Flickering during updates to Controls in WinForms (e.g. DataGridView)

Question

In my application I have a DataGridView control that displays data for the selected object. When I select a different object (in a combobox above), I need to update the grid

Answer 1

This worked for me.

http://www.syncfusion.com/faq/windowsforms/search/558.aspx

Basically it involves deriving from the desired control and setting the following styles.

SetStyle(ControlStyles.UserPaint, true);
SetStyle(ControlStyles.AllPaintingInWmPaint, true); 
SetStyle(ControlStyles.DoubleBuffer, true); 

Answer 2

Sounds like you want double-buffering:

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/graphics/DoubleBuffering.aspx

Although this is mainly used for individual controls, you can implement this in your Windows Forms control or Form.

Answer 3

You may also try this, its work.

public static void DoubleBuffered(Control formControl, bool setting)
{
    Type conType = formControl.GetType();
    PropertyInfo pi = conType.GetProperty("DoubleBuffered", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic);
    pi.SetValue(formControl, setting, null);
}

Answer 4

Unfortunatly, I think that thins might just be a by-product of the .net framework. I am experiencing similar flickering albeit with custom controls. Many of the reference material I have read indicates this, alongside the fact the the double buffering method failed to remove any flickering for me.

Answer 5

Rather than adding the rows of the data grid one at a time, use the DataGridView.Rows.AddRange method to add all the rows at once. That should only update the display once. There's also a DataGridView.Columns.AddRange to do the same for the columns.

Answer 6

People seem to forget a simple fix for this:

Object.Visible = false;

//do update work

Object.Visible = true;

I know it seems weird, but that works. When the object is not visible, it won't redraw itself. You still, however, need to do the begin and end update.