State Persistence in UWP Docking (SfDockingManager)

10 May 20211 minute to read

State persistence is the combined process of serialization and deserialization.

SfDockingManager provides built-in state persistence functionality to save and load at different states and sides. It also provides ResetDockState() method to reset the layout to initial state.

Saving Current State

The current layout can be serialized in XML file and saved in IsolatedStorage using SaveDockState method.

C#

private void OnSuspending(object sender, SuspendingEventArgs e)

{

dockingManager.SaveDockState();

var deferral = e.SuspendingOperation.GetDeferral();

//TODO: Save application state and stop any background activity

deferral.Complete();

}

Loading Saved State

The saved layout can be retrieved from IsolatedStorage, de-serialized and loaded using LoadDockState method.

C#

private void Docking_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)

{

dockingManager.LoadDockState();

}

Resetting Initial State

To reset the SfDockingManager state, call ResetDockState() method of SfDockingManager instance.

C#

dockingManager.ResetDockState();

Serialize the dynamically added children

By default, SfDockingManager cannot de-serialize its saved layout properly, when its child collection is modified after DockState is saved.

Since the SfDockingManager state persistence feature implemented in such a way that the SfDockingManager matches the child collection of saved layout with current SfDockingManager layout internally and loads properly when SfDockingManager children collection remains same, so when any child collection changes dynamically, it results in an improper layout.