.NET 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

Display Complex Data with Hierarchical Navigation

June 25, 2025
Telerik UI for .NET MAUI 2025 Q2 adds a new TreeDataGrid component that combines the hierarchy of a TreeView with the flexibility of a DataGrid.

Telerik UI for .NET MAUI is a robust suite of user interface components designed to simplify the creation of cross-platform applications using .NET Multi-platform App UI (MAUI). It offers a wide range of pre-built controls, including charts, grids, and navigation elements, enabling developers to build visually appealing, high-performance apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS from a shared codebase. By ensuring a consistent user experience across platforms, it accelerates development and allows a focus on functionality, making it ideal for business applications, dashboards, and data-driven projects.

The Telerik UI for .NET MAUI 2025 Q2 update introduces the TreeDataGrid component, providing users with a powerful tool for presenting complex, hierarchical data in a structured, grid-based layout. By combining the features of a TreeView and a DataGrid, the TreeDataGrid enables efficient display and interaction with nested data using multiple columns, expandable rows, and customizable indentation. It supports dynamic operations such as adding or removing child items, auto-expanding nodes, and conditionally rendering expandable sections, providing precise control over data presentation and user experience.

To see a full list of what's new in 2025 Q2 (v11.0.0), see our release notes.

Telerik UI for .NET MAUI 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 .NET MAUI licensing page for full details.

Telerik UI for .NET MAUI is available individually or as part of the following products:

View Diagram Files Natively Across Platforms

June 25, 2025
ONLYOFFICE Docs v9.0 adds an integrated diagram viewer with multi-platform support, enabling users to open and navigate Microsoft Visio files.

ONLYOFFICE Docs is a comprehensive online editor, allowing users to create text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and forms. It enables your users to edit, share, and collaborate on documents online in their preferred browser, within your own application. It is fully compatible with OOXML (Office Open XML) formats and supports popular Microsoft Office and other document formats such as CSV, DOC, DOCX, EPUB, HTML, ODP, ODS, ODT, PDF, PPT, PPTX, RTF, TXT, XLS, and XLSX.

The ONLYOFFICE Docs v9.0 update adds a multi-platform integrated Diagram Viewer tool that allows users to view and navigate Microsoft Visio (.vsdx) files natively across devices, on web, desktop, and mobile web platforms, without requiring third-party software. With intuitive controls, zooming and panning, it provides effortless navigation whilst visualizing ideas and workflows as diagrams. Whether an IT manager is mapping infrastructure or a student is presenting a flowchart, the viewer ensures ideas and systems are clearly communicated.

To see a full list of what's new in v9.0.0, see our release notes.

ONLYOFFICE Docs is licensed by the number of simultaneous document connections and is available as an annual license with 1 year support and upgrades. See our ONLYOFFICE Docs licensing page for full details.

For more information, see our ONLYOFFICE Docs product page.

Capture Documents Exactly as Displayed

June 24, 2025
Printing and saving to PDF ensures your application can generate reliable, high-quality documents regardless of the operating environment.

Printing to PDF allows users to save an existing document, webpage, or file as a PDF by using a virtual printer. It captures the document exactly as it would appear if printed, preserving the formatting, layout, and styling. The resulting document is typically static and cannot be edited, ideal for archiving or sharing finalized versions of a document. This feature is particularly useful for standardizing outputs across different software, ensuring consistent presentation, and providing an easy way to generate PDFs from files that do not natively support the format.

Several WinForms PDF controls offer the ability to print/save to PDF including:

  • Telerik UI PDF for WinForms (part of Telerik UI for WinForms) enables developers to print or export UI content directly to PDF files with layout fidelity and output options.
  • ComponentOne Studio WinForms PDF (part of ComponentOne Studio WinForms by MESCIUS) offers native support for saving forms, controls, and reports as PDF.
  • LEADTOOLS PDF provides a robust API for printing or exporting documents to PDF, supporting both vector and raster content, with configurable print settings and security options.
  • ImageGear for .NET by Accusoft allows saving rendered documents or image-based content directly to PDF formats, with control over compression and output resolution.

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

Compare WinForms PDF Controls