+1 Scott.

At Mindscape we’ve been part of the anti-data grid brigade for years and were stoked when WPF/SL came about to make rich presentation and visualization of data easier.

There would be mutiny in the company if I suggested we build a data grid but unfortunately, being in the controls space, it’s appearing more and more like we should just build one as they still appear to be the #1 selling controls.

It’s all a bit sad really. It’s like finally building a flying car but still driving on the road.

I completely agree with DataGrids being a crutch, the simplest option and as a result a poor design choice. “Lets not design/think-about the screen/interaction/flow, lets just slap in a DataGrid and keep going.”

This has many downsides one of which is having that DataGrid getting worse over time and often very quickly. This happens through various additions and expansions on a UI element that shouldn’t be there in the first place.

Comments from stake holders such as; “can we have these cells interact and change those other cells”, “can we embed a checked listbox in these cells”, and so on deeper into the hole you get.