Released: May 26, 2021

Updates in 21.1

Features

New MongoDB Data Source

• The Data Source Configuration Wizard allows you to connect and retrieve data from a MongoDB database. The MongoDB data source allows you to select the desired database name, document collection name and define the appropriate server-side filtering clause.

Data Grid

• Search Boxes within Column Headers
  • Column headers can now display search boxes. Users can click a search icon and enter filter criteria within column headers.
• TileView - Conditional Formatting
  • The Tile View now offers Conditional Formatting support. You can highlight tiles and individual tile elements (fields) based on specified criteria without writing a single line of code. Tiles can be highlighted using icons and predefined color scales.
• Filter Panel - MRU Filters
  • The Filter Panel displays separate tokens with filters for each column. In this version, the MRU filter list (most recently used filters) has been incorporated and the new Filter Panel has been enabled by default.
• Filter Editor - Custom Expressions
  • Custom expressions that cannot be converted into Filter Editor nodes are now displayed within text fields. This ensures no expressions are lost. End-users can add custom expressions at runtime using a context menu.
• Unbound Column Enhancements
  • You can now explicitly set an unbound column type. You can also specify previously unavailable types, such as TimeSpan or DateTimeOffset.
• New Appearance Options for Detail Tabs
  • The new DetailTabStyle event allows you to customize captions, images, colors and font settings for detail tabs. A 'RefreshDetailTab(rowHandle)' method has been added to update detail tabs at runtime. You can also enable the 'OptionsView.AllowHtmlDrawDetailTabs' option to use HTML-inspired tags.

Charting

• Memory Optimization and New Data Adapters
  • With this release, the WinForms Chart Control allocates less memory when used in data bound mode. This enhancement has increased the maximum number of visible data points for x86 apps without significant performance degradation (up to 20M).
  • The new data adapters (ISeriesAdapter and ISeriesTemplateAdapter) allow you to process complex data structures much faster. You can also implement a custom data adapter to process data as needed.

Diagram

• Diagram Designer Enhancements
  • The WinForms Diagram Designer now ships with the following new features/capabilities:
    • Redesigned Shapes Panel.
    • Lightweight Docking Support.
    • Scrollbars Optimized for Touch Apps.

Editors

• Output Data Type for Numeric Masks
  • You can now specify the output data type for an editor with a numeric mask. When a user enters values within the edit box, the data editor converts the input string to the output data type and assigns the result to the EditValue property.
• End-Users can Change Mask Settings
  • The new 'EditMaskSettings' method displays the DevExpress "Mask Settings" dialog at runtime. This dialog allows end-users to modify mask options as needs dictate.
  • You can also use the new 'MaskSettings.Save' and 'MaskSettings.Restore' methods to persist and load mask settings when necessary.
• Highlight Text
  • The new 'CustomHighlightText' event allows you to highlight both individual words and a word range. To use this new option, you must activate the WinForms Text Editor's Advanced Mode.

Gantt Control

• Enhanced Printing
  • This release includes an overhauled WinForms Gantt print engine. Issues such as blurry content (noticeable when users zoom into a printed document) and performance degradation when using large zoom factors have been fixed.
  • Support for various print-related options and appearance settings available in other DevExpress WinForms controls have been added.
• Advanced Automatic Scheduling Settings
  • The WinForms Gantt control now supports task constraints. These constraints allow a user to limit a task's start or finish date to a specific date or date range. Task constraint options include:
    • As Soon As Possible.
    • As Late As Possible.
    • Start No Earlier Than.
    • Start No Later Than.
    • Finish No Earlier Than.
    • Finish No Later Than.
    • Must Start On.
    • Must Finish On.
  • Task constraints can be set if the data source contains corresponding data fields. Use the new ConstraintTypeFieldName and ConstraintDateFieldName properties to specify data field names.

Map Control

• Custom Start/End Caps for MapLine and MapPolyline
  • MapLine, MapPolyline and MapSpline vector items now include StartLineCap and EndLineCap properties. These properties allow you to display a custom shape at the beginning and at the end of each vector element.
• Restrict Map Panning to an Area
  • You can now retain user focus on a specific region and prevent them from moving out of that area. Use the new 'MapControl.ScrollArea' property, to limit user access to map areas.
• Colorizer for MapLine, MapPolyline and MapSpline
  • Colorizers can be applied to the following map vector items: MapLine, MapPolyline and MapSpline. Once calculated, the color is assigned to the line's Stroke property.
• Bing Maps - New Map Types and GIS Providers
  • The BingMapDataProvider supports the following new map types: RoadGray, RoadLight, RoadDark.
  • A new BingMapDataProvider.TopLayer property has been added to set the display layer that renders atop the imagery set (BaseMap, Background, Foreground and TrafficFlow).
  • New GIS providers include:
    • BingTrafficIncidentDataProvider - Displays pushpins with traffic incident information.
    • BingRouteIsochroneDataProvider - Generates a semi-transparent polygon with a pushpin to visualize the distance reachable from a given location, and supports driving and walking modes.
  • BingRouteDataProvider also offers two new route optimization options: MinimizeTimeWithTraffic and MinimizeTimeAvoidClosure. Its new OptimizeWaypoints property rearranges route waypoints and reduces route cost.

PDF Viewer

• Printing Enhancements
  • Improved the DirectX printing engine so that documents are printed faster, with a smaller print job size.

Pivot Grid

• Async Data Processing Enhancements
  • DevExpress Pivot Grid can now invoke multiple operations in a background thread. The asynchronous API has been enhanced to return the Task<> object, so you can leverage the 'await' operator.

Ribbon, Bars and Docking

• Ribbon - Empty Area Image
  • The WinForms Ribbon can now display an image within its empty/unused regions. Use the EmptyAreaImageOptions property to specify image settings. The 'ImageAlignment' and 'ImagePadding' properties specify image alignment and padding respectively.
• Document Manager – Restore Hidden/Closed Documents
  • When you load a document layout, the new 'QueryDocument' event allows you to easily restore/re-create documents that are no longer available in the current View.

Rich Text Editor

• Charts (CTP)
  • The WinForms Rich Text Editor can now display, print and export (to PDF) documents with charts.
• RC4 CryptoAPI Encryption
  • The Word Processing Document API and Rich Text Editors (for WinForms and WPF) can import and export RC4 CryptoAPI encrypted DOC files. RC4 CryptoAPI is now the default encryption method for binary files if you use the Strong encryption type to encrypt your documents.
• Repeat Row as Header
  • Added a new table row option - "Repeat as header row at the top of each page".
• Watermarks
  • The WinForms Rich Text Editor allows you to import and export documents with watermarks. Watermarks are displayed, printed and exported to PDF. New API allows you to insert picture and text watermarks, specify watermark options, or remove existing watermarks from a document.
• ActiveX Controls
  • The new API allows you to access ActiveX controls in code, obtain associated properties (type, name and ProgID) and remove these controls from a document when necessary.

Sankey Diagram

• Selection
  • Users can now select diagram nodes and links. The Sankey Diagram control supports the following selection modes:
    • Single.
    • Multiple.
    • Extended (a combination of single and multiple selection modes).
  • Use the 'SankeyDiagram.SelectionMode' property to specify a desired selection mode.
• Layout Customization
  • The Sankey Diagram now supports a linear layout algorithm. Use the LayoutAlgorithm property to customize node positioning:
    • ResolveOverlapping - Automatically repositions nodes to avoid link overlap.
    • NodeAlignment - Aligns all nodes: far, center or nears.
  • You can also implement a custom layout algorithm by deriving from 'SankeyLinearLayoutAlgorithm' or 'SankeyLayoutAlgorithmBase'.

Scheduler

• Modern Microsoft Outlook-inspired UI Elements
  • Updated the Scheduler's interface to better replicate UI elements introduced in the most recent version of Microsoft Outlook.
    • Time Ruler now features label text settings and minor tickmark styles.
    • 'More' buttons are now displayed inside every day column. You do not need to enable the ShowMoreButtonsOnEachColumn option. 'More' buttons display the appointment counter.
    • The current day column is now highlighted.
    • Updated the appearance of the Scheduler's current time indicator. The 'TimeIndicatorDisplayOptions.Visibility' property is now set to 'DaysBeforeToday' by default.
• Day-Column Auto Width
  • Day, Work Week, and Full Week Views now support an auto column width option. Set the new ColumnWidthMode property to 'Auto' to activate day-column auto width.
  • You can also handle the CustomDayViewColumnWidth event to manually specify column width.
• Appointment Min/Max Height
  • You can now specify an appointment's minimum and maximum allowed height in auto-height mode.
    • Use the 'AppointmentMinHeight' and 'AppointmentMaxHeight' properties in Month, Timeline and Gantt Views.
    • Use the 'AllDayAppointmentMinHeight' and 'AllDayAppointmentMaxHeight' properties in Day, Work Week and Full Week Views.

Skins and Vector Icons

• New High Contrast Skin
  • The new vector High Contrast Skin uses Microsoft Windows colors specified via the "Personalize | High contrast settings" menu. The High Contrast Skin is automatically activated once you enable the High Contrast Windows theme. To turn off automatic skin activation, disable the WindowsFormsSettings.TrackSystemHighContrastMode option.
  • The vector High Contrast Skin includes multiple color palettes.
• Skin Patches
  • With the new skin patch support, you can make slight modifications to a standard DevExpress skin without duplicating the skin. A skin patch is a list of visual changes applied directly to a standard DevExpress Skin. Skin patches eliminate the need to generate/import custom skins for your project(s).

Spreadsheet

• RC4 CryptoAPI Encryption
  • The Spreadsheet Document API and WinForms/WPF Spreadsheet controls can import and export RC4 CryptoAPI encrypted XLS files. RC4 CryptoAPI is now the default encryption method for binary files if you use the Strong encryption type to encrypt your documents.
• Progress Indication
  • The Spreadsheet control can now indicate the progress of lengthy operations (file load/save operations and export to PDF/HTML). Implement an 'IProgressIndicationService' interface to create a custom progress indicator as needs dictate.
• Accounting Number Alignment
  • If you apply the Accounting number format to a cell value, the Spreadsheet displays the currency symbol on the left and numbers on the right.
• Microsoft Excel 2016 Charts – Enhancements
  • With this release, the Spreadsheet control adds new UI elements designed to insert Excel 2016 charts and change chart types.
  • The Spreadsheet control can now render, print and export (to PDF) Sunburst and Treemap charts.
• Document Themes API
  • You can now access and modify document theme in code. Load a custom theme from a THMX file or customize predefined theme colors as needed.
• Image Replacement
  • Use the new 'Picture.ChangeImage' method to replace an existing worksheet image with a different image. You can specify whether to retain the size of the original image or use new image attributes (size and proportions).
• Copy a Cell Range as Image
  • You can now copy a cell range and paste it as an image into another application.

Sunburst and TreeMap

• Legend and Titles
  • DevExpress Tree Map and Sunburst controls can now display legend and title elements. Use the following properties to enable and customize legends and titles as necessary:
    • HierarchicalChartControlBase.Legend.
    • HierarchicalChartControlBase.Titles.

TreeList

• Unbound Column Enhancements
  • You can now explicitly set an unbound column type. You can also specify previously unavailable types, such as TimeSpan or DateTimeOffset.
• Filter Editor - Custom Expressions
  • Custom expressions that cannot be converted into Filter Editor nodes are now displayed within text fields. This ensures no expressions are lost. End-users can add custom expressions at runtime using a context menu.

Vertical Grid

• Property Grid - Sort and Categorize Buttons
  • The WinForms Property Grid control now supports a Microsoft Visual Studio-inspired properties toolbar. The toolbar displays a search box and buttons to sort and categorize grid rows. You can use the Property Grid control's smart tag menu to create the toolbar.
• Conditional Formatting
  • The WinForms Vertical Grid supports Excel-inspired Conditional Formatting. You can easily highlight cells or rows based on specified criteria without writing a single line of code. Cells and rows can be highlighted using icons and predefined color scales. Users can easily apply/customize style conditions via the grid's popup menu.
• Data Sorting
  • The WinForms Vertical Grid now supports sorting against an unlimited number of rows. Use the AllowSort property to enable/disable data sorting as needs dictate.
• Filter Editor - Custom Expressions
  • Custom expressions that cannot be converted into Filter Editor nodes are now displayed within text fields. This ensures no expressions are lost. End-users can add custom expressions at runtime using a context menu.
• Unbound Column Enhancements
  • You can now explicitly set an unbound column type. You can also specify previously unavailable types, such as TimeSpan or DateTimeOffset.

RDP Optimization

• Optimized the WinForms product line so that individual controls execute more efficiently in remote usage scenarios (even at low connection speeds).

Miscellaneous

• Image Picker - Custom Images
  • The DevExpress Image Picker now features a Browse tab and allows you to directly add images from disk to controls on a form.
• New Barcodes - Identcode and Leitcode
  • v21.1 extends the barcode library with two new barcode types:
    • Deutsche Post Identcode.
    • Deutsche Post Leitcode.
  • Use the new 'DeutschePostIdentcodeGenerator' and 'DeutschePostLeitcodeGenerator' classes to generate Deutsche Post Identcode and Deutsche Post Leitcode barcodes at runtime.
• Accordion – Stretch a Container
  • Much like the NavBar's SideBar View, containers in the Accordion control can now stretch and span entire control height.
• SVG Loading - Performance Enhancements
  • Overhauled the internal SVG image parser and reduced SVG image load time by 31%. Memory use has also been optimized and reduced consumption by up to 45%.
• Accessibility Enhancements
  • The major WinForms UI controls (Data Grid, TreeList, Layout Control and Tile Control, etc.) now expose the 'AccessibleName' and 'AccessibleDescription' properties for their columns, bands and items.
  • Screen readers can now get information from group rows in Grid Views and fields in Layout Views (Data Grid), Spin Edit, Toggle Switch, Track Bar and Range Track Bar.
  • Extended accessibility support to the following Data Grid and TreeList UI elements:
    • Find panel.
    • Filter buttons.
    • Buttons within the embedded data navigation UI.
  • WinForms DocumentManager and XtraTabbedMdiManager components now expose accessibility information in their documents and tabs.