WPF Controls v25.1 Released

by Avatar Bill Henning (Actipro)
Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 2:17pm

This version adds major new dockable/floating toolbar and advanced main menu functionality to Bars, adds new SyntaxEditor features, implements a huge update in the .NET Languages Add-on to support the latest C# 13 syntax, makes large improvements in C# interpolated string editing, and much more.

See the related announcement post for the detailed list of enhancements and updates.

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Here’s a look at some of the new features.

Bars

Dockable Toolbars

Toolbars docked on the top and side of an app, and a floating toolbar

Visual Studio-like toolbars are now available that can be dragged to and docked within any side of a host control. Multiple lines of toolbars are supported in each host side, and multiple toolbars can appear in each line. Toolbars can optionally be floated and moved to other screens as well.

Toolbar visibility options

End users can toggle which toolbars are visible.

Main Menu

An Edit menu showing how screen tips can display even for menu items

An advanced main menu control supports easy MVVM creation, key tips, and screen tips, similar to other Bars controls.  The main menu control pairs well with the new dockable toolbars.

SyntaxEditor

Intra-Text Adornment Location

Elapsed time adornment shown at the end of a line

Intra-text adornments can now optionally appear after the tagged text range instead of before. This allows for features such as AI suggestions or contextual information to appear past the last character in a line.

Outlining Margin Modernization

Outlining margin glyph updates

The rendering of the outlining margin has been modernized and now matches the latest Visual Studio code editor appearance.

SyntaxEditor .NET Languages Add-on

C# 13 Syntax Support

Parameters showing in IntelliPrompt from C# primary constructors

The .NET Languages Add-on’s C# parser previously only supported C# 9 syntax. The updates in this version now support all C# features up to and including C# 13.

C# Interpolated String Expressions

IntelliPrompt working in interpolated string expressions

The .NET Languages Add-on’s C# syntax language now syntax highlights interpolated string expressions. It also fully supports IntelliPrompt features within the expressions, making interpolated string editing much better.

Docking/MDI

Tabbed MDI Single Tab Layout Behavior

A new option allows for tabbed MDI tabs to be hidden when there is a single document in a container.

Tab Key Access

Updated access keys to jump directly to tabs based on their index number. The Ctrl+9 key will now jump to the last document in the tabbed MDI container, regardless of its index.

Shared Library

User Prompt Resizing

A resizable user prompt

The UserPromptBuilder now has an easy way to configure a user prompt to be resizable.

Miscellaneous

.NET Requirements

All assemblies now have a target for .NET 8. Prior .NET Core 3.1 targets were updated to .NET 6 instead, which can be used by those not yet moving to .NET 8.

WPF Controls v24.1.5 Maintenance Release

by Avatar Bill Henning (Actipro)
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 6:07pm

This version contains a large number of updates across the WPF control product line.  The largest being a new ShellListView Columns QuickStart with examples on adding checkable items and inserting a custom column, TreeListBox performance and selection updates, and many other various improvements to nearly all products.

See the related announcement post for the detailed list of enhancements and updates.

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WPF Controls v24.1.4 Maintenance Release

by Avatar Bill Henning (Actipro)
Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 9:28pm

This version contains an enormous number of updates across the WPF control product line.

See the related announcement post for the detailed list of enhancements and updates.

Download Buy Now

WPF Controls v24.1.3 Maintenance Release

by Avatar Bill Henning (Actipro)
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 3:27pm

This version contains an enormous number of updates across the WPF control product line.

See the related announcement post for the detailed list of enhancements and updates.

Download Buy Now


Here’s a look at some of the major new features.

Bar Code

QR Code ECI Support

The QR Code symbology has been updated to support Extended Channel Interpretation (ECI), which allows encoding of all UTF-8 characters.

Bars

Ribbon Group Labels

Ribbon group labels are always visible in Classic layout mode and in the past have always been hidden in Simplified layout mode.  A new option allows for keeping group labels visible in Simplified layout mode, which provides an interesting new appearance option.

A ribbon in Simplified layout mode, but still displaying group labels

Hiding Ribbon Tabs

For small ribbons with a single tab and no need of an application button, tabs and the app button can be hidden, saving a row of space.

Single tab ribbons can hide the tab header row

ComboBox Inline Images

The combobox control can now optionally show inline images next to the text.

Several combobox examples, with the last showing an inline color swatch image

Many Other Enhancements

A massive number of updates have been made to various Bars controls and features.

Docking/MDI

Bars Integration Sample

A new Bars Integration sample shows how Ribbon and StandaloneToolBar can be used on a main Window without changing the active docking window when there are floating docking windows.

The new Bars Integration sample

MDI Always On Top

A new option allows for any floating windows with MDI to always remain on top of the main window.

Open Documents Menu Path Tips

The tabbed MDI open documents menu now includes the document’s path as a tooltip on menu items.

A tooltip for the highlighted open document menu item

SyntaxEditor .NET Languages Add-on

Doc Comment Remarks

IntelliPrompt tips now include documentation comment remarks sections, if available.

Themes

WindowChrome Mouse Activation Over Toolbars

A new WindowChrome option can prevent the containing Window from being activated on click over any toolbar control.

WPF Controls v24.1.2 Maintenance Release

by Avatar Bill Henning (Actipro)
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 3:54pm

This version adds several great new controls and makes a number of updates across the WPF control product line.

See the related announcement post for the detailed list of enhancements and updates.

Download Buy Now


Here’s a look at some of the major new features.

Views

Settings

Settings groups, expanders, and cards used for application settings UI
Most applications contain a window or view where end users can configure settings.  Actipro now provides several controls for displaying grouped and optionally expandable card-based editors for settings that are presented in a consistent, easy-to-use way.
  • Consistent Appearance - Cards have a uniform design, and related cards can be grouped together. Each setting card can optionally have an icon, header, description, and content.
  • Card Contents - A setting card's content is generally an editor for the setting. The content may be left blank, and the card itself can be made into a clickable button.
  • Flexible Editors - Each setting card can contain any kind of editor control. Switches, sliders, combo boxes, and text boxes are commonly-used editor controls.
  • Expandable Sections - Some settings have numerous child settings. These indented settings may be hidden under expandable cards that animate the contents when opened.

Application settings have never looked so good!

Shared Library

Card

The new Card control presents visually grouped information for a single subject, using optional cover, thumbnail, header, and footer sections.

A profile card with multiple sections

Cards can optionally be actionable and even support built-in integration with badges.

InfoBar

Various kinds of info bar severities

The new InfoBar control displays essential information to a user without disrupting the user flow. Messages can display with optional severity, action, and more.

Bars

Many updates have been made to the Bars controls to further improve features and functionality.