DevExpress Reporting 23.1

DevExpress Drawing Graphics Library

• The DevExpress.Drawing Graphics Library was first introduced in November 2022 as a Community Technology Preview (CTP). This update marks its official release. The following drawing library-related capabilities and features are now available in non-Microsoft Windows environments:
  • Render justified text in labels.
  • Respect source image resolution (dpi) within XRPictureBox.
  • Embed PDFs into report documents using the XRPdfContent report control.
  • Display and print gauges within reports using the XRGauge report control.
  • Use the ImageExportOptions.Resolution property to specify image resolution.
  • Export all report pages to a single TIFF image (SingleFile export mode).
  • Automatically replace missing font glyphs for reports exported to PDF / Image and drawn in the Web Viewer.
• Replaced all System.Drawing enumerations in the public API with cross-platform counterparts.

Reporting - All Platforms

• Barcodes - Functional Control (FNC) Symbols Support - The Code-128 Barcode now supports FNC1-4 symbols. FNC (Functional Control) symbols provide additional information to the scanner. Use the following properties to specify symbols (or set of symbols) in barcode text:
  • FNC1Substitute.
  • FNC2Substitute.
  • FNC3Substitute.
  • FNC4Substitute.
• Barcodes - GS1 QRCode - The XRBarCode report control can now generate GS1 QR Codes. GS1 QR Code is a variant of the QR Code symbology that conforms to GS1 specifications. The GS1 standard is widely used across various industries such as retail, healthcare, and logistics.
• Chart Localization - The Localization Editor in Report Designer components now allows you to localize the following chart elements/properties:
  • Titles (legend, pane, series, constant line).
  • Small Chart Text.
  • Empty Chart Text.
  • Text Annotations.
  • Legend Text (strip, constant line, indicator).
  • Series Legend Text Pattern.
  • Strip Axis Label Text.
  • Custom Legend Item Text.
• Chart Bindable Properties - Users can now use expression bindings to set up constant line values, strip axis values, chart titles, and other UI elements with ease.
• Carried Forward/Brought Forward Totals - You can now calculate carried forward and brought forward totals (useful in accounting).
• SqlDataSource - Configure Session - You can now set up the SQL connection session before querying the database.
• Font Substitution for PDF Export Engine - The PDF export engine now supports font substitution. If a font used in a report does not contain a glyph for a character, the PDF export engine uses a glyph from a fallback font (to display the character in the exported PDF file). The engine first looks for fonts specifically designed to be used as fallbacks. If fallback fonts are not available, the engine looks for fonts that are similar to the source font.
• Microsoft Word Export (DOCX) - HTML-inspired Text Formatting Support - The XRLabel controls or XRCrossTab cells with HTML content (AllowMarkupText) now exports to DOCX as text (in previous versions HTML content was exported as an image). This enhancement allows users to edit labels and cell content in a document after export.
• XRPictureBox - EXIF Orientation Support - Added support for an EXIF Orientation value in the XRPictureBox report control. Enable the UseImageMetadata property to fix the EXIF orientation when loading an image and automatically rotate the image to be upright.

Reporting for ASP.NET Core

• Content Security Policy - Suppress Inline Styles and Scripts - Improved Content Security Policy support for the Web Reporting components in Microsoft ASP.NET Core applications: you can now implement a nonce-based CSP. This allows you to remove the unsafe-inline keyword for style-src and script-src directives from web pages that host the DevExpress Web Document Viewer and Web Report Designer.
• EFDataSource - DbContext from Dependency Injection in ASP.NET Core - Use the new API to resolve the appropriate Microsoft Entity Framework Core context from the ASP.NET Core service container for reports bound to EFDataSource.

Reporting for Blazor

• Blazor Report Viewer - Added new zoom options including:
  • Page Width - Zooms a page to fit page width.
  • Whole Page - Scales a page to display the entire page.
  • Changed the default zoom level so that it is now Whole Page.
• Blazor Report Viewer - Support for WebAssembly, Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) Compilation, and Microsoft .NET MAUI Blazor - The Native Blazor Report Viewer component supports the Blazor WebAssembly (WASM) hosting model and ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation. You can now preview, print, and export reports in your browser (with no need for an ASP.NET Core backend). The Project Templates have also been extended with a WebAssembly Reporting Application option. You can leverage the capabilities of the Native Blazor Report Viewer component within .NET MAUI apps by hosting the component within the BlazorWebView.

Reporting for .NET MAUI

• You can now use DevExpress Reporting tools in your Microsoft .NET MAUI apps for Apple iOS and Android (to generate and export reports).

Reporting for Web

• Web Report Designer - Backend-only Registration of Custom Report Controls and Custom Expression Functions - It now requires fewer steps to incorporate custom report controls and custom expression functions in web apps with report design capabilities.
• Web Report Viewer - Streamlined First Page Loading - Optimized page loading for the Web Document Viewer component:
  • The report document generation process now starts automatically on the server (without the startBuild request from the client). As a result, the report's first page appears on the screen almost instantly.
  • In single-page mode, the Document Viewer preloads the first 15 pages. Users can browse through these pages while the rest of the document is being built. Use the PreloadedPagesOffset setting to specify the number of preloaded pages.
  • In the multi-page mode, the Document Viewer now displays pages immediately in a lower resolution. Users can quickly navigate to a specific report page (without waiting for full resolution pages to load).
  • Reduced the value of the throttle to 150ms. Changing the throttle value reduces lag when scrolling through the report. Use the MultipageScrollingThrottle setting to specify the throttle value as needed.
• Web Report Viewer - Sign PDF Documents - The signature dropdown editor in the PDF export options pane displays signatures collected on the backend. DevExpress Report Viewers can now digitally sign exported PDF documents. A new CustomizeExportDocumentOnFinish method has been added that allows you to sign exported PDF documents on the backend.
• Web Report Viewer - Accessibility (Section 508, WAI-ARIA) - WAI-ARIA attributes have been assigned to all UI elements in the Report Viewer and improved keyboard navigation between UI elements. The Report Viewer now successfully passes Accessibility Insights and Google Chrome Lighthouse testing tools.
• Web Report Viewer - Asynchronous Document Search - Added an asynchronous search in the Web Document Viewer. New search displays the number search results currently found (in real time). Users can stop searching at any time if they do not want to wait for the whole document to be scanned. New search is enabled by default. Disable the UseAsyncSearch property to enable the previous behavior.
• Web Report Viewer - Fetch API (Printing and Data Export) - The Web Document Viewer now uses Fetch API to send and manage network requests to the server. This allows you to pass request headers from the client application to the backend using a unified method, which improves compatibility with authentication libraries.

Reporting for WinForms and WPF

• Report Designer Data Source Wizard - UX Enhancements:
  • Merged the two first pages of the Data Source Wizard. Pages previously used to select data source type and database provider have been replaced with a single page that displays a flat list of all supported data sources.
  • A search bar has also been integrated.
  • The following Data Source Wizard Customization APIs define a new wizard page:
    • WinForms API:
      • DevExpress.DataAccess.Wizard.Presenters.ChooseDataProviderPage<TModel>.
      • DevExpress.DataAccess.UI.Wizard.Views.ChooseDataProviderPageView.
      • DevExpress.XtraReports.Wizards.Presenters.ChooseDataProviderPageEx<TModel>.
      • DevExpress.XtraReports.Wizards.Views.ChooseDataProviderPageViewEx.
    • WPF API:
      • DevExpress.Xpf.DataAccess.DataSourceWizard.ChooseDataProviderPage.
      • DevExpress.Xpf.Reports.UserDesigner.ReportWizard.Pages.ChooseDataProviderPageEx.
  • Added the UseMergedConnectionTypePage property. Enable this option to switch to the new wizard design.

Microsoft Visual Studio Report Designerf

• Miscellaneous Enhancements:
  • You can now use the DevExpress Visual Studio Report Designer in apps that target Microsoft .NET Framework with the "Use the Windows Forms out-of-process designer for .Net Framework apps" property enabled (available in Visual Studio 2022 preview versions).
  • The DevExpress Visual Studio Report Designer now supports apps that target the latest Microsoft .NET 8 Preview 4.
  • The designer process in .NET apps now looks for NuGet packages in a project directory specified by the globalPackagesFolder option in nuget.config.
  • Integrated Report Designer Options into Visual Studio options (Tools - Options - DevExpress - XtraReports).
  • You can now also include Report Designer settings in the export (Tools - Import & Export Settings Wizard).