This paper addresses some of the questions about customizing grid display that are commonly asked in newsgroups, on Web sites, and in other developer forums. The techniques described here are sometimes quite simple and at other times somewhat involved. In each case, however, they address a question of how to go beyond the basic functionality of the DataGrid control.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dv_vstechart/html/vbtchtopquestionsaboutaspnetdatagridservercontrol.asp
Topics:
Windows Forms versus Web Forms DataGrid Controls
Controlling Column Width, Height, and Alignment
Customizing Column Layout in Display and Edit Mode
Formatting Dates, Currency, and Other Data
Showing and Hiding Columns Dynamically
Adding Columns Dynamically
Adding New Records to a Data Source Using the DataGrid Control
Displaying a Drop-Down List in Edit Mode
Selecting Multiple Items Using a Check Box (Hotmail Model)
Editing Multiple Rows At Once
Selecting Rows by Clicking Anywhere