WinForms — June 2025 Roadmap (v25.1)

This blog post outlines new WinForms–related features we expect to ship in our mid–year release (v25.1).

Modern .NET Development & Productivity

Replicate Modern Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Teams User Interfaces (.NET 8+)

Just over a year ago, Microsoft released a new Outlook for Windows with a modern and simplified design. This updated version of Outlook offers a streamlined, web–integrated experience that aligns with Microsoft's Fluent 2 design standards.

Many of our customers have expressed interest in replicating this contemporary UI within their own DevExpress-powered WinForms applications. If you've used the new version of Outlook, you know that Microsoft's new user experience extends far beyond simple UI enhancements:

• The app's sidebar extends up to the form title, optimizing vertical space to display more menu items on–screen.
• The sidebar can be 'collapsed' using the Ribbon's hamburger button, allowing for a more compact layout.
• The Ribbon control and form title can host additional UI elements, including buttons, a search panel, and other interactive UI components.
• Fluent UI enhancements include semi–transparent effects, colorful flat icons, rounded corners, specious paddings, and more.

With our v25.1 release, you will be able to replicate Outlook's UI within your DevExpress–powered WinForms applications.

• We will add our RoundedSkinPanel control to the toolbox so you can use it at design time as a container for DevExpress UI controls. We also plan to introduce this option to our WinForms Layout Control.
• We will add a new project template to our Template Kit for .NET 8+. This template will allow you to create Outlook–inspired apps with a single click.
• We will update our Outlook–inspired DevAV Demo app to better align with Microsoft’s new design patterns.

Middle–Tier Application Server Project Template for EF Core (.NET 8+)

Our Template Kit for .NET 8+ will include a new project template. You will be able to quickly create a WinForms application with a secured data layer powered by ASP.NET Core WebAPI, EF Core, and Middle–Tier Application Server*. With this additional layer of protection (authentication, authorization, and encryption), desktop UI clients will not be able to access database connection information or modify database tables directly. Developers will be able to maintain an existing data context (DbContext) and business logic while establishing remote/secure connections to an RDBMS–based data store.

Template–based applications will feature a built–in login form. Additionally, the app will support UI/UX customizations based on associated access permissions. This means that UI elements, available features, and displayed content can dynamically adjust based on user roles.

This new project template will be based on the following GitHub example.

Item Template Support in the New Template Kit (.NET 8+)

Our Template Kit for .NET 8+ will include Item Templates for DevExpress User Controls, Ribbon Forms, Classic Forms, and more. We will also give you the ability to add multiple views or forms to a single project simultaneously (for example, Office–inspired forms featuring our Rich Text Editor, Spreadsheet, and Scheduler controls). This eliminates the need to create each from separately via individual templates.

This approach follows the same implementation as our .NET MAUI project wizard.

In 2025, we expect to officially release our WinForms UI Templates – a set of predesigned and ready–to–use UI components and forms (currently available as EAP). We plan to include these UI Templates in our Template Kit.

New Desktop Demo on Sharing Code, Data, Security with Mobile and Web Apps (.NET 8+)

In 2024, we published a series of blog posts focused on maintaining WinForms/WPF apps and developing companion/hybrid apps (.NET MAUI, Blazor) for non–Windows platforms (Web, Mobile, macOS, Linux), with a focus on code reuse and secure data access.

This year, we plan to develop a new demo application to help developers…

• Use proven solution structures and architectures.
• Leverage best practices to securely interact with DevExpress data–aware controls (grids, lookups, etc.), API services, and remote data sources (such as, VirtualServerModeSource, EntityInstantFeedbackSource, etc.).
• Share and reuse data models, business logic, and code base across applications.

Accessibility / UI Automation Enhancements

We expect to improve Accessibility–related support throughout this year. We also plan to introduce Accessibility across all DevExpress WinForms demos and project templates (by default).

Enhanced Accessibility within Report Viewers

We are committed to improving accessibility compliance across all supported platforms. These enhancements will help us achieve even better support for assistive technologies and compliance with industry standards.

WinForms Dashboard — UI Automation

We will add keyboard navigation and screen reader support to the DevExpress WinForms Dashboard control.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI–Driven Semantic Search in the WinForms Data Grid

With v25.1, we will deliver more intuitive and user–friendly search experiences and allow users to locate relevant information across large data sets faster and more accurately. Our WinForms Data Grid will utilize natural language processing (NLP) to interpret user queries and match data based on synonyms, related concepts, and contextual meaning, even if they do not contain exact keywords used in the query.

To enable AI–driven semantic search in the Data Grid, you will have to register an embedding generator, supply a vector storage/database, and connect our new semantic search behavior to the WinForms Data Grid. You will be able to configure behavior settings (such as, search accuracy, the maximum number of results, etc.).

WinForms Reports — AI Enhancements

In our v25.1 release cycle (June 2025), we will introduce multiple AI-powered capabilities to streamline report creation, improve data visualization, and expedite localization. These features will help users design, analyze, and preview reports more efficiently.

• AI-Powered Localization — Automatically translate report content into multiple languages, reducing the energy required to create reports for a multi-lingual user base.
• Intelligent Error Resolution — The DevExpress Report Design Analyzer will suggest and apply fixes for common errors to help users resolve issues quickly and achieve expected document output.
• Automated Layout & Styling Enhancements — AI-driven recommendations will optimize report layouts and ensure a professional design that follows best practices.
• AI-Generated Data for Print Preview — Users can preview reports with AI-generated sample data before connecting to a live data source. This will introduce faster design iterations and report layout experiments before integrating DevExpress Reports into an app.
• Natural Language to SQL & Expression Bindings — Report creators will be able to describe their data needs in plain language, and AI will recommend SQL queries or expression bindings automatically.
• And More..

WinForms PDF Viewer — AI-powered Behaviors

We will integrate AI-powered features into our WinForms and WPF PDF Viewer components. These enhancements will allow users to quickly understand the underlying essence of individual documents via Generative AI summaries and translate documents to a preferred language using AI-powered translations.

Additionally, users will be able to interact with an AI-powered assistant directly within their applications and ask questions about PDF documents.

Note: Our implementation is based on the functionality provided by the Microsoft.Extensions.AI library. To access these features, you will need to register the IChatClient implementation in your app (based on the desired AI services provider: OpenAI, Azure Open AI, Google Gemini or local open-source models powered by Ollama).

WinForms Charts (.NET 8+): DateOnly/TimeOnly Support

DateOnly and TimeOnly support will be added to DevExpress Charts by the end of this year.

Improved User Experience: Visual Studio Design Time for WinForms (.NET 8+)

We expect to improve the user experience within the Visual Studio WinForms designer with the following:

• Smart Tags Menus for DevExpress UI Controls: These menus will provide quick access to common actions and settings.
• Streamlined Navigation: Users will be able to seamlessly navigate from control wizards directly to the Properties window.

Rider has announced partial support for DevExpress WinForms UI controls in Rider IDE v2024.3. We look forward to collaborating with JetBrains to further enhance the DevExpress user experience for those targeting the Rider IDE.

Microsoft .NET Upgrade Assistant Integration for Project Upgrades

We expect to ship a new plugin (VSIX) for Microsoft .NET Upgrade Assistant. We expect this plugin to ultimately replace the DevExpress Project Converter for .NET 8+ projects. Advantages include:

• The .NET Upgrade Assistant allows us to support more IDEs and operating systems, as it is available in Visual Studio Code for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The upgrade process is simpler and streamlined because we will need to maintain less code across versions (in the future, we expect to offer the Project Converter for .NET Framework projects only).
• Unlike our Project Converter, the new plugin will have access to NuGet, Roslyn, MEF, and other IDE services. With the .NET Upgrade Assistant's auto–fix capabilities, we can automatically detect and safely resolve breaking changes in DevExpress code. This includes but is not limited to obsolete code replacements (such as, Font > DXFont, DxPivotGrid > DxPivotTable, etc.).
• We will deliver the new plugin for minor and major DevExpress versions. The plugin will include the latest "Directory.Packages.props" file updates (with DevExpress–compatible 3rd party dependencies for CPM). You will be able to update all project dependencies and resolve security vulnerabilities with a single click.

Our Unified Component Installer will automatically install the new plug–in. The plugin will also be able for download from the Visual Studio Marketplace, nuget.org, and nuget.devexpress.com.

WinForms Data Grid

Filter Data Rows Based on Conditional Formatting Rules

In our next major release (v25.1 June 2025), we will extend our WinForms Data Grid so you can filter data rows based on conditional formatting rules and display only records that meet specific conditions (for example, you will be able to only display overdue invoices in a financial report, display critical issues in a task management system, etc.).

We also expect to introduce the following UI/UX options:

• A "Filters" tab page within our Excel–inspired filter popup.
• A "Conditional Filters" submenu in Grid and Filter Editor menus.
• New APIs to filter data rows by conditional formatting rules in code as needed.

ItemsView – Data Validation

We will introduce the ValidateRow event in the ItemsView.

Enhancements in WinForms Grid–based Controls

Advanced Expression Editor for Conditional Formatting Rules

We plan to replace our Filter Control with Expression Editor within the Edit Formatting Rule dialog. While the Filter Control is ideal for basic and quick filters, the Expression Editor offers much more options, including:

• Advanced Expression Support
  Users can write complex, custom expressions using a rich set of operators, functions, and logic.

• Dynamic Expression Building
  With intuitive syntax highlighting and intelligent code completion (suggesting functions as you type), users can build complex expressions on the fly.

• Real-Time Validation
  The Expression Editor performs real-time validation, flagging errors and providing feedback instantly. This ensures that users can catch syntax or logical mistakes before applying the expression.

• Intuitive and User-Friendly UI

Adjust Horizontal Scrolling on Touchpad

DevExpress grid–based controls (such as GridControl, TreeList, and VGrid) support smooth scrolling with a touchpad. However, some users may experience inverted horizontal scrolling behavior when using a touchpad on Windows devices.

With v25.1, we will introduce a new AllowInvertedScrolling that reverses the current horizontal scrolling direction in our WinForms grid-based controls when using the touchpad.

WinForms Spreadsheet

OLE Objects

Our WinForms Spreadsheet control will support embedded and linked objects (OLE objects) within Excel documents. You will be able to import and save documents with OLE Objects to supported Excel formats without content loss. OLE Object icons will be properly displayed when you preview the document, print, or export it to PDF.

Additionally, we'll introduce APIs to create, remove, and manage OLE objects in code.

New Excel Functions Support

We will enhance our Spreadsheet calculation engine by adding support for modern, dynamic array-based Excel functions. In v25.1, we will introduce functions like:

• XLOOKUP
• XMATCH
• UNIQUE
• And more

These functions will improve data lookup, filtering, and transformation capabilities in our WinForms Spreadsheet control.

WinForms Rich Text Editor

CJK (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) Text Wrapping

To enhance document rendering and readability, our WinForms Rich Text Editor will support CJK text wrapping and line breaking rules. This feature applies correct line breaks between characters for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK) text. Documents using these wrapping rules will be displayed, printed, and exported to PDF with appropriate formatting.

RTL (Right-to-Left) Engine Enhancements

In our mid-year release v25.1, we will extend our RTL rendering engine for our Rich Text Editor. This functionality will ensure correct rendering and PDF export for document paragraphs, tables and shapes containing bi-directional text (mixed Right-to-Left and Left-to-Right text blocks).

Export Word Content Controls to PDF AcroForm Fields

We will enhance our Word-to-PDF export engine and support the conversion of Word content controls into PDF AcroForm fields. With this capability, you'll be able to import or generate Word documents with content controls in our Rich Text Editor, export these documents to PDF, and automatically generate corresponding AcroForm fields in PDF output. This feature will apply to the following content control types:

• Plain Text Boxes
• Check Boxes
• Popups

Persistent Skin and Palette Settings

This feature ensures that skin and palette settings are saved between application runs. When a user customizes app appearance, selected skin and palette settings are stored and automatically reapplied the next time the application starts.

We expect to add a new option to the DevExpress Project Settings page in Visual Studio. With v25.1, you will no longer need to manually implement logic for saving and loading user preferences.

WinForms Step Progress Bar – UX Enhancements

With our next major update (v25.1), we will improve user experience for workflows that require step–based navigation. At present, step navigation in our WinForms Step Progress Bar control is controlled programmatically, limiting user interaction.

With v25.1, users will be able to change progress by clicking on individual steps. Direct interaction with the progress bar aligns with common UI standards, making navigation more user–friendly and adaptable to different workflow scenarios.

WinForms Accordion Control

Badges and Hints

With v25.1, we expect to integrate our WinForms Accordion Control with the Adorner UI Manager so that you can display badges and hints to highlight specific Accordion UI elements.

Shortcuts

Accordion items will support keyboard shortcuts. This enhancement will improve accessibility, especially in applications with complex navigation structures.

SVG Image Support for Check Boxes in Checked ListBox

Our WinForms Checked ListBox can display custom images within checkboxes for different check states. At present, you can only display raster images (for example, PNG), limiting flexibility and resolution quality. With v25.1, you will be able to display high–quality SVG images within checkboxes for resolution–independent interfaces.

XtraMessageBox – Display in the Task Bar

With v25.1, we will introduce new functionality designed to:

• Display the DevExpress Message Box in the Windows Taskbar, ensuring it is easily accessible to users.
• Define the start position of the Message Box on the screen.

WinForms Reports

Document Generation Enhancements

Improved Label and Table Cell Text Formatting

Our next release will allow users to define line spacing for displayed text/values within the DevExpress Report Designer. This capability will enhance readability and provide greater control over individual report layouts. Users can directly modify line spacing for basic report controls to improve multi-line text clarity and reduce the memory footprint associated with the XRRichText control.

Time Zone Conversion

With v25.1, DevExpress Reports will be able to convert UTC date and time values to the viewer's local time zone. This feature is essential for applications with a global user base, as it ensures that all users analyze report data in their respective local time zones.

IDE Integration

Visual Studio Enhancements

We will continue improving startup time, stability, and resilience of the DevExpress Visual Studio Report Designer for .NET.

JetBrains Rider Support (Research Phase)

We recognize the growing popularity of JetBrains Rider and will research ways to extend our tools to support this environment. During the v25.1 release cycle, we will actively explore DevExpress Report Designer support for JetBrains Rider.

BI Dashboard for WinForms

Data Handling Improvements

DateOnly & TimeOnly Support

The DevExpress BI Dashboard will support DateOnly and TimeOnly values for the following:

• Binding dashboard widgets to data
• Creating dashboard and query parameters
• Using calculated fields
• Applying time-based filters (e.g., range filter)

New PowerPoint API Presentation Library

We expect to extend the capabilities of the DevExpress Office File API library with a new Presentation library for .NET.

This non-visual library will allow developers to generate, modify, print, and export PowerPoint presentations to different formats in code. We expect to support the following PowerPoint-related usage scenarios programmatically:

• Create new presentations from scratch.
• Save presentations using the PPTX (OpenXml) document format.
• Merge multiple presentations into a single file.
• Add, remove, and extract presentation slides; modify slide settings.
• Add, remove, and customize slide elements (shapes, texts, tables and more).
• Apply formatting to slide elements.
• Print and export presentations to PDF.

Note: The CTP (Community Technology Preview) version of our PowerPoint Presentation Library is expected mid-year. As in any CTP, functional limitations will apply.

PDF Document API

PDF Document Compression

To reduce file size when saving PDF documents using DevExpress PDF Document APIs, we will introduce a compression engine for the PDF object streams. This engine will optimize PDFs for more efficient storage/sharing options. New compression mechanisms will apply to various document structures, including PDF forms, fonts, and graphics.

Redaction API

We'll introduce a new Redaction API that allows users to secure PDF documents and permanently remove sensitive information. This feature will allow you to:

• Erase personal or confidential data from a PDF document and prevent end-users from accessing, viewing or copying it.
• Apply overlays with custom text or graphics over redacted areas.

Word Processing Document API

Compare Word Documents

We will introduce new APIs to compare Word documents. This capability will allow you to:

• Identify changes between two document versions.
• Generate revision-based output highlighting.

Note: These new APIs will focus on detecting changes and making revisions for the visible document content only.

Your Feedback Counts

If you have a specific question about our June 2025 WinForms roadmap, feel free to submit a support ticket via the DevExpress Support Center. We will be happy to follow-up.

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