News
Combit Launches List & Label 31 with Cross-Platform .NET Engine and AI Integration
Combit today released List & Label 31, the latest version of its reporting component for software developers, introducing full cross-platform support across Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android.
The new .NET engine allows report execution on any major OS, marking the first time the company's technology runs seamlessly across desktop and mobile environments.
While perhaps such a release might not be covered by Visual Studio Magazine, the tool is regularly awarded medals in our annual Visual Studio Magazine Readers' Choice Awards, where users vote on their favorite tools. The product scored two Golds in the latest awards, so is of interest here.
According to combit, the new List & Label Cross Platform engine delivers up to five times faster print speeds for Windows applications while maintaining compatibility with existing APIs and project structures. "List & Label Cross Platform is a game-changer," said Jochen Bartlau, Managing Director and Head of Development List & Label. "Software developers can now rely on a unified reporting solution without having to worry about compatibility."
[Click on image for larger view.] Company-Presented Highlights of List & Label 31 (source: combit).
List & Label 31 integrates advanced AI directly into reporting through the new AI$() function, which supports tasks such as text summarization, translation, and automated suggestions using Microsoft Semantic Kernel.
For you code junkies, that looks like this:
private async Task GetOpenAIResultAsync(string prompt)
{
var builder = Kernel.CreateBuilder();
var apiKey = "your-secret-key-here";
builder.AddOpenAIChatCompletion(
modelId: "o4-mini",
apiKey: apiKey
);
var kernel = builder.Build();
var chatFunction = kernel.CreateFunctionFromPrompt(prompt);
var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(chatFunction);
return result.ToString();
}
The release also introduces a reworked DataTree technology for higher performance in the Web Report Designer, especially when working with large data sources. Pivot and crosstab creation capabilities will be added with the first service pack later this year.
The new version supports the latest e-invoicing standard, ZUGFeRD 2.3, through an updated PDF export engine, ensuring accurate rendering of embedded documents. As the name of that standard suggests, the company is based in Germany. Additional enhancements include a platform-independent Excel data provider based on OpenXML and direct cloud export options for Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, and Microsoft 365.
Other new features highlighted by combit include native integration with Avalonia, Blazor, WPF, and WinForms, allowing developers to embed reporting into both classic and modern .NET 10 applications. .NET 10 is already production-ready and will ship in GA next month.
The release also adds flexible deployment options for Docker, Azure, and AWS, enabling cost-efficient Linux hosting. The new cross-platform design supports additional export formats like JSON, SVG, and PNG, and includes a JSON converter to migrate existing List & Label projects into the new file format. Developers using Delphi/VCL also gain repository support for centralized project and asset management without relying on fixed file paths.
Availability
List & Label 31 is available now in multiple editions starting at 740 EUR, with installation and documentation offered in English and German. The release also includes annual service packs, maintenance, and support for future operating system and development environment updates. More information and a free trial are available here.
About the Author
David Ramel is an editor and writer at Converge 360.