.NET News

Add Material Design 3 to Your .NET MAUI App

May 31, 2024
Create visually captivating user interfaces using DevExpress .NET MAUI's 10 built-in Material Design 3 themes, available in both dark and light variants.

DevExpress .NET MAUI is a UI component library specifically designed to enhance the development of native mobile applications for iOS and Android using .NET MAUI and C#. It offers a rich set of pre-built controls like data grids, charts, schedulers, and various data editors, allowing developers to focus on application logic and deliver feature-rich mobile experiences with a faster development cycle.

In this blog post, DevExpress technical writer Anthony Sameishchev shows you how to use DevExpress .NET MAUI to implement Material Design 3 themes in your mobile applications. Detailed sample code is included, demonstrating how to:

  • Access the Material Design 3 Palette, with support for both dark and light application appearance.
  • Use Predefined Material Design Styles, such as Accent, Filled, Outlined, and Text.

Material Design 3 principles help you deliver mobile solutions with a consistent and modern appearance. The 10 built-in Material Design 3 color themes included in DevExpress .NET MAUI enable you to easily support  these themes in applications using DevExpress or standard MAUI controls.

Read the complete blog and learn how to create stunning UIs with balanced colors and enhanced usability.

DevExpress .NET MAUI is included as part of DevExpress Universal which is licensed per developer and is available as a Perpetual License with a 12 month support and maintenance subscription. See our DevExpress Universal licensing page for full details.

For more information, visit our DevExpress .NET MAUI product page.

Allow Users to Visually Navigate Dates

May 28, 2024
Calendar data entry components provide an easy way for users to accurately choose dates within your .NET 8 WPF application.

Calendar data entry components provide a familiar interface that allows users to visually navigate through days, months, and years, making it easier to find specific dates. They can also support features like multi-date selection or blackout dates for unavailable options. This functionality improves data entry accuracy and reduces the need for manual code to manage date operations, streamlining development workflows and potentially reducing errors.

Many .NET 8 WPF data editor collections contain calendar functionality including:

For an in-depth analysis of features and price, visit our comparison of .NET 8 WPF Data Editors.

Compare .NET 8 WPF Data Editors

Reveal Hidden Relationships in Categorical Data

May 28, 2024
Use cross-tabs in reports to identify patterns and trends that might be missed in raw data or basic summaries.

Cross tabs, also known as crosstabulations or contingency tables, are a data visualization technique used in reporting to reveal relationships between two or more categorical variables. By organizing data in a grid with categories on rows and columns, Cross tabs allow users to quickly spot patterns that might not be obvious in standard report formats. This is particularly useful for tasks like understanding user demographics or segmenting customer behavior.

Several .NET WPF Reporting Controls offer cross tabs including:

  • DevExpress Reporting empowers you to design visually stunning reports with cross-tabs for in-depth data analysis.
  • ComponentOne FlexReport WPF (part of ComponentOne WPF Edition by MESCIUS) offers a WPF-based reporting toolset featuring cross-tabs for interactive data exploration.
  • Telerik Reporting facilitates the creation of feature-rich reports with cross-tabs to uncover data patterns and trends.
  • List & Label Professional Reporting Edition by combit allows you to generate reports with cross-tabs for clear and concise data presentation.

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

Compare .NET WPF Reporting Controls

Download Emails From a Remote Server with POP3

May 28, 2024
Comms components with POP3 support streamline the process of retrieving emails and facilitate integration with existing infrastructure.

POP3, short for Post Office Protocol version 3, is a standard internet protocol used by email clients to download emails from a remote server. Unlike IMAP, POP3 operates in a one-way download and delete fashion, meaning retrieved emails are stored locally on the user's device and can be accessed offline, but are typically removed from the server. POP3 offers several advantages for users who prioritize managing their email on a single device and value offline access.

Several .NET communications and messaging components support POP3 including:

  • IPWorks .NET Edition by /n software facilitates secure communication and includes POP3 functionalities for retrieving emails.
  • Rebex Mail Pack offers robust email handling with POP3 support for downloading messages.
  • MailBee.NET POP3 by Afterlogic specifically targets POP3 email retrieval and management within .NET applications.
  • SocketTools .NET Edition by Catalyst Development Corp. provides a comprehensive network development toolkit, including components for POP3 email access.

For an in-depth analysis of features and price, visit our .NET communications and messaging components comparison.

Compare .NET Comms & Messaging

Execute Custom SQL Queries in your Reports

May 28, 2024
FastReport Online Designer 2024.2 adds support for custom SQL queries, allowing SQL views to be used as regular tables.

FastReport Online Designer by FastReports is a web-based report designer tool that allows users to create, edit, and view reports directly in their browser on any device. This cross-platform designer integrates seamlessly with FastReport .NET, FastReport Core, and FastReport Open Source, making it a valuable tool for developers who want to empower their end users to customize report layouts and data visualization.

The FastReport Online Designer 2024.2 update introduces Custom SQL Query functionality, which significantly enhances the tool's versatility. It allows developers to write and execute tailored SQL queries directly within the report designer, enabling the integration of complex SQL views and custom data manipulations as standard tables in reports. This capability facilitates more precise data retrieval and manipulation, streamlining the reporting process by reducing the need for pre-processing data externally. Consequently, developers can now create more dynamic, data-rich reports that better meet specific business requirements, ultimately improving the efficiency and effectiveness of reporting solutions within their applications.

To see a full list of what's new in 2024.2, see our release notes.

FastReport Online Designer* is available in a number of license options: SCL may be used in a single application within one organization. SaaS allows embedding within a Cloud platform for your SaaS subscribers. OEM can be integrated into a distributed solution to your customers. Unlimited is also available for custom distributions. See our FastReport Online Designer licensing page for full details.

Learn more on our FastReport Online Designer product page.

* FastReport Online Designer requires FastReport.NET, FastReport Core or FastReport Open Source to work.