.NET News

Build Smarter Telephony Apps Faster

March 26, 2025
IPWorks VoIP by /n software provides developers with secure, scalable, and feature-rich solutions for call management, conferencing, and IVR.

​IPWorks VoIP is a comprehensive library designed to simplify the integration of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) capabilities into applications. It offers components that support common Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) operations, enabling developers to create advanced Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) solutions. Key features include making and receiving calls, call recording and playback, text-to-speech functionality, conference call management, and both blind and attended call transfers. The library also supports creating custom IVR menus, facilitating automated call routing and customer self-service applications. With compatibility across various platforms and technologies, IPWorks VoIP provides a uniform and extensible design that streamlines the development of secure and efficient telephony applications.

​IPWorks VoIP is licensed per developer and is available as a Perpetual License with a 12 month support and maintenance subscription. See our IPWorks VoIP licensing page for full details.

IPWorks VoIP is available to buy in the following products:

Simulate Motion with Precise Assembly Mates

March 26, 2025
Eyeshot 2025 lets you define how components move together, making it easier to model and test mechanical behavior in real time.

Eyeshot by devDept Software empowers you to integrate robust CAD functionalities into your .NET applications. Supporting both Windows Forms and WPF natively, it offers a comprehensive suite of tools accessible through the Visual Studio toolbox. These include design for 2D/3D geometry creation and editing, drawing for automatic 2D view generation, simulation for geometry validation, and manufacture for CNC toolpath generation and simulation.

The Eyeshot 2025 release introduces Assembly Mates, enabling developers to define geometric relationships between components in a 3D assembly. As each mate is added, it restricts specific degrees of freedom, guiding how parts can move or rotate relative to each other. This makes it possible to simulate and visualize mechanical behavior in real time, offering a clearer understanding of component interaction before finalizing design constraints. By integrating mates directly into the modeling workflow, Eyeshot now supports a more dynamic and precise assembly modeling experience for engineering and CAD applications.

To see a full list of what's new in version 2025, see our release notes.

Eyeshot is licensed per developer and is available as an annual license, with either Lite or Priority support. See our licensing pages for Eyeshot Pro, Eyeshot Ultimate, and Eyeshot Fem for full details.

Eyeshot is available to buy in the following products:

Improve PDF Security and Branding with Watermarks

March 25, 2025
Easily add customizable watermarks to PDFs to enhance document security, protect intellectual property, and reinforce branding.

Watermarks in PDFs are semi-transparent text or image overlays that serve as a security and branding tool by marking documents with identifying information. They help protect intellectual property, prevent unauthorized distribution, and reinforce authenticity by displaying ownership, confidentiality, or document status (e.g., "Draft," "Confidential," or "Approved"). Watermarking also enhances professionalism by incorporating company logos or copyright notices. Common use cases include securing legal contracts, corporate reports, research papers, and sensitive business documents to ensure proper handling and compliance. By integrating customizable watermarking, organizations can maintain control over their digital documents while preserving readability and usability.

Several .NET WPF PDF components allow you to add watermarks, including:

  • Syncfusion WPF PDF (part of Syncfusion Essential Studio Enterprise) lets you add customizable watermarks to PDFs, enhancing security, branding, and document control.
  • Telerik UI PDF for WPF (part of Telerik UI for WPF) enables dynamic watermarking in PDFs, ensuring confidentiality, copyright protection, and professional branding.
  • IronPDF for .NET by Iron Software facilitates advanced PDF watermarking, allowing developers to overlay text or images for security and authenticity in .NET projects.

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

Compare .NET WPF PDF Components

Create Drill Through Reports in a C# .NET Application

March 25, 2025
Build interactive drill through reports using ActiveReports.NET by passing parameters and setting up navigation actions.

ActiveReports.NET helps you deliver beautiful reports with intuitive Visual Studio integrated report designers and rich controls. It provides code-based cross-platform reporting, easy-to-use designers, and a flexible API, enabling you to design and deliver powerful reports with intuitive, reliable, and user-friendly report designers and controls.

In this blog post, MESCIUS Product Manager Alec Gall shows you how to use ActiveReports to drill through from one report to another in your .NET application. Steps include:

  • Defining Parameters for Drill-Through Reports in ActiveReports
  • Creating Dynamic Report Titles and Data Filtering with Parameters
  • Adding Interactive Drill-Through Actions to Images

Detailed source code is completed and there is even a video that you can watch as you go through the steps.

Read the complete blog and begin providing a seamless way to navigate between related datasets in your .NET applications.

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.

Optimize Data Input in .NET WinForms Grids

March 21, 2025
Use AutoComplete cells to enhance data entry by offering context-aware suggestions, reducing user effort, and decreasing the likelihood of errors.

An AutoComplete cell type in a grid control facilitates efficient data entry by providing predictive suggestions as users type, drawing from a predefined data source to minimize errors and enhance user experience. This functionality, often implemented via lookup editors, custom cell editors, or event handling, streamlines data input by displaying a dropdown list of matching values, allowing for quick selection and reducing typing effort, ultimately contributing to faster and more accurate data management within the application.

Several .NET WinForms grid controls enable the AutoComplete cell type including:

  • DevExpress WinForms Data Grid (part of DevExpress WinForms) enhances user input with an AutoComplete Cell Type, providing real-time suggestions from bound data sources.
  • True DBGrid for WinForms (part of ComponentOne Studio WinForms by MESCIUS) improves data entry efficiency with AutoComplete cells, minimizing errors by offering context-aware suggestions.
  • Telerik UI for WinForms GridView (part of Telerik UI for WinForms) enables seamless data selection with AutoComplete cells, reducing typing effort through intelligent, customizable predictions.
  • Infragistics WinDataGrid (part of Infragistics Ultimate UI for Windows Forms) optimizes UX with the AutoComplete cell type, simplifying structured input by dynamically displaying relevant choices.

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

Compare .NET WinForms Grid Controls