.NET 7 WinForms News

Highlight Key Metrics with Visual Gauges

August 13, 2025
Present key metrics in reports with vibrant visuals that show whether performance is on track, exceeding expectations, or needs urgent action.

A gauge is a visual reporting element, such as a dial, meter, or progress bar, designed to display a single metric’s value in relation to defined targets or thresholds. For software developers, gauges offer a quick and intuitive way to present key performance indicators, making it immediately clear whether performance is on track, exceeding expectations, or requires attention. By transforming raw data into a simple, at-a-glance visual, gauges reduce the need for users to analyze complex tables or charts, improve the readability of dashboards and reports, and support faster, more informed decision-making.

Several .NET Winforms Reporting controls include Gauges including:

  • DevExpress Reports (Multi-Platform) lets you add interactive gauges to reports, delivering instant visual feedback on KPIs across diverse platforms and devices.
  • Telerik Reporting allows you to integrate customizable gauges that clearly visualize performance metrics, enhancing clarity and speed of data-driven decisions.
  • Stimulsoft Reports.NET facilitates the creation of dynamic gauges, enabling quick interpretation of critical values and thresholds within professional, interactive reports.
  • FastReport .NET WinForms lets you embed visually engaging gauges, instantly conveying progress toward goals for efficient, results-focused report analysis.

For an in-depth analysis of features and price, visit our comparison of .NET Winforms Reporting Controls.

Compare .NET Winforms Reporting Controls

Display Progress Clearly in Grid Interfaces

August 1, 2025
ProgressBar cells in .NET WinForms grids provide a direct visual way to show task or data completion within structured tabular layouts.

ProgressBar cell types in a .NET WinForms grid control are specialized cells that visually represent progress or completion levels within a grid layout, using horizontal progress bars. These cells are particularly useful for tracking status indicators, such as task completion or data processing percentages, directly within tabular views. They provide a clear, immediate representation of numeric progress values, enhancing readability without requiring users to interpret raw numbers. For developers, integrating ProgressBar cells simplifies the task of conveying progress-related information in data-driven interfaces, offering a familiar and consistent user experience aligned with standard Windows Forms controls.

Several .NET WinForms grid controls offer ProgressBar cell type controls, including:

  • DevExpress WinForms Data Grid (part of DevExpress WinForms) lets you incorporate visually rich ProgressBar cells that clearly communicate task completion within complex data-driven interfaces.
  • True DBGrid for WinForms (part of ComponentOne Studio WinForms by MESCIUS) enables dynamic ProgressBar rendering in grid cells, ideal for tracking real-time metrics like processing or loading status.
  • Infragistics WinDataGrid (part of Infragistics Ultimate UI for Windows Forms) supports ProgressBar cells that visually convey progress values, helping developers present real-time status within structured data views.
  • Bunifu UI WinForms DataGrid View (part of Bunifu UI WinForms) allows you to present completion states directly in grid rows using sleek ProgressBar cells for modern, responsive interfaces.

For an in-depth analysis of features and price, visit our .NET WinForms grid controls comparison.

Compare .NET WinForms Grid Controls

Refine UI Design with Smarter RibbonBar Tools

August 1, 2025
Spread.NET 18.2 enhances RibbonBar layout and icon clarity to improve design precision and adaptability in WinForms applications.

Spread.NET by MESCIUS is a powerful tool for building Excel-like applications in your .NET projects. It lets you create interactive spreadsheets, grids, dashboards, and even forms within WinForms, ASP.NET, and WPF applications. With its rich feature set, including a robust calculation engine, formula support, and Excel compatibility, Spread.NET empowers developers to build data analysis tools, budgeting apps, scientific dashboards, and more, all within the familiar .NET environment.

The Spread.NET 18.2 update refines the RibbonBar in WinForms to improve the efficiency and clarity of UI design during development. With expanded icon visibility, developers can more easily access and identify commands, reducing visual ambiguity and speeding up layout tasks. The addition of new layout options for the collapsed state offers greater control over how the RibbonBar adapts to different form sizes, enabling more responsive and space-efficient interface designs. These improvements help streamline the design-time experience, allowing developers to build cleaner, more functional applications with less manual configuration.

To see a full list of what's new in v18.2, see our release notes.

Spread.NET is licensed per developer and is available as a Perpetual License with a 12 month support and maintenance subscription. We can supply any Spread.NET license including new licenses, maintenance renewals, and upgrade licenses. See our Spread.NET licensing page for full details.

For more information, visit our Spread.NET product page.

Generate Report Data with Built-In AI Tools

August 1, 2025
Stimulsoft Dashboards.WIN adds AI-powered data generation with Stimul AI, for faster report design using natural language prompts.

Stimulsoft Dashboards.WIN is a versatile suite of tools for crafting interactive data visualizations for web and desktop applications. It empowers developers to embed intuitive dashboards across various platforms, using platform-specific components or a centralized cloud designer. With data analysis elements, customization options, and pre-built templates, Stimulsoft Dashboards helps you transform complex data into clear, actionable insights for any audience.

The latest Stimulsoft Dashboards.WIN update introduces AI-powered data generation, enabling developers to quickly create realistic sample datasets using natural language prompts directly within the report designer. This improves the prototyping process by removing the need for manual data setup or external demo files, allowing for faster iteration, testing, and visualization of report layouts.

Stimulsoft Dashboards.WIN is licensed per developer and is available as a perpetual license with 1 year support and maintenance. See our Stimulsoft Dashboards.WIN licensing page for full details.

Stimulsoft Dashboards.WIN is available individually or as part of Stimulsoft Ultimate.

Speed Up Data Entry with Intelligent Auto Fill

July 16, 2025
Syncfusion Essential Studio Windows Forms 2025 Volume 2 adds Auto Fill and Fill Series to the Excel Library for faster, pattern-based cell population.

Syncfusion Essential Studio Windows Forms (available as part of Syncfusion Essential Studio Enterprise) is a powerful UI component suite designed to enhance your WinForms development. It boasts over 100 high-performance controls, ranging from essential grids and charts to advanced schedulers and diagrams, enabling you to craft visually appealing and feature-rich applications with ease. Its extensive customization options and built-in themes allow for tailored user experiences, while touch-friendly design ensures seamless interaction across devices.

The Syncfusion Essential Studio Windows Forms 2025 Volume 2 update introduces Auto Fill and Fill Series support in the Excel Library, enabling developers to programmatically populate cell ranges based on detected patterns, sequences, or trends. This enhancement improves spreadsheet generation by reducing manual data entry and allows for efficient creation of structured data such as incremental numbers, dates, or custom-defined sequences. It improves automation in Excel-based workflows, supports consistent data output, and integrates smoothly into existing .NET applications for more dynamic and intelligent document processing.

To see a full list of what's new in 2025 Volume 2 (30.1.37), see our release notes.

Syncfusion Essential Studio Windows Forms is available as part of Syncfusion Essential Studio Enterprise which is licensed per developer starting with a Team License of up to five developers. It is available as a 12 Month Timed Subscription License which includes support and maintenance. See our Syncfusion Essential Studio Enterprise licensing page for full details.

Learn more on our Syncfusion Essential Studio Windows Forms product page.