DevExpress Reporting 18.2

All Platforms

Report Designer - Vertical Bands - Added three new types of report bands to the Reporting platform:

• Vertical Detail
• Vertical Header
• Vertical Total.

Vertical bands allow you to create a report wherein record fields are arranged vertically and records printed horizontally (from left to right). As its name implies, this new layout mirrors that of a vertical grid - wherein columns represent rows and rows represent columns.

Picture Box Enhancements

• Image Upload in Print Preview - You can now upload an image or select it from a list of predefined images when displaying a report in the Print Preview. The editor's toolbar allows you to choose the appropriate sizing mode and image alignment.
• Freehand Drawing in Print Preview - You can now draw "freehand" when previewing a document. To enable freehand drawing, set the Picture Box's ImageEditOptions.EditorName property to 'Signature'. In this mode, you can draw any shape or text within the Picture Box. Integrated options allow you to specify brush size and color.
• SVG Support - The Picture Box report control can now display vector-based images. v18.2 doesn't support SVG with gradients and text. This restriction will be addressed in a future release.

Bar Code - QR Code Enhancements

• QR Code allows you to display a picture in the middle of bar code.

Report Parameters - Enhancements

• Parameters now support Null values. Enable the Parameter.AllowNull option to allow Null values.
• If a parameter is bound to a dynamic or static list, you can sort its data using the LookUpSettings.SortOrder and LookUpSettings.SortMember properties.
• The multi-value parameter's editor now displays 'All selected (N)' when all parameter values are selected.

Report Wizard - Page Setup and Report Color Scheme Pages - This release includes two new Report Wizard pages.

• Page Settings: allows you to specify paper size, units, orientation and document margins.
• Color Schemes: allows you to select a base color for built-in styles generated by the wizard.

End-User Report Designer - Script Code Completion Offline Mode

• You can now activate code completion in offline mode. Code completion also supports types defined in custom assemblies.

Report Controls - New Default Font

• By default, the report controls now use the Arial font.

ASP.NET Core Reporting

• Report Designer Integrated in Visual Studio - This release ships with a fully integrated Report Designer within Visual Studio for ASP.NET Core. The Report Designer is now displayed within a panel allowing you to switch between open code units.
• Event Handling - You can now handle the events of individual report controls. Double-click an event in the properties panel to generate a handler for it.

Web Reporting

• New Color Schemes. Custom Scheme Support - In previous iterations, the HTML5 Document Viewer and HTML5 Report Designer shipped with light and dark themes. With this release, you can apply any DevExtreme Theme (except Material) to both the Viewer and Designer, or set up appearance settings manually.
• Angular Reporting npm Package - New an npm package helps you integrate the HTML5 Document Viewer and Web Report Designer into your Angular-based application.
• Query Builder - Improved UX and Query Parameters Support - Updated the properties panel interface in the Query Builder component to improve discoverability of query properties and table items. You can also create query parameters as necessary.
• Web Report Designer - Watermarks - The Web Report Designer can now display watermarks. End-users can apply pre-printed forms and correctly position report controls as needed.
• Web Document Viewer - Tab Panel Position - The Tab Panel can now be displayed on the left. Use the 'WebDocumentViewerTabPanelSettings.Position' property to specify the Tab Panel's position within the Document Viewer.
• Improved Internal Server Error Handling - Updated the Web Reporting components so you can display error details within the browser (rather than use the standard 'Internal Server Error' message).
• Web Document Viewer and Report Designer - Client-Side API Enhancements - The new client-side API allows you to perform the following:
  • hide specific export formats or the entire Export Options panel (Documentation)
  • customize export options (Documentation)
  • change Toolbox item tooltips (Documentation)
  • refresh report tabs (Documentation)
  • respond when switching between report tabs (Documentation)
  • customize Field List actions (Documentation).
• Search in Open/Save Report Dialogs - Incorporated a search panel into the Web Report Designer's Open/Save Report dialog to allow end-users to quickly locate a specific report.

WinForms Reporting

• End-User Report Designer - Office-Inspired Property Grid UI - Updated the Properties panel so it mimics Microsoft Office's new UX. Property categories are replaced with tabs and search panel is always visible, which makes it easier to discover specific properties. The Expressions tab has been removed. A square icon near each property indicates whether a property value differs from its default value, and allows you to define an expression as needed. Property editor values that were specified via an expression now display a formula icon to the right of the editor.
• Data Source Wizard - JSON and DevExpress ORM Persistent Object Data Sources - Added two new data source types into the Data Source Wizard:
  • JSON Data Source - Allows you to specify WebAPI end point to consume JSON data.
  • DevExpress ORM Persistent Objects Data Source - Allows you to bind a report to a collection of ORM Persistent Objects. This implementation resolves previous limitations related to the serialization of object types.
• Miscellaneous Enhancements
  • End-User Report Designer and Document Viewer – Skinned Save/Open File Dialogs: you can use DevExpress dialogs by enabling the WindowsFormsSettings.UseDXDialogs option.
  • Expression Editor - PageIndex and PageCount Variables: We've updated the advanced expression bindings mode so you can use the PageIndex and PageCount variables in expressions constructed for the PrintOnPage event handler.

WPF Reporting

• Document Viewer - Office-inspired Navigation Pane - Updated the WPF Document Viewer with a new Microsoft Word-inspired Navigation Pane.
• Data Source Wizard - JSON and DevExpress ORM Persistent Object Data Sources - Added two new data source types into the Data Source Wizard:
  • JSON Data Source - Allows you to specify WebAPI end point to consume JSON data.
  • DevExpress ORM Persistent Objects Data Source - Allows you to bind a report to a collection of ORM Persistent Objects. This implementation resolves previous limitations related to the serialization of object types.
• WPF Report Designer - Query Builder Light View - This new Query Builder View replicates the user experience available across the WinForms controls. It allows you to display custom table and column names.