.NET 8 WinForms News

Generate and Customize Barcodes in WinForms Apps

March 18, 2025
Quickly create and integrate barcodes in multiple formats, streamlining data encoding for your software applications.

Barcode generation involves creating visual representations of data encoded in standardized barcode formats. This feature provides developers with the ability to programmatically produce barcodes, such as QR codes or Code 128, that can be displayed, printed, or exported. Integrating barcode generation simplifies the process of embedding machine-readable information into documents or physical items, allowing applications to automate data transfer, facilitate inventory tracking, and improve overall data management by enabling the creation of easily scannable identifiers.

Several WinForms UI Suites feature a barcode component including:

  • DevExpress WinForms allows you to generate diverse barcode symbologies with comprehensive customization, enabling seamless integration of machine-readable data.
  • ComponentOne Studio WinForms by MESCIUS facilitates barcode generation, providing developers the means to embed various barcode types into their software.
  • Infragistics Ultimate UI for Windows Forms provides developers with barcode generation controls, enabling the creation of scannable data representations within their applications.
  • Nevron Open Vision for .NET enables the creation of graphical barcodes, supporting varied symbologies, to enhance data encoding and retrieval in .NET applications.

For an in-depth analysis of features and price, visit WinForms UI Suites comparison.

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Improve Spreadsheet Visibility with Zoom Support

March 11, 2025
Allow users to focus on detailed spreadsheet data or gain a broader overview, catering to different visual needs and analysis requirements.

Zooming in a spreadsheet component refers to the ability to scale the displayed content, effectively increasing or decreasing the visible size of cells, data, and gridlines. This feature allows users to adjust the level of detail shown, enabling them to gain a broader overview or focus on specific data segments. Developers implement this to enhance user experience by providing flexibility in data visualization, improving accessibility for users with varying visual needs, and facilitating efficient data analysis through customized display levels.

Several WinForms spreadsheet controls offer support for zooming including:

  • Spread.NET WinForms (part of Spread.NET by MESCIUS) provides deep zoom controls, enabling precise magnification for detailed analysis and effortless data inspection.
  • DevExpress WinForms Spreadsheet (part of DevExpress WinForms) allows zooming, scaling content smoothly for optimal readability, and adapting to various screen resolutions.
  • MindFusion.Spreadsheet for WinForms facilitates flexible zoom levels, empowering users to adjust views for focused data entry or comprehensive overview.
  • Syncfusion WinForms Spreadsheet (part of Syncfusion Essential Studio Enterprise) offers responsive zooming, ensuring clarity for intricate data sets.

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

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Enhance Date Accuracy with DateOnly Support

March 11, 2025
Telerik UI for WinForms 2025 Q1 adds .NET DateOnly support in RadDataGrid, ensuring precise date handling without time components.

Telerik UI for WinForms is a comprehensive UI library offering over 160 versatile controls designed to streamline the development of modern, data-rich desktop applications. With features like built-in High DPI support, extensive customization options, and components ranging from grids and charts to schedulers and rich text boxes, it empowers developers to craft visually appealing and feature-packed Windows Forms applications.

The Telerik UI for WinForms 2025 Q1 update introduces dedicated support for .NET DateOnly column types in RadDataGrid. This update enhances the precision of date handling by allowing developers to bind, format, and edit date values without dealing with unnecessary time components. As a result, applications benefit from improved data accuracy, reducing potential errors in time-sensitive operations. This streamlined approach leads to greater reliability and offers developers a more efficient way to handle date data in their applications.

To see a full list of what's new in 2025 Q1 (2025.1.211), see our release notes.

Telerik UI for WinForms is licensed per developer and has two licensing models: an annual Subscription License and a Perpetual License. The Subscription license provides access to the latest product updates, technical support, and exclusive benefits for a flat annual fee, and must be renewed to continue using the software. The Perpetual license is a one-time purchase granting access to the current released version and includes a one-year subscription for product updates and technical support.  After this initial period, users can choose to renew the subscription element to continue receiving updates and support; otherwise, they may continue using the installed version available during their active subscription term but will forgo future updates and support. See our Telerik UI for WinForms licensing page for full details.

Telerik UI for WinForms is available individually or as part of the following products:

Maintain Formatting with Excel to PDF Conversion

February 28, 2025
Convert Excel files to PDF while preserving formatting, ideal for sharing reports, protecting sensitive data, and creating print-ready documents.

Converting Excel files to PDF ensures that spreadsheets maintain their formatting, structure, and data integrity while becoming universally accessible across devices without requiring specialized software. This process enhances security by preventing unintended edits, supports password protection, and enables controlled access to sensitive data. It also optimizes file size for easier sharing and ensures consistent printing without layout distortions. Ideal for financial reports, invoices, data summaries, and official documents, Excel to PDF conversion provides a professional, fixed-format output suitable for archiving, collaboration, and compliance with industry standards.

Several .NET WinForms PDF controls offer support for Excel to PDF conversion, including:

  • Syncfusion Windows Forms PDF (part of Syncfusion Essential Studio Enterprise) converts Excel files to PDF, preserving formatting, security, and print-ready layouts for easy sharing.
  • Telerik UI PDF for WinForms (part of Telerik UI for WinForms) lets you generate high-quality PDFs from spreadsheets, ensuring accessibility, and controlled editing.
  • ImageGear for .NET (by Accusoft) facilitates Excel-to-PDF conversion with advanced formatting retention, optimized file sizes, and enhanced security for secure distribution.

Compare .NET WinForms PDF Controls

Format Text with Bold, Italics, and Custom Styles

February 12, 2025
Add rich text editing to your WinForms app with advanced formatting, seamless integration, and a modern document-style interface.

Rich text editors for WinForms let users create and format content in a familiar, word processor-like environment. These editors support advanced text styling, media embedding, and customizable toolbars, giving developers flexibility to build feature-rich desktop applications. With features like document import/export, content validation, and extensive formatting controls, they enhance the user experience while ensuring consistency across applications. Designed for accessibility and optimized for desktop performance, they integrate seamlessly into Windows-based workflows.

Several .NET WinForms UI suites offer rich text editors including:

  • DevExpress WinForms lets you create rich text content with advanced formatting, seamless document import/export, and a highly customizable ribbon-based UI.
  • ComponentOne Studio WinForms by MESCIUS provides a lightweight yet powerful rich text editor with intuitive styling, clipboard support, and flexible document output formats.
  • Telerik UI for WinForms enables professional text editing with robust styling options, built-in spell checking, and seamless integration into modern business applications.
  • Bunifu UI WinForms by Bunifu Technologies facilitates elegant, user-friendly text editing with minimalist design, smooth performance, and easy customization for streamlined content creation.

For an in-depth analysis of features and price, visit our comparison of .NET WinForms UI Suites:

Compare .NET WinForms UI Suites