Docking windows in the assay workspace

Many of the pop-up windows used to display information in Assay can be docked to the side of the main application workspace instead of remaining floating or being completely hidden. Docking a floating window to the side of the workspace fixes it in position, so that it always remains visible. Dockable windows include graphs and diagnostic windows.

To dock a window follow these steps:

1. Click on the header of the window you want to dock.

2. Drag the window towards the middle of the application window - a guide diamond appears with four arrows pointing towards the edges of the available workspace.

3. Move the window to the arrow of the guide diamond corresponding to the position where you wish to dock the window. For example, to dock the window to the right-hand side of the application window, move the window to the guide arrow pointing right.

4. The application workspace will change colour to highlight where the docked window will appear. Release the mouse button to dock the window in the selected position.

Hiding docked windows

Rather than permanently occupying space in the application workspace, a docked window can be configured to automatically hide when not in use. To hide docked windows do either of the following:

• Click the pin icon in the header of the docked window.

• Right-click the header of the docked window and select Auto Hide from the context menu.

When a docked window is hidden, it is replaced by a yellow label, close to a side of the main application window. To show the hidden window again, hover the mouse pointer on the label. The window will remain visible while you work on it, and will become hidden again when you click somewhere else.

Stacking docked windows

Several windows can be docked and stacked in the same area of the application workspace. To stack docked windows follow these steps:

5. Click the header of the window you wish to stack with an existing docked window.

6. Drag the tool window towards the existing docked window.

7. The guide diamond will appear in the centre of the existing docked window. Move the mouse pointer to the arrow on the guide diamond where you wish to stack the window.

8. The application workspace will change colour to highlight where the stacked window will appear. Release the mouse button to stack the window in the selected position.

Docking windows as tabs

Floating windows can be docked together to occupy the same area of the workspace. In this case the visible window is selected using a tab at the bottom of the docked window area. To add a floating window to an existing docked window as a tab, follow these steps:

9. Click the header of the window you wish to dock with an existing docked window.

10. Drag the window towards the existing docked window.

11. The guide diamond will appear in the centre of the existing docked window. Move the mouse pointer to the centre of the guide diamond, where the icon indicates a new tab.

12. The application workspace will change colour to highlight where the tab will appear and a small tab will become visible in the existing docked window. Release the mouse button to place the window as a tab in the selected position.

Releasing a window from its docked position

To release an window from the position where it has been docked and make it floating again, follow these steps:

13. Click and hold the header of the docked window, or tab of the tabbed window you wish to release from its position.

14. Drag the window away from its position until the guide diamond appears.

15. Release the mouse button to float the window above the main workspace, or drag the window to the guide diamond to dock it to a different part of the application workspace.

Resizing a docked window in its docking group

A window that exists as part of a docking group (that is, a window that is docked to several other windows) may be resized. To resize a docked window follow these steps:

• Move the mouse to the edge of the window you wish to resize until the cursor changes to the resize cursor .

• Click and drag the resize cursor until the window is the correct size.

Repositioning a window without docking

To move a floating window without docking, do either of the following:

• Drag the window header to reposition the window, but do not drag the window to the guide diamond.

• Hold the Ctrl key while dragging the window to prevent docking.

Saving Workspace Layout

It is possible to save the current workspace layout, including the size and positioning of the dockable windows. To save the current workspace layout follow these steps:

16. Select the View ribbon tab.

17. Click the Layout box in the Window group and choose New Layout from the menu. The New Window Layout dialog box opens.

18. Enter a name for the new layout and click OK. The new layout now appears in the Layout menu in the Window group of the View ribbon tab.

To switch to a different layout:

19. Select the View ribbon tab.

20. Click the Layout menu and select the required layout.

To remove a layout:

21. Select the View ribbon tab.

22. Click the Layout menu and select the layout which is no longer needed.

23. Click the Layout menu and select Delete Layout.