mfc Dockable control bars (panes) Docking panes to the Child frame.

Example

Some times application must have panes that docked not to the main frame, but to the child frame. Usually it's MDI application. In MFC Feature pack such child frame is inherited from CMDIChildWndEx class and as main frame (inherited from CMDIFrameWndEx) have all required code for such docking.

But there is some tricks for child frame. And this example shows them.

// Declare child frame
class CChildFrame : public CMDIChildWndEx
{
    DECLARE_DYNCREATE(CChildFrame)

protected:
    // declare our pane
    CDockablePane m_wndPane;

public:
    CChildFrame();

protected:
    virtual BOOL PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs);
    
    // CMDIChildWndEx class haven't serialization for state of the docking manager,
    // so we need to realize it manually.
    //
    // Docking state serialization methods:
    virtual void SaveBarState(LPCTSTR lpszProfileName) const;
    virtual void LoadBarState(LPCTSTR lpszProfileName);

protected:
    afx_msg int OnCreate(LPCREATESTRUCT lpCreateStruct);
    afx_msg void OnDestroy();

    DECLARE_MESSAGE_MAP()
};



// CChildFrame Implementation 

IMPLEMENT_DYNCREATE(CChildFrame, CMDIChildWndEx)

BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(CChildFrame, CMDIChildWndEx)
    ON_WM_CREATE()
    ON_WM_DESTROY()
END_MESSAGE_MAP()

CChildFrame::CChildFrame()
{
    // Trick#1: Add this line for enable floating toolbars
    m_bEnableFloatingBars = TRUE;
}

BOOL CChildFrame::PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs)
{
    if( !CMDIChildWndEx::PreCreateWindow(cs) )
        return FALSE;

    cs.style = WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_OVERLAPPED | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU
        | FWS_ADDTOTITLE | WS_THICKFRAME | WS_MINIMIZEBOX | WS_MAXIMIZEBOX | WS_MAXIMIZE;

    // Trick#2: Add this line for remove the ugly client edge of the child frame.
    cs.dwExStyle &= (~WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE);

    return TRUE;
}

void CChildFrame::SaveBarState(LPCTSTR lpszProfileName) const
{
    const_cast<CChildFrame*>(this)->GetDockingManager()->SaveState(lpszProfileName);

    // Trick#3: we need to call serialization method of CMFCToolBar panes that may be docked to the child frame.
    CObList list;
    const_cast<CChildFrame*>(this)->GetDockingManager()->GetPaneList(list, FALSE, NULL, FALSE);
    if (list.GetCount() > 0) {
        POSITION pos = list.GetTailPosition();
        while (pos != NULL) {
            CMFCToolBar* pToolBar = DYNAMIC_DOWNCAST(CMFCToolBar, list.GetPrev(pos));
            if (pToolBar != nullptr) {
                pToolBar->SaveState(lpszProfileName);
            }
        }
    }
}

void CChildFrame::LoadBarState(LPCTSTR lpszProfileName)
{
    // Trick#3: we need to call serialization method of CMFCToolBar panes that may be docked to the child frame.
    CObList list;
    GetDockingManager()->GetPaneList(list, FALSE, NULL, FALSE);
    if (list.GetCount() > 0) {
        POSITION pos = list.GetTailPosition();
        while (pos != NULL) {
            CMFCToolBar* pToolBar = DYNAMIC_DOWNCAST(CMFCToolBar, list.GetPrev(pos));
            if (pToolBar != nullptr) {
                pToolBar->LoadState(lpszProfileName);
            }
        }
    }

    GetDockingManager()->LoadState(lpszProfileName);
    GetDockingManager()->SetDockState();
    GetDockingManager()->ShowDelayShowMiniFrames(TRUE);

    // Trick#4: MFC BUGFIX: force assigning the child frame docking manager to all miniframes (for details look at http://stackoverflow.com/q/39253843/987850).
    for (POSITION pos = GetDockingManager()->GetMiniFrames().GetHeadPosition(); pos != NULL;)
    {
        CWnd* pWndNext = (CWnd*)GetDockingManager()->GetMiniFrames().GetNext(pos);
        if (pWndNext != nullptr && pWndNext->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CPaneFrameWnd))) {
            STATIC_DOWNCAST(CPaneFrameWnd, pWndNext)->SetDockingManager(GetDockingManager());
        }
    }
}


int CChildFrame::OnCreate(LPCREATESTRUCT lpCreateStruct)
{
    bool bRes = CMDIChildWndEx::OnCreate(lpCreateStruct) == 0;
    if (bRes)
    {
        // enable docking
        EnableDocking(CBRS_ALIGN_ANY);

        // enable Visual Studio 2005 style docking window behavior
        CDockingManager::SetDockingMode(DT_SMART);

        // Creating the pane.
        // ID_VIEW_PANE_ID - pane ID, must be declared in resource.h
        // CRect(0, 0, 100, 100) - default pane size in floating state (pane is not docked to any frame sides).
        // CBRS_LEFT - default side for pane docking.
        if (!m_wndPane.Create(_T("My Pane"), this, CRect(0, 0, 100, 100), TRUE, ID_VIEW_PANE_ID, WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS | WS_CLIPCHILDREN | CBRS_LEFT | CBRS_FLOAT_MULTI)) {
            TRACE0("Failed to create Pane\n");
            return -1; // failed to create
        }
        // Enable docking and redocking pane to frame any sides (you can pass a combination of CBRS_ALIGN_ flags)
        m_wndPane.EnableDocking(CBRS_ALIGN_ANY);

        // Dock pane to the default (left) side of the frame.
        DockPane(&m_wndPane);
    }

    // Loading dock manager state
    if (bRes) {
       LoadBarState(theApp.GetRegSectionPath(_T("ChildFrame")));
    }

    return bRes ? 0 : 1;
}

void CChildFrame::OnDestroy()
{
    // Save dock manager state
    SaveBarState(theApp.GetRegSectionPath(_T("ChildFrame")));

    CMDIChildWndEx::OnDestroy();
}