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Standard MDI

A standard (windowed) MDI option is implemented by Actipro Docking & MDI via a WindowControl control that mimics the functionality of a native window with resizable borders, minimize/maximize/close buttons, etc.

A context menu is displayed whenever clicking the window icon or right-clicking the title bar.

Screenshot

Standard MDI without any tool windows active

Standard MDI is the first style of MDI found in Windows and still remains popular in certain applications. Each document is represented as its own window and can be moved, resized, minimized, maximized, restored, and closed.

Implementation and Hierarchy

At design-time, the MDI area can be instantiated via XAML code. The Control Hierarchy topic has a diagram showing the controls that are needed to implement this type of MDI from XAML. But essentially, to have standard MDI features available in your docking layout, you must place a StandardMdiHost control directly as the Content of the Workspace within the dock site.

At run-time, you can use the common document framework (shared with tabbed MDI) to manage the documents in the MDI area. The Working with Documents topic describes how to interact with this common document framework to open and close documents along with performing other common tasks. But before doing so, please ensure that a StandardMdiHost control is the direct Content of the Workspace within the dock site.

Allowing Windows to Maximize/Minimize

The maximize and minimize buttons on windows within the standard MDI area can be selectively shown or hidden using the StandardMdiHost.CanWindowsMaximize and StandardMdiHost.CanWindowsMinimize properties, respectively.

Individual windows can have its maximize and minimize buttons selectively shown or hidden using the DockingWindow.CanStandardMdiMaximize and DockingWindow.CanStandardMdiMinimize properties, respectively.

In addition to hiding the maximize button, the StandardMdiHost.CanWindowsMaximize and DockingWindow.CanStandardMdiMaximize properties will disable the ability to double click the titlebar of a window to maximize it. Windows that do not display their maximize or minimize buttons can still be programmatically maximized/minimized.

Window State

The state, such as normal/minimized/maximized, of the MDI child windows can be retrieved or set using the DockingWindow.StandardMdiWindowState property.

Restored Window Bounds

The restored window bounds and be retrieved or set using the DockingWindow.StandardMdiBounds property.

Making Windows Maximized

The StandardMdiHost.AreWindowsMaximized property gets or sets whether the windows within the standard MDI area are currently maximized.

If you wish for your windows to be opened as maximized by default, set it to true.

Hiding Frames when Maximized

The StandardMdiHost.AreMaximizedWindowFramesVisible can be set to false to hide the title bar and frame of the child MDI windows when they are maximized. This gives more room to the MDI window and is typical for a standard MDI layout.

When hiding the frame, the title and minimize/restore/close buttons are typically presented by an assocated Ribbon, toolbar, or menu of the containing window/control. The Sample Browser includes a 'Standard MDI-Only' sample that show how this can be accomplished.

When using external buttons to manage the windows, these StandardMdiHost commands are available for use with the buttons: MinimizePrimaryWindowCommand, RestorePrimaryWindowCommand, MaximizePrimaryWindowCommand, and ClosePrimaryWindowCommand.

Size-to-Content

If you wish for a docking window to auto-size itself to its content when opened in standard MDI, update its DockingWindow.SizeToContentModes property to contain the SizeToContentModes.StandardMdi flag.

Magnetism

Magnetism allows windows within the standard MDI area to be "snapped" together when moving or resizing. This makes it easier for the end-user to line up the windows into rows or columns.

Magnetism can be configured using DockSite.MagnetismSnapDistance and DockSite.MagnetismGapDistance. The snap distance indicates the distance at which magnetism begins to snap windows being dragged. The gap distance indicates the distance between windows that are snapped together via magnetism. Magnetism can be disabled by setting the snap distance to 0.

Title Bar Contextual Content

Standard MDI window title bars can display any context-related content to the right of the tab title. This content is set via the DockingWindow.StandardMdiTitleBarContextContentTemplate property.

See the Contextual Content topic for some more information.

Listing All Documents in the MDI Host

The StandardMdiHost.GetDocuments method returns a list of all documents that are within the MDI host.

Cascading Documents

Call the StandardMdiHost.Cascade method to automatically cascade the documents as displayed in the screenshot above.

Alternatively, the DockSite.CascadeDocuments method provides access to the same functionality but for all MDI hosts, including those on primary and floating dock hosts.

By default, the documents will automatically be cascaded on the initial load of the standard MDI host. This behavior can be disabled by setting the StandardMdiHost.IsAutoCascadeEnabled property to false.

Tiling Documents

The tiling of documents makes more efficient use of space and will position each document so that it is visible within the workspace. The visible documents fill the entire workspace area.

Call the StandardMdiHost.TileHorizontally method to tile documents horizontally. Likewise, the StandardMdiHost.TileVertically method will tile documents vertically.

Alternatively, two methods on DockSite, TileDocumentsHorizontally and TileDocumentsVertically, provide access to the same functionality but for all MDI hosts, including those on primary and floating dock hosts.

Arranging Minimized Windows

Call the StandardMdiHost.ArrangeMinimizedWindows method to automatically arrange the minimized windows at the bottom of the MDI host.

Scrolling

By setting the StandardMdiHost.IsScrollingEnabled property to true, scrolling support can be enabled in the standard MDI host. This allows MDI child windows to be dragged out of view, while still allowing the end-user to easily bring it back into view.

This setting is set to false by default.

Switching to Standard MDI at Run-Time

You can easily switch to standard MDI mode at run-time by setting the DockSite.MdiKind property to Standard, as long as a Workspace is defined in the dock site.