Docking Manager size question

[Patrick Ransom]

I have added the DockingManager to my form and added three different elements (GroupBar, Panel, and a TreeView). I have enabled each of the three items to be "docked on the DockingManager" and the DockingManager is set to DockToFill.

I have two questions. When I manually set the width of each panel in the designer, save, and run my application .. the panel widths aren't the same width as they are in the designer. Is there a way I can manually set the widths of each docked item? Can I do it by percentage, because my application is set to run as a maximized window.

Second question, when collapsing one of the docked items, can I control where the "minimized tab" resides? (ie. left side, right side, top or bottom) With two docked items, the "minimized tabs" are on the left side of the screen, but with three docked items, it now displays the "minimized tabs" on the top.

Thanks

Patrick Ransom

[Prakash S]

Hi Patrick,

The current version of the Docking Manager (v 1.5.1.1 of Essential Tools) upon depersistence approximates the size of adjacent docked Controls to < 1/2 of the available dock area, and this results in the dimension not being exactly as that set within the designer (or the previous persisted state). However, we have addressed this issue, and starting with the next revision of Essential Tools (due late January), the depersisted docking state will be exactly as that set within the designer or the previous persisted state. While there isn't a way to manually specify percentages, the docking algorithm internally uses a ratio-based sizing approach which essentially retains the percentage. I'd recommend that you wait for the Essential Tools revision as that should take care of this problem without the need to manually set the percentage values.

In the DockToFill mode, the autohide tabs will always reside on the border of the form along which the first control is docked. Combining this attribute of the DockingManager with the undocumented DockingManager.RestrictDockFillAutoHideBorder(Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.DockingStyle style) method will allow you to control the border of the autohide tabs. To do this, first open up your design form, undock all dockable controls, and dock the first control along the border of the form on which you would like the tabs. The other controls can be docked in the usual manner. Now add a call to the RestrictDockFillAutoHideBorder() method using the required DockingStyle border value, immediately following your form's InitializeComponent() call. These two steps will force the autohide tabs to always align along the specified border.
Please let me know if you run into any problems with this implementation.

Regards,
Prakash

[Patrick Ransom]

Hi Prakash,

Thanks for the follow up answers. I will need to wait for the next release of the Essential Tools and hopefully that will fix by Docking Window sizing issue. Currently the docking window sizes in the designer are nowhere what they are in run mode! Thanks for the docking window border solution, it worked.

Perhaps I missed something somewhere, but where do I find the methods that I can call for each Essential component? Is there a developer's help file somewhere? All I have is the sample browser and the documentation in pdf format .. which doesn't expose what all of the methods are. I'm sure I won't feel quite so lost if I could have some sort of reference to play with first before asking questions here! Thanks for your assistance .. I sure needed it.

Patrick

> Hi Patrick,
>
> The current version of the Docking Manager (v 1.5.1.1 of Essential Tools) upon depersistence approximates the size of adjacent docked Controls to < 1/2 of the available dock area, and this results in the dimension not being exactly as that set within the designer (or the previous persisted state). However, we have addressed this issue, and starting with the next revision of Essential Tools (due late January), the depersisted docking state will be exactly as that set within the designer or the previous persisted state. While there isn't a way to manually specify percentages, the docking algorithm internally uses a ratio-based sizing approach which essentially retains the percentage. I'd recommend that you wait for the Essential Tools revision as that should take care of this problem without the need to manually set the percentage values.
>
> In the DockToFill mode, the autohide tabs will always reside on the border of the form along which the first control is docked. Combining this attribute of the DockingManager with the undocumented DockingManager.RestrictDockFillAutoHideBorder(Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.DockingStyle style) method will allow you to control the border of the autohide tabs. To do this, first open up your design form, undock all dockable controls, and dock the first control along the border of the form on which you would like the tabs. The other controls can be docked in the usual manner. Now add a call to the RestrictDockFillAutoHideBorder() method using the required DockingStyle border value, immediately following your form's InitializeComponent() call. These two steps will force the autohide tabs to always align along the specified border.
> Please let me know if you run into any problems with this implementation.
>
> Regards,
> Prakash

[Prakash S]

Patrick,

Essential Suite ships with full Class Reference documentation that integrates with the VS.NET Combined Help documentation. Specify the 'No Filter' option in the VS.NET Help Viewer to view the Essential Suite content. You can also use the 'Suite Help' navigation link in the 'Documentation' group of the Essential Suite Developer Center to launch a separate instance of the Essential Suite Class Reference.

Prakash

[Patrick Ransom]

Prakash,

Is there a firm date for the next revision of Essential Tools that will resolve the issue I have below?

Thanks.

Patrick

> Hi Patrick,
>
> The current version of the Docking Manager (v 1.5.1.1 of Essential Tools) upon depersistence approximates the size of adjacent docked Controls to < 1/2 of the available dock area, and this results in the dimension not being exactly as that set within the designer (or the previous persisted state). However, we have addressed this issue, and starting with the next revision of Essential Tools (due late January), the depersisted docking state will be exactly as that set within the designer or the previous persisted state. While there isn't a way to manually specify percentages, the docking algorithm internally uses a ratio-based sizing approach which essentially retains the percentage. I'd recommend that you wait for the Essential Tools revision as that should take care of this problem without the need to manually set the percentage values.
>
> In the DockToFill mode, the autohide tabs will always reside on the border of the form along which the first control is docked. Combining this attribute of the DockingManager with the undocumented DockingManager.RestrictDockFillAutoHideBorder(Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools.DockingStyle style) method will allow you to control the border of the autohide tabs. To do this, first open up your design form, undock all dockable controls, and dock the first control along the border of the form on which you would like the tabs. The other controls can be docked in the usual manner. Now add a call to the RestrictDockFillAutoHideBorder() method using the required DockingStyle border value, immediately following your form's InitializeComponent() call. These two steps will force the autohide tabs to always align along the specified border.
> Please let me know if you run into any problems with this implementation.
>
> Regards,
> Prakash

[Prakash S]

Hi Patrick,

There is a private patch of Essential Suite(v 1.5.1.4) that is currently available and that includes the above mentioned fix. But please bear in mind that private patches are generated to fix certain crucial issues that have been requested by our customers, and do not undergo the same rigorous testing as public patches or full releases. If you are interested I can send you the download instructions for the patch. The next public patch will be available during the last week of January.

Prakash

[Administrator]

> I have added the DockingManager to my form and added three different elements (GroupBar, Panel, and a TreeView). I have enabled each of the three items to be "docked on the DockingManager" and the DockingManager is set to DockToFill.
>
> I have two questions. When I manually set the width of each panel in the designer, save, and run my application .. the panel widths aren't the same width as they are in the designer. Is there a way I can manually set the widths of each docked item? Can I do it by percentage, because my application is set to run as a maximized window.
>
> Second question, when collapsing one of the docked items, can I control where the "minimized tab" resides? (ie. left side, right side, top or bottom) With two docked items, the "minimized tabs" are on the left side of the screen, but with three docked items, it now displays the "minimized tabs" on the top.
>
> Thanks
>
> Patrick Ransom

[Administrator]

Hi Patrick,

1. I believe this issue has been take care of, since the size of the docked controls are the same at runtime and designtime (runtime actually reflects the size set during designtime). I have tested this using the Docking Package demo samples, and all the samples behaved as mentioned above. You could also explicitly set the Size of the docked control using the DockingManager''s SetControlSize method. However, just as in VS.NET, our docking windows too do not resize proportionally if the main application window is resized. We could consider this as a feature request for a future release of Essential Suite. We appreciate your feedback on this issue.

2. The answer for your second question still remains the same (refer Prakash''s reply on top).
Thanks for considering Syncfusion products, and please let me know if you need any other information.

Regards,
Guru Patwal
Syncfusion, Inc.