Our recent 2022 Volume 2 release has been rolled out with many exciting new features and controls.
In this blog post, we will look at the major updates in the Essential Studio for WinUI and WPF platforms for the 2022 Volume 2 release.
WinUI
First, let’s see the new updates in our Syncfusion WinUI platform.
Common updates
- WinUI controls have been upgraded to Windows App SDK 1.1 version.
- Our WinUI controls support only .NET 6 and later versions.
Shadow (new)
The new WinUI Shadow control can apply shadow effects to framework elements to give them an appearance of depth. It allows users to differentiate overlapping elements easily and enjoy a beautiful and appealing user interface.
Key features
- Color: Apply a preferred color to the shadow.
- Offset: The OffsetX and OffsetY properties can position the shadow relative to the position of the view.
- Blur radius: Apply a blur radius for the shadow.
Refer to the following images.
AutoComplete
The WinUI AutoComplete control provides support for these user-friendly features.
Leading and trailing views
This feature allows users to add any kind of view before and after the selection area. This could be useful in scenarios like adding a search icon. Some of the use cases are demonstrated in this image.
Highlighting search text
You can highlight the first occurrence or all occurrences of the searched text in the list. You can also highlight the characters through bolding, italics, different font sizes, and more. This feature makes it easy to select items from the list.
ComboBox (preview)
The WinUI ComboBox control supports the same new features as the AutoComplete control.
Leading and trailing views
This feature allows users to add any kind of view before and after the selection area. This could be useful in scenarios like adding a search icon. Some of the use cases are shown in the following image.
Highlighting search text
You can highlight the first occurrence or all occurrences of the searched text in the dropdown result. The characters can be highlighted through bolding, italics, different font sizes, etc. This feature helps us easily select items from the dropdown list.
DataGrid
Date filter support
This feature in the WinUI DataGrid control allows you to use a built-in filter pop-up to filter the values of date columns.
PDF Library
The new features in the WinUI PDF Library are as follows.
PDF/A-4 conformance
PDF/A-4 is the latest edition of the PDF/A conformance series based on ISO 32000-2 (PDF 2.0). This new format allows non-static content in PDF documents in the form of JavaScript. So, the logic of an interactive form can be stored and archived. Additionally, it simplifies the handling of digital signatures.
PDF/A-4 has the following conformance levels:
- PDF/A-4e: This conformance level is intended for technical documents. It supports 3D models, rich media, 3D annotations, and embedded files to create a PDF/A version compatible with engineering workflows.
- PDF/A-4f: This conformance level allows embedding files in any other format.
Now, the WinUI PDF Library supports creating PDF/A-4 conformance documents. You can also convert existing PDF documents to PDF/A-4 conformance format.
RichMedia annotation
RichMedia annotation embeds videos and sound files in PDF documents. The user can play the media content as part of the page content by just clicking on the video or audio. This annotation is newly introduced in PDF 2.0 to replace sound and movie annotations, which are deprecated in PDF 2.0.
You can now include RichMedia annotation in a PDF document using our WinUI PDF Library.
Watermark annotation
The WinUI PDF Library now supports watermark annotation. We can show text, images, and shapes as watermark content in page graphics with a fixed size and position. The Library supports the following features:
- Text, images, and graphical shapes.
- Rotation to 0-, 90-, 180-, and 270-degree angles.
- Customizable as a print-only watermark (annotation appears only when printing).
- Existing watermark annotations can be edited or removed.
TreeGrid (preview)
Date filter support
This new feature in the WinUI TreeGrid control allows you to use a built-in filter pop-up to filter the date columns.
Word Library
The new features included in the WinUI Word Library are as follows.
Word-to-image conversion
Now, the Word Library is capable of converting a Word document into images.
Word-to-PDF conversion enhancements
You can see the following enhancements when converting any Word document into a PDF file:
- Renders the DotDotDashHeavy, DottedHeavy, and Thick underline styles the same as they are in the input Word document.
- Renders PDF documents properly for landscape pages when mirror margins are applied.
WPF
Now, let’s see the new features in the Syncfusion WPF platform for the 2022 Volume 2 release.
PDF Library
The WPF PDF Library delivers the following features in this release.
PDF/A-4 conformance
PDF/A-4 is the latest edition of the PDF/A conformance series based on ISO 32000-2 (PDF 2.0). This new format allows non-static content in PDF documents in the form of JavaScript. So, we can store and archive the logic of an interactive form. Additionally, it simplifies the handling of digital signatures.
The PDF/A-4 has the following conformance levels:
- PDF/A-4e: This conformance level is intended for technical documents. It supports 3D models, rich media, 3D annotations, and embedded files to create a PDF/A version compatible with engineering workflows.
- PDF/A-4f: This conformance level allows embedding files in any other format.
Now, the Syncfusion WPF PDF Library supports creating PDF/A-4 conformance documents. You can also convert the existing PDF documents to PDF/A-4 conformance format.
RichMedia annotation
The RichMedia annotations can embed videos and sound files in PDF documents. The user can play the media content as part of the page content by just clicking on the video or audio. This annotation is newly introduced in PDF 2.0 to replace sound and movie annotations, which are deprecated in PDF 2.0.
You can now include RichMedia annotation in a PDF document using our WPF PDF Library.
Refer to the following image.
Watermark annotation
Now, you can enjoy watermark annotation support in the WPF PDF Library. You can show text, images, and shapes as watermark content in page graphics with a fixed size and position. Its features are as follows:
- Supports text, images, and graphical shapes.
- Rotation to 0-, 90-, 180-, and 270-degree angles.
- Customizable as a print-only watermark (annotation disappears in view mode).
- Existing watermark annotations can be edited or removed.
HTML-to-PDF conversion enhancements
The Blink binaries have been updated to the latest version to improve the conversion quality and address security vulnerabilities while converting HTML content to PDF format.
PDF Viewer
The WPF PDF Viewer control delivers the following features in this 2022 Volume 2 release.
Squiggly annotation
A squiggly annotation can highlight errors in text or the wrong phrases in a document. This feature allows adding, removing, and customizing squiggly annotations in a PDF document.
Refer to the following image.
Callout text box annotation
This feature allows adding, removing, and modifying the callout point in text box annotations in a PDF document. The callout annotation lets the users of the app provide suggestions or feedback that can point to a specific spot on the page with an arrow for easier identification.
Smith Chart
Non-linear data support
Previously, the WPF Smith Chart control sorted the data automatically and rendered it. Now, it supports the rendering of the chart series based on the data index without sorting the data.
Word Library
Word-to-PDF conversion enhancements
You can see the following enhancements in the WPF Word Library while converting any Word document to a PDF file:
- Renders the DotDotDashHeavy, DottedHeavy, and Thick underline styles the same as they are in the input Word document.
- Renders PDF documents properly for landscape pages when we apply mirror margins.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading! In this blog, we have seen the new, user-friendly controls and notable feature enhancements rolled out in our Syncfusion WinUI and WPF platforms for the 2022 Volume 2 release. Details on these new updates are also available on our Release Notes and What’s New pages. Try out these stunning features and leave your feedback in the comments section below!
Explore the WinUI and WPF examples from this GitHub location. Additionally, you can download and check out our WinUI and WPF demo apps in the Microsoft Store.
For questions, you can contact us through our support forums, support portal, or feedback portal. We are always happy to assist you!
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