Xceed’s flagship WPF datagrid, Xceed DataGrid for WPF Professional Edition, has been updated to version 3.2. This version offers several new features and bug fixes.

Version 3.2's features include enhanced data virtualization capabilities. This extends the situations in which data virtualization will apply, specifically, when grouping, when using data sources that implement the IQueryable interface, and when inserting and deleting items. The result is that developers can expect improved performance in their applications in more scenarios.

Data sources that use Entity Framework, Microsoft’s .NET object-relational mapping framework, are also now supported. This makes the developer’s job easier when he or she must work with different types of data sources.

Other new features include the addition of the ability to customize the contents of the AutoFilterControl, auto-detection of ComboBox columns (enums, foreign keys), and support for unbound columns. Bug fixes have also resolved several issues.

A fully functional trial version is available for download on Xceed’s website. The product can also be tried out live in a Web browser using the ClickOnce XBAP demo (no installation necessary).

Xceed DataGrid for WPF Standard Edition is a low-cost alternative to Microsoft’s free datagrid control. Providing an integration experience that is simpler than what Microsoft’s control has to offer, as well as more capabilities, it helps developers build applications that are more feature-complete in less time.

Priced starting at $299.95, the Standard Edition comes with 60 days of free support, as well as complete documentation and samples, which will help reduce the time it takes to get to the finish line even more. The Xceed DataGrid for WPF forum is a great additional resource for information, providing a wide range of topics in over 10,000 posts. The forum is moderated by a knowledgeable support staff that responds quickly to issues.

Despite the fact that its features are a subset of those found in the Professional Edition, it still manages to provide a feature set that surpasses what Microsoft’s datagrid has to offer. As a result, developers can be confident that they can deliver apps that will fulfill the needs of their end-users in terms of both capabilities and performance, and will fit visually into their operating system, thanks to the pixel-perfect recreations of Microsoft’s Windows OS themes that are provided.

This product replaces the Express Edition of Xceed’s WPF datagrid. For details on how current users of the Express Edition can upgrade to the Standard Edition for free, see below.

A fully functional trial version is available for download on Xceed’s website.

As of June 15, the Express Edition of Xceed’s WPF datagrid has been replaced by the newly released Standard Edition (see elsewhere in this newsletter for details). Consequently, free license keys for the Express Edition will no longer be distributed to users. The final version of the Express Edition (v3.1), as well as previous versions, will remain available for download from Xceed’s Update Center. Users with valid version 3.1 license keys can therefore continue to use this product; however, bug fixes will not be published for this product.

Users of the Express Edition who have a registered version 3.1 license key may upgrade for free to Xceed DataGrid for WP Standard Edition. All users of the Express Edition should have received an e-mail containing a $300 coupon code that can be used to upgrade to version 3.2 of the Standard Edition. The coupon may also be used as a discount off the Professional Edition (with or without subscription, or for team packs) or the Ultimate Suite. The coupon code is valid for 60 days.

Please note that Express Edition license keys do not unlock version 3.2 of the Standard Edition of Xceed DataGrid for WPF.

Xceed will release updates to its line of .NET, .NET CF, Silverlight, and ActiveX Zip compression products, in July or August 2009. The updates will make these libraries the only ones on the market that are compatible with Winzip 12, the latest version of one of the most popular file archivers and compressors.

Namely, the libraries will support LZMA (Lempel-Ziv-Markov chain-Algorithm) for zipping/unzipping files and for compressing/decompressing streams. This algorithm can attain a higher compression ratio than bzip2 can. The libraries will also support Unicode UTF-8 in the main and extra headers of Zip files.

All of Xceed’s Zip compression products will benefit from these new features:

• Xceed Zip for .NET
• Xceed Zip for .NET CF
• Xceed Real-Time Zip for .NET
• Xceed Real-Time Zip for Silverlight
• Xceed Zip Compression Library

Scheduled for release in August or September 2009, Xceed’s WPF theme products will let you apply flawless Windows themes to the WPF controls in your applications with a single line of XAML code. All of the official WPF controls are 100% supported, as well as their “child” controls. The themes will be sold as a single product to be called Xceed Professional Themes for WPF and also individually. More details will be available in the next newsletter!