Table of Contents

Managed Windows How-To

This guide walks through enabling managed windows and wiring the managed window layer into your layout.

Enable managed windows

Set the global flag before creating layouts:

using Dock.Settings;

DockSettings.UseManagedWindows = true;

Or configure it via AppBuilder:

using Dock.Settings;

AppBuilder.Configure<App>()
    .UsePlatformDetect()
    .UseManagedWindows();

Ensure the managed layer is present

The built-in Dock themes include a ManagedWindowLayer in the DockControl template. If you provide a custom template, keep the part and name it PART_ManagedWindowLayer.

<controls:DockControl EnableManagedWindowLayer="True" />

Custom template snippet:

<controls:ManagedWindowLayer x:Name="PART_ManagedWindowLayer"
                             IsVisible="False" />

If you disable EnableManagedWindowLayer, managed floating windows will not appear.

Provide a managed host window (optional)

If you override host window creation, return ManagedHostWindow when managed windows are enabled:

dockControl.HostWindowFactory = () => new ManagedHostWindow();

You can also supply a factory mapping through IFactory.HostWindowLocator or IFactory.DefaultHostWindowLocator.

Customize managed window layout

ManagedWindowLayer uses ClassicMdiLayoutManager by default. You can swap it with your own implementation:

managedWindowLayer.LayoutManager = new MyMdiLayoutManager();

Drag preview and overlays

Drag previews and dock adorners are rendered inside the managed layer:

DockSettings.ShowDockablePreviewOnDrag = true;
DockSettings.DragPreviewOpacity = 0.7;

When dragging a managed floating window, the window itself moves so no preview overlay is shown.

Troubleshooting

  • Floating windows do not appear: verify DockSettings.UseManagedWindows is true and EnableManagedWindowLayer is enabled.
  • Custom templates: ensure PART_ManagedWindowLayer exists in the DockControl template.
  • Custom host window factory: return ManagedHostWindow when managed mode is enabled.
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