Layout Features

Layout system introduced in Nevron docking panels is very powerful and extensible. All layout operations are handled by a separate class - NDockZoneLayoutEngine. It works upon a INDockZone object and performs layout logic on its children. By default all layout operations are handled by the layout engine exposed by the dock manager. You may provide your own custom layout engine either at manager's level or per docking zone.

Each INDockZoneChild instance exposes a SizeInfo property which is used by a layout engine to perform layout logic upon it.

The following table describes the NSizeInfo object:

Property	Description
SizeLogic	Specifies the available types of logic that is applied when resizing layout targets: AutoSize - The available autosize is distributed even among all autosizable children. Relative - The child occupies the specified percent of its parent area. Absolute - The child is absolutely sized.
RelativeSize	Specifies the percentage that should be observed when SizeLogic is Relative.
AbsoluteSize	Specifies the absolute size to be used when SizeLogic is Absolute.

Property

Description

SizeLogic

Specifies the available types of logic that is applied when resizing layout targets:

AutoSize - The available autosize is distributed even among all autosizable children.
Relative - The child occupies the specified percent of its parent area.
Absolute - The child is absolutely sized.

RelativeSize

Specifies the percentage that should be observed when SizeLogic is Relative.

AbsoluteSize

Specifies the absolute size to be used when SizeLogic is Absolute.

When there is only one visible child within a zone it will fill its interior regardless of its SizeInfo settings.

Each INLayoutEngine instance exposes a LayoutInfo property which contains information about a layout operation. A NDockZoneLayoutEngine uses this info to perform its layout logic.

The following table describes the NLayoutInfo properties:

Property	Description
Targets	Gets the targets for the layout operation. This might differ from the actual children number as some child might be empty (invisible).
AutoSizable	Gets all children which are to be autosized.
Bounds	Get the bounds for the layout operation.
Orientation	Gets the orientation to be used for the layout operation.
MaximizedChild	Gets (if any) the target that is maximized within its parent bounds.
AvailableAutoSize	Gets the size that will be distributed even among all autosizable targets.

The NDockZoneLayoutEngine object is responsible for adjusting size and location of the children of a INDockZone instance. Every time a zone's bounds are changed it gets its current LayoutEngine instance and asks it to perform layout logic upon its children.

The following table describes the layout engine's features:

Method	Description
AutoSizeTargets	Calculates the size of all autosizable targets.
LayoutZone	Performs a layout logic upon a INDockZone instance.
GetChildWidth	The layout engine calls this method every time when it is about to set a layout target's width.
GetChildHeight	The layout engine calls this method every time when it is about to set a layout target's height.