Dock can display floating windows when a dockable is detached from the main layout.
IFactory uses host window locators to supply the platform window objects
that wrap these floating docks. This guide explains how the HostWindowLocator
and DefaultHostWindowLocator properties work and shows typical usage patterns.
The HostAdapter component bridges an IDockWindow with an IHostWindow
implementation. When a dockable is floated the adapter queries the factory using
GetHostWindow to obtain the actual host window instance. Without a locator the
factory cannot create platform windows and floating docks will fail to appear.
Registering locators also allows you to integrate dependency injection or apply platform specific customisation when new windows are created.
HostWindowLocator is a dictionary mapping string keys to functions that return
an IHostWindow. When GetHostWindow is called with a key, the factory invokes
the matching function. A common setup registers a default entry for
IDockWindow:
HostWindowLocator = new Dictionary<string, Func<IHostWindow?>>
{
[nameof(IDockWindow)] = () => new HostWindow()
};
When different window styles are required, add additional keys and choose which
one to pass to GetHostWindow.
If no entry matches the provided key, GetHostWindow calls
DefaultHostWindowLocator. Set this delegate to return a generic host window
when the dictionary does not contain a specific mapping:
DefaultHostWindowLocator = () => new HostWindow();
The fallback ensures floating windows still open even if a key is missing.
HostWindowLocator inside InitLayout or during application
startup.DefaultHostWindowLocator so floating windows always have a host.GetHostWindow(id) from custom code or rely on HostAdapter, which
invokes it automatically when presenting windows.Using locators in this way keeps window creation centralized in the factory and makes it easy to customise the hosting behaviour.
For further details on floating windows see the Floating windows guide.