DataTable adding column doesn't add row?

Question

I need a bit of a steer on this DataTable concept. I'm storing data in a DataTable which I initialise by first adding a column like so:

DataTable outputData = new DataTable();
outputData.Columns.Add("Reference/Group");

Now if I write this out to a CSV file (using my own class), I get what you'd expect, a view in spreadsheet software like:

             A
 1    Reference/Group

Yet when I go on in my script to assume that row 1 exists (by referencing outputData.Rows[0] ) I get:

Exception: There is no row at position 0.

However if I try to add a row with the above content, it complains there's no column. If I specify the column then add a row, I can reference Rows[0] but by then I've got TWO rows like:

             A
 1    Reference/Group
 2    Some new row

What's the correct approach here and what is the reason for this behaviour?

Answer 1

You should use

outputData.Columns[0].ColumnName

instead of

outputData.Rows[0]

Because outputData.Columns.Add("Reference/Group"); will not generate new row for you. And you are using column name for A1 cell, not row data

Answer 2

All this says is that your custom "export" code displays column name in first CSV row. It has nothing to do with the actual data inside DataTable . There are in fact 0 rows in Your table before you insert any of them.