ComponentOne a division of GrapeCity, the largest component solution provider in the Microsoft Visual Studio Partner Ecosystem, showcased two new component suites at Microsoft’s BUILD event last week on the Redmond campus. With the announcement of Windows 8, ComponentOne has introduced Studio for WinRT XAML and Studio for WinJS. “Designed to enhance the rich user experience of Windows 8, Studio for WinRT XAML gives developers powerful and unique controls for building better Windows Store apps,” said Greg Lutz, product manager at ComponentOne, a division of GrapeCity. The studio became available as a CTP in mid-August of this year, and it will be officially released as part of the 2012 v3 release of ComponentOne Studio Enterprise mid-November.

Studio for WinRT XAML is now in Beta, and this update introduced several new controls and enhancements, including a new PdfViewer control, FlexGrid control, three new layout panels, and chart enhancements for dashboard development. Lutz also shared that ComponentOne is introducing activation and licensing (pre-sale) so developers can get up and running with their applications today without delay.

Developers looking to build Windows 8 applications with HTML and JavaScript can turn to the CTP release of ComponentOne Studio for WinJS, which provides charts and gauges for rich Windows 8 applications. “We are glad to be a part of Microsoft’s Windows 8 release and are pleased to provide great tools based on the proven HTML5 tools in our Wijmo product,” said Chris Bannon, product manager at ComponentOne, a division of GrapeCity.

ComponentOne’s visualization controls will help developers build immersive Windows 8 dashboard applications. The charting in Studio for WinJS supports all popular 2D chart types, flexible data binding, run-time interaction, and rich styling elements. The Gauges for WinJS include several gauge controls to enhance an application’s data visualizations and business dashboards, providing users an attractive way to display data on a Windows tablet.

Availability and Pricing
The company offers no-charge, 30-day trials of its Windows 8 control suites which may be downloaded at www.componentone.com/Downloads. Online visitors may also access tutorials, forums, documentation, and diagrams as part of the ComponentOne experience.

All current Studio Enterprise and Ultimate subscribers will receive the new WinRT XAML and WinJS controls absolutely free when released. Non-subscribers may now purchase an individual license for a limited-time introductory price of $395 USD.