DevExpress Migration Prompts¶
Quick reference guide for implementing the DevExpress migration using the MCP server.
Getting Started¶
View Migration Overview¶
View Migration Playbook¶
Check What's Next¶
Phase 1: Infrastructure (Prompts 1-4)¶
Prompt 1: Feature Flag Infrastructure¶
What it does: Creates the feature flag system for safe RDLC/DevExpress switching
Implementation:
Prompt 2: DevExpress Project Setup¶
What it does: Adds DevExpress NuGet packages and configures the project
Implementation:
Prompt 3: WCF Contract Updates¶
What it does: Updates WCF service contracts to support both engines
Implementation:
Prompt 4: Template Conversion Workflow¶
What it does: Sets up workflow for converting RDLC templates to REPX
Implementation:
Phase 2: Core Rendering (Prompts 5-10)¶
Prompt 5: Report.cs Structure Refactoring¶
What it does: Refactors Report.cs to support both rendering engines
Implementation:
Prompt 6: REPX Template Loading¶
What it does: Implements REPX template loading and data binding
Implementation:
Prompt 7: Basic Report Rendering¶
What it does: Implements basic DevExpress report rendering
Implementation:
Prompt 8: Subreport Processing Infrastructure¶
What it does: Implements XRSubreport processing for nested reports
Implementation:
Prompt 9: Dynamic Layout Engine¶
What it does: Implements XRTable API for dynamic column manipulation
Implementation:
Prompt 10: PDF Generation & Export¶
What it does: Implements PDF export with DevExpress
Implementation:
Phase 3: Advanced Features (Prompts 11-15)¶
Prompt 11: Preview UI (DocumentViewer)¶
What it does: Integrates DevExpress DocumentViewer for report preview
Implementation:
Prompt 12: Print Direct Functionality¶
What it does: Implements direct printing with DevExpress
Implementation:
Prompt 13: Complex Report Types¶
What it does: Handles charts, validation reports, and complex layouts
Implementation:
Prompt 14: DataList Reports (Dynamic Columns)¶
What it does: Implements dynamic column generation for DataList reports
Implementation:
Prompt 15: Electronic Master Reports¶
What it does: Implements combined PDF generation with electronic signatures
Implementation:
Phase 4: Designer Integration (Prompts 16-18)¶
Prompt 16: DevExpress Designer Launcher¶
What it does: Replaces Microsoft Report Builder with DevExpress Designer
Implementation:
Prompt 17: Designer Integration (UI Forms)¶
What it does: Updates UI forms to launch DevExpress Designer
Implementation:
Prompt 18: Template Management & Reloading¶
What it does: Implements template caching and hot-reload
Implementation:
Phase 5: Testing & Cleanup (Prompts 19-20)¶
Prompt 19: Comprehensive Testing & Validation¶
What it does: Comprehensive testing of all 135 report types
Implementation:
⚠️ CRITICAL: Only after this prompt is 100% complete can you change the default engine to DevExpress
Prompt 20: RDLC Code Removal (Optional)¶
What it does: Removes RDLC code after successful migration
Implementation:
Note: This is optional and should only be done after extended production validation
Validation & Safety¶
View Safety Checks¶
View Progress Tracker¶
Run Validation After Each Prompt¶
After implementing each prompt, run these validations:
Run the 5-level validation for the DevExpress migration:
1. Compilation check
2. Smoke test (RDLC path)
3. Feature test (DevExpress path)
4. Integration test
5. Regression test
Troubleshooting¶
Get Help with Specific Feature¶
Review Specific Prompt Again¶
Check for Common Issues¶
Quick Reference¶
All Prompts by Phase¶
Phase 1 - Infrastructure (1-4) - Feature flag, DevExpress setup, WCF updates, template conversion
Phase 2 - Core Rendering (5-10) - Report.cs refactoring, REPX loading, rendering, subreports, dynamic layouts, PDF
Phase 3 - Advanced Features (11-15) - Preview UI, print direct, complex reports, DataList, master reports
Phase 4 - Designer (16-18) - Designer launcher, UI integration, template management
Phase 5 - Testing (19-20) - Comprehensive testing, RDLC removal
Sequential Implementation¶
For best results, implement prompts in order:
1. Show me prompt 1 for the DevExpress migration
2. Implement DevExpress migration prompt 1
3. Run validation
4. Show me prompt 2 for the DevExpress migration
5. Implement DevExpress migration prompt 2
6. Run validation
... continue through prompt 20
Batch Operations¶
View Multiple Prompts¶
View Entire Phase¶
Progress Tracking¶
Check Current Status¶
Note: The AI assistant automatically updates progress when: - Starting work on a prompt (marks as "In Progress") - Completing implementation (marks as "Completed" with validation results) - Encountering failures (marks as "Failed" with notes)
You don't need to manually update progress - it happens automatically!
Progress File: MIGRATION_PROGRESS.md is created in your workspace root on first use (copied from template).
Custom Location: To use a different location, set MIGRATION_PROGRESS_PATH in your Cursor MCP settings:
{
"mcpServers": {
"rdlc-devexpress-converter": {
"env": {
"MIGRATION_PROGRESS_PATH": "./docs/MIGRATION_PROGRESS.md"
}
}
}
}
Important Notes¶
- Always implement prompts sequentially - Each builds on previous ones
- Prerequisite checking - AI automatically warns if prerequisites aren't met
- Default to RDLC - Keep feature flag default as RDLC until Prompt 19 complete
- Validate after each prompt - Run all 5 validation levels
- Update progress tracker - Keep MIGRATION_PROGRESS.md current (automatic)
- GxP compliance - Data layer unchanged, rendering only
- Safe rollback - One-line change to revert to RDLC
Prerequisite System¶
The AI assistant automatically checks if you've completed the required prompts before showing you a new one:
- ✅ Prerequisites Met: All required prompts completed, safe to proceed
- ⚠️ Prerequisites Not Met: Shows which prompts need to be completed first
- 🔴 Critical Warnings: Special alerts for phase boundaries and critical dependencies
Example: If you ask for Prompt 5, the AI will check that Prompts 1-4 are completed first.