Control.Dock Property (System.Windows.Forms)

Dock Property

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Microsoft Visual Studio 2008/.NET Framework 3.5

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.NET Framework Class Library

Control..::.Dock Property

Updated: November 2007

Gets or sets which control borders are docked to its parent control and determines how a control is resized with its parent.

Namespace: System.Windows.Forms
Assembly: System.Windows.Forms (in System.Windows.Forms.dll)

Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)

Public Overridable Property Dock As DockStyle

Visual Basic (Usage)

Dim instance As Control
Dim value As DockStyle

value = instance.Dock

instance.Dock = value

public virtual DockStyle Dock { get; set; }

Visual C++

public:
virtual property DockStyle Dock {
    DockStyle get ();
    void set (DockStyle value);
}

/** @property */
public DockStyle get_Dock()
/** @property */
public  void set_Dock(DockStyle value)

JScript

public function get Dock () : DockStyle
public function set Dock (value : DockStyle)

Property Value

Type: System.Windows.Forms..::.DockStyle

One of the DockStyle values. The default is None.

Exceptions

Exception	Condition
InvalidEnumArgumentException	The value assigned is not one of the DockStyle values.

Remarks

Use the Dock property to define how a control is automatically resized as its parent control is resized. For example, setting Dock to DockStyle..::.Left causes the control to align itself with the left edges of its parent control and to resize as the parent control is resized. Controls are docked in their Z-order, which is the visual layering of controls on a form along the form's Z-axis (depth).

A control can be docked to one edge of its parent container or can be docked to all edges and fill the parent container.

Setting the Margin property on a docked control has no effect on the distance of the control from the the edges of its container.

Note:
The Anchor and Dock properties are mutually exclusive. Only one can be set at a time, and the last one set takes precedence.

Notes to Inheritors:

When overriding the Dock property in a derived class, use the base class's Dock property to extend the base implementation. Otherwise, you must provide all the implementation. You are not required to override both the get and set methods of the Dock property; you can override only one if needed.

Examples

The following code example creates a GroupBox and sets some of its common properties. The example creates a TextBox and sets its Location within the group box. Next, it sets the Text property of the group box, and docks the group box to the top of the form. Lastly, it disables the group box by setting the Enabled property to false, which causes all controls contained within the group box to be disabled.

Visual Basic

' Add a GroupBox to a form and set some of its common properties.
Private Sub AddMyGroupBox()
   ' Create a GroupBox and add a TextBox to it.
   Dim groupBox1 As New GroupBox()
   Dim textBox1 As New TextBox()
   textBox1.Location = New Point(15, 15)
   groupBox1.Controls.Add(textBox1)

   ' Set the Text and Dock properties of the GroupBox.
   groupBox1.Text = "MyGroupBox"
   groupBox1.Dock = DockStyle.Top

   ' Disable the GroupBox (which disables all its child controls)
   groupBox1.Enabled = False

   ' Add the Groupbox to the form.
   Me.Controls.Add(groupBox1)
End Sub

// Add a GroupBox to a form and set some of its common properties.
private void AddMyGroupBox()
{
   // Create a GroupBox and add a TextBox to it.
   GroupBox groupBox1 = new GroupBox();
   TextBox textBox1 = new TextBox();
   textBox1.Location = new Point(15, 15);
   groupBox1.Controls.Add(textBox1);

   // Set the Text and Dock properties of the GroupBox.
   groupBox1.Text = "MyGroupBox";
   groupBox1.Dock = DockStyle.Top;

   // Disable the GroupBox (which disables all its child controls)
   groupBox1.Enabled = false;

   // Add the Groupbox to the form.
   this.Controls.Add(groupBox1);
}

Visual C++

   // Add a GroupBox to a form and set some of its common properties.
private:
   void AddMyGroupBox()
   {
      // Create a GroupBox and add a TextBox to it.
      GroupBox^ groupBox1 = gcnew GroupBox;
      TextBox^ textBox1 = gcnew TextBox;
      textBox1->Location = Point(15,15);
      groupBox1->Controls->Add( textBox1 );

      // Set the Text and Dock properties of the GroupBox.
      groupBox1->Text = "MyGroupBox";
      groupBox1->Dock = DockStyle::Top;

      // Disable the GroupBox (which disables all its child controls)
      groupBox1->Enabled = false;

      // Add the Groupbox to the form.
      this->Controls->Add( groupBox1 );
   }

// Add a GroupBox to a form and set some of its common properties.
private void AddMyGroupBox()
{
    // Create a GroupBox and add a TextBox to it.
    GroupBox groupBox1 = new GroupBox();
    TextBox textBox1 = new TextBox();
    textBox1.set_Location(new Point(15, 15));
    groupBox1.get_Controls().Add(textBox1);
    // Set the Text and Dock properties of the GroupBox.
    groupBox1.set_Text("MyGroupBox");
    groupBox1.set_Dock(DockStyle.Top);
    // Disable the GroupBox (which disables all its child controls)
    groupBox1.set_Enabled(false);
    // Add the Groupbox to the form.
    this.get_Controls().Add(groupBox1);
} //AddMyGroupBox

Platforms

Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

Version Information