DockControl Initialization and Defaults

DockControl wires up the factory and layout when InitializeFactory and InitializeLayout are enabled. This guide explains what the control sets up for you and when you might want to take over manually.

Factory assignment

When a Layout is assigned, DockControl checks for a factory:

If Layout.Factory is null and DockControl.Factory is set, it assigns that factory to the layout.
If Layout.Factory is already set, it uses it as-is.

If neither is set, initialization stops and the control will not set up locators or call InitLayout.

InitializeFactory behavior

When InitializeFactory="True", DockControl populates the factory with default locators:

ContextLocator is set to a new empty dictionary.
DockableLocator is set to a new empty dictionary.
HostWindowLocator is set with a default entry for IDockWindow that creates a HostWindow.
DefaultContextLocator is set to return DockControl.DefaultContext.
DefaultHostWindowLocator is set to return a new HostWindow.

This makes a minimal layout work out of the box, but it also means any locators you configured earlier will be replaced. If you want to populate locators yourself or integrate with dependency injection, set InitializeFactory="False" and configure the factory manually.

InitializeLayout behavior

When InitializeLayout="True", DockControl calls:

layout.Factory.InitLayout(layout);

This initializes owners, commands, and view model state for every dockable in the layout. If your factory needs additional setup (for example, custom locators), configure it before calling InitLayout.

DefaultContext usage

DockControl.DefaultContext feeds the factory fallback for ContextLocator when InitializeFactory is enabled. You can set it from code or bind it in XAML:

var dockControl = new DockControl
{
    DefaultContext = new MainViewModel(),
    InitializeFactory = true,
    InitializeLayout = true
};

<DockControl Layout="{Binding Layout}"
             Factory="{Binding Factory}"
             DefaultContext="{Binding}"
             InitializeFactory="True"
             InitializeLayout="True" />

If you prefer to set DefaultContextLocator directly, disable InitializeFactory or assign your own locator after the control initializes.

Recommended patterns

For quick samples and XAML-only layouts, keep both flags enabled.
For DI-heavy apps, disable InitializeFactory and set locators explicitly in your factory.
Always call InitLayout once after you finish building or deserializing the layout.

Related guides: