Add horizontal scrollbar to ASP.Net GridView column using C# and VB.Net

Hi kevinf,

You need to set the GridView cell css properties

display to block

overflow to scroll

white-space to nowrap

Refer below exapmple.

Database

For this example I have used of Northwind database that you can download using the link given below.

Download Northwind Database

HTML

<style type="text/css">
    .CellWrapper { display: block; overflow: scroll; white-space: nowrap; }
</style>
<asp:GridView ID="gvEmployees" runat="server" AutoGenerateColumns="false"
    OnRowDataBound="OnRowDataBound">
    <Columns>
        <asp:BoundField DataField="EmployeeId" HeaderText="Id" />
        <asp:BoundField DataField="FirstName" HeaderText="Name" />
        <asp:BoundField DataField="Notes" HeaderText="Note" />
    </Columns>
</asp:GridView>

Namespaces

C#

using System.Configuration;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;

VB.Net

Imports System.Configuration
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Data.SqlClient

Code

C#

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    if (!this.IsPostBack)
    {
        this.BindGridView();
    }
}

private void BindGridView()
{
    string conString = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["constr"].ConnectionString;
    string query = "SELECT TOP 2 * FROM Employees";
    using (SqlConnection con = new SqlConnection(conString))
    {
        using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand(query, con))
        {
            using (SqlDataAdapter sda = new SqlDataAdapter(cmd))
            {
                using (DataTable dt = new DataTable())
                {
                    sda.Fill(dt);
                    gvEmployees.DataSource = dt;
                    gvEmployees.DataBind();
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

protected void OnRowDataBound(object sender, GridViewRowEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.DataRow)
    {
        e.Row.Cells[2].Width = 300;
        e.Row.Cells[2].ControlStyle.CssClass = "CellWrapper";
    }
}

VB.Net

Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
    If Not Me.IsPostBack Then
        Me.BindGridView()
    End If
End Sub

Private Sub BindGridView()
    Dim conString As String = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("constr").ConnectionString
    Dim query As String = "SELECT TOP 2 * FROM Employees"
    Using con As SqlConnection = New SqlConnection(conString)
        Using cmd As SqlCommand = New SqlCommand(query, con)
            Using sda As SqlDataAdapter = New SqlDataAdapter(cmd)
                Using dt As DataTable = New DataTable()
                    sda.Fill(dt)
                    gvEmployees.DataSource = dt
                    gvEmployees.DataBind()
                End Using
            End Using
        End Using
    End Using
End Sub

Protected Sub OnRowDataBound(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As GridViewRowEventArgs)
    If e.Row.RowType = DataControlRowType.DataRow Then
        e.Row.Cells(2).Width = 300
        e.Row.Cells(2).ControlStyle.CssClass = "CellWrapper"
    End If
End Sub

Screenshot