Extending the Manager

The NCommandBarsManager component is highly customizable regarding behaviour and children elements appearance. Being the root element of the docking toolbars framework, all commands delegate their functionality to the manager, which makes it possible to perform application specific customizations at the manager's level.

You can customize the appearance of the entire framework by using the manager's Palette property.
The following example demonstrates how to change the look-and-feel of the framework by using a predefined ColorScheme:

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this.nCommandBarsManager.Palette.Scheme = ColorScheme.LunaSilver;

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Me.nCommandBarsManager.Palette.Scheme = ColorScheme.LunaSilver

For more information about palettes see Using Palettes.

You may also extend docks by providing your custom renderers.
The following example demonstrates how to achieve this:

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//create a class that derives from the default NToolbarDockRenderer public class MyToolbarDockRenderer : NToolbarDockRenderer { public MyToolbarDockRenderer() { } protected override void DrawParentBackground(Graphics g) { Control dock = Parent; if(dock == null) return; Rectangle bounds = dock.ClientRectangle; Color begin = Color.FromArgb(51, 51, 51); Color end = NColorHelper.LightLight(begin); //create a gradient like one found in Longhorn LinearGradientBrush brush = new LinearGradientBrush(bounds, begin, end, 0.0f, false); brush.SetSigmaBellShape(0.5f); g.FillRectangle(brush, bounds); Font f = null; try { //draw sample text f = new Font("Trebuchet MS", 14, FontStyle.Bold); //use cashed renderer's brush to speed up performance Brush.Color = Color.Yellow; g.DrawString("Longhorn Style Toolbar Dock", f, Brush, bounds, StringFormat); } finally { brush.Dispose(); if(f != null) { f.Dispose(); } } } } //assign an instance of this renderer to the top dock this.nCommandBarsManager.GetDock(DockStyle.Top).Renderer = new MyToolbarDockRenderer();

C#

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//create a class that derives from the default NToolbarDockRenderer
public class MyToolbarDockRenderer : NToolbarDockRenderer
{
    public MyToolbarDockRenderer()
    {
    }

    protected override void DrawParentBackground(Graphics g)
    {
  Control dock = Parent;
  if(dock == null)
       return;

  Rectangle bounds = dock.ClientRectangle;
  Color begin = Color.FromArgb(51, 51, 51);
  Color end = NColorHelper.LightLight(begin);

  //create a gradient like one found in Longhorn
  LinearGradientBrush brush = new LinearGradientBrush(bounds, begin, end, 0.0f, false);

  brush.SetSigmaBellShape(0.5f);

  g.FillRectangle(brush, bounds);

  Font f = null;

  try
  {
       //draw sample text
       f = new Font("Trebuchet MS", 14, FontStyle.Bold);
       //use cashed renderer's brush to speed up performance
       Brush.Color = Color.Yellow;
       g.DrawString("Longhorn Style Toolbar Dock", f, Brush, bounds, StringFormat);
  }
  finally
  {
       brush.Dispose();
       if(f != null)
            {
                f.Dispose();
            }
  }
    }
}

//assign an instance of this renderer to the top dock
this.nCommandBarsManager.GetDock(DockStyle.Top).Renderer = new MyToolbarDockRenderer();

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'create a class that derives from the default NToolbarDockRenderer Public class MyToolbarDockRenderer Inherits NToolbarDockRenderer Public Sub New() End Sub Protected Overrides Sub DrawParentBackground(ByVal g As Graphics) Dim dock As Control = Parent If dock == null Than return End If Dim bounds As Rectangle = dock.ClientRectangle Dim beginColor As Color = Color.FromArgb(51, 51, 51) Dim endColor As Color = NColorHelper.LightLight(beginColor) 'create a gradient like one found in Longhorn Dim brush As LinearGradientBrush = New LinearGradientBrush(bounds, beginColor, endColor, 0.0F, False) brush.SetSigmaBellShape(0.5F) g.FillRectangle(brush, bounds) Dim f As Font = Nothing Try 'draw sample text f = New Font("Trebuchet MS", 14, FontStyle.Bold) 'use cashed renderer's brush to speed up performance Brush.Color = Color.Yellow g.DrawString("Longhorn Style Toolbar Dock", f, Brush, bounds, StringFormat) Finally brush.Dispose() If f <> Nothing Than f.Dispose() End If End Finally End Sub End Class 'assign an instance of this renderer to the top dock Me.nCommandBarsManager.GetDock(DockStyle.Top).Renderer = New MyToolbarDockRenderer()

Visual Basic

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'create a class that derives from the default NToolbarDockRenderer
Public class MyToolbarDockRenderer 
   Inherits NToolbarDockRenderer
    Public Sub New()
    End Sub

    Protected Overrides Sub DrawParentBackground(ByVal g As Graphics)
        Dim dock As Control = Parent
        If dock == null Than 
            return
        End If

        Dim bounds As Rectangle = dock.ClientRectangle
        Dim beginColor As Color = Color.FromArgb(51, 51, 51)
        Dim endColor As Color = NColorHelper.LightLight(beginColor)

        'create a gradient like one found in Longhorn
        Dim brush As LinearGradientBrush = New LinearGradientBrush(bounds, beginColor, endColor, 0.0F, False)

        brush.SetSigmaBellShape(0.5F)

        g.FillRectangle(brush, bounds)

        Dim f As Font = Nothing

        Try
            'draw sample text
            f = New Font("Trebuchet MS", 14, FontStyle.Bold)
            'use cashed renderer's brush to speed up performance
            Brush.Color = Color.Yellow
            g.DrawString("Longhorn Style Toolbar Dock", f, Brush, bounds, StringFormat)
        Finally
            brush.Dispose()
            If f <> Nothing Than 
                f.Dispose()
            End If
        End Finally
    End Sub
End Class

'assign an instance of this renderer to the top dock
Me.nCommandBarsManager.GetDock(DockStyle.Top).Renderer = New MyToolbarDockRenderer()

The result of our custom renderer.

The behaviour of the NCommandBarsManager component can be extended with ease. All notifications and framework specific methods are overridable, thus allowing you to provide custom functionality/implementation.

The following example demonstrates how to extend the OnQueryCommandUIState method:

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//override the method and provide custom logic protected override void OnQueryCommandUIState(ref NCommandUIState state) { NCommandContext context = state.Context; if(context != myContext) { base.OnQueryCommandUIState(ref state); return; } //apply our custom logic for the specified context state.ImageIndex = 0; state.Enabled = this.CanEnableMyContext(); }

C#

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//override the method and provide custom logic
protected override void OnQueryCommandUIState(ref NCommandUIState state)
{
    NCommandContext context = state.Context;
    if(context != myContext)
    {
  base.OnQueryCommandUIState(ref state);
  return;
    }

    //apply our custom logic for the specified context
    state.ImageIndex = 0;
    state.Enabled = this.CanEnableMyContext();
}

Visual Basic	Copy Code
'override the method and provide custom logic Protected Overrides Sub OnQueryCommandUIState(ByRef state As NCommandUIState) Dim context As NCommandContext = state.Context If context <> myContext Than MyBase.OnQueryCommandUIState(state) Return End If 'apply our custom logic for the specified context state.ImageIndex = 0 state.Enabled = Me.CanEnableMyContext() }

Visual Basic

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'override the method and provide custom logic
Protected Overrides Sub OnQueryCommandUIState(ByRef state As NCommandUIState)
    Dim context As NCommandContext = state.Context
    If context <> myContext Than
        MyBase.OnQueryCommandUIState(state)
        Return
    End If

    'apply our custom logic for the specified context
    state.ImageIndex = 0
    state.Enabled = Me.CanEnableMyContext()
}