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Controls / Dock / Object Model / Creating ToolWindow and DocumentWindow at Runtime
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Creating ToolWindow and DocumentWindow at Runtime

Updated over 6 months ago

Creating ToolWindow at Runtime

To create a new ToolWindow, construct a ToolWindow instance, set properties and call the DockWindow() method, passing a reference to the ToolWindow and a DockPosition enumeration value.

Creating a ToolWindow

C#
ToolWindow windowTop = new ToolWindow();
windowTop.Text = "Window Top";
this.radDock1.DockWindow(windowTop, DockPosition.Top);

Creating DocumentWindow at Runtime

To create a DocumentWindow, construct an instance of DocumentWindow, assign properties and call the AddDocument method, passing the DocumentWindow instance.

Creating a DocumentWindow

C#
DocumentWindow documentTop = new DocumentWindow();
documentTop.Text = "New Document";
this.radDock1.AddDocument(documentTop);

Example: Creating Multiple ToolWindow and DocumentWindow at Runtime

The following example creates multiple panels and document panes at runtime.

WinForms RadDock Creating Multiple ToolWindow and DocumentWindow at Runtime

Creating ToolWindows and DocumentWindows

C#
ToolWindow windowLeft = new ToolWindow();
windowLeft.Text = "Window Left";
this.radDock1.DockWindow(windowLeft, DockPosition.Left);
ToolWindow windowBottom = new ToolWindow();
windowBottom.Text = "Window Bottom";
this.radDock1.DockWindow(windowBottom, DockPosition.Bottom);
ToolWindow windowBottomRight = new ToolWindow();
windowBottomRight.Text = "Window Bottom Right";
this.radDock1.DockWindow(windowBottomRight, windowBottom, DockPosition.Right);
DocumentWindow document1 = new DocumentWindow();
document1.Text = "Document 1";
this.radDock1.AddDocument(document1);
DocumentWindow document2 = new DocumentWindow();
document2.Text = "Document 2";
this.radDock1.AddDocument(document2);
DocumentWindow document3 = new DocumentWindow();
document3.Text = "Document 3";
this.radDock1.AddDocument(document3);

Creating and docking multiple windows in a single strip

There are cases in which you might prefer docking two or more windows to the right edge of RadDock only, so that these right-edged windows are tabbed in a single container. For example, let’s say that we have Team Explorer, Solution Explorer and Server Explorer windows and they are all initially closed. We also have a menu that allows us to open these windows, and after clicking all the corresponding menu items we want to get this picture:

WinForms RadDock Menu Item for Multiple Windows

The bellow code shows how you can create each one of the windows:

C#
private void menuItemTeamExplorer_Click1(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    TeamExplorerUserControl teuc = new TeamExplorerUserControl();
    DockPosition dockTo = DockPosition.Right;
    HostWindow hw = this.radDock1.DockControl(teuc, dockTo);
    hw.Text = "Team Explorer";
}
private void menuItemServerExplorer_Click1(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    ServerExplorerUserControl seuc = new ServerExplorerUserControl();
    DockPosition dockTo = DockPosition.Right;
    HostWindow hw = this.radDock1.DockControl(seuc, dockTo);
    hw.Text = "Server Explorer";
}
private void menuItemSolutionExplorer_Click1(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    SolutionExplorerUserControl seuc = new SolutionExplorerUserControl();
    DockPosition dockTo = DockPosition.Right;
    HostWindow hw = this.radDock1.DockControl(seuc, dockTo);
    hw.Text = "Solution Explorer";
}

However, this API docks the windows to right of RadDock, not taking into consideration other right-docked windows:

WinForms RadDock Windows are Docked To the Right

So, we need to follow another approach. What we need to do is to globally define a ToolTabStrip variable that would be set the first time a window is right-docked. Then, the next time we dock a window, we will do it in the context of the already created ToolTabStrip. Here is what should be done in code on click of the menu items:

C#
ToolTabStrip rightHandStrip = null;
private void menuItemTeamExplorer_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    TeamExplorerUserControl teuc = new TeamExplorerUserControl();
    ToolWindow teucW = new ToolWindow();
    teucW.Controls.Add(teuc);
    teucW.Text = "Team Explorer";
    if (rightHandStrip == null)
    {
        this.radDock1.DockWindow(teucW, DockPosition.Right);
        rightHandStrip = (ToolTabStrip)teucW.Parent;
    }
    else
    {
        this.radDock1.DockWindow(teucW, rightHandStrip, DockPosition.Fill);
    }
}
private void menuItemServerExplorer_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    ServerExplorerUserControl seuc = new ServerExplorerUserControl();
    ToolWindow seucW = new ToolWindow();
    seucW.Controls.Add(seuc);
    seucW.Text = "Server Explorer";
    if (rightHandStrip == null)
    {
        this.radDock1.DockWindow(seucW, DockPosition.Right);
        rightHandStrip = (ToolTabStrip)seucW.Parent;
    }
    else
    {
        this.radDock1.DockWindow(seucW, rightHandStrip, DockPosition.Fill);
    }
}
private void menuItemSolutionExplorer_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    SolutionExplorerUserControl seuc = new SolutionExplorerUserControl();
    ToolWindow seucW = new ToolWindow();
    seucW.Controls.Add(seuc);
    seucW.Text = "Solution Explorer";
    if (rightHandStrip == null)
    {
        this.radDock1.DockWindow(seucW, DockPosition.Right);
        rightHandStrip = (ToolTabStrip)seucW.Parent;
    }
    else
    {
        this.radDock1.DockWindow(seucW, rightHandStrip, DockPosition.Fill);
    }
}

See Also

In this article
Creating ToolWindow at RuntimeCreating DocumentWindow at RuntimeExample: Creating Multiple ToolWindow and DocumentWindow at RuntimeCreating and docking multiple windows in a single stripSee Also
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