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I have a question on using grid.. In my project, I have to decide if let the user editing and adding data directly in a grid control, or provide a dialog box for this purpose, so the user insert or modify data using this dialog.
I know that using grid directly is more expensive in code and time terms, but it’s more immediate; but, on the contrary, using a dialog is more immediate in coding, but more uncomfortable from the user point of view.
Based upon your experience in developing and using grid controls, what method is better? Is there a "general rule" to use one method rather than the other?

Thanks, Paolo

Catching the editing events of one cell and of one edit control on dialog are tasks of approximately the same level of difficulty. But it is easier to verify many edited values at one time if they are implemented as popup dialog or property grid. The in-place editing is better for simple cases if you have enough simple grid structure like "Name", "Count" and "Price". In simple cases the changed value of one column does not change values of may other columns and in-place editing is well applied. In any case, the popup dialog is not a modern design. It should be replaced with the property grid displayed on the same level with the main grid window. We can explain details of your data structures and provide you with more exact point of view on this question.