DockChildren Property

Applies To: CoolBar, Form, SubForm

Description

The DockChildren property specifies the names of client objects that may be docked in a host object.

DockChildren may be a single ref or simple character scalar or vector, or a vector of refs or character vectors. Each item represents an object that may be docked. Notice that if you use a name, you must specify the simple name of the object, excluding any part of its full pathname that refers to a parent; that is, the specified names must not contain any leading pathname information.

If the name of, or ref to, a dockable object occurs in the DockChildren property, the host object will generate DockMove events when the client is dragged over it, and will generate a DockAccept event when a docking operation takes place.

If the name of, or ref to, the client object is not present in its DockChildren property, the object will not respond in any way as the client is dragged over it.

The following example shows the creation of 3 dockable forms, all of which are dockable in a host form called h1.

The first, c1, is a totally independent Form. When docked in h1, it will become a SubForm h1.c1. When undocked, it will revert to an independent Form c1.

The second, c2, is created initially as a child of h1 and will therefore be displayed above it in the window stacking order. When docked it will become a SubForm h1.c2. When undocked, it will revert back to a dependent Form h1.c2. In all cases, it appears on top of h1.

The third, c3, is created initially as a child of another Form, h2. When docked (in h1) it will become a SubForm h1.c3. When undocked, it will become a dependent Form h1.c3, and will therefore appear above h1 in the stacking order.

      'h1'⎕WC'Form' 'Host1' 
      'h2'⎕WC'Form' 'Host2' 

      'c1' ⎕WC 'Form' 'Client 1' ('Dockable' 'Always')
      'h1.c2' ⎕WC 'Form' 'Client 2' ('Dockable' 'Always')
      'h2.c3' ⎕WC 'Form' 'Client 3' ('Dockable' 'Always')

      h1.DockChildren←'c1' 'c2' 'c3'