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VCL Navigation Bars

  • 2 minutes to read

VCL Navigation Bars allow you to create navigation panels and toolboxes for your applications.

The TdxNavBar control is a side bar navigation panel with multiple appearance customization options.

VCL Navigation Bars: A Navigation Bar Example

Refer to the following tutorials to get started with the Navigation Bar control:

Views

The TdxNavBar control supports over 20 appearance and behavior styles called Views. Every built-in view belongs to one of the following categories:

Explorer Views

Display content of all navigation bar groups simultaneously. Groups are arranged one under another. Users can collapse or expand each group independently.

VCL Navigation Bars: Explorer Views Example

Tip

Accordion and HamburgerMenu Views support Fluent Design effects in a form derived from the TdxFluentDesignForm class.

Side Bar Views

Display only one expanded group at a time. Group headers are displayed at the top and bottom borders of the Navigation Bar control. A click on a collapsed group’s header expands the group and collapses the previously expanded group.

VCL Navigation Bars: Side Bar Views Example

Refer to the following topics for more information on Navigation Bar Views:

Layout and Appearance Customization

Structure Designer

Right-click the Navigation Bar control at design time and click Structure Designer… to invoke this dialog. Use it to create, group, rearrange, and delete interactive items. You can also display the Structure Designer dialog as a Customization Form at runtime.

VCL Navigation Bars: The Structure Designer Dialog

Appearance Designer

Right-click the Navigation Bar control at design time and click Appearance Designer… to invoke this dialog. You can use it to select and customize a view and preview the changes.

VCL Navigation Bars: The Appearance Designer Dialog

Office Navigation Bar

The TdxNavBarOfficeNavigationBar control is a horizontal navigation panel inspired by Microsoft Outlook®. The Office Navigation Bar and one of the Navigation Bar views can complement each other. For instance, you can use the Office Navigation Bar to switch between sidebar groups:

VCL Navigation Bars: An Office Navigator Bar Example