Developer Product Briefs
ADX Extensions for Outlook, More
Graphical imaging tools and components are the theme in July's look at recent releases for VB and .NET developers.
ADX Extensions for Outlook
ADX (Add-in Express) Extensions for Microsoft Outlook is a plug-in for Add-in Express .NET from Afalina. These extensions allow you to customize Outlook forms and the Outlook folder view by embedding .NET forms into the Outlook Explorer or Outlook Inspector windows. ADX Extensions support all versions of Outlook from 2000 to 2007. The product lets you develop a user interface comparable with the Outlook 2007 form regions. Features in ADX Extensions for Outlook include: custom forms that you can embed into the bottom, top, and right subpanes of Outlook folder views and forms and the Outlook Reading Pane; .NET forms that you can embedded into one, several, or all Outlook forms and folder views; and the ability to include any number of forms in a single project. Pricing starts at $149.
Afalina
Web: www.add-in-express.com
Chart FX Extension Packs
Chart FX from Software FX is a data visualization tool that is available in both a .NET version and a Visual Studio 2005 version. Software FX has released a set of extension packs for both versions that include tools to speed the configuring of generic charting components to specific data or behavior. The Chart FX Extension adapts these data sources to applications you are developing that are targeted at specific business needs. Chart FX includes four main components, as well as supplementary functionality such as a polar gallery type, accessibility (Section 508), a Flash writer, and PSS to maximize server performance in a Web server environment. The four main components are: Chart FX Financial, which includes predefined financial indicators and chart types to perform technical analysis; Chart FX OLAP, which includes a .NET front-end for OLAP pivoting, slicing, and drilldown; Chart FX Statistical, which includes special charts to display predefined statistical studies and calculations; and Chart FX Maps, which includes dynamic, data-driven image maps that can be geographic, seating charts, or diagrams. The Chart FX Extension Pack also includes a SmartTag wizard and a data wizard. Pricing starts at $1,499.
Software FX
Web: www.softwarefx.com
Phone: 800-392-4278; 561- 999-8888
Dundas Chart for .NET 5.5
Dundas Chart for .NET is a charting tool designed specifically for Visual Studio 2005. It can support an unlimited number of chart areas, which saves you rendering time as only one chart needs to be rendered as opposed to multiple charts. You can also overlay chart areas on top of one another for extra customizations. Dundas Chart for .NET ships with a large range of customizable annotation objects, including: line, horizontal line, text, rectangle, ellipse, arrow, 3D border, callout, polyline, polygon, image, and annotation groups. Freehand annotations are available for the WinForms Enterprise Edition, so end users can directly add their own comments and input. Also, developers can render charts within Dundas Chart for .NET as .png, .bmp, .jpg, .emf, and flash and .svg. Dundas Chart for .NET provides smart tags for all major chart elements. Smart tags reduce the number of clicks performed at design time to complete common chart tasks; when a chart element is selected, a list of that element’s common properties is displayed. New features in version 5.5 of the product include new 2D and 3D visualizations, scale breaks, enhanced legend features, custom templates, full Ajax support, Web-based zooming, scrolling, and full user interface support. The features in Dundas Chart for .NET 5.5 give you the same level of interactivity as Windows Forms applications without downloading any controls. Pricing starts at $699.
Dundas Software
Web: www.dundas.com
Phone: 800-463-1492; +416-467-5100
ImageGear for .NET
ImageGear for .NET from AccuSoft is a tool to help develop ASP.NET-based imaging applications. The product includes the ability to do rapid porting from current Win Forms applications to a “zero-footprint” Web Form application, because both delivery mechanisms utilize the same programming model and capability. You can create multiple applications on the .NET Framework using 100-percent managed code in the toolkit. The product includes a complete set of flexible annotation marks, including text, line, freehand polyline, rectangle, ellipse, polygon, polyline, audio, image, ruler, protractor, encryption, button, hot spot, and rich text—and the ability to import and export these marks to XML files. PDF support has been enhanced to provide PDF security measures, layer editing, and editing of elements such as text, image, and metadata. Other enhancements in the .NET release include CAD/vector support, a new download manager for URL file-streams, support for Motion JPEG20g (MJ2) files, OCR/barcode capabilities, and color reduction. In addition, reading and writing of JPEG2000 images is now included at no additional charge. Pricing starts at $1,995.
AccuSoft
Web: www.accusoft.com
Phone: 800-525-3577; (+1) 508-351-9092
InstallAware 6.0
InstallAware is a setup-authoring tool for ISVs and enterprises deploying products, patches, updates, and device drivers. Version 6.0 of the product creates Windows Installer setup packages with support for .NET 2.0, SQL Server Express 2005 Service Pack1, Windows Vista, 64-bit operating systems, and Driver Installation Frameworks 2.0. The setup-user interface now supports building tabbed dialogs such as those used in the Office 2007 installer. The IDE provides intelligent warnings and tips as MSIcode is being build, which can help avoid setup-authoring errors. InstallAware 6.0 ships with a new sample for driver installations, which simulates connecting a virtual “toaster” to the computer, and automatically installs its plug-and-play drivers, implemented in MSIcode. $199.
InstallAware
Web: www.installaware.com
Phone: 800-525-3577; (+1) 508-351-9092
PDF4NET 2.8
PDF4NET from O2 Software is a .NET library for adding PDF capabilities to your .NET applications. It has a simple object model that you can use to create complex PDF documents, or import existing PDF files, with only a few lines of code. The .NET library provides support for both standard .NET Framework and compact .NET Framework. It is written entirely in C#, and is a 100-percent .NET component, not only a COM wrapper. Features in PDF4NET include the ability to create, fill, and flatten PDF e-forms, merge, append, split, and rebuild PDF documents, and translate, rotate, and scale multiple pages to a single page. Version 2.8 of the product now includes native support for displaying 1D and 2D barcodes, support for Adobe Acrobat-style page backgrounds, and support for renaming and setting tab orders in AcroForm fields, plus a SaveProgress event for PDFDocument class objects. PDF4NET 2.8 also supports numerous barcode symbologies including Code 39, Code 128 A, B, and C, and Codabar, among others. PDF4NET has royalty-free distribution. Pricing starts at $499.
O2 Software
Web: www.o2sol.com
Phone: +4(0)723-662-206
About the Author
Written/compiled by the editors of Visual Studio Magazine.