.NET 8 WPF News

Add Dynamic Grouping to Your Reports

June 27, 2025
ActiveReports v19.1 adds powerful grouping capabilities, enabling report authors to build customizable, interactive layouts with zero code changes.

ActiveReports.NET from MESCIUS, is a comprehensive reporting solution for developers building applications in .NET. It empowers you to design and deliver visually appealing reports through user-friendly designers and a wide range of controls. ActiveReports simplifies report creation and distribution with a versatile API, rich data source connectivity, and support for multiple export formats. This translates to increased developer productivity and improved end-user experience with powerful reporting functionalities within your .NET applications.

The ActiveReports v19.1 update introduces enhanced grouping control that allows developers to enable or hide groups in Tables, BandedLists, and Tablix controls based on expressions or parameters. This capability makes it easier to design reports that adapt at runtime to different data scenarios or user inputs, without requiring code changes. By configuring the new "Enabled" and "Hidden" properties directly within the report definition, developers can deliver more flexible and maintainable reporting solutions that respond dynamically to business logic.

To see a full list of what's new in v19.1, see our release notes.

ActiveReports.NET is licensed per developer and is available with or without a 12 month support and maintenance subscription. See our ActiveReports.NET licensing page for full details.

Learn more on our ActiveReports.NET product page.

Organize Data for Faster Insight

June 26, 2025
Sorting functionality allows spreadsheet users to bring structure to large data sets by arranging rows based on selected column values.

Data sorting in a spreadsheet control is a fundamental feature that enables users to rearrange data within a grid or table based on specific criteria, typically ascending or descending alphabetically or by numerical value. Sorting will usually be performed on single or multiple columns and is often integrated with other data manipulation tools like filtering, grouping, and searching. By sorting data, users can quickly locate and analyze information, identify patterns, and ensure consistency across records. Especially useful in large datasets, it improves the readability of the information and makes it more organized in preparation for decision-making, reporting, and data validation. This capability facilitates efficient data analysis, and supports better user interaction by allowing datasets to be viewed in meaningful sequences.

Several WPF spreadsheet controls offer support for data sorting including:

  • DevExpress WPF Spreadsheet (part of DevExpress WPF) offers built-in dialog boxes for single- and multi-column sorts, along with support for custom comparison.
  • Spread WPF by MESCIUS provides a flexible API for applying sorts programmatically or through the user interface, including options for nested multi-key sorts.
  • Telerik WPF Spreadsheet (part of Telerik UI for WPF) supports interactive column and row sorting, multi-field sorting, and programmatic control over sort direction and key range.
  • Syncfusion WPF Spreadsheet (part of Syncfusion Essential Studio Enterprise) includes context-menu and dialog-based sorting for one or more columns.

For an in-depth analysis of features and price, visit our WPF spreadsheet controls comparison.

Compare WPF Spreadsheet Controls

Organize Large Data Sets with Visual Hierarchy

June 20, 2025
Tree lists in UI Suites offer a clear, customizable way to organize and navigate complex data, improving usability, performance, and user control.

Tree lists, commonly included in professional UI component suites, are advanced controls designed to display hierarchical data in a structured and expandable format. They present parent-child relationships clearly, allowing users to navigate through multiple levels of data with ease. With features such as collapsible nodes, dynamic data loading, and customizable templates, tree lists improve both performance and user experience, particularly when working with large or complex datasets. In user interface development, they are frequently used for file explorers, category navigation, permission settings, project management views, and organizational charts. By integrating tree lists, developers can provide a more intuitive, scalable, and interactive way to manage structured information.

Several WPF UI suites offer tree list components including:

  • Actipro WPF Studio lets you display and edit hierarchical data with advanced tree controls that support virtualization, templates, and smooth interaction.
  • Infragistics Ultimate UI for WPF allows you to manage complex data structures visually through high-performance, customizable hierarchical grids and tree list views.
  • Telerik UI for WPF facilitates intuitive data navigation using powerful tree list components with built-in editing, filtering, and seamless data binding support.
  • DevExpress WPF enables interactive exploration of hierarchical data with feature-rich tree list controls, supporting grouping, sorting, and real-time updates.

For an in-depth analysis of features and price, visit our WPF UI suites comparison.

Compare WPF UI Suites

Simplify GraphQL Integration with a Guided Wizard

June 19, 2025
Telerik Reporting and Report Server 2025 Q2 adds a new GraphQL DataSource Wizard, enabling intuitive connection to GraphQL APIs.

Telerik Reporting and Telerik Report Server deliver a complete solution for creating, managing, and distributing reports across .NET applications. Telerik Reporting is a lightweight, embedded reporting tool for .NET web and desktop apps. It lets developers and users easily design, customize, and export interactive, reusable reports. It supports multiple platforms, including ASP.NET Core, Blazor, MVC, AJAX, HTML5/JS, Angular, WPF, WinForms, and WinUI. Telerik Report Server is a web-based, server-side solution for centralized report management. Built on Telerik Reporting, it offers scheduling, delivery, user management, and web-based access. It can be used standalone or integrated into apps built with Blazor, Angular, or Windows Forms.

The Telerik Reporting and Telerik Report Server 2025 Q2 update introduces a new GraphQL DataSource Wizard in the Web Report Designer that simplifies the process of connecting to GraphQL APIs. This enhancement improves data integration by guiding developers through a clear, step-by-step configuration process, eliminating the need for manual setup or in-depth knowledge of GraphQL syntax. It enables faster data connectivity and report creation directly within the browser-based design environment, improving overall efficiency and reducing development time when working with GraphQL data sources.

To see a full list of what's new, see our release notes for Telerik Reporting and Telerik Report Server 2025 Q2.

Telerik Reporting is licensed per developer and has two licensing models: an annual Subscription License and a Perpetual License. The Subscription license 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. Telerik Report Server is available as a perpetual license and is licensed per domain. Each domain license contains 15 Client Access Licenses and 1 year support and maintenance. See our licensing pages for Telerik Reporting and Telerik Report Server for full details.

Telerik Reporting and Telerik Report Server are available individually or as part of Telerik DevCraft Ultimate.

Allow Users To Easily Fill Out PDF Forms

June 19, 2025
Enhance user interaction by allowing editable fields directly within PDFs for quick and efficient data entry.

Form filling in a PDF Viewer enables users to interact with editable fields such as text boxes, checkmarks, radio buttons, and selection lists - right inside the document. This functionality is ideal for scenarios like contracts, surveys, and registration forms, where structured input is essential. By integrating these capabilities, developers can improve user interactions and allow form submission without leaving the application, enhancing data capture and eliminating the need for external tools.

Several WPF PDF Viewers feature support for form filling, including:

  • Telerik UI PDF for WPF (part of Telerik UI for WPF) enables editable text, checkboxes, radio buttons, and saving completed PDF forms.
  • DevExpress WPF PDF Viewer (part of DevExpress WPF) allows you to fill, highlight, import, and export PDF form fields.
  • Syncfusion WPF PDF (part of Syncfusion Essential Studio Enterprise) allows you to fill PDF forms with text fields, checkboxes, and dropdowns.

For an in-depth analysis of features and price, visit our comparison of WPF PDF viewers.

Compare WPF PDF Viewers