Use Devexpress with Delphi

DevExpress is a well-known third-party component suite for Delphi that may be used to construct high-quality desktop and web applications. The suite comprises a wide range of visual and non-visual components that can substantially speed up the development process while also giving the user interface a clean and professional appearance and feel. In this post, we’ll look at how to use DevExpress in the Delphi programming language and present some useful examples.

Installing DevExpress in Delphi:

We must first install DevExpress before we can use it in our Delphi program. You can execute the installation file after downloading it from the DevExpress website. During the installation process, you will be prompted to choose which components to install. After installation, you must add the DevExpress components to the Delphi Component Palette.

Adding DevExpress Components to the Delphi Component Palette:

To add the DevExpress components to the Delphi Component Palette, follow these steps:

• Open Delphi and go to the Component menu
• Select “Install Packages”
• Click on the “Add” button and browse to the DevExpress installation folder
• Select the “DevExpress.VCL.x.y” package and click “Open”
• Click on the “OK” button to close the “Install Packages” dialog box
• The DevExpress components should now appear in the Delphi Component Palette.

Using DevExpress Components in Delphi:

Drag and drop a DevExpress component from the Component Palette onto your form to utilize it in your Delphi program. You can then modify the component’s properties in the Object Inspector. DevExpress components include a plethora of properties, events, and methods for customizing their behavior and appearance.

Here are some essential examples of DevExpress components that every Delphi programmer should know:

• Grid Control: The Grid Control is a powerful data grid that can display and edit data from a variety of data sources. It includes features such as sorting, filtering, grouping, and column customization. To use the Grid Control, you’ll need to connect it to a data source, such as a TDataSet or TClientDataSet component.
• Ribbon Control: The Ribbon Control is a modern user interface control that provides a tabbed toolbar with a customizable set of commands. It’s similar to the ribbon interface used in Microsoft Office applications. The Ribbon Control includes built-in support for themes and can be easily customized to match the look and feel of your application.
• Scheduler Control: The Scheduler Control is a component that can display and manage appointments and events. It includes features such as recurring appointments, resource allocation, and appointment reminders. You can customize the appearance and behavior of the Scheduler Control to meet your specific requirements.
• Tree List Control: The Tree List Control is a hierarchical data grid that can display data in a tree-like structure. It includes features such as sorting, filtering, and column customization. You can also customize the appearance of the Tree List Control, such as changing the background color of individual rows.
• Rich Edit Control: The Rich Edit Control is a component that provides advanced text editing and formatting capabilities. It supports features such as tables, images, and hyperlinks. You can also customize the appearance of the Rich Edit Control, such as changing the font size and style.

1. Grid Control:

To display data in the Grid Control, you’ll need to connect it to a data source, such as a TDataSet or TClientDataSet component. Here’s an example of how to do that:

// Create a new TClientDataSet component

var

cdsData: TClientDataSet;

begin

cdsData := TClientDataSet.Create(Self);

cdsData.FieldDefs.Add(‘ID’, ftInteger, 0, True);

cdsData.FieldDefs.Add(‘Name’, ftString, 50, True);

cdsData.CreateDataSet;

cdsData.InsertRecord([1, ‘John’]);

cdsData.InsertRecord([2, ‘Jane’]);

// Connect the Grid Control to the TClientDataSet component

cxGrid1DBTableView1.DataController.DataSource := TDataSource.Create(Self);

cxGrid1DBTableView1.DataController.DataSource.DataSet := cdsData;

end;

1. Ribbon Control:

To add commands to the Ribbon Control, you’ll need to create Ribbon Gallery Items. Here’s an example of how to create a Ribbon Gallery Item and add it to the Ribbon Control:

// Create a new Ribbon Gallery Item

var

item: TdxRibbonGalleryGroupItem;

begin

item := dxRibbon1Tab1.AddGalleryGroupItem(nil);

item.Caption := ‘Colors’;

item.GalleryImages := imgList;

item.GalleryOptions.ItemImageSize := Size(32, 32);

// Add items to the Ribbon Gallery Item

item.GalleryGroups.Add;

item.GalleryGroups[0].Caption := ‘Basic Colors’;

item.GalleryGroups[0].Items.Add;

item.GalleryGroups[0].Items[0].ImageIndex := 0;

item.GalleryGroups[0].Items[0].Caption := ‘Red’;

item.GalleryGroups[0].Items.Add;

item.GalleryGroups[0].Items[1].ImageIndex := 1;

item.GalleryGroups[0].Items[1].Caption := ‘Blue’;

end;

1. Scheduler Control:

To add appointments to the Scheduler Control, you’ll need to create a TcxSchedulerStorage component and add the appointments to it. Here’s an example of how to do that:

// Create a new TcxSchedulerStorage component

var

storage: TcxSchedulerStorage;

begin

storage := TcxSchedulerStorage.Create(Self);

cxScheduler1.Storage := storage;

// Create a new appointment and add it to the storage

var

appointment: TcxSchedulerEvent;

appointment := cxScheduler1.Storage.CreateEvent;

appointment.Start := Now;

appointment.Finish := Now + EncodeTime(1, 0, 0, 0);

appointment.Subject := ‘Meeting’;

appointment.Location := ‘Conference Room’;

appointment.LabelColor := clYellow;

appointment.ReminderMinutesBeforeStart := 30;

cxScheduler1.Storage.AddEvent(appointment);

end;

1. Tree List Control:

To display data in the Tree List Control, you’ll need to create a TcxTreeList component and add columns to it. Here’s an example of how to do that:

// Create a new TcxTreeList component

var

treeList: TcxTreeList;

begin

treeList := TcxTreeList.Create(Self);

treeList.Parent := Self;

treeList.Align := alClient;

// Add columns to the Tree List Control

var

column: TcxTreeListColumn;

column := treeList.CreateColumn;

column.Caption := ‘ID’;

column.DataBinding.ValueType := ‘Integer’;

column := treeList.CreateColumn; column.Caption := ‘Name’; column.DataBinding.ValueType := ‘String’;

// Add data to the Tree List Control

var rootNode, childNode: TcxTreeListNode;

rootNode := treeList.Root.Add;

rootNode.Values[0] := 1;

rootNode.Values[1] := ‘John’;

childNode := rootNode.AddChild;

childNode.Values[0] := 2;

childNode.Values[1] := ‘Jane’;

end;

1. Chart Control:
2. To display data in the Chart Control, you’ll need to create a TcxChartView component and add series to it. Here’s an example of how to do that:

```delphi

// Create a new TcxChartView component

var

chartView: TcxChartView;

begin

chartView := TcxChartView.Create(Self);

chartView.Parent := Self;

chartView.Align := alClient;

// Add series to the Chart Control

var

series: TcxLineSeries;

series := chartView.CreateSeries(TcxLineSeries) as TcxLineSeries;

series.DataController.CreateSeries;

series.BeginUpdate;

try

series.ValuesDataBinding.FieldName := ‘Sales’;

series.ArgumentDataBinding.FieldName := ‘Month’;

series.DataController.DataSource := DataSource1;

finally

series.EndUpdate;

end;

// Populate the data source with data

DataSource1 := TDataSource.Create(Self);

DataSource1.DataSet := ADOQuery1;

ADOQuery1.Open;

end;

Finally, DevExpress is a comprehensive and robust component package that may dramatically improve the functionality and presentation of your Delphi projects. You’ll be well on your way to becoming adept in utilizing DevExpress in Delphi programming language if you follow the steps mentioned above and explore the main examples supplied.