Document Windows

Document windows are container controls that can host child controls. They are represented by the DocumentWindow class. They are used in the document MDI area that is controlled by a DockManager component in either Standard or Tabbed MDI modes. Tool windows can also be moved to the document MDI area.

Screenshot

Document windows and tool windows in a single tab group

Document windows are available to the end-user when they are active, as indicated by their Active property. If they are not active, they are not located anywhere in the user interface. The Activate method can be called to make an inactive document window active. Likewise, the Close method can be called to close a document window.

Document Window Lifetime

The lifetime of a document window is considered to be while it is active in the layout. By default, the DockManager automatically disposes document windows when they are closed. However, this behavior can be changed so that when closed, a document window simply becomes invisible and can be activated to reappear in the document MDI area. The DisposeDocumentWindowsAfterClose property on the DockManager controls this behavior.

Modified States

Each document window has a Modified property. This property indicates whether the data represented in the document window has been modified since its last save. When the property's value is true, an asterisk is automatically displayed in the tab for the document window. Setting the property to false hides the asterisk.

File Names and File Types

Each document window has FileName and FileType properties, allowing for the storage of a file name and type respectively. These properties are used by default in the Next Window Navigation dialog in the description area, however the descriptions may be modified via the NextWindowNavigationSelectionChanged event to not use these properties.