Here is a sample (C#, VB) that has column selections implemented. It derives a datagrid, adds a columns selection array list, and maintains this list in an override of OnMouseDown. Then to handle actually drawing the selected columns, it uses a derived column style, and sets the backBrush color and foreBrush color to the selection values in the override of the Paint method when it needs to draw a selected cell.
As an alternative to drawing the selection in a derived column style, you could just draw the selection in your derived grid by overriding OnPaint, calling the base class and then looping through the columns selections, filling a rectangle over the selected columns. The problem with this technique is that you would either have to redraw text in column with the correct forecolor, or you would have to use an alphablended color to let the text show through the selection rectangle. Using an alphablended color would eliminate the need to a column style override, but would give a different appearance than the ’standard’ selections that you see in a datagrid. The sample allows the row selections to continue to work so the column style override makes sense here.
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