Title: Add per-column value converters (WPF-style) to Telerik Blazor Grid columns
Product: UI for Blazor → Grid
Type: Feature Request
Description:
In Telerik UI for WPF, grid column definitions can reference a converter by name (e.g., IValueConverter) to transform values for display without writing a custom cell template for each column.
In Telerik UI for Blazor Grid, templates are currently the primary way to change how values render in a column (which works, but becomes repetitive across many columns/grids).
Request:
Add a column-level conversion API that allows specifying a converter/formatter function for display (and optionally editing). Example concepts:
Converter="nameof(MyConverters.StatusToText)"
or DisplayConverter="(item) => …" / ValueFormatter="Func<TItem, object, string>"
optionally ConvertBack-like support for editing scenarios (or separate EditConverter)
Why this is needed:
Reduces repeated <Template> markup for simple formatting/transformations
Centralizes formatting/conversion logic in reusable code
Improves maintainability and consistency across grids
Eases migration for teams coming from Telerik WPF where converters are a common pattern
Use cases:
Enum/int → user-friendly text
Boolean → “Yes/No”, icons, badges
Null/empty → placeholder text
Code → display name (via lookup)
Domain-specific formatting shared across many grids
Workarounds today:
Column <Template> or computed properties (both valid, but not as concise/reusable for large grids)
Extracting RenderFragments can reduce repetition, but still requires templating infrastructure for what is logically a simple conversion step
Expected behavior:
Converter applies consistently anywhere the column renders (cell, export if applicable, etc.)
Works with sorting/filtering in a predictable way (ideally sorting/filtering still uses raw field value unless explicitly configured)