DevExpress WPF 21.2

Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 Support

• DevExpress installers now ship separate VSIX extensions for Visual Studio 2022 to ensure that all major design-time tools (like the "DevExpress" menu, DevExpress Template Gallery, Toolbox, etc.) are fully functional.

Microsoft .NET 6 Support

• Added support for the latest Preview build of .NET 6. In addition, the DevExpress Template Gallery includes templates for .NET 5 and .NET 6.

New Heat Map Control (CTP)

• The new Heatmap control uses color variations to visualize data trends (tabular format). Features include:
  • Data Binding.
  • Unbound Mode.
  • Multiple Coloring Algorithms.
  • Zoom and Scroll.
  • Cell Highlighting.
  • Tooltip Support.
  • Titles.
  • Cell Labels.

New Microsoft Windows 10 Dark Theme

• The new Win10Dark theme was inspired by the dark mode on Windows 10. Much like the Win10Light theme, the Win10Dark theme automatically updates its colors after each change to an accent color in Windows. Applications developed with DevExpress WPF UI controls can now automatically switch between dark and light themes based on OS setting.

Windows 11 Support

• Your DevExpress WPF Themed Windows can now include rounded corners to match the look and feel of Windows 11.
• Enable the new ThemedWindow.RoundCorners setting to apply rounded corners to DevExpress Themed Windows and dialogs.

.NET 5 & .NET 6

• New XAML Designer Extensions for .NET 5 & .NET 6
  • Added the following extensions to the WPF XAML Designer for .NET 5 and .NET 6 apps:
    • Chart Designer - The Chart Designer is implemented as a separate window and allows you to create new and customize existing charts with ease.
    • Mask Editor - The Mask Editor allows you to quickly create and customize masks of any complexity.
    • New Quick Actions - The new Create Ribbon action allows you to generate a Ribbon UI for the WPF Spreadsheet, Rich Text Editor, and Scheduler controls.
      • Added new quick actions to the Data Grid so you can generate grid columns and invoke the grid's Conditional Formatting Editor.
      • Improved startup performance for dialogs and wizards invoked via quick actions.
• ARM64 Support
  • You can now execute DevExpress-powered WPF apps on ARM64 devices.
• .NET 6 Support
  • DevExpress WPF UI controls support the latest Preview build of .NET 6.
• DevExpress Template Gallery - .NET 5 & .NET 6 Support
  • The DevExpress Template Gallery includes WPF project templates designed for .NET 5 & .NET 6.
• .NET Core Migration Tool
  • Developed a tool that helps you to easily migrate your Microsoft .NET Framework projects to .NET 5 and .NET 6.

Remote Desktop Performance

• The theme cache engine, enabled by default for all built-in and custom WPF themes, now supports multiple sign in/sign out operations. This new option enhances the performance of all WPF apps developed with DevExpress UI components. Performance gains are especially significant for applications executed remotely (using tools such as Microsoft Remote Desktop Services or Citrix), where sign in/sign out operations are more common.

Charting

• Customizable Empty Points
  • The DevExpress Chart Control can now process gaps (within a data source) as empty points (points with undefined values). The appearance of these gaps can now be customized with different style options (based on Series view type). You can fully customize the appearance of point markers, line, and area segments for empty points.
  • You can also draw 'mock' points instead of gaps (based on values for neighboring Series points). Set the series view’s EmptyPointOptions.ProcessPoints property to 'Interpolate'.

Data Grid and TreeList

• MVVM Command API
  • The WPF Data Grid and TreeList controls include the following new commands:
    • AddingNewNodeCommand.
    • CustomNodeFilterCommand.
    • CustomUnboundColumnDataCommand.
    • CellMergeCommand.
    • CellValueChangedCommand.
    • CellValueChangingCommand.
    • InitNewRowCommand.
    • InitNewNodeCommand.
    • InvalidRowExceptionCommand.
    • NodeChangedCommand.
    • ValidateCellCommand.
  • These command properties act as counterparts to standard events and allow you to shape data and respond to user input at the ViewModel level without writing code in the View.
• Lock TreeList Updates
  • You can now fully lock calculations and tree hierarchy updates within the WPF TreeList.
  • This new API will help improve performance for large data sets (when/if large record sets must be updated simultaneously).
• New CRUD API
  • Edit Data - The Server Mode and Instant Feedback sources do not offer inline editing support. This release adds a new behavior (DialogEditFormBehavior) to allow editing within the Edit Form. The following new events have been added: RowEditStarting, RowEditStarted, RowEditFinished and corresponding commands.
  • Add Rows - You can now add new records to the Infinite Async Source using the New Item Row.
  • Validate Rows on Delete - The grid's new ValidateRowDeletion event and ValidateRowDeletionCommand event allows you to check database constraints before deleting a row from the grid when it is bound to a local or infinite source.
  • Refresh Data - You can now use the RefreshDataSource command or press F5 to refresh the grid bound to the Infinite, Paged, Server Mode, or Instant Feedback source. You can execute the refresh operation in a separate task if you don't want to block the UI.
    • A RefreshDataSource event and RefreshDataSourceCommand have been added to manually refresh data.
  • These APIs are fully compatible with MVVM. An example has been created that binds the WPF Data Grid to various sources (local, Infinite, Paged, InstantFeedback, Server Mode) and executes CRUD operations.

Map Control

• Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection
  • This release includes support for a new projection type – the European Terrestrial Reference System 1989 - Lambert azimuthal equal-area (ETRS89-LAEA) projection. You can use this projection to display European Union (EU) maps with minimal distortion.
  • To enable this new projection, set the GeoMapCoordinateSystem.Projection property to Etrs89LambertAzimuthalEqualAreaProjection.
• Create Lines, Polylines and Polygons from a View Model (MVVM)
  • Extended ListSourceDataAdapter to generate lines, polylines, and polygons from a collection of coordinates in a View Model.
  • Added two new mapping types (MapLineMappingInfo and MapMultipointItemMappingInfo) for lines and multi-point shapes (MapPolylines and MapPolygons).

Rich Text Editor

• PDF Export - Accessible PDF Support
  • The WPF Rich Text Editor can now generate tagged (accessible) PDF documents to address needs of those who use screen readers and other assistive technologies. The following standards are now supported:
    • PDF/A-1a.
    • PDF/A-2a.
    • PDF/A-3a.
    • PDF/UA.
• Custom Font Loading Engine
  • The Rich Text Editor can now use fonts that are not installed on a target system. This feature avoids font substitution effects when you display, print, or export (to PDF) documents with non-standard fonts. You will be able to load necessary fonts from files, streams, or byte arrays. These fonts will be available to all instances of the DevExpress Rich Text Editor within a given project.
• Field Enhancements
  • The DevExpress Word Processing Document API and Rich Text Editor now support SECTIONPAGES, REF, and STYLEREF fields. The following field-related enhancements are also included:
    • You can now replace fields with field values.
    • New UpdateAllFields method: Allows you to update all document fields (including fields located in headers, footers, text boxes, footnotes, and endnotes).
    • You can now suppress DOCVARIABLE field updates for loaded documents.
• Watermark Enhancements
  • Extended the Watermark API for the DevExpress Word Processing Document API and Rich Text Editor. You can now execute the following actions:
    • Insert watermarks into individual section headers.
    • Modify existing watermarks (change watermark options and replace watermark image or text).
    • Remove watermarks from individual sections.

Spreadsheet

• PDF Export - Accessible PDF Support
  • The WPF Spreadsheet control can now generate tagged (accessible) PDF documents to address needs of those who use screen readers and other assistive technologies. The following standards are now supported:
    • PDF/A-1a.
    • PDF/A-2a.
    • PDF/A-3a.
    • PDF/UA.
• Custom Font Loading Engine
  • The Spreadsheet controls can now use fonts that are not installed on a target system. This feature avoids font substitution effects when you display, print, or export (to PDF) documents with non-standard fonts. You will be able to load necessary fonts from files, streams, or byte arrays. These fonts will be available to all instances of the DevExpress Spreadsheet within a given project.
• Set Print Settings in Print Preview
  • The 'Print Preview' window includes a new Settings pane. This pane allows you to specify the following print-related settings:
    • Select spreadsheet content to print. You can print the entire workbook or print a portion of the document.
    • Specify the number of copies to print.
    • Customize page settings (document orientation, paper size, and page margins).
    • Set print scaling.
• New CellEditorOpened Event
  • A new CellEditorOpened event has been created. This event allows you to:
    • Access the active in-cell editor.
    • Handle the editor's keyboard events to execute custom actions or implement custom shortcuts.
    • Spell check text in the editor.
    • Handle the editor's TextChanged event to track text changes and validate user input.
• Custom Paper Size Support
  • With this release, you can specify non-standard paper sizes when printing documents. Use the new 'Worksheet.ActiveView.SetCustomPaperSize' method to define custom paper size for a worksheet.

Accessibility

• Screen Reader Support for Validation Errors
  • Screen readers can now inform a user of validation errors within focused WPF editors and data cells.
• Visual Studio & Microsoft Office Themes - Enhanced Contrast Palettes
  • The enhanced Contrast palettes use carefully selected color combinations to help individuals with vision impairment (to distinguish text, borders, selection states, and other visual elements). Enhanced Contrast palettes are available for the following themes:
    • Office2016SE.
    • Visual Studio 2017.
    • Office 2019.
    • Visual Studio 2019.

Compile-Time ViewModel Generator

• This release includes the following enhancements:
  • WinUI Project Support.
  • Nullable Annotation Support - The ViewModel Generator now accounts for the nullable context to create null-safe code and avoid compiler warnings.
  • Generic and Nested Classes - The ViewModel Generator can now work with generic and nested classes.
  • Comments - You can add XML comments to fields/methods, which will then be copied to corresponding properties and commands.
  • Optimized Memory Allocation and Performance Improvements.
  • ISupportParentViewModel Support.
• You can now use the ViewModel and Blank MVVM Application templates in the Template Gallery to automatically create a project with a configured ViewModel code generator.

Miscellaneous

• SVG Enhancements
  • The internal SVG image parser can now display raster images embedded in SVG.
• Splash Screen Enhancements
  • Added the showDelay and minDuration parameters to the SplashScreenManager.Show method so you can show a splash screen with a time delay.