The Actipro Blog

As mentioned in this previous post, we've been looking for ideas to further improve our WPF Docking/MDI product, which already is the market leader for docking tool window and MDI functionality.  We've committed to working on a complete internal restructuring of the product that we will call Docking/MDI vNext.  We're doing our best to keep the same general API surface, while providing even more advanced features in every area of the product.  We've collected suggestions from our customers over the past several years and are working to meet them as best we can with Docking/MDI vNext.

In our previous post, we showed several new tabbed MDI features including read-only glyphs, tab layout kinds, and context menu options.  In today's post we'll show another new feature coming to tabbed MDI, which is the optional new tab button.

Feature Description

When the new tab button is enabled, a button shows up at the end of the tab list.  This tab button is best used when the tab overflow mode is set to shrink tabs.  Upon clicking the new tab button, an event fires allowing you to be notified that the end user is requesting a new tab.

Here's a small demo we made with tabs that look like a Chrome browser.  The animation sequence shows how tabs can be dragged around in an animated fashion and then when the new tab button is clicked, new tabs are added.

The sample above is using a completely custom tab and new tab button chrome.  Default styling of a new tab button has a plus button glyph.

Summary

New tab buttons are great for use in certain application scenarios such as browsers.  vNext easily brings the option of using them to your own apps.

Docking/MDI vNext is currently still in mid-development stages but is progressing very well.  Please contact us via email if you are an existing customer and would like to sign up as a beta tester for vNext.  If you have any other suggestions for improving Docking/MDI, now is the time to get them in.  We'll post more updates on our vNext improvements soon.

In the meantime, please download our current Docking/MDI control product and give it a spin.

As mentioned in this previous post, we've been looking for ideas to further improve our WPF Docking/MDI product, which already is the market leader for docking tool window and MDI functionality.  We've committed to working on a complete internal restructuring of the product that we will call Docking/MDI vNext.  We're doing our best to keep the same general API surface, while providing even more advanced features in every area of the product.  We've collected suggestions from our customers over the past several years and are working to meet them as best we can with Docking/MDI vNext.

In the last post, we showed how vNext will support full-featured tabbed MDI with docked tool windows in a floating container.  In today's post, we will focus on several other new features coming to tabbed MDI.

Feature Description

First, we have a new built-in read-only glyph that shows in a tab when the document window is marked read-only.  You can see it at the beginning of the animation sequence below.

Second, we've added the ability to designate the kind of layout a tab will use when in tabbed MDI mode.  The default option is Normal.  There also is a Pinned layout kind.  Pinned tabs appear to the left of normal tabs and have an unpin button on them.  When unpinned, a pinned tab returns back to Normal state.  A third state is a Preview state where the tab appears on the right side of the container using an alternate appearance, and has a Keep Tab Open button on it, also available on the context menu.  Clicking that button returns the tab to a Normal state.  A preview tab is generally used as a temporary tab that can disappear when no longer needed.

Third, we've added more menu items to the context menu that shows for tabbed MDI.  In the animation sequence, you can see new Close Others and Close All Documents menu items.  Close Others will close all other tabs in the same container.  Close All Documents will close all tabs in any tabbed MDI container.

Summary

These are all advanced features that have been requested by our customers and are coming to Docking/MDI vNext.

Docking/MDI vNext is currently still in mid-development stages but is progressing very well.  Please contact us via email if you are an existing customer and would like to sign up as a beta tester for vNext.  If you have any other suggestions for improving Docking/MDI, now is the time to get them in.  We'll post more updates on our vNext improvements soon.

In the meantime, please download our current Docking/MDI control product and give it a spin.

New maintenances of our WPF, Silverlight, WinRT/XAML and WinForms controls have been released and are now available for download.

These releases mostly focus on minor feature additions and bug fixes.  See these announcement posts for the detailed list of enhancements and updates:

• WPF Controls announcement
• Silverlight Controls announcement
• WinRT/XAML Controls announcement
• WinForms Controls announcement

As mentioned in this previous post, we've been looking for ideas to further improve our WPF Docking/MDI product, which already is the market leader for docking tool window and MDI functionality.  We've committed to working on a complete internal restructuring of the product that we will call Docking/MDI vNext.  We're doing our best to keep the same general API surface, while providing even more advanced features in every area of the product.  We've collected suggestions from our customers over the past several years and are working to meet them as best we can with Docking/MDI vNext.

In our previous post, we discussed some new features coming to standard MDI.  In today's post we'll get into one of the largest new features coming in vNext, which is the ability to have a full-featured MDI with docked tool window support in a floating container.

Feature Description

In the current 2015.1 version, you can float document and tool windows.  Each document window goes into its own floating container, while tool windows can be combined in floating containers.  Many customers have requested that we allow a full MDI in floating containers and that's what we're bringing to vNext.  Let's have a first look at how this will work.

Here we have a main window that contains two tabbed documents (docked next to each other) and tool windows in various locations docked around the MDI area.

Next I drag the Document1.txt tab into its own floating container.  Then I drag Document2.txt and using dock guides, attach it to the first document.  This is a new feature that couldn't be done before.

Finally I drag the Solution Explorer and dock it next to the MDI in the floating container.  Again, this is a new feature that couldn't be done before.  The end result is a single DockSite that has two fully-functional DockHosts in it, one that is primary (within the DockSite) and one that is in a floating container.

Summary

Floating MDI features have been requested by a number of customers and we're very happy to deliver them in vNext.  This feature set allows your single app to have multiple MDI areas that can be most effectively used in multiple monitor scenarios.  Your end users will love it!

Docking/MDI vNext is currently still in mid-development stages but is progressing very well.  Please contact us via email if you are an existing customer and would like to sign up as a beta tester for vNext.  If you have any other suggestions for improving Docking/MDI, now is the time to get them in.  We'll post more updates on our vNext improvements soon.

In the meantime, please download our current Docking/MDI control product and give it a spin.

As mentioned in this previous post, we've been looking for ideas to further improve our WPF Docking/MDI product, which already is the market leader for docking tool window and MDI functionality.  We've committed to working on a complete internal restructuring of the product that we will call Docking/MDI vNext.  We're doing our best to keep the same general API surface, while providing even more advanced features in every area of the product.  We've collected suggestions from our customers over the past several years and are working to meet them as best we can with Docking/MDI vNext.

In yesterday's post, we talked about a new optional size-to-content feature coming to standard MDI.  In today's post we'll get into some other new features:  standard MDI dock target and context menus.

Feature Description

One new addition is that now standard MDI can accept an "attach" (center dock guide) when dragging tool windows around.  If the tool windows are dropped on the center dock guide, they immediately become documents in the standard MDI.

Another new feature is the ability to right-click on a standard MDI window's title bar or click its icon (if any) to see a context menu.  We'll be expanding the options on the context menu further in the future.

Let's see all of this in action!

In this animation, we drag the Solution Explorer and Class View tool windows around.  You can see the dock guides displayed for the standard MDI area.  At first, we dock the tool windows to the left of MDI, keeping them still in a Docked state.  Then we "attach" (center) dock them into the standard MDI and they become documents.

You can see the context menu that comes up when the title bar is right-clicked.

Summary

These great new features will be part of Docking/MDI vNext, with plenty more on the way!

Docking/MDI vNext is currently still in mid-development stages but is progressing very well.  Please contact us via email if you are an existing customer and would like to sign up as a beta tester for vNext.  If you have any other suggestions for improving Docking/MDI, now is the time to get them in.  We'll post more updates on our vNext improvements soon.

In the meantime, please download our current Docking/MDI control product and give it a spin.

As mentioned in this previous post, we've been looking for ideas to further improve our WPF Docking/MDI product, which already is the market leader for docking tool window and MDI functionality.  We've committed to working on a complete internal restructuring of the product that we will call Docking/MDI vNext.  We're doing our best to keep the same general API surface, while providing even more advanced features in every area of the product.  We've collected suggestions from our customers over the past several years and are working to meet them as best we can with Docking/MDI vNext.

The past several days, we have been refining standard (windowed) MDI and adding several features.  In today's blog post, I'd like to show a new feature coming to standard MDI, which is the ability to resize to content when first displayed.

Feature Description

There is a new option on the DockingWindow class that can be set to hint that when the docking window opens in standard MDI, it will automatically size-to-content.  In this example, a Document1.txt docking window has a simple TextBox in it and the special size-to-content mode activated (which is off by default):

When opened in standard MDI, the window sizes to content and appears in the workspace area.  Now if we manually execute the Cascade method, or if we would have originally kept the size-to-content option off, the docking window will look like this:

In this case, it is using a standardized formula for setting the width and height.

Summary

The ability to automatically resize a standard MDI docking window on load will be delivered in vNext.  This is another user-requested feature.

Docking/MDI vNext is currently still in mid-development stages but is progressing very well.  Please contact us via email if you are an existing customer and would like to sign up as a beta tester for vNext.  If you have any other suggestions for improving Docking/MDI, now is the time to get them in.  We'll post more updates on our vNext improvements soon.

In the meantime, please download our current Docking/MDI control product and give it a spin.

As mentioned in this previous post, we've been looking for ideas to further improve our WPF Docking/MDI product, which already is the market leader for docking tool window and MDI functionality.  We've committed to working on a complete internal restructuring of the product that we will call Docking/MDI vNext.  We're doing our best to keep the same general API surface, while providing even more advanced features in every area of the product.  We've collected suggestions from our customers over the past several years and are working to meet them as best we can with Docking/MDI vNext.

In our last two posts, we showed the redesigned functionality of dragging tool windows to float them and potentially drag/drop them elsewhere.  One thing those screens didn't show was the ability to enable minimize/maximize buttons on floating tool windows.  Our current Docking/MDI version allows maximize buttons on floating tool windows but there isn't an option for minimize buttons.  We've added that option to vNext, so let's have a look.

Feature Description

Here's a simple tool window layout where all tool windows are docked or auto-hidden:

Now let's drag the Properties tool window to float it.  I have both the options for minimize and maximize buttons enabled.  You can see the buttons visible in the Properties tool window container's title bar:

Now let's drag the Find Results tool window and dock it on the right of the Properties tool window.

Since a hierarchy has now been created, a new title bar appears.  While the tool window containers themselves no longer have minimize/maximize buttons, the new root title bar has them.

Summary

The ability to minimize floating tool windows has been requested by numerous customers and we're happy to deliver it with vNext.

Docking/MDI vNext is currently still in mid-development stages but is progressing very well.  Please contact us via email if you are an existing customer and would like to sign up as a beta tester for vNext.  If you have any other suggestions for improving Docking/MDI, now is the time to get them in.  We'll post more updates on our vNext improvements soon.

In the meantime, please download our current Docking/MDI control product and give it a spin.

As mentioned in this previous post, we've been looking for ideas to further improve our WPF Docking/MDI product, which already is the market leader for docking tool window and MDI functionality.  We've committed to working on a complete internal restructuring of the product that we will call Docking/MDI vNext.  We're doing our best to keep the same general API surface, while providing even more advanced features in every area of the product.  We've collected suggestions from our customers over the past several years and are working to meet them as best we can with Docking/MDI vNext.

In yesterday's post, we gave a first glimpse at the updated tool window dragging UI and behavior.  The new drag behavior is similar to the latest behavior found in Visual Studio where dragged tool windows and containers immediately float, but we've improved upon it with fast, subtle animations for dock guides and drop previews.

One of our customers saw that post and suggested that we allow for the Esc key to cancel the drag and restore it back to its prior location.  This is something VS doesn't currently do and can be annoying when you accidentally start a drag, and then manually have to put the tool window back in place.  This was a great suggestion so we added it this morning.

Feature Description

As you drag a tool window or container, you can press the Esc key to cancel the drag.  If the drag originated from a docked state, it will restore back to that prior location.  If the drag originated from a container that was already floating, it will restore the container back to the prior X/Y coordinates.

Here's an example:

In this screenshot sequence, I start off by dragging the Output tool window to float it and press Esc while still dragging.  The Output tool window restores back to its prior located, attached to the Find Results tool window.

Then I drag the Output tool window again and drop it into a floating state.  I resize the container and drag to move it, pressing Esc again while dragging.  The floating container jumps back to its previous floating location before the drag started.

Summary

Thanks for the great suggestion Jim!  If anyone else has suggestions for features, please send them over.

Docking/MDI vNext is currently still in early development stages but is progressing very well.  Please contact us via email if you are an existing customer and would like to sign up as a beta tester for vNext.  If you have any other suggestions for improving Docking/MDI, now is the time to get them in.  We'll post more updates on our vNext improvements soon.

In the meantime, please download our current Docking/MDI control product and give it a spin.

As mentioned in this previous post, we've been looking for ideas to further improve our WPF Docking/MDI product, which already is the market leader for docking tool window and MDI functionality.  We've committed to working on a complete internal restructuring of the product that we will call Docking/MDI vNext.  We're doing our best to keep the same general API surface, while providing even more advanced features in every area of the product.  We've collected suggestions from our customers over the past several years and are working to meet them as best we can with Docking/MDI vNext.

In today's post, I'd like to show off the redesigned dragging functionality for tool windows and the dock guide display.

Feature Description

For vNext, one thing we're working very hard on is injecting fast, subtle animations throughout the product.  We want the docking window UI to appear fluid, much like the rest of Windows.  We pay special attention to animation speed so that the animations provide pleasing effects while not hindering usability in any way.

In the area of dragging tool windows, we have quick fade ins for the dock guides.  Also, a blue drop preview appears when moving over dock guides, or tool window container title bars and tabs.  The blue drop preview has an animation that "pops" into place, using a combination of fade and scale effects.  Check it out below:

This screenshot sequence also shows off a new method of dragging tool windows for vNext.  In the past, starting a tab drag would drag a blue rectangle only.  In vNext, starting a tab drag (or a tool window container drag via title bar) will immediately detach the tool window(s) from the layout and float them, tracking the floating container with the pointer.  As you drag over a dock guide or tool window container title bar/tab area, the semi-transparent blue drop target appears on top of the floating container to show you where the drop will occur.  This new behavior matches what is found in the latest version of Visual Studio.

You'll notice that I referred to the "pointer" and not mouse above.  That's because we also are taking great care in vNext to ensure dragging, etc. all fully work with any pointer such as mouse, stylus, or touch!  The docking capabilities seen above can be accomplished with your finger on a touchscreen.

Summary

These are just some of the really advanced features we're adding to the product for vNext.

Docking/MDI vNext is currently still in early development stages but is progressing very well.  Please contact us via email if you are an existing customer and would like to sign up as a beta tester for vNext.  If you have any other suggestions for improving Docking/MDI, now is the time to get them in.  We'll post more updates on our vNext improvements soon.

In the meantime, please download our current Docking/MDI control product and give it a spin.

The 2015.1 versions of our WPF, Silverlight, and WinRT/XAML controls were released a couple weeks ago and in today's post I'd like to highlight one of the great new controls that were introduced in that version:  TaskBoard.

TaskBoard Overview

A task board consists of zero to many columns, each of which can contain zero to many cards.  Columns and cards can be dragged and reordered, using pleasing animations.  Let's see an example to give you a picture of how it all works.

In the demo below, we have a TaskBoard control that is being utilized for a task planning system, commonly used in project management to help organize the priorities of a team.  The columns represent task groupings, and the cards represent individual tasks.  Each column has a header and optional footer that surrounds the contained card items.

In this sample, each column header specifies the task grouping name and the column footer contains an "Add a task" button.  The footer of the overall TaskBoard control contains an "Add a list" button, which shows at the end of the list of columns.

The entire UI of the task board can be fully customized.  The cards can show any custom content as well, or can vary content based on data template selectors.

The TaskBoard control is designed for MVVM usage and makes it easy to fully alter the appearance of the entire layout with properties for column/card spacing, padding, corner radius, etc.  Best of all, rich animations are used whenever dragging columns or cards.

TaskBoard also works great with touch input.  Use it to create task planning systems on large touchscreen displays.

Summary

The full source TaskBoard demo seen above is included in the sample projects that ship with our WPF, Silverlight, and WinRT/XAML controls, and is available for you to check out today.

Let us know what you think after you try it!