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DataSource Types

The DataSource component supports built-in types of data binding.

To include the default data source types, add the <script src="https://kendo.cdn.telerik.com/2024.1.319/js/kendo.aspnetmvc.min.js"></script> script to your _Layout.cshtml file after the Kendo UI scripts.

The available DataSource types of data binding are:

Ajax DataSource

The Ajax DataSource type of data binding is the most popular data source type and performs Ajax requests to retrieve or update data. It formats the request filter, sort, group, page, page size, and aggregates, and, out of the box, binds the model to a controller which expects a [DataSourceRequest]DataSourceRequest request parameter. This allows you to use the ToDataSourceResult() extension method and to return a collection that corresponds to the request without having to deal with data operations programmatically.

Additionally, you can use the server-operation or .ServerOperation property to enable or disable server operations:

  • When enabled, all data operations like paging, sorting, grouping, etc. will be performed server-side.
  • When disabled, all data operations will be performed on the client, and the entire data set will be available for the DataSource. This approach is also applicable for the WebAPI type of binding.
     @(Html.Kendo().DataSource<OrderViewModel>()
        .Name("myDataSource")
        .Ajax(dataSource =>
        {
          dataSource
            .Read(read => read.Action("ReadOrders", "Home"))
            .Create(create => create.Action("CreateOrders", "Home"))
            .Update(update => update.Action("UpdateOrders", "Home"))
            .Destroy(destroy => destroy.Action("DestroyOrders", "Home"))
            .Sort(sort => sort.Add(field => field.ShipCountry).Ascending())
            .Filter(filter=>filter.Add(field=>field.ShipCountry).StartsWith("A"))
            .Group(group=>group.Add(field=>field.OrderID))
            .Aggregates(aggregates=>aggregates.Add(field=>field.ShipCountry).Count())
            .PageSize(2)
            .ServerOperation(true)
            .Model(model =>
                {
                model.Id(field => field.OrderID);
                model.Field(field => field.OrderID).Editable(false);
                model.Field(field => field.ShipCountry).DefaultValue("USA");
            });
        })
    )

    <script>
        $(document).ready(function () {
            myDataSource.read(); // A POST request will be sent to the HomeController ReadOrders action
        });
    </script>  

    public IActionResult ReadOrders([DataSourceRequest]DataSourceRequest request)
    {
        // Orders can be IQueriable or IEnumerable.
        // The result is a filtered, paged, grouped, and sorted collection.
        var result = orders.ToDataSourceResult(request);

        // response object : { AggregateResults: [], Data: [{},{}], Errors: null, Total: 7 }
        return Json(result);
    }

    public IActionResult CreateOrders([DataSourceRequest]DataSourceRequest request, OrderViewModel order)
    {
        if (order != null && ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            orderService.Create(order);
        }
        return Json(new[] { order }.ToDataSourceResult(request, ModelState));
    }

    public ActionResult UpdateOrders([DataSourceRequest]DataSourceRequest request, OrderViewModel order)
    {
        if (order != null && ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            orderService.Update(order);
        }
        return Json(new[] { order }.ToDataSourceResult(request, ModelState));
    }

    public ActionResult DestroyOrders([DataSourceRequest]DataSourceRequest request, OrderViewModel order)
    {
        if (order != null)
        {
            orderService.Destroy(order);
        }
        return Json(new[] { order }.ToDataSourceResult(request, ModelState));
    }

WebAPI DataSource

The WebAPI DataSource type of data binding is designed for WebAPI projects and works in the same way as the Ajax data source.

     @(Html.Kendo().DataSource<OrderViewModel>()
        .Name("myDataSource")
        .WebApi(dataSource =>
        {
          dataSource
            .Read(read => read.Action("Get", "Product"))
            .Create(create => create.Action("Post", "Product"))
            .Update(update => update.Action("Put", "Product", new { id = "{0}"} ))
            .Destroy(destroy => destroy.Action("DELETE", "Product", new { id = "{0}" }))
            .PageSize(2)
            .ServerOperation(true)
            .Model(model =>
            {
                model.Id(field => field.OrderID);
                model.Field(field => field.OrderID).Editable(false);
            });
        })
    )

    <script>
        $(document).ready(function () {
            myDataSource.read(); // A GET request will be sent to the ProductController Get action
        });
    </script>  

    [HttpGet]
    public DataSourceResult Get([DataSourceRequest]DataSourceRequest request)
    {
        // Orders can be IQueriable or IEnumerable.
        // The result is a filtered, paged, grouped, and sorted collection.
        var result = orders.ToDataSourceResult(request);

        // response object : { AggregateResults: [], Data: [{},{}], Errors: null, Total: 7 }
        return result;
    }

Custom DataSource

The Custom DataSource type of data binding is the default type of binding and provides full control over the client-side API options of the Kendo UI for jQuery DataSource. For example, instead of using the serverOperation property, which is only applicable for the Ajax and WebApi types of data binding, you have to separately state the server operations (server-filtering, server-sorting, server-paging, server-grouping, and server-aggregates).

The custom DataSource type of data binding is suitable for working with the oData and oData-v4 services because of the type property and of the usage of predefined transport and schema settings for consuming such services. Since the custom type binding is the default type, you can omit it in the DataSource declaration.

The following example demonstrates how to consume an OData service.

    @(Html.Kendo().DataSource<AspNetMVCGrid.Models.OrderViewModel>()
        .Name("myDataSource")
        .Custom(dataSource =>
        {
            dataSource
            .Type("odata")
            .PageSize(20)
            .ServerPaging(true)
            .ServerFiltering(true)
            .ServerSorting(true)
            .Transport(transport => {
                  transport.Read(read => {
                      read.Url("https://demos.telerik.com/kendo-ui/service/Northwind.svc/Orders")
                      .DataType("jsonp");
                  });
              });
        })
    )

    <script>
        $(document).ready(function () {
            myDataSource.fetch();
        });
    </script>

See Also

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