Simplifying Grid State Persistence in .NET (MVVM) Web Applications w/ Kendo UI: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you [or your users] tired of losing grid state every time you refresh your .NET web application? Are you seeking a robust solution to persist grid state effortlessly with the MVVM architectural pattern? Look no further!

In this article, I'll walk you through the process of persisting grid state seamlessly using JavaScript, jQuery, AJAX, C#, and Kendo UI components. I'll also provide you with code examples for each component, including the controller, partial view, model class service, repository, and JavaScript library functions, making implementation relatively straightforward.

Understanding the Challenge

Modern web applications heavily rely on grids for presenting tabular data effectively. However, maintaining grid state—such as column order, sorting, and filtering—across page refreshes can be daunting. Users expect their customization to persist, enhancing their overall experience.

Leveraging MVVM Architecture

MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) architecture is the cornerstone of modern web application development. By separating concerns into Models, Views, and ViewModels, MVVM ensures clean, maintainable code. We'll leverage this architecture to implement grid state persistence seamlessly.

The Power of Kendo UI Components

Kendo UI components offer a rich set of features and capabilities for building modern web applications. Leveraging Kendo UI Grid component, we can easily achieve grid state persistence without reinventing the wheel. Kendo UI Grid provides built-in support for column reordering, sorting, filtering, and paging, making it an ideal choice for our scenario.

Implementing Grid State Persistence

Let's dive into the implementation details:

1. Serialize Grid State: Utilize JavaScript and jQuery to serialize the grid state into a JSON object. Capture column order, sorting settings, filter criteria, and current page information.
2. Persist State on Server: Send the serialized grid state to the server-side using AJAX requests in C#. Store this state in a persistent storage mechanism such as a database or session storage.
3. Restore State on Page Load: Upon page load, retrieve the persisted grid state from the server-side using C#. Deserialize the state and apply it to the Kendo UI Grid component using JavaScript.

Below are the code examples for each component:

JavaScript (gridState.js)

function serializeGridState() {
    var gridState = {
        columns: [],
        sort: [],
        filter: [],
        page: 1
    };

    // Serialize column settings
    $("#grid").data("kendoGrid").columns.forEach(function(column) {
        gridState.columns.push({
            field: column.field,
            width: column.width,
            hidden: column.hidden
        });
    });

    // Serialize sorting settings
    gridState.sort = $("#grid").data("kendoGrid").dataSource.sort();

    // Serialize filtering settings
    gridState.filter = $("#grid").data("kendoGrid").dataSource.filter();

    // Serialize current page
    gridState.page = $("#grid").data("kendoGrid").dataSource.page();

    return JSON.stringify(gridState);
}        

Optional JavaScript Library Function with jQuery AJAX call (gridStateLibrary.js)

function saveGridState(gridState) {
    $.ajax({
        url: '/GridState/SaveState',
        type: 'POST',
        data: { gridState: gridState },
        success: function (response) {
            if (response.success) {
                console.log('Grid state saved successfully.');
            } else {
                console.error('Failed to save grid state.');
            }
        },
        error: function () {
            console.error('An error occurred while saving grid state.');
        }
    });
}        

Controller (GridStateController.cs)

public class GridStateController : Controller
{
    private readonly IGridStateService _gridStateService;

    public GridStateController(IGridStateService gridStateService)
    {
        _gridStateService = gridStateService;
    }

    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult SaveState(string gridState)
    {
        // Call service to save grid state        
        _gridStateService.SaveGridState(gridState);
        // Implementation details here
        return Json(new { success = true });
    }
}        

Partial View (gridPartial.cshtml)

<div id="grid"></div>

<script>
    // JavaScript code for initializing and 
    // configuring Kendo UI Grid
    $(document).ready(function() {
        // Implementation details here
    });
</script>        

Model Class (GridState.cs)

public class GridState
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string State { get; set; }
}        

Service Interface (IGridStateService.cs)

public interface IGridStateService
{
    void SaveGridState(string gridState);
}        

Service Implementation (GridStateService.cs)

public class GridStateService : IGridStateService
{
    private readonly IGridStateRepository _gridStateRepository;

    public GridStateService(IGridStateRepository gridStateRepository)
    {
        _gridStateRepository = gridStateRepository;
    }

    public void SaveGridState(string gridState)
    {
        _gridStateRepository.Save(new GridState { State = gridState });
    }
}        

Repository Interface (IGridStateRepository.cs)

public interface IGridStateRepository
{
    void Save(GridState gridState);
}        

Repository Implementation (GridStateRepository.cs)

public class GridStateRepository : IGridStateRepository
{
    public void Save(GridState gridState)
    {
        // Save grid state to persistent storage 
        // (e.g., database or session)
        db.GridStates.Add(gridState);
        // Implementation logic here
    }
}        

Best Practices & Considerations

• Efficient Serialization: Serialize only necessary grid state attributes to minimize payload size.
• Security Measures: Implement server-side validation to prevent tampering with serialized grid state.
• Error Handling: Handle exceptions gracefully during state persistence and retrieval processes.

Conclusion

Persisting grid state in MVVM .NET web applications is crucial for enhancing user experience. By harnessing the power of JavaScript, jQuery, AJAX, C#, and Kendo UI components, you can achieve this seamlessly. Follow this comprehensive guide and empower your users with grid state persistence that lasts beyond page refreshes. Happy coding! ??