Free components for .NET developers

V

ViperGTI

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2012
Messages
382
Reaction score
0
Location
Centurion
Not sure if this has posted before (or when this became available). Haven't been on MyBB for a while but I'd thought I'd share this here too.

I was visiting one of our component providers and noticed that they followed Microsoft's example with the new Visual Studio Community edition and made all their components available for free for individual developers or companies with less than 5 developers and less than $1m turnover.

So here it is. Syncfusion EssentialStudio:
http://www.syncfusion.com/products/communitylicense

We've been using some of their components for the past couple of years and we're due to renew our license later this month so I was quite relieved that we won't need to fork out all that money to renew again. The R/$ exchange rate is a b#tch at the moment for renewing our licenses from the US.

Anyway, just for interest sake, we've used their Winforms controls, but phased most of it out and replaced it with DotNetBar (more lightweight). We use their File Formats extensively (generate Excel, Word, Pdf files using their object library without needing to have the actual software installed... and it performs very well) and we're starting to use their MVC components now after they've completely revamped it middle last year.

They obviously have components for WPF, Silverlight, Mobile and so forth, but we've never really got to that.
Anyway, for those who like this, enjoy.
 
We tried sync, got rid of it the same day. Extremely buggy and very limited.
 
Fuma said:
LOL. You seem to be someone who is not easily impressed.
Click to expand...

Out the component libraries out there, it ranks as one of the worst the next i would say is netadvantage.
 
semaphore said:
We tried sync, got rid of it the same day. Extremely buggy and very limited.
Click to expand...

Just as a matter of interest, which component suite would you recommend?

As for my opinion on them... When we were looking for a visio-style diagram control years ago, they were one of the very few that actually had a diagram control that worked properly (and worked on windows and web) which is why we decided to go with them back then. They've had their ups and downs over the years but their Word and Excel file generation has always been some of the best I've come across. As of the 2nd half of 2014, their MVC / web components also really picked up quite nicely. I'm actually looking to start implementing them in our application.

I can't really speak for their WPF components as I've never used them. Their grid control is extremely powerful as you can pretty much mimic a working Excel application with it, but we're not using it due too our requirement for high performance with large datasets. Their Winforms UI components have apparently improved quite a bit since I used it last, but we've replaced all the basic styled UI controls (Ribbons, textboxes, comboboxes, etc.) with Dotnetbar due to the low price and small deployment.
 
Fuma said:
He'll recommend you develop your own. Lol
Click to expand...

Nah, to time consuming.

@Viper - Well its between telerik and devexpress. Some of our apps use devexpress. Sync fusion has nothing on devexpress document generation. Devexpress is far superior.

Word of advice, stay away from mvc components, you are better off either using javascript libraries.
 
I used Syncfusion, not bad on the file formats, exporting to Excel etc.

I got Telerik for free so I mostly work with their controls.
 
I use the latest DevExpress and it is pretty amazing. Their support is also pretty good...
 
semaphore said:
Nah, to time consuming.

@Viper - Well its between telerik and devexpress. Some of our apps use devexpress. Sync fusion has nothing on devexpress document generation. Devexpress is far superior.

Word of advice, stay away from mvc components, you are better off either using javascript libraries.
Click to expand...
...or?

I have to agree on the MVC comment. jQuery is all you need for anything from the simplest to the most complex system. You have much more control over the rendering and behaviour of grids/accordions/panels/popups/tooltips if you define proper UI/UX guidelines and frameworks before even building a single piece of functionality. More often than not third party control libraries force you into thinking and building in a specific way and you end up as a drop in a sea of clones.

...but then again I did voice this opinion of mine on MyGaming in the same thread and most seem to disagree with me. Meh, I guess.
 
FarligOpptreden said:
...but then again I did voice this opinion of mine on MyGaming in the same thread and most seem to disagree with me. Meh, I guess.
Click to expand...

Because most people lack the creativity to do it this way or the initiative, we are plagued by a generation of drag and drop developers.
 
semaphore said:
Because most people lack the creativity to do it this way or the initiative, we are plagued by a generation of drag and drop developers.
Click to expand...

To be honest, I'm becoming tired of the ZA software engineering industry. I recently started a company with a colleague, having 5 devs doing the heavy lifting whilst I provide direction for the projects. We're struggling to get new contracts because we're a lean (but highly capable and close-knit) team. Larger companies get awarded the contracts and end up doing a worse job for 10x the price.

I honestly feel like ditching this hell-hole of a country to seek fortune somewhere else. A contact for a large company I have in AU says I should move over and open my eyes as there's a better future in this industry outside of ZA.

I'll stop ranting now. Had a horrible week and tiresome weekend. All work and no play makes me act up to my forum handle.
 
semaphore said:
Nah, to time consuming.

@Viper - Well its between telerik and devexpress. Some of our apps use devexpress. Sync fusion has nothing on devexpress document generation. Devexpress is far superior.

Word of advice, stay away from mvc components, you are better off either using javascript libraries.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've always heard good things about DevExpress. Think the main reason why we went with Syncfusion years ago is because they had the Visio-style Diagramming control which DevExpress didn't have at the time I think. (Not sure if they do now). At the time it was something we specifically required (and still use today).

Telerik on the other hand. I've had a look at their controls quite a few years back and I think maybe even as recently as last year. Even got their whole Winforms suite for free a couple of years ago through a MSDN promotion. Didn't really impress.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X