'Set default filter for Kendo UI Grid

I have a Kendo UI grid that is rendered with javaScript. I want the string columns to have a single option ("Contains") and without the second filter. So far so good, I wrote

        $("#MyGrid").kendoGrid({
            // other bits of configuration here
            filterable: {
                extra:false, 
                operators: {
                    string:{ contains: "Contains"}
                }
            },
            // more bits of configuration here
        });

As part of the definition of the grid. And the result looks good-ish (I only have one option, so the drop down is redundant).

Filter as I defined

However, regardless of this, the filter still performs the equals operation rather than the contains operation (which is the only one available to it).

I've spent a while trying to figure this out and I keep going around in circles because the code I found either does not work, or doesn't make sense, or both.

Can anyone tell me how to default the filter to "Contains" and not "Is Equal To"?

Solution 1:^[1]

Try to update to latest internal build. Version later than 2012.3.1304 should contain the fix.

Solution 2:^[2]

When you only have a single option or you are not happy with the layout you can completely customize the filter control using the "ui : func( element ) { }" overload which is present in the later versions of Kendo (e.g. v2013.1.319)

columns : [
    { field: "MyCity", width: 80, title : "City", filterable: customTextFilter },
    { field: "CreatedAt", width: 72, title: "Created", filterable: $scope.customDateFilter }
]

Here is the function that then customizes the look:

var customTextFilter =
    {
        extra : false,
        operators : { string : { contains : "Contains"}},
        ui : function( element )
        {
            var parent = element.parent();
            while( parent.children().length > 1 )
                $(parent.children()[0]).remove( );

            parent.prepend( "<input data-bind=\"value:filters[0].value\" class=\"k-textbox\" type=\"text\">" );
        }
    }

Here is an example of having two date boxes with GTE/LTE format:

var customDateFilter =
    {
        extra : true,
        operators : { },
        ui : function( element )
        {
            var parent = element.parent();
            while( parent.children().length > 1 )
                $(parent.children()[0]).remove( );

            parent.prepend(
                "On or after:<br/><span class=\"k-widget k-datepicker k-header\">" +
                "<span class=\"k-picker-wrap k-state-default\">" +
                "<input data-bind=\"value:filters[0].value\" class=\"k-input\" type=\"text\" data-role=\"datepicker\"" +
                " style=\"width: 100%\" role=\"textbox\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\" " +
                " aria-readonly=\"false\" aria-label=\"Choose a date\">" +
                "<span unselectable=\"on\" class=\"k-select\" role=\"button\">" +
                "<span unselectable=\"on\" class=\"k-icon k-i-calendar\">select</span></span></span></span>" +

                "<br/>On or before:<br/>" +
                "<span class=\"k-widget k-datepicker k-header\"><span class=\"k-picker-wrap k-state-default\">" +
                "<input data-bind=\"value: filters[1].value\" class=\"k-input\" type=\"text\" data-role=\"datepicker\"" +
                " style=\"width: 100%\" role=\"textbox\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-expanded=\"false\" " +
                " aria-disabled=\"false\" aria-readonly=\"false\" aria-label=\"Choose a date\">" +
                "<span unselectable=\"on\" class=\"k-select\" role=\"button\">" +
                "<span unselectable=\"on\" class=\"k-icon k-i-calendar\">select</span></span></span></span>"
            );
        }
    };

Obviously you can template out however you like and create different custom filters for Date, Boolean, etc -- note that for the Date version above if you want to set the operators correctly to say "gte" and "lte" for filter[0].operator and filter[1].operator you can just set that on the dataSource.filter attribute like so:

    dataSource: {
        transport :
        {
            read : function( context )
            {
                //note that here context.filter.filters has the array
                //of applied filters -- you can write a custom RESTful call
                //such as angular $http.get( ) or use Kendo native format to
                //send filter options to server.
            }
        },
        //filter settings here initialize filter[0], filter[1], etc.
        filter : [ 
           { field : "CreatedAt", operator : "gte" },
           { field : "CreatedAt", operator : "lte" }]
   }

Solution 3:^[3]

The best way to change the default operator for all of the instances:

kendo.ui.FilterMenu.prototype.options.operators =           
  $.extend(kendo.ui.FilterMenu.prototype.options.operators, {
  string: {
      contains: "Contains",
      startswith: "Starts with",
      eq: "Is equal to",
      neq: "Is not equal to",
      doesnotcontain: "Does not contain",
      endswith: "Ends with"
  }
});

and the complete script:

kendo.ui.FilterMenu.prototype.options.operators =           
  $.extend(kendo.ui.FilterMenu.prototype.options.operators, {

/* FILTER MENU OPERATORS (for each supported data type) 
 ****************************************************************************/   
  string: {
      contains: "Contains",
      startswith: "Starts with",
      eq: "Is equal to",
      neq: "Is not equal to",
      doesnotcontain: "Does not contain",
      endswith: "Ends with"
  },
  number: {
      eq: "Is equal to",
      neq: "Is not equal to",
      gte: "Is greater than or equal to",
      gt: "Is greater than",
      lte: "Is less than or equal to",
      lt: "Is less than"
  },
  date: {
      eq: "Is equal to",
      neq: "Is not equal to",
      gte: "Is after or equal to",
      gt: "Is after",
      lte: "Is before or equal to",
      lt: "Is before"
  },
  enums: {
      eq: "Is equal to",
      neq: "Is not equal to"
  }
 /***************************************************************************/   
});

Solution 4:^[4]

I had the same problem and I got it, that it needs the .Clear() option!

I am building my Grid with the MVC Wrapper in Razor:

@(Html.Kendo().Grid<LocationViewModel>()
    .Name("locationGrid")
    // other bits of configuration here
    .ColumnMenu()
    .Filterable(f => f.Operators(o => o.ForString(s => s
        .Clear()
        .Contains("Contains")
        .DoesNotContain("Does not contain")
        .EndsWith("Ends with")
    )))
    // other bits of configuration here
)

Summary:

.Clear() is needed!
Sorting is necessary! Put .Contains() first after .Clear() then the default is Contains!

Additional Info: I am using Kendo UI 2013.1.514

Solution 5:^[5]

filterable: { operators: { number: { gte: "greater than or equal to" } } }

Sources

This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Overflow and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Source: Stack Overflow

Solution	Source
Solution 1	Petur Subev
Solution 2	Matthew Erwin
Solution 3	Salar
Solution 4	florian.isopp
Solution 5	Brono The Vibrator

'Set default filter for Kendo UI Grid

Solution 1:[1]

Solution 2:[2]

Solution 3:[3]

Solution 4:[4]

Solution 5:[5]