AvalonDock

New Post: RestoreLayout with programmatically added panes

adospace — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:40:06 GMT

If you need to manage correctly layout persistance the rigth way is always to add all contents at startup in a fixed layout. For an example all contents docked to the right. Then call the RestoreLayout and leave AvalonDock rearrange your contents according to xml file. After this when user close the application or when you prefer call SaveLayout to store the layout again. You can even provide a default layout as xml file stored in an assemply resource, so the very first time your application starts you can provide that to RestoreLayout().
This is the strategy used in SharpDevelop and I suggest you to take a look at that code.

In pseudo code:
<ad:DockingManager Grid.Row="1" x:Name="dockManager">(intentionally empty)
</ad:DockingManager>

public Window()
{
    InitializeComponents();

    DockablePane dummyPane = new DockablePane()
    foreach (Contents to load)
        dummyPane.Items.Add(content);
    dockManager.Anchor(dummyPane, AnghorStyle.Right);

    //here call restorelayout
    if (xmlFileWithLayoutExist)
        dockManager.RestoreLayout(xmlFileWithLayout);
    else
        dockManager.RestoreLayout(GetDefaultLayoutFromAssemblyResource);
}

void OnClosing()
{
    dockManager.SaveLayout(xmlFileWithLayout);
}

Hope can help! Ado

New Post: RestoreLayout with programmatically added panes

ckellner — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:24:44 GMT

Thanks for your quick reply. You are correct, I was calling DockingManager.RestoreLayout() when the application loads. I was hoping that it would restore the panes and their positions and then I would extend the restore process and dynamically add the content back into the restored panes if the end user chooses to.

What is the best way to add content to the DockingManager before DockingManager.RestoreLayout() is called? For example, if I have some content displayed in a floating window when DockingManager.SaveLayout() is called, and I restart my application, re-add the content in a DockablePane and call DockingManager.RestoreLayout(), will it restore itself into a floating window?

New Post: RestoreLayout with programmatically added panes

adospace — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:05:16 GMT

Hi, you have to check if DockingManager.RestoreLayout() is called after you add 'content2'. When DockingManager restoring layout encounters a content with name 'content2', it looks for a content with that name in DockingManager.DockableContents array. If it can't find the content it simply skips to next entry.
In my internal version (posted soon) I added a way to dynamically provide content to AvalonDock when it needs.

Ado

New Post: RestoreLayout with programmatically added panes

ckellner — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:27:12 GMT

This is a great docking library and I'm trying to incorporate it into a client app where user layout persistence is crutial. I'm having a problem calling RestoreLayout on my document manager and having it restore pane that have be added to the manager programmatically. Here's my XAML from a test project.

<ad:DockingManager Grid.Row="1" x:Name="dockManager">
    <ad:ResizingPanel x:Name="resizePanel" Orientation="Vertical">
        <ad:DockablePane x:Name="dockPane1" >
            <ad:DockableContent x:Name="dockContent1">
                <TextBlock Text="This is some content" />
            </ad:DockableContent>
        </ad:DockablePane>
    </ad:ResizingPanel>
</ad:DockingManager>

And here's my code behind:

DockableContent cnt = new DockableContent();
cnt.Name = "content2";
cnt.Content = new TextBox();
cnt.Title = "New Textbox";

DockablePane pane = new DockablePane();
pane.Items.Add(cnt);
pane.Name = "pane1";
resizePanel.Children.Add(pane);
dockManager.Show(cnt, DockableContentState.Docked, AnchorStyle.Bottom);

The code will successfully add a new dockable pane with a textbox content every time it is called. Here is the XML string that is created when SaveLayout is called:

<DockingManager>
    <ResizingPanel Orientation="Vertical">
        <DockablePane ResizeHeight="200" Anchor="Top">
            <DockableContent Name="dockContent1" AutoHide="false" />
        </DockablePane>
        <DockablePane Anchor="Left">
            <DockableContent Name="content2" AutoHide="false" />
        </DockablePane>
    </ResizingPanel>
    <Hidden />
    <Windows />
</DockingManager>

Everything looks goos so far, but when retore layout is called, the 'content2' DockableContent and it's parent pane are not restored. Is this functionality possible with AvalonDock? There mat just be something that I am overlooking.

New Post: Close event not raised when the documentcontent is docked

mehrajesh — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:20:20 GMT

thanks for replying, actually it was mistake from my side i was using the first release of the avalondock and in that close event was not fired when the document content is docked in the documentpane.$0$0$0$0so yest i download the latest version and modifed the documentcontent class to have the close method and to be classed from the document pane. So it got solved.$0$0$0$0$0Thanks for the reply again. It is been great library for use with some minor changed.$0

Commented Issue: object within TabControl does not get proper focus

acohen — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:02:01 GMT

When using the dock control, if an item (say, a button) is in side a TabItem which is inside a TabControl, it fails to get focus when selected the first time. It requires two "clicks" in order to activate the object.

Steps to reproduce:
1) Please modify demo.xaml to look like this below (notice the TabControl, TabItem,and Button objects). The rest of the demo can remain the same, except for the Button_Click handler.

<ad:DockableContent x:Name="_explorerWindow" Title="Server Explorer">
<ad:DockableContent.Icon>
<Image Width="16" Height="16" Source="..\..\Images\database.png"/>
</ad:DockableContent.Icon>
<TabControl>
<TabItem Header="TabItem Header" >
<Button Click="Button_Click">Click me</Button>
</TabItem>
</TabControl>
</ad:DockableContent>

2) In the Button_Click event, throw up a message box.
3) Run your demo and put focus, by clicking, on the "Server Explorer" tab. The event log will output: "'Server Explorer' is the active content." The button should now be visible.
4) Put focus, by clicking, on the text within the Home tab. The event log will output: "'Home' is the active content"
5) Click on the button (Notice no message box is displayed). The event log outputs: "'Server Explorer' is the active content."
6) Click button a second time (Message box is displayed).

The expected result would be for the message box to be displayed after the first click (from step 5). This has significant impact on applications that rely heavily on Tab Controls within Docable Contents, forcing the user to click twice to activate any object.
Comments: ** Comment from web user: acohen **

Ado, do you have any suggestions or workarounds for me? Thanks!

Reviewed: AvalonDock 1.1.1692 (Oct 10, 2008)

4uxnbIx — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:58:55 GMT

Rated 5 Stars (out of 5) - Great job!!! And thanks for including my changes into this release.

New Post: don't allow drop in document pane

timekeepr9 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:55:19 GMT

That worked perfectly, thanks!

New Post: show/hide dockable pane, assertion

timekeepr9 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:51:17 GMT

Hi,
Thanks for the reply! I just figured out that I was doing this wrong. I was sometimes adding my content to a dockablePane, and anchoring that, instead of just calling dockingManager.show, which would confuse the manager. If i just call dockManager.show all the time it works just fine.

New Post: show/hide dockable pane, assertion

adospace — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:31:06 GMT

Hi, I'm trying to reproduce with no luck your issue using build 1692. Can you post the complete assertion log?

New Post: Close event not raised when the documentcontent is docked

adospace — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:26:43 GMT

Can you specify better what do you mean? In latest build 1692 closing/closed events seem to work fine.

New Post: don't allow drop in document pane

adospace — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:23:11 GMT

Set DockableStyle="DockableToBorders" for all dockable contents that can't drop into the main DocumentPane.
Ado

Reviewed: AvalonDock 1.1.1692 (Oct 10, 2008)

batfer — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:07:48 GMT

Rated 5 Stars (out of 5) - Nice Framework. Well done.

New Post: don't allow drop in document pane

timekeepr9 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:23:34 GMT

In my application I have a single document that never changes, so I'd like to disable the ability to drop a panel into that center pane. I've been looking through the code, and I don't see an easy way to do this. Is there any way, short of editing the avalonDock code?

Thanks!
~Mayra

Commented Issue: Docking Control stealing focus (prevents Command Bindings from working)

acohen — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:39:54 GMT

I'm working with another 3rd party control (Xceed's DataGrid) to try and deal with an issue with command bindings not working properly on their grid. Please see related thread here: http://xceed.com/CS/forums/thread/15761.aspx

We have a DataGrid inside a UserControl which is inside an AvalonDock document pane (as the DocumentContent). With this configuration, CommandBindings fail to work from the DataGrid. I submitted a sample to Xceed's support and they looked at the code. They seem to think that issue is within AvalonDock "stealing" focus, which prevents CanExecute from ever being called.

I will upload the same project file to you, that I uploaded to them. Here are the steps to reproduce the problem:

1) Build and run solution
2) Select a row in the DataGrid
3) Right click on the selected row

Expected Result: Menu item should be enabled
Actual Result: Menu item is disabled (CanExecute not called).

Do you think you can please look at this and see if you see what's going on? The DockingControl seems to be preventing all CommandBindings from working on the DataGrid. Due to a licensing issue, you may have to install the (free) trial of Xceed's DataGrid for WPF to be able to run the attached solution: http://xceed.com/pages/TopMenu/Downloads/Trials.aspx?Lang=EN-CA

We would really appreciate any help you can give us to track down this issue. Thanks.
Comments: ** Comment from web user: acohen **

Ado,

I had to uncomment this line:

Line 289 //SetAsActive();

Leaving that line commented out prevented the user from switching tabs (documents) by clicking the tab. The command binding still worked even with this line left in.

New Post: Close event not raised when the documentcontent is docked

mehrajesh — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:53:54 GMT

Hello !!

i have been using the avalondock. I see a problem when the document content is docked, the close command doesnt work or closed event doesnt get raised. I have been using the first release of the avalondock. Can you pls let me know how do we correct this scenrio

Thanks for helping
Rajesh

New Post: show/hide dockable pane, assertion

timekeepr9 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:27:35 GMT

I have a dockableContent which can be closed and then reopened using a menu option. You close it just by hitting the x, and then to reopen it I call dockingManager.Show(content, DockableContentState.Docked, anchorPos); It works just fine the first time, I hit the x, reopen it and it reappears where I want it. However, when I try to repeat the process AvalanDock asserts at like 1560 of DockingManager.

Is there something else I'm supposed to be doing to bring back up the content?

Commented Issue: Undocked window cannot be dragged

adospace — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:53:31 GMT

Using the Demo Program I'm having the following problem:

Mouse Click down on the Server Explorer tab and move mouse to left (out of Application). The Server Explorer appears in a floating window, but it does not move with the mouse pointer. Release the mouse left button and the application won't respond to the mouse.

Have to switch to another application and then back to Demo to resume operation.

All works fine when the mouse is dragged up into the DockablePane and then out of the application.

Looking at the code, the mouse Capture is preventing any further mouse events to the Docking Manager! Don't understand this behaviour because it works OK if the mouse is moved via a Dockable Pane. Any ideas?

Using version 1.1.1648
Comments: ** Comment from web user: adospace **

Build 1692 should fix this issue. Can you confirm? thanks ado

New Post: Show/Hide dockable content - how to persist width

ptt — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:45:46 GMT

I'm on the latest release(1692).

I also did try anchoring it....still did not work.
Controller.Presenter.View.DockingManager.Show( dc, AvalonDock.DockableContentState.Docked, AnchorStyle.Left );

Thanks for the reply...

New Post: Show/Hide dockable content - how to persist width

dragoljub — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:40:41 GMT

I'm not sure if this helps, but I found that adding the third parameter (anchor) helped position the dockable content on the desirable side of the window. If there was no dockable content that remained in the original position, then it just added it on the right (of the central document pane).

Anyway, make always sure you're using the latest version, a lot of stuff gets fixed between versions.

I'm sorry for not being more helpful.