How to bind list to dataGridView?

Instead of create the new Container class you can use a dataTable.

DataTable dt = new DataTable();
dt.Columns.Add("My first column Name");

dt.Rows.Add(new object[] { "Item 1" });
dt.Rows.Add(new object[] { "Item number 2" });
dt.Rows.Add(new object[] { "Item number three" });

myDataGridView.DataSource = dt;

More about this problem you can find here: http://psworld.pl/Programming/BindingListOfString

Use a BindingList and set the DataPropertyName-Property of the column.

Try the following:

...
private void BindGrid()
{
    gvFilesOnServer.AutoGenerateColumns = false;

    //create the column programatically
    DataGridViewCell cell = new DataGridViewTextBoxCell();
    DataGridViewTextBoxColumn colFileName = new DataGridViewTextBoxColumn()
    {
        CellTemplate = cell, 
        Name = "Value",
        HeaderText = "File Name",
        DataPropertyName = "Value" // Tell the column which property of FileName it should use
     };

    gvFilesOnServer.Columns.Add(colFileName);

    var filelist = GetFileListOnWebServer().ToList();
    var filenamesList = new BindingList<FileName>(filelist); // <-- BindingList

    //Bind BindingList directly to the DataGrid, no need of BindingSource
    gvFilesOnServer.DataSource = filenamesList 
}

may be little late but useful for future. if you don't require to set custom properties of cell and only concern with header text and cell value then this code will help you

public class FileName
{        
     [DisplayName("File Name")] 
     public string FileName {get;set;}
     [DisplayName("Value")] 
     public string Value {get;set;}
}

and then you can bind List as datasource as

private void BindGrid()
{
    var filelist = GetFileListOnWebServer().ToList();    
    gvFilesOnServer.DataSource = filelist.ToArray();
}

for further information you can visit this page Bind List of Class objects as Datasource to DataGridView

hope this will help you.

I know this is old, but this hung me up for awhile. The properties of the object in your list must be actual "properties", not just public members.

public class FileName
{        
     public string ThisFieldWorks {get;set;}
     public string ThisFieldDoesNot;
}