ComponentOne Studio for LightSwitch HTML Provides the First HTML Client Extensions

PITTSBURGH, July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ComponentOne a division of GrapeCity, the largest component solution provider in the Microsoft Visual Studio Partner Ecosystem, has released ComponentOne Studio for LightSwitch HTML. Studio for LightSwitch HTML is a set of jQuery Mobile controls, screen templates, and design-time extensions for use with Microsoft's LightSwitch HTML Client.

In late summer of 2011, Microsoft released the first version of Visual Studio LightSwitch, offering its users a way to create high-quality business applications for the desktop and the cloud with minimal code. At the same time, ComponentOne introduced its first commercial LightSwitch extension, OLAP for LightSwitch, which gave users the ability to snap in pivoting grids and charts without a single line of code. ComponentOne has since created five more extensions and has packaged them into its Studio for LightSwitch product, a suite that has quickly become the industry standard tool set for LightSwitch users.    

Due to popular demand, Microsoft recently unveiled the LightSwitch HTML Client designed for use on mobile and touch-enabled devices. ComponentOne quickly followed suit with its new offering, Studio for LightSwitch HTML.

"The technology landscape has changed and with the rapid adoption of HTML and the need to support touch devices, we realized our users would soon need controls for the LightSwitch HTML Client," said Dan Beall, product manager at ComponentOne. "The challenge is that HTML and JavaScript, the technology that the LightSwitch HTML Client is built on, has a different control extensibility model than typical .NET applications. To use a custom control in LightSwitch's HTML Client, you need to use JavaScript. Our engineers found a way to inject our popular Wijmo jQuery Mobile-based widgets into these custom controls automatically.  When a user needs to customize a control, they just need to edit the properties through some simple coding. This technology is one-of-a kind and is not available anywhere else," said Beall. 

ComponentOne's Studio for LightSwitch HTML, now included with Studio for LightSwitch, is based on the company's own popular widget framework, Wijmo, which is a control kit for jQueryUI and jQuery Mobile. Studio for LightSwitch HTML both automates the generation of JavaScript code for custom controls and integrates seamlessly with the LightSwitch design-time environment. "The benefit is we can now provide both ready-made screens and control-level extensibility with grids, charts, calendars, gauges, image galleries, and more," said Beall.

When looking at the list of controls included in Studio for LightSwitch HTML, users will find a wide range of controls from grids and charts to gauges and even an events calendar.  Michael Washington, author of Creating Web Pages Using the LightSwitch HTML Client: The LightSwitch Help Website, 2013 said that "The ComponentOne HTML Grid control fills a vital missing piece when creating line of business applications."

Washington went on to state that, "The functionality provided by the Event Calendar control is simply amazing. This is an incredible product by ComponentOne that is easy to use and produces the professional result we all have been looking for. What ComponentOne has accomplished with these plug-ins finally demonstrates what an incredible product that the Microsoft Visual Studio LightSwitch HTML Client is," said Washington.

Availability
The company offers a no-charge, 30-day trial download of Studio for LightSwitch, which includes Studio for LightSwitch HTML, at http://www.componentone.com/Downloads/. Online visitors may also access tutorials, forums, documentation, and videos as part of the ComponentOne experience.

About GrapeCity
Founded in 1980, GrapeCity is an award-winning Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, a premier Visual Studio Industry Partner, and one of the world's largest providers of developer components. The company has more than 850 employees and hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide. For close to 30 years, GrapeCity has provided enterprises around the world with state-of-the-art developer tools and components, software services and solutions. For more company information, visit the ComponentOne division website at http://www.componentone.com. Follow on Twitter @componentone or "Like" on Facebook www.facebook.com/componentone.

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SOURCE ComponentOne