Question

I have a main WPF Window with a Menu Bar and a Status Bar. I want this window to act as MDI Window. I want to define the entire area from below the Menu Bar to just above the Status Bar, where I will be showing other Windows. I want to define a Page or Panel like thing. When I add a new WPF Form, I want it to appear on this location contained within the Main Window. How to do this?

Answer 1

Simple version:

    <Window x:Class="WpfApplication1.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
    <DockPanel>
        <Menu DockPanel.Dock="Top">
            <MenuItem Header="File"/>
            <MenuItem Header="Edit"/>
            <MenuItem Header="Help"/>
        </Menu>
        <StatusBar DockPanel.Dock="Bottom"/>
        <ContentControl Name="_content"/>
    </DockPanel>
</Window>

And code-behind:

public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
    public MainWindow()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }
    public object MainContentGoesHere
    {
        get { return _content.Content; }
        set { _content.Content = value; }
    }
}

Then in your code just have a reference to a MainWindow – and use the MainContentGoesHere property to inject the views. Just remember to use UserControls, Panels or ContentControl instead of Window, when you inject them as Window cannot have a parent.

If you want something more fancy – take a look at Prism on CodePlex. It might be overkill for you, but it is actually a well-thought out and lightweight framework.

EDIT: Fixed the order of Children in the DockPanel.