Table of Contents

Managed Windows Guide

Managed windows host floating docks inside the main window instead of spawning native OS windows. When enabled, Dock uses the in-app MDI layer to render floating windows as MdiDocumentWindow controls.

When to use managed windows

Managed windows are useful when:

  • Your app should stay inside a single top-level window.
  • You want consistent window chrome across platforms.
  • Native window restrictions or airspace issues make OS windows undesirable.

The main window is still an OS window. Managed windows affect only floating dock windows.

How managed windows work

  1. DockSettings.UseManagedWindows switches floating windows to ManagedHostWindow.
  2. DockControl registers its ManagedWindowLayer with the factory when EnableManagedWindowLayer is true.
  3. ManagedHostWindow creates a ManagedDockWindowDocument that wraps the IDockWindow model.
  4. ManagedWindowLayer renders managed windows using MdiLayoutPanel and MdiDocumentWindow.

The managed windows remain in the main visual tree so they can share styles and resources with the rest of the app.

Interaction parity

Managed windows reuse the same interaction model as native windows:

  • Dragging and resizing are handled by MdiDocumentWindow and its layout manager.
  • Dock targets, drag previews, and pinned windows are rendered inside the managed layer.
  • Window magnetism and bring-to-front behavior apply within the managed layer.

Differences from native windows

Managed windows are not OS windows:

  • They do not appear in the taskbar or window switchers.
  • They cannot be moved outside the main window or across monitors.
  • Owner relationships and OS-level z-order do not apply; ordering uses MdiZIndex.

Theming and templates

ManagedWindowLayer is part of the DockControl template and must be named PART_ManagedWindowLayer. If you replace the template, include the layer and keep EnableManagedWindowLayer set to true so floating windows remain visible.

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