Reloading layout fails

Hi

This is an old fix i wrote for v2.4 back in 2008. The problem is that when you reload a saved layout, the docking content remains in a inconsistent state. I wrote & added the following code to DockContentCollection.cs to prevent this and allow a smooth reload of saved layouts. All you need to do is to call RemoveAll() before reloading the layout. I also added a public version of the RemoveContent method (doing the extra cleanup) I felt it was missing.

    //veg: 22-12-2008 - Added method to remove all IDockingContent.
    //                  Call before reloading layout.!
    //veg: 01-20-2009 - Reordered code to prevent problems with DockState.
    public void RemoveAll()
    {
        for (int i = Count; i != 0; i--)
        {
            RemoveContent(this[i - 1]);
        }
    }

    //veg: 22-12-2008 - Added Public version of Remove() with some additional cleanup!
    public void RemoveContent(IDockContent content)
    {
        if (content == null)
            throw new InvalidOperationException();

        Remove(content);

        ((DockContent)content).DockState = DockState.Unknown;
        ((DockContent)content).FloatPane = null;
        ((DockContent)content).DockPanel = null;
        ((DockContent)content).Pane = null;
    }

I will have a look asap at the new 2.7.x code and compare code but sofar this isue does not seem to be solved.

[wvdvegt]

Hi

I think the problem is that there is no simple/obvious counterpart of DockContent.Show(DockPanel) that removes a form from the DockContentCollection. But I found that setting:

DockContent.DockHandler.DockPanel = null;

does indeed remove items from the DockContentCollection and allows a restore of forms from xml.

I must have either overlooked this issue or some code has improved in the meanwhile! It solves the reloading problems.

As for the closing of DockContent decendant Forms, I would expect it to set the DockPanel to null and remove themselves from the readonly collection this way. This might be an

I recoded my code and now just walk the DockPanel.Contents collection and set all DockHandler.DockPanel to null.

This removes all HideOnClose=true forms that where Hidden and All Visible Forms from the DockContentCollection.

Closed Forms with HideOnClose=false are already no longer part of the Collection and Disposed by .NET and are recreated by DeserializeDockContent calls.

So i can now use unmodified code, case closed!

regards

[lextm]

Thanks for sharing the tip. Finding out such workaround is never an easy task, so you did contribute something really valuable.