How to: Partition Space by Using the DockPanel Element

The following example creates a simple user interface (UI) framework using a DockPanel element. The DockPanel partitions available space to its child elements.

Example

This example uses the Dock property, which is an attached property, to dock two identical Border elements at the Top of the partitioned space. A third Border element is docked to the Left, with its width set to 200 pixels. A fourth Border is docked to the Bottom of the screen. The last Border element automatically fills the remaining space.

// Create the application's main window
mainWindow = gcnew Window();
mainWindow->Title = "DockPanel Sample";

// Create the DockPanel
DockPanel^ myDockPanel = gcnew DockPanel();
myDockPanel->LastChildFill = true;

// Define the child content
Border^ myBorder1 = gcnew Border();
myBorder1->Height = 25;
myBorder1->Background = Brushes::SkyBlue;
myBorder1->BorderBrush = Brushes::Black;
myBorder1->BorderThickness = Thickness(1);
DockPanel::SetDock(myBorder1, Dock::Top);
TextBlock^ myTextBlock1 = gcnew TextBlock();
myTextBlock1->Foreground = Brushes::Black;
myTextBlock1->Text = "Dock = Top";
myBorder1->Child = myTextBlock1;

Border^ myBorder2 = gcnew Border();
myBorder2->Height = 25;
myBorder2->Background = Brushes::SkyBlue;
myBorder2->BorderBrush = Brushes::Black;
myBorder2->BorderThickness = Thickness(1);
DockPanel::SetDock(myBorder2, Dock::Top);
TextBlock^ myTextBlock2 = gcnew TextBlock();
myTextBlock2->Foreground = Brushes::Black;
myTextBlock2->Text = "Dock = Top";
myBorder2->Child = myTextBlock2;

Border^ myBorder3 = gcnew Border();
myBorder3->Height = 25;
myBorder3->Background = Brushes::LemonChiffon;
myBorder3->BorderBrush = Brushes::Black;
myBorder3->BorderThickness = Thickness(1);
DockPanel::SetDock(myBorder3, Dock::Bottom);
TextBlock^ myTextBlock3 = gcnew TextBlock();
myTextBlock3->Foreground = Brushes::Black;
myTextBlock3->Text = "Dock = Bottom";
myBorder3->Child = myTextBlock3;

Border^ myBorder4 = gcnew Border();
myBorder4->Width = 200;
myBorder4->Background = Brushes::PaleGreen;
myBorder4->BorderBrush = Brushes::Black;
myBorder4->BorderThickness = Thickness(1);
DockPanel::SetDock(myBorder4, Dock::Left);
TextBlock^ myTextBlock4 = gcnew TextBlock();
myTextBlock4->Foreground = Brushes::Black;
myTextBlock4->Text = "Dock = Left";
myBorder4->Child = myTextBlock4;

Border^ myBorder5 = gcnew Border();
myBorder5->Background = Brushes::White;
myBorder5->BorderBrush = Brushes::Black;
myBorder5->BorderThickness = Thickness(1);
TextBlock^ myTextBlock5 = gcnew TextBlock();
myTextBlock5->Foreground = Brushes::Black;
myTextBlock5->Text = "This content will Fill the remaining space";
myBorder5->Child = myTextBlock5;

// Add child elements to the DockPanel Children collection
myDockPanel->Children->Add(myBorder1);
myDockPanel->Children->Add(myBorder2);
myDockPanel->Children->Add(myBorder3);
myDockPanel->Children->Add(myBorder4);
myDockPanel->Children->Add(myBorder5);

// Add the parent Canvas as the Content of the Window Object
mainWindow->Content = myDockPanel;
mainWindow->Show();

// Create the application's main window
mainWindow = new Window ();
mainWindow.Title = "DockPanel Sample";

// Create the DockPanel
DockPanel myDockPanel = new DockPanel();
myDockPanel.LastChildFill = true;

// Define the child content
Border myBorder1 = new Border();
myBorder1.Height = 25;
myBorder1.Background = Brushes.SkyBlue;
myBorder1.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black;
myBorder1.BorderThickness = new Thickness(1);
DockPanel.SetDock(myBorder1, Dock.Top);
TextBlock myTextBlock1 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock1.Foreground = Brushes.Black;
myTextBlock1.Text = "Dock = Top";
myBorder1.Child = myTextBlock1;

Border myBorder2 = new Border();
myBorder2.Height = 25;
myBorder2.Background = Brushes.SkyBlue;
myBorder2.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black;
myBorder2.BorderThickness = new Thickness(1);
DockPanel.SetDock(myBorder2, Dock.Top);
TextBlock myTextBlock2 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock2.Foreground = Brushes.Black;
myTextBlock2.Text = "Dock = Top";
myBorder2.Child = myTextBlock2;

Border myBorder3 = new Border();
myBorder3.Height = 25;
myBorder3.Background = Brushes.LemonChiffon;
myBorder3.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black;
myBorder3.BorderThickness = new Thickness(1);
DockPanel.SetDock(myBorder3, Dock.Bottom);
TextBlock myTextBlock3 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock3.Foreground = Brushes.Black;
myTextBlock3.Text = "Dock = Bottom";
myBorder3.Child = myTextBlock3;

Border myBorder4 = new Border();
myBorder4.Width = 200;
myBorder4.Background = Brushes.PaleGreen;
myBorder4.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black;
myBorder4.BorderThickness = new Thickness(1);
DockPanel.SetDock(myBorder4, Dock.Left);
TextBlock myTextBlock4 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock4.Foreground = Brushes.Black;
myTextBlock4.Text = "Dock = Left";
myBorder4.Child = myTextBlock4;

Border myBorder5 = new Border();
myBorder5.Background = Brushes.White;
myBorder5.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black;
myBorder5.BorderThickness = new Thickness(1);
TextBlock myTextBlock5 = new TextBlock();
myTextBlock5.Foreground = Brushes.Black;
myTextBlock5.Text = "This content will Fill the remaining space";
myBorder5.Child = myTextBlock5;


// Add child elements to the DockPanel Children collection
myDockPanel.Children.Add(myBorder1);
myDockPanel.Children.Add(myBorder2);
myDockPanel.Children.Add(myBorder3);
myDockPanel.Children.Add(myBorder4);
myDockPanel.Children.Add(myBorder5);
           
// Add the parent Canvas as the Content of the Window Object
mainWindow.Content = myDockPanel;
mainWindow.Show ();

WindowTitle = "DockPanel Sample"
'Create a DockPanel as the root Panel
Dim myDockPanel As New DockPanel()
myDockPanel.LastChildFill = True

' Define the child content
Dim myBorder1 As New Border()
myBorder1.Height = 25
myBorder1.Background = Brushes.SkyBlue
myBorder1.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black
myBorder1.BorderThickness = New Thickness(1)
DockPanel.SetDock(myBorder1, Dock.Top)
Dim myTextBlock1 As New TextBlock()
myTextBlock1.Foreground = Brushes.Black
myTextBlock1.Text = "Dock = Top"
myBorder1.Child = myTextBlock1

Dim myBorder2 As New Border()
myBorder2.Height = 25
myBorder2.Background = Brushes.SkyBlue
myBorder2.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black
myBorder2.BorderThickness = New Thickness(1)
DockPanel.SetDock(myBorder2, Dock.Top)
Dim myTextBlock2 As New TextBlock()
myTextBlock2.Foreground = Brushes.Black
myTextBlock2.Text = "Dock = Top"
myBorder2.Child = myTextBlock2

Dim myBorder3 As New Border()
myBorder3.Height = 25
myBorder3.Background = Brushes.LemonChiffon
myBorder3.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black
myBorder3.BorderThickness = New Thickness(1)
DockPanel.SetDock(myBorder3, Dock.Bottom)
Dim myTextBlock3 As New TextBlock()
myTextBlock3.Foreground = Brushes.Black
myTextBlock3.Text = "Dock = Bottom"
myBorder3.Child = myTextBlock3

Dim myBorder4 As New Border()
myBorder4.Width = 200
myBorder4.Background = Brushes.PaleGreen
myBorder4.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black
myBorder4.BorderThickness = New Thickness(1)
DockPanel.SetDock(myBorder4, Dock.Left)
Dim myTextBlock4 As New TextBlock()
myTextBlock4.Foreground = Brushes.Black
myTextBlock4.Text = "Dock = Left"
myBorder4.Child = myTextBlock4

Dim myBorder5 As New Border()
myBorder5.Background = Brushes.White
myBorder5.BorderBrush = Brushes.Black
myBorder5.BorderThickness = New Thickness(1)
Dim myTextBlock5 As New TextBlock()
myTextBlock5.Foreground = Brushes.Black
myTextBlock5.Text = "This content will Fill the remaining space"
myBorder5.Child = myTextBlock5

' Add child elements to the DockPanel Children collection
myDockPanel.Children.Add(myBorder1)
myDockPanel.Children.Add(myBorder2)
myDockPanel.Children.Add(myBorder3)
myDockPanel.Children.Add(myBorder4)
myDockPanel.Children.Add(myBorder5)
Me.Content = myDockPanel

<Page xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" WindowTitle="DockPanel Sample">
  <DockPanel LastChildFill="True">
    <Border Height="25" Background="SkyBlue" BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1" DockPanel.Dock="Top">
      <TextBlock Foreground="Black">Dock = "Top"</TextBlock>
    </Border>
    <Border Height="25" Background="SkyBlue" BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1" DockPanel.Dock="Top">
      <TextBlock Foreground="Black">Dock = "Top"</TextBlock>
    </Border>
    <Border Height="25" Background="LemonChiffon" BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1" DockPanel.Dock="Bottom">
      <TextBlock Foreground="Black">Dock = "Bottom"</TextBlock>
    </Border>
    <Border Width="200" Background="PaleGreen" BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1" DockPanel.Dock="Left">
      <TextBlock Foreground="Black">Dock = "Left"</TextBlock>
    </Border>
    <Border Background="White" BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1">
      <TextBlock Foreground="Black">This content will "Fill" the remaining space</TextBlock>
    </Border>
  </DockPanel>
</Page>

Note:
By default, the last child of a DockPanel element fills the remaining unallocated space. If you do not want this behavior, set LastChildFill="False".

The compiled application yields a new UI that looks like this.

See Also

Reference

DockPanel

Concepts

Panels Overview