Model Control Interfaces

Dock ships with a small set of interfaces under Dock.Model.Controls. These contracts describe the view models used to build a layout. The interfaces are implemented by the MVVM and ReactiveUI libraries and are referenced from the samples throughout this repository.

This page explains why each interface exists and how it should be used when creating your own docks and documents.

Overview

Interface	Purpose
IDockDock	Basic dock panel that can optionally fill the remaining space with the last child.
IDocument	Represents a document item. Used for files or editor tabs.
IMdiDocument	Stores MDI window bounds, state, and stacking order for classic MDI layouts.
IDocumentContent	Document containing arbitrary Content.
IDocumentDock	Dock that hosts documents and exposes commands to create them.
IDocumentDockContent	Dock that creates documents from a DocumentTemplate.
IDocumentDockFactory	Dock that exposes a DocumentFactory delegate for creating documents.
IDocumentTemplate	Template object used when creating new documents on demand.
IProportionalDock	Dock that arranges children vertically or horizontally using proportions.
IStackDock	Dock based on StackPanel with Orientation and Spacing.
IGridDock	Dock that uses Grid layout defined by ColumnDefinitions and RowDefinitions.
IWrapDock	Dock built on WrapPanel exposing Orientation.
IUniformGridDock	Dock with equally sized cells configured by Rows and Columns.
ISplitViewDock	Dock that hosts a collapsible pane and a main content area.
IProportionalDockSplitter	Splitter element between proportional dock children.
IGridDockSplitter	Splitter used inside a grid dock to resize rows or columns.
IRootDock	Top level container responsible for pinned docks and windows.
ITool	Basic interface for tool panes such as explorers or output views.
IToolContent	Tool containing arbitrary Content.
IToolDock	Dock that hosts tools and supports auto-hide behavior.

The following sections provide guidelines on applying these contracts in your projects.

IDockDock

Use IDockDock for dock panels that hold a collection of child dockables. The LastChildFill property mirrors the behavior of Avalonia's DockPanel. Set it to true when the final child should consume all remaining space. Typically this is combined with one or more ProportionalDock instances that split the available area.

IDocument and IDocumentContent

IDocument marks a dockable as a document. Documents are usually displayed in an IDocumentDock and can be closed independently of tools. When a document needs to expose additional data, implement IDocumentContent and provide the object through its Content property. The MVVM and ReactiveUI libraries include base classes that implement these interfaces and also raise change notifications.

IMdiDocument

IMdiDocument stores classic MDI window state for documents when an IDocumentDock is configured to use an MDI layout. It exposes window bounds, minimized or maximized state, and a Z-order index so documents can be arranged and restored consistently.

IDocumentDock and IDocumentDockContent

IDocumentDock is a specialized dock that maintains a tab strip of documents. It contains optional commands for creating new documents and allows dragging the host window via the tab area when EnableWindowDrag is true. TabsLayout determines where the tabs are placed.

IDocumentDock.LayoutMode switches between tabbed documents and classic MDI windows. When MDI mode is enabled the dock exposes commands for cascade and tile operations, and documents implement IMdiDocument to store window state.

IDocumentDockFactory exposes a DocumentFactory delegate that is used by the CreateDocument command. When assigned, this factory is invoked to create a new document which is then added and activated through the AddDocument helper.

IDocumentDockContent (implemented by the Avalonia model layer) extends this concept by storing a DocumentTemplate object. CreateDocumentFromTemplate typically creates a new document and sets its IDocumentContent.Content from the template (for example DocumentTemplate.Content in the Avalonia implementation). This is useful for "New" commands or ItemsSource-generated documents where the view is defined in XAML.

IDocumentTemplate

IDocumentTemplate represents template content used to build document views. In Avalonia the built-in DocumentTemplate stores XAML content (or a Func<IServiceProvider, object>) that becomes the document Content when a new document is created.

IProportionalDock and IProportionalDockSplitter

Proportional docks arrange their children either horizontally or vertically. Each dockable specifies a Proportion value which is interpreted relative to the other siblings. Insert an IProportionalDockSplitter between dockables to allow the user to resize the areas at runtime. The splitter exposes CanResize which can disable dragging for fixed layouts. When ResizePreview is true the splitter previews the drag and applies the size changes once the pointer is released. The splitter is highlighted while dragging.

ISplitViewDock

ISplitViewDock models a dock with two regions: a collapsible pane and a main content area. It mirrors Avalonia's SplitView behavior and exposes properties such as DisplayMode, PanePlacement, IsPaneOpen, OpenPaneLength, and CompactPaneLength. Use PaneDockable for the pane content and ContentDockable for the main content area.

IRootDock

The root dock owns the entire layout including pinned tools and floating windows. It exposes collections for hidden or pinned dockables as well as commands to show or exit windows. Implement IRootDock on your main view model so that the factory can create windows and restore the layout state.

ITool and IToolContent

Tools are dockables that provide auxiliary functionality like solution explorers or output panes. Implement ITool for the view model and optionally IToolContent when a separate content object is required. Tools are typically hosted inside IToolDock panels and can be pinned to the sides of the layout.

IToolDock

IToolDock represents a panel that manages tool dockables. It can auto-hide its content and exposes an Alignment property for positioning. When AutoHide is enabled the dock collapses once the pointer leaves the area. GripMode controls if the user can resize the dock by dragging its border.

Putting it all together

When building a layout you normally start with an IRootDock and add IToolDock, IDocumentDock and IProportionalDock instances inside it. Documents and tools implement IDocument or ITool and can store extra data through the corresponding *Content interfaces.

Factory classes found in Dock.Model.Mvvm and Dock.Model.ReactiveUI create these objects and wire them together. Understanding the contracts listed on this page will help you customize the layout and extend Dock with your own view models.