Let met take this oportunity to tell you that my programming skills have increased dramatically since I purchased DevExpress components. There are the demos, the tailored projects I receive (lightning fast!) on questions to the helpdesk, it's just incredible. Maybe the increase of my programming skills is even more important than the components, and they are absolutely the best one can use. I'm in the process of building an application that leaves my beta-crew completely astonished, they are dazzled by all the options. I can design applications I never would have thought of before! THANKS!
I really like the look of the ExpressInspector component especially the ability to group logical fields together. I've now set up all the data entry forms (about 15) in the application I'm currently developing so they use the Inspector component instead of umpteen different controls. It now looks much tidier and its improved the resource usage of the application. I managed to set this all up in a just a couple of hours after receiving the component. This component along with the ExpressQuantumGrid provides an excellent front end for data entry forms.
I would like to commend the entire DevExpress team on their work and dedication to making their components the best and most valuable add-ons to the Delphi Market. When we were looking for a data-aware grid component that would provide us with the most features, the best performance and the most customizable, they won hands down. We looked at other grid components (Orpheus, RX Tools) and ExpressQuantumGrid came first place. For plain ease of use, you can not beat it. The ability to dump your grid view to an XLS or HTML file has been a huge selling point. My users think I am a genius - They are thrilled that they can now bring their numbers directly into Excel and manipulate them to their hearts content. The code is well written and tight. Speed is a huge factor in my consideration of a product. My users are demanding (whose aren't ) and I do not want to give them anything but the best. DevExpress has allowed me to make that happen. If there is one tool that should be in *EVERY* Delphi programmers toolbox. This one is it.
DevExpress means money. Our company has been able to release chargeable upgrades for all our products in our Government Human Resource line of products just by including your ExpressQuantumGrid with automatic grouping and enduser customization and instant data drill-down. We're also creating a new product based on your ExpressOrgChart for managing Employee hierarchy. Keep up the good work I hope you guys are making as much money as I am off all your hard work.
Well, I would like to thank you very much for your approach to driving a business. I find the way you communicate with your customers outstanding - I have never seen anything like it. Please keep it up - even if you become wildly successful :-) Your products seem well written and I like them very much. The speed with which you add new features is breathtaking. And again, you listen to your customers needs and try to address them.
I would just like to say that you guys have made me look like a genius, professional programmer guru guy. I am in the middle of a major corporate database front end development effort and am using the ExpressQuantumGrid and MemTables heavily. Needless to say, my end users are amazed at the functionality we are providing them. I hate to tell them that all I have to do is drop a grid in place and its done, (got to keep some of the mystery going). Anyway, as the single developer in a 150 person corporation I am incredibly satisfied with the components you guys have written, the support you have given (response from Max in less than a day on a problem I was having! very helpful), and look forward to having fun developing apps.
About the ExpressQuantumGrid, all I have to say about it is I'm working on a retails allocation module. The thing about allocation is its more of a art than an exact science. The allocators need to have as much info as possible, and to be able to play with that info easily. So far I am using the record drag and drop from group to group (this saved me quit a bit of code because I was going to set up the same thing using a tree control and then do all of other data work myself. I've used custom coloring and sorting based in the grid based on different ranking choices the user makes. I have about 15 calculated number columns, and in any given column, the top 30% numbers are colored red, the bottom 30% is blue, and the middle 40% is black. I'm also using custom coloring and painting for the summary footer bar. Basically its one color if that column is over allocated, and a different color is its under allocated, and a third color if its right on. (both the units to allocate and the choices change frequently, so its important for the user to understand those relationships at a glance.) the summary footer also shows the under / over allocate numbers. As the user plays with different numbers (using spin control boxes in the grid) the footer is always up to date. But the really cool thing is I've accomplished all this in just 2 days of coding, which considering that this is a component library I've never used is not bad at all. :-)
I have only worked for about an hour with the grid now, but I already achieved what I wanted to. Great work!
I really think a lot of vendors could take lessons from you guys/gals, by the way you take suggestions to heart and commit them to making a fine product even better shows you care and I for one appreciate it. Thanks - and keep up the good work.
Just a quick note to say how absolutely impressed I have been with your support. I posed a couple of support questions and had them answered within 24 hours (I'm from Australia so there is a major time difference), not only that but I had a follow up message checking if everything was ok with the answers provided, thanks Max for your great effort!!! From what I've seen, your company is very customer SERVICE aware which is so hard to find these days, keep up the great work we all appreciate it very much as it makes our jobs so much easier and less stressful.
I am very pleased about your products and the support you are giving. First off - your ExpressQuantumGrid is just the best Grid-Control there is - period. That said, your handling of adding of new features at the request of users is something no other company I know is doing and your tech-support is very competent and fast. There is really nothing I could want more - oh, yes there is, the new version of the ExpressQuantumGrid!
Thanks for the email, I got the grid to work as needed with your recommendations. I'm really impressed with the way DevExpress works. Amazing Components! Amazing Support!
What I particularly like is that on the occasions I have asked for some help, I have actually received example code back! This is way more than I expect and certainly more than any other company does. This is a great PR angle, and I hope you maintain this commitment as you grow.
I've used dozens of components from other developers and thought I'd found heaven with the tools of ... Until i purchased the ExpressQuantumGrid Suite. I was completely struck by all its features.. things I had to calculate and write event handlers for with other grids are all implemented! Wow..! Impressed.. The ExpressBars... well the same thing, dynamite! And no annoying bugs too. I think the MemDataset should be more pointed to when advertising the Suite. I thought I purchased the Grid and Bars but to my surprise a complete dataset was included with it. No need to write methods for loading and saving... GREAT! One thing of criticism: MAKE trial versions available of your products. I would have purchased them much faster when I could feel myself what they are up to. A binary demo just isn't enough for lots of us when it costs a high price like the ExpressQuantumGrid Suite. Don't mistake me, it's worth every cent! The high standard of your products make me purchase blindly a new product like the ExpressFlowChart. An order is on the way.
The real lesson for me from this experience is that your support is par excellent. I use Delphi but I don't make my living from programming. Your product is precisely what a novice programmer needs: it makes programming easier by reducing the need to code and the results offer impressive functionality. And perhaps most important, you back a guy up when he needs help. Thanks for the help and I look forward to your future product releases.
"Wow! By the first mail I sent you will see it took me only a couple of hours to get convinced your ExpressQuantumGrid is a masterpiece. I just give up counting all the enhancements it has. It is worth the price and certainly a "must have" for programmers. Congratulations.
I purchased ExpressQuantumGrid yesterday and my first impressions are that ExpressQuantumGrid is a 'class act' and a 'must have for developers'.
ExpressGrid is a wonderful, fabulous thing and has made our clients think we're really smart! Thanks.
First, let me commend you on a wonderful toolset for bars, menus, and outlook bar. It is by far the best I have seen. I own copies of all the rest of the Outlook style bars and menu alternatives, and this suite (ExpressBars) is awsome.
We just purchased ExpressQuantumGrid and I want to say how impressed I am with your tools. I do virtually all of the visual design for our product line, and I'm always on the lookout for new components that allow me to model the data in creative ways.