DevExpress AI-powered Extensions for WinForms

• Dec 05, 2024
• 6 minutes to read

Supported AI Clients

• OpenAI
• Azure OpenAI
• Semantic Kernel
• Ollama (self-hosted models)

Prerequisites

• .NET 8 SDK / .NET Framework v4.7.2
• OpenAI
  • An active Open AI subscription
  • OpenAI API key
  • Microsoft.Extensions.AI.OpenAI
• Azure OpenAI
  • An active Azure subscription.
  • Azure Open AI Service resource
  • Azure OpenAI .NET SDK
  • Microsoft.Extensions.AI.OpenAI
• Semantic Kernel
  • Microsoft.SemanticKernel
  • An active account/subscription to the AI service of your choice
  • Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.* NuGet package (a connector to the AI service of your choice)
• Ollama (self-hosted models)
  • Download and install Ollama
  • Download and install an Ollama model
  • Microsoft.Extensions.AI.Ollama

Install DevExpress NuGet Packages

Install the following DevExpress NuGet Packages:

1. DevExpress.AIIntegration.WinForms
2. DevExpress.AIIntegration.OpenAI (required if you use the WinForms Chat control with OpenAI.Assistant)
3. DevExpress.Win.Design (enables design-time features for DevExpress UI controls)

Register AI Clients

DevExpress AI-powered extensions operate within an AIExtensionsContainerDesktop container. This container manages all registered AI clients so that DevExpress UI controls can automatically leverage AI services.

Register OpenAI Client

The following code snippet registers an OpenAI client:

C#

using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
using DevExpress.AIIntegration;

internal static class Program {
    [STAThread]
    static void Main() {
        Application.EnableVisualStyles();
        Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
        IChatClient asChatClient = new OpenAI.OpenAIClient(OpenAIKey)
            .AsChatClient("GPT4o");
        AIExtensionsContainerDesktop.Default.RegisterChatClient(asChatClient);
        Application.Run(new Form1());
    }
    static string OpenAIKey { get { return Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("OPENAI_API_KEY"); } }
}

VB.NET

Imports Microsoft.Extensions.AI
Imports DevExpress.AIIntegration

Friend Module Program
    <STAThread>
    Sub Main()
        Application.EnableVisualStyles()
        Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(False)
        Dim asChatClient As IChatClient = (New OpenAI.OpenAIClient(OpenAIKey)).AsChatClient("GPT4o")
        AIExtensionsContainerDesktop.Default.RegisterChatClient(asChatClient)
        Application.Run(New Form1())
    End Sub
    Private ReadOnly Property OpenAIKey() As String
        Get
            Return Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("OPENAI_API_KEY")
        End Get
    End Property
End Module

Register Azure OpenAI Client

The following code snippet registers an Azure OpenAI client:

C#

using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
using DevExpress.AIIntegration;

internal static class Program {
    [STAThread]
    static void Main() {
        Application.EnableVisualStyles();
        Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
        IChatClient asChatClient = new Azure.AI.OpenAI.AzureOpenAIClient(new Uri(AzureOpenAIEndpoint),
            new System.ClientModel.ApiKeyCredential(AzureOpenAIKey))
            .AsChatClient("GPT4o");
        AIExtensionsContainerDesktop.Default.RegisterChatClient(asChatClient);
        Application.Run(new Form1());
    }
    static string AzureOpenAIEndpoint { get { return Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT"); } }
    static string AzureOpenAIKey { get { return Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_OPENAI_APIKEY"); } }
}

VB.NET

Imports Microsoft.Extensions.AI
Imports DevExpress.AIIntegration

Friend Module Program
    <STAThread>
    Sub Main()
        Application.EnableVisualStyles()
        Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(False)
        ' Register Azure.OpenAI
        Dim asChatClient As IChatClient = (New Azure.AI.OpenAI.AzureOpenAIClient(New Uri(AzureOpenAIEndpoint), New System.ClientModel.ApiKeyCredential(AzureOpenAIKey))).AsChatClient("GPT4o")
        AIExtensionsContainerDesktop.Default.RegisterChatClient(asChatClient)
        Application.Run(New Form1())
    End Sub
    Private ReadOnly Property AzureOpenAIEndpoint() As String
        Get
            Return Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT")
        End Get
    End Property
    Private ReadOnly Property AzureOpenAIKey() As String
        Get
            Return Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_OPENAI_APIKEY")
        End Get
    End Property
End Module

Register Semantic Kernel

Install the connector package for the AI service. This example uses Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.Google.

C#

using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel.ChatCompletion;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.Google;
using DevExpress.AIIntegration;

internal static class Program {
    [STAThread]
    static void Main() {
        Application.EnableVisualStyles();
        Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
        var builder = Kernel.CreateBuilder().AddGoogleAIGeminiChatCompletion("YOUR_MODEL_ID", "YOUR_API_KEY", GoogleAIVersion.V1_Beta);
        Kernel kernel = builder.Build();
        IChatClient googleChatClient = kernel.GetRequiredService<IChatCompletionService>().AsChatClient();
        AIExtensionsContainerDesktop.Default.RegisterChatClient(googleChatClient);
        Application.Run(new Form1());
    }
}

VB.NET

Imports Microsoft.Extensions.AI
Imports Microsoft.SemanticKernel
Imports Microsoft.SemanticKernel.ChatCompletion
Imports Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.Google
Imports DevExpress.AIIntegration;

Friend Module Program
    <STAThread>
    Sub Main()
        Application.EnableVisualStyles()
        Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(False)
        Dim builder = Kernel.CreateBuilder().AddGoogleAIGeminiChatCompletion("YOUR_MODEL_ID", "YOUR_API_KEY", GoogleAIVersion.V1_Beta)
        Dim kernel As Kernel = builder.Build()
        Dim googleChatClient As IChatClient = kernel.GetRequiredService(Of IChatCompletionService)().AsChatClient()
        AIExtensionsContainerDesktop.Default.RegisterChatClient(googleChatClient)
        Application.Run(New Form1())
    End Sub
End Module

Register Ollama Client

The following code snippet registers an Ollama client:

C#

using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
using DevExpress.AIIntegration;

internal static class Program {
    [STAThread]
    static void Main() {
        Application.EnableVisualStyles();
        Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
        IChatClient asChatClient = new OllamaChatClient(new Uri("http://localhost:11434/"), "MODEL_NAME");
        AIExtensionsContainerDesktop.Default.RegisterChatClient(asChatClient);
        Application.Run(new Form1());
    }
}

VB.NET

Imports Microsoft.Extensions.AI
Imports DevExpress.AIIntegration

Friend Module Program
    <STAThread>
    Sub Main()
        Application.EnableVisualStyles()
        Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(False)
        Dim asChatClient As IChatClient = New OllamaChatClient(New Uri("http://localhost:11434/"), "MODEL_NAME")
        AIExtensionsContainerDesktop.Default.RegisterChatClient(asChatClient)
        Application.Run(New Form1())
    End Sub
End Module

AI-powered Extensions

AI Assistant (Text Transform)

AI Assistant extensions allow you to enhance the way your users interact with and manage text content with AI-powered precision. These extensions leverage advanced natural language processing (NLP) technologies to provide automated, intelligent text manipulation capabilities directly within your Windows Forms applications.

Run Demo

AI-powered options include:

• Change Style
• Change Tone
• Expand
• Explain
• Proofread
• Shorten
• Summarize
• Translate
• Ask AI Assistant (allows users to interact with an AI-powered assistant directly within your application)

Applies to:

• MemoEdit
• Rich Text Editor
• Spreadsheet

Read the following help topic for additional information: AI-powered Text Transform Extensions (Behaviors).

Explain Formula

The AI-powered “Explain Formula” extension generates a detailed explanation of the formula used in a worksheet cell in the DevExpress Spreadsheet control.

Run Demo

Read the following help topic for additional information: Explain Formula.

Generate Image Description

The AI-powered “Generate Image Description” extension generates the description for the image in DevExpress WinForms Spreadsheet and Rich Text Edit controls.

Play the following animation to see how the AI-powered “Generate Image Description” extension in a WinForms Rich Text Editor generates Alt text for an image:

Run Demo

Read the following help topic for additional information: Generate Image Description.

Smart Autocomplete

The AI-powered “Smart Autocomplete” feature intelligently predicts and suggests words or phrases based on the user’s current input. As you type, the AI model analyzes the context of the text and makes relevant suggestions in real time.

Run Demo

Applies to:

MemoEdit

Read the following help topic for additional information: Smart Autocomplete.

Smart Paste

“SmartPaste” is an AI-powered feature that transforms the traditional copy-and-paste process into a smarter, more efficient tool. Designed to improve productivity, SmartPaste analyzes the content you copy and intelligently assigns the right values to the appropriate fields or row cells in the DevExpress Data Grid and LayoutControl-driven forms.

Play the following animation to see how “SmartPaste” works:

Run Demo

Applies to:

• Data Grid
• Layout Control
• Data Layout Control

Read the following help topic for additional information: Smart Paste.

Smart Search

“Smart Search” works alongside the traditional search algorithms to offer a more powerful and user-friendly search experience. It offers results that are more aligned with what the user is seeking, even if the input contains misspellings.

Play the following animation to see how AI-powered smart search works in the DevExpress WinForms Ribbon control:

Run Demo

Applies to:

• Ribbon Control
• Accordion Control

Read the following help topic for additional information: Smart Search.

AI Chat Control

Note

The AI Chat Control leverages BlazorWebView to reuse the DevExpress Blazor AI Chat component (DxAIChat). To use the WinForms AI Chat Control you must have one of the following active subscriptions: Universal, DXperience, ASP.NET & Blazor.

The AI Chat Control (AIChatControl) allows you to incorporate an interactive, Copilot-inspired chat-based UI within your WinForms application. The DevExpress AI Chat Control (AIChatControl) can only be used in Windows Forms applications that target the .NET 8+ framework.

Features include:

• Seamless Integration with AI Services
• Markdown Message Rendering
• Copy and Regenerate Responses
• Manual Handling of Chat Messages
• Create an Assistant That Chats Using Your Own Data
• Save and Load Chat History
• Streaming
• DevExpress Skins

Read the following help topic for additional information: AI Chat Control.