatted in en-US culture.

Number formatting

The number or integer values can be formatted using the following format strings.

Format Description Remarks
N Denotes numeric type. The numeric format is followed by an integer value like N2 or N3, which denotes the number of precisions to be allowed.
C Denotes currency type. The currency format is followed by an integer value like C2 or C3, which denotes the number of precisions to be allowed.
P Denotes percentage type The percentage format expects the input value to be in the range of 0 to 100. For example, the cell value 0.2 is formatted as 20%. The percentage format is followed by an integer value like P2, P3, which denotes the number of precisions to be allowed.

Date formatting

You can format date values either using the built-in date format string or a custom format string.

For the built-in date format, you can specify the Columns.Format property as string (example: yMd).

You can also use the custom format string to format the date values. Some of the custom formats and the formatted date values are given in the following table.

Format Formatted value
{ type:’date’, format:’dd/MM/yyyy’ } 04/07/2019
{ type:’date’, format:’dd.MM.yyyy’ } 04.07.2019
{ type:’date’, skeleton:’short’ } 7/4/19
{ type: ‘dateTime’, format: ‘dd/MM/yyyy hh:mm a’ } 04/07/2019 12:00 AM
{ type: ‘dateTime’, format: ‘MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss a’ } 07/04/2019 12:00:00 AM
<ejs-gantt id='Gantt' dataSource="ViewBag.dataSource" height="450px">
                    <e-gantt-taskfields id="TaskId" name="TaskName" startDate="StartDate"
                           endDate="EndDate" duration="Duration" progress="Progress" child="SubTasks">
                    </e-gantt-taskfields>
                    <e-gantt-columns>
                        <e-gantt-column field="TaskId" width="50"></e-gantt-column>
                        <e-gantt-column field="TaskName"></e-gantt-column>
                        <e-gantt-column field="StartDate" format="yMd"></e-gantt-column>
                        <e-gantt-column field="Duration"></e-gantt-column>
                        <e-gantt-column field="Progress"></e-gantt-column>
                    </e-gantt-columns>
                </ejs-gantt>
public IActionResult Index()
{
    ViewBag.DataSource = GanttData.ProjectNewData();
    return View();
}

Change tree/expander column

The tree/expander column is a column in the Gantt control, that has icons to expand or collapse the parent records. You can define the tree column index in the Gantt control by using the TreeColumnIndex property and the default value of this property is 0. The following code example shows how to use this property.

<ejs-gantt id='Gantt' dataSource="ViewBag.dataSource" height="450px" treeColumnIndex="2">
                    <e-gantt-taskfields id="TaskId" name="TaskName" startDate="StartDate" endDate="EndDate" duration="Duration" progress="Progress" child="SubTasks">
                    </e-gantt-taskfields>
                </ejs-gantt>
public IActionResult Index()
{
    ViewBag.DataSource = GanttData.ProjectNewData();
    return View();
}

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Show or hide columns dynamically

You can show or hide gantt columns dynamically using external buttons by invoking the showColumn or hideColumn method. The Progress column is hidden and shown on button clicking.

<ejs-button id="show" cssClass="e-flat" content="Show Columns"></ejs-button>
<ejs-button id="hide" cssClass="e-flat" content="Hide Columns"></ejs-button>
<ejs-gantt id='Gantt' dataSource="ViewBag.DataSource" height="550px" gridLines="Both" treeColumnIndex="1">
    <e-gantt-taskfields id="TaskId" name="TaskName" startDate="StartDate"
       endDate="EndDate" duration="Duration" progress="Progress" dependency="Predecessor" child="SubTasks">
    </e-gantt-taskfields>
    <e-gantt-columns>
        <e-gantt-column field="TaskId"></e-gantt-column>
        <e-gantt-column field="TaskName" headerText="Name" width="250"></e-gantt-column>
        <e-gantt-column field="Progress"></e-gantt-column>
        <e-gantt-column field="StartDate"></e-gantt-column>
        <e-gantt-column field="Duration"></e-gantt-column>
    </e-gantt-columns>
</ejs-gantt>

<script>
    document.getElementById("show").addEventListener("click", function () {
        var gantt = document.getElementById("Gantt").ej2_instances[0];
        gantt.showColumn(['Duration']); //show by HeaderText
    });

    document.getElementById("hide").addEventListener("click", function () {
        var gantt = document.getElementById("Gantt").ej2_instances[0];
        gantt.hideColumn(['Duration']); //hide by HeaderText
    })
</script>
public IActionResult Index()
{
    ViewBag.DataSource = GanttData.ProjectNewData();
    return View();
}

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Controlling gantt column actions

You can enable or disable gantt action for a particular column by setting the allowFiltering, allowSorting, allowReordering, and allowEditing properties.

<ejs-gantt id='Gantt' dataSource="ViewBag.DataSource" height="550px" gridLines="Both" treeColumnIndex="1"
           allowSorting="true" allowReordering="true" allowFiltering="true">
    <e-gantt-taskfields id="TaskId" name="TaskName" startDate="StartDate"
                        endDate="EndDate" duration="Duration" progress="Progress" dependency="Predecessor" child="SubTasks">
    </e-gantt-taskfields>
    <e-gantt-columns>
        <e-gantt-column field="TaskId"></e-gantt-column>
        <e-gantt-column field="TaskName" headerText="Name" allowSorting="false" width="250"></e-gantt-column>
        <e-gantt-column field="Progress" allowReordering="false"></e-gantt-column>
        <e-gantt-column field="StartDate" allowEditing="false"></e-gantt-column>
        <e-gantt-column field="Duration" allowFiltering="false"></e-gantt-column>
    </e-gantt-columns>
    <e-gantt-editsettings allowEditing="true"></e-gantt-editsettings>
</ejs-gantt>
public IActionResult Index()
{
    ViewBag.DataSource = GanttData.ProjectNewData();
    return View();
}

Column type

Column type can be specified using the columns.type property. It specifies the type of data the column binds.

If the format is defined for a column, the column uses type to select the appropriate format option number or date.

Gantt column supports the following types:

  • string
  • number
  • boolean
  • date
  • date-time

NOTE

If the type is not defined, it will be determined from the first record of the dataSource. In case if the first record of the dataSource is null/blank value for a column then it is necessary to define the type for that column.