List & Label Reporting Blog

Since the release of ChatGPT, the world of artificial intelligence (AI) has changed rapidly. You’ve probably already had experience with tools like ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot that take developer workflows to a new level. At combit, we’re also open to the possibilities that AI offers, and are continuously integrating them into our own processes.

At combit, we prioritize accessibility in our software solutions. Understanding the importance of Section 508 compliance, we have developed a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) for List & Label to help you meet these requirements.

Applications are increasingly deployed in Docker environments or directly on the web server. With doing so, it’s often challenging to provide fonts. In particular, installing fonts in Docker containers can be a tedious task, as previously documented here in our forum. Fonts often can’t be easily distributed or installed on web servers either. This creates a situation, particularly with company-owned fonts, in which not all required fonts are available by default.

The latest service pack 29.003 for List & Label brings support for Windows 11 24H2 and an enhanced configuration option for the Web Report Designer to streamline the printing process. Additionally, advanced caching mechanisms have been implemented to reduce server load.

List & Label is a reporting component that integrates with applications to provide them with rich reporting capabilities. It allows developers to create sophisticated reports based on data from any source. Easy data binding for your own VCL applications is provided by List & Label’s FireDAC component, which supports numerous data sources such as Oracle, MS SQL Server, SQLite, DB2, MySQL and PostgreSQL, as well as many other databases and formats. The control over the data for reporting always remains with the application itself.

This is our last blog post about what’s new in List & Label 29, so let’s take a look at features we haven’t presented yet. Highlights include native .NET 8 assemblies, new data providers, and enhanced report design options.

Back in March, we conducted our annual customer survey to gain deeper insight into the satisfaction and needs of our developer community. The results were extremely pleasing and revealing towards our aim to continuously develop List & Label and our services. Of course, we’d like to share them with you.

The new Service Pack 29.002 offers support for Embarcadero RAD Studio 12.1, new programming options for print and export as well as new functionalities in the Web Report Designer for data graphics and gauges. In addition, there are various improvements in Designer, the VCL FireDAC component and Report Server. A number of security updates are also included.

The features of different data providers vary widely. Depending on the data source, sorting, native aggregate functions or filters at database level may be available directly. Or not. For example, none of this is available in file-based formats such as JSON or XML, or even in “web” formats such as REST. These are typically read “front to back” and therefore cannot offer sorting or native aggregation. With List & Label 29, we have something new to offer.

The latest service pack for List & Label 28 delivers enhanced functionality and security improvements to streamline your reporting needs. With key updates like support of images in crosstab column and row labels in XHTML export as well as support for Embarcadero RAD Studio 12 (BDE & FireDAC). For a detailed list of changes, see the ServicePack.pdf in your installation and the Service Pack download area.