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My team is currently thinking of moving our existing MDI-based application to a more modern, docking-based approach. We're still thinking, but we'd like to move it to something like VS2010's docking and visual look:
This has the following features:
- Shows a blended outline where the window will dock
- Docks into tabs, as well as side-by-side
- Allows docking by dragging and releasing over an image showing the dock position (I call this a 'docking widget' below)
- Looks pretty good too (theme / UI-wise)
I am having trouble finding a good-quality docking library to use with RAD Studio 2010 and am seeking advice on either what library/ies I haven't found, or how to use the ones I have found to achieve something like this.
- Update: I ended up buying AutomatedQA's docking library. I think it's the best. More details below in the section about it.
- Update 2, July 2011: This question looked at every single docking library available for Delphi/C++Builder, so I'm trying to keep it up to date. Two changes that I'm aware of:
- SmartBear, who now own AutomatedQA, have end-of-lifed AutomatedQA's docking library. This the one one I recommended buying. They are considering open-sourcing it.
- The one problem I had with DevExpress docking (that made it not worthy buying) was its lack of support for VS2008/10-style docking, with a docking widget, transparent overlay as you dragged, etc. delphi c++builder dock dockpanel-suite