Another feature we're looking to add to SyntaxEditor vNext (the 2019.1 version) is editor view panes, which are small UI panes with editor-related functionality that slide in from the view's top-right corner.  We originally started this effort with the idea of adding an inline search view similar to the one found in Visual Studio. 

Here's a walkthrough showing how it works when you press Ctrl+F:

We will cover this new inline search view in detail in a future post, as it's still being developed at this time.  But you can get a feel for how it will function via the video above.  

As we worked on this feature, we thought it would be a great idea to try and make more of a generic mechanism to host these kinds of editor view panes.  Other editor view panes could be added for go-to line, go-to anything, refactoring, etc. kinds of user interfaces.

Submit Your Feedback

We're just in the planning stages of this more generic editor view pane mechanism right now and would love to get your feedback.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments on what kinds of built-in panes you might like to see, or what kinds of custom panes you might build with this mechanism!

The features described above are intended for the future v2019.1 SyntaxEditor for WPF, SyntaxEditor for UWP, and SyntaxEditor for WinForms products.

When picking colors, it’s very beneficial for an end user to compare the initial (previously-selected) color with the currently-selected color.  This new Editors feature was added to the WPF and UWP color pickers in yesterday’s maintenance release.

Let’s see how this works with a ColorEditBox instance, our rich editor for color selection.  Please excuse the GIF image dithering.  The actual control has vibrant gradients.

The hue slider's inner circular area on the drop-down color picker shows the initial color value when the drop-down is opened.  As the end user alters the selected color, the right half of the circle updates to show the newly-selected color, while the left half of the circle continues showing the initial color value.  This allows the old and new values to be compared side-by-side.

The features described above are available in the Editors for WPF and Editors for UWP products.

Download Buy Now

Our v2018.1 WPF, Universal Windows, and Silverlight controls have all been updated with new maintenance releases that are now ready for download.  There were a large number of minor enhancements and bug fixes made across various products.

See the announcement posts for the detailed list of enhancements and updates:

• WPF Controls announcement
• Universal Windows Controls announcement
• Silverlight Controls announcement

Download Buy Now

We rolled out our brand new modern company website a couple weeks ago, and the response has been fantastic.  As part of that rollout, we also updated the appearance of our blog to match our main web site.

Our blog was previously hosted using a third-party web app (the classic BlogEngine.NET) on a separate blog.actiprosoftware.com sub-domain.  While that web app has served us well, it was time to move on.

One thing we've wanted to do for a long time was eliminate the use of a third-party web app for the blog, and merge the blog right into our main company website.  I'm pleased to announce that today we’ve accomplished that goal. 

New Blog URL

Please update your bookmarks appropriately since the blog is now fully integrated into our company website and is found at this new URL:

https://www.actiprosoftware.com/blog

Benefits

The primary benefit of this change is that it’s now easier than ever for you to comment on blog posts.  Simply sign into your normal Actipro website user account and if you’ve performed the e-mail validation (you’ve already done this if you post in our discussion forums), you’re ready to post in the blog comments.  It’s a very seamless experience.

Another benefit is that the new integrated blog uses the same powerful comment editing mechanism as our forums.  Comments used to be limited to plain text in the old blog.  The new blog comment editor fully supports rich formatting, code snippets, etc.

A website is a very important piece of any business, as it often makes the first impression on customers and gives them a feel for your company and what products you offer.

At Actipro, we've worked for quite a while developing a brand new company website with a fresh, modern design that is built on the latest web technologies and performs very fast.

https://www.actiprosoftware.com

Without further ado, here's a peek at the new home page:

Goals

Responsive Design

A main goal was to ensure the web site was fully-browsable on any device, everything from large desktop screens to tablets and phones.  A lot of thought has been put into the site's responsive design, so that it's beautiful on any device.

Vibrant Colors

We've fully embraced the use of numerous colors in our website's theme, that all blend together in harmony.

Subtle Animations

Websites shouldn't simply be static content.  The use of animations can breathe life into a page and keep the end user's interest.  You'll find that we use a number of quick, subtle animations throughout the website.

Simplifying Presentation (or Reducing TL;DR)

Simplifying our product presentation was another goal.  For product pages, we reduced the amount of verbiage and increased the number of screenshots.  We've worked hard to relay interesting facts about our products, while enticing you to take the next step and download free evaluations to learn more.

Easy Navigation

A website should be easy to navigate.  Large buttons guide you through where to go, page by page.  Or use links at the header and footer to navigate to other sections of the site.

Maximum Performance

We wanted the new website to render much quicker than in the past.  And we achieved that.  This new website is built on the latest ASP Core platform and is extremely fast.

Matching Blog Design

The blog should match the design of the main company website, so we've updated this separate blog site's appearance to match thematically.

Summary

Now that the new website is out, we invite you to have a look around.  Please contact us if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for improvement.  We'd love to hear your feedback!