The docking classes provide a simple way to add docking windows, such as toolbars, to ObjectWindows applications. Docking toolbars (such as those in Word for Windows) can be arranged by the user to suit their needs. The THarbor class is the organizer for the whole docking system. THarbor is derived from TWindow in order to get mouse events, but it is never visible. Instead, it functions as an abstract interface, providing the following services to the application:

Construction and setup of slips, whenever needed
Insertion of dockables
Dockable dragging and dropping

The TDockable class is an abstract base class. Any window that wants to be dockable must be derived from it. A small number of pure virtuals must then be overridden to provide information about the dockable window to the window that it is docked in, and to the harbor. Two predefined classes are provided that inherit from TDockable: TDockableGadgetWindow and TDockableControlBar. The TDockingSlip is also an abstract base class. Two predefined classes are provided that inherit from TDockingSlip: TEdgeSlip and TFloatingSlip. TEdgeSlip is used for docking slips along the edge of the frame. TFloatingSlip is used for a floating frame; it is also dockable in order to act as a proxy for its held dockables, when dragging.

The docking areas are contained, as decorations, in a TDecoratedFrame, or derived window, as shown below.

See Also