A few days ago we hosted our “What’s New in v19.2” webinar. Our thanks to everyone who attended the event. If you were unable to attend, feel free to review the recording on our YouTube channel.
We received a number of questions during the webinar and I wanted to answer a few of them in this blog post. If you have v19.2 related questions, please do comment below. We’ll be happy to follow up with you.
Q: How can I download the Dental Clinic demo?
A: The demo is in active development and will be available in a future release. As we convert our design concept into a functioning app, we will update everyone via blog posts. Like our recent series on Xamarin.Forms, these blog posts will detail which controls were used to build the UI and how we wired up the app for the best possible performance.
Q: Can GanttControl calculate critical paths? What about other features?
A: At present, our WinForms Gantt Control can only display tasks from a data source. Please remember that this control was released as a community tech preview. Real-time calculations and data editing are not yet available. We are working on these requirements and look forward to sharing our 2020 Roadmap with you shortly.
If you simply need to display critical paths, a stripline, or a pause for a specific task, you can use CustomDraw events as needed. We’ve prepared code samples for each of these requirements. Please refer to
this blog post or our Gannt Control demo (the
“Code Examples” module) for more information.
Q: Will you release the Chat Control?
A: We don’t have any plans for a chat control, but we are happy to reconsider our position. If you have specific usage scenarios you’d like to share with us, please comment below. We’d be happy to discuss your needs in greater detail.
Q: I’d like to try .NET Core 3. How do I replace regular DevExpress assemblies with NuGet packages?
A: You need to obtain a personal NuGet feed URL, and register the DevExpress NuGet feed as a package source. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to download and install appropriate DevExpress packages (refer to our documentation for more details). Please note that certain DevExpress assemblies are not available as standalone packages. For instance, our XtraEditors and XtraBars libraries are shipped as part of either DevExpress.Win.Navigation or DevExpress.Win packages. Use the search page to locate the appropriate package.
Q: Can I use the new SvgImageBox control to dynamically create elements?
A: No, but you can change element visibility states. To get started, simply draw all elements your image can display and handle the QueryHoveredItem, ItemEnter and ItemLeave events to hide one element and display another. The following image illustrates how we wired up the “tooth map” from our Dental Clinic demo.
All possible elements and dental procedure marks (root canals, sealants, whitening, etc.) are drawn beforehand. Unless a dentist adds a corresponding procedure, they are not displayed. You can use the same technique to “create” objects on demand.
Q: Are you planning to split raster and vector themes in separate assemblies?
A: As time goes by and newer skins are released, outdated raster skins will move to our “Bonus Skins” assembly. So – yes, vector and raster skins will eventually be split. Presently, we’re not planning to force this process.
Before I let you go…based on sample projects you’ve sent us via the DevExpress Support Center, we note a significant difference in skin usage. Some of our customers use our latest vector skins, while others still use skins like “Caramel.” We’d love to know more about your priorities and the role skins play in your apps. Please take a moment to answer the following questions on app skins/themes.
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