Dock Layout Manager: Get Started

• Sep 18, 2026
• 3 minutes to read

This tutorial explains how to work with the Dock Layout Manager.

Run Demo: Visual Studio Docking

Requirements

Add the DevExpress.Wpf.Docking NuGet package to your project to use the DockLayoutManager.

Tip

You can add a DockLayoutManager to your application from a VS Toolbox. All the required references will be added automatically. If you add DevExpress products using a NuGet feed instead of the Unified Component Installer, the toolbox doesn’t contain DevExpress controls until you add the corresponding NuGet package.

Add the Dock Layout Manager to a Form

Drag the DevExpress DockLayoutManager from the Visual Studio Toolbox to the form.

XAML

<Window ...
    xmlns:dxdo="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/docking"
    Title="Docking UI" Height="350" Width="525" >
    <Grid>  
        <dxdo:DockLayoutManager>
            <dxdo:LayoutGroup Caption="LayoutRoot" Orientation="Vertical" >
                <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel1"/>
                <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel2"/>
            </dxdo:LayoutGroup>
        </dxdo:DockLayoutManager>
    </Grid>
</Window>

Predefined Layouts

Right-click the Dock Layout Manager, select Create Default Layout, and choose one of the predefined layouts.

Predefined layouts: Simple, IDE, MDI.

Simple

IDE

MDI

Layout Panels

Create a Panel

Select the panel, expand the command group (+), and click the Add a new panel button.

The following XAML code will be generated:

XAML

<dxdo:DockLayoutManager>
    <!-- ... -->
        <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel"/>
    <!-- ... -->
</dxdo:DockLayoutManager>

Add Panel Content

To add a control to the LayoutPanel, drag the control from the Toolbox to the panel.

The following example adds the TextBox control to Panel1:

XAML

<dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel1">
    <TextBox/>
</dxdo:LayoutPanel>

Remove a Panel

Right-click the panel and select Delete.

Rearrange Panels (Drag and Drop)

Panel Groups

You can arrange panels into groups: Auto-Hide, Floating, Tabbed, and Document Group.

Auto-Hide Groups

Click the pin button in a docked panel header. The Dock Layout Manager creates the auto-hidden group and adds the panel into it. Click the panel’s pin button again to dock it.

XAML

<dxdo:DockLayoutManager>
    <dxdo:DockLayoutManager.AutoHideGroups>
        <dxdo:AutoHideGroup DockType="Right">
            <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel2"/>
        </dxdo:AutoHideGroup>
    </dxdo:DockLayoutManager.AutoHideGroups>
    <dxdo:LayoutGroup Caption="LayoutRoot">
        <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel1"/>
    </dxdo:LayoutGroup>
</dxdo:DockLayoutManager>

Customization

Specify the panel’s AutoHideGroup.AutoHideType attached property to specify the location of the auto-hide panel (when it is hidden).

Specify the panel’s AutoHideSize dependency property to specify panel size in auto-hide mode.

XAML

<dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel1" dxdo:AutoHideGroup.AutoHideType="Bottom" 
                  dxdo:AutoHideGroup.AutoHideSize="200,250">
    <!-- Content -->
</dxdo:LayoutPanel>

Floating Groups

Drop a panel outside docking hints or double-click a panel header to make a floating group.

XAML

<dxdo:DockLayoutManager>
    <dxdo:DockLayoutManager.FloatGroups>
        <dxdo:FloatGroup FloatLocation="165,40" FloatSize="181,327">
            <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel2"/>
        </dxdo:FloatGroup>
    </dxdo:DockLayoutManager.FloatGroups>
    <dxdo:LayoutGroup Caption="LayoutRoot">
        <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel"/>
        <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel1"/>
    </dxdo:LayoutGroup>
</dxdo:DockLayoutManager>

Set the DockLayoutManager.FloatingMode property to Desktop to allow your users to drag floating panels outside the window.

XAML

<dxdo:DockLayoutManager FloatingMode="Desktop">

Tabbed Groups

Drag a panel to the middle of another panel to create a tabbed group. Click tab headers to switch between panels. Drag the panel’s header outside the tabbed group to restore the panel.

XAML

<dxdo:DockLayoutManager>
    <dxdo:LayoutGroup Caption="LayoutRoot">
        <dxdo:TabbedGroup>
            <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel1"/>
            <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel"/>
        </dxdo:TabbedGroup>
    </dxdo:LayoutGroup>
</dxdo:DockLayoutManager>

Document Groups

Tabbed Style

Click the Add a new document group button to add a new document group. Tabbed style is the default style.

XAML

<dxdo:DockLayoutManager>
    <dxdo:LayoutGroup Caption="LayoutRoot">
        <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel1"/>
        <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel"/>
        <dxdo:DocumentGroup>
            <dxdo:DocumentPanel Caption="Document">
                <Grid/>
            </dxdo:DocumentPanel>
            <dxdo:DocumentPanel Caption="Document">
                <Grid/>
            </dxdo:DocumentPanel>
        </dxdo:DocumentGroup>
    </dxdo:LayoutGroup>
</dxdo:DockLayoutManager>

MDI Style

Set the Document Group’s MDIStyle property to MDI to enable MDI mode.

XAML

<dxdo:DockLayoutManager FloatingMode="Desktop">
    <dxdo:LayoutGroup Caption="LayoutRoot">
        <dxdo:LayoutPanel Caption="Panel1" ItemWidth="0.52*" />
        <dxdo:DocumentGroup ItemWidth="1.48*" MDIStyle="MDI">
            <dxdo:DocumentPanel Caption="Document" MDILocation="0,0" MDISize="262,125">
                <Grid/>
            </dxdo:DocumentPanel>
            <dxdo:DocumentPanel Caption="Document" MDILocation="108,133" MDISize="259,118">
                <Grid/>
            </dxdo:DocumentPanel>
        </dxdo:DocumentGroup>
    </dxdo:LayoutGroup>
</dxdo:DockLayoutManager>

Refer to the following section for more information on MDI mode: DocumentGroup and DocumentPanel

Closed Panels

Use the ClosedPanelsBarVisibility property to specify Closed Panels bar visibility.

XAML

<dxdo:DockLayoutManager ClosedPanelsBarVisibility="Auto">
    <!-- ... -->
</dxdo:DockLayoutManager>