How do I save a window docking layout?

[hoffstadt]

Answer

Saving a window docking layout is a 4 step process:

1. Run the app as is.
2. Layout the windows how you want.
3. Save the layout with save_init_file(...)
4. Configure app with load_init_file or init_file :
   a. load_init_file if you don't want the layout to be overwritten by the user.
   b. init_file if you want the user's run time changes to be saved.

Example

For the first run, we use the following:

import dearpygui.dearpygui as dpg

dpg.create_context()
dpg.configure_app(docking=True, docking_space=True) # must be called before create_viewport
dpg.create_viewport()
dpg.setup_dearpygui()

# generate IDs - the IDs are used by the init file, they must be the
#                same between sessions
left_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
right_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
top_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
bottom_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
center_window = dpg.generate_uuid()

dpg.add_window(label="Left", tag=left_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Right", tag=right_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Top", tag=top_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Bottom", tag=bottom_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Center", tag=center_window)

with dpg.window(label="Temporary Window"):
    dpg.add_button(label="Save Ini File", callback=lambda: dpg.save_init_file("custom_layout.ini"))


# main loop
dpg.show_viewport()
while dpg.is_dearpygui_running():
    dpg.render_dearpygui_frame()  

dpg.destroy_context()

We lay the windows out like so before saving:

Next, we modify the script like so:

import dearpygui.dearpygui as dpg

dpg.create_context()
dpg.configure_app(docking=True, docking_space=True, load_init_file="custom_layout.ini") # must be called before create_viewport
dpg.create_viewport()
dpg.setup_dearpygui()

# generate IDs - the IDs are used by the init file, they must be the
#                same between sessions
left_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
right_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
top_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
bottom_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
center_window = dpg.generate_uuid()

dpg.add_window(label="Left", tag=left_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Right", tag=right_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Top", tag=top_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Bottom", tag=bottom_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Center", tag=center_window)

# main loop
dpg.show_viewport()
while dpg.is_dearpygui_running():
    dpg.render_dearpygui_frame()  

dpg.destroy_context()

With the above script, the app will always open with the saved layout. If you would like the user's changes to be saved between sessions, replace load_init_file with init_file. If you would like this same functionality without the user overwriting the default layout:

import dearpygui.dearpygui as dpg
import os
import shutil

if not os.path.exists("user_custom_layout.ini"):
    shutil.copy("custom_layout.ini", "user_custom_layout.ini")

dpg.create_context()
dpg.configure_app(init_file="user_custom_layout.ini", docking=True, docking_space=True) # must be called before create_viewport
dpg.create_viewport()
dpg.setup_dearpygui()

# generate IDs - the IDs are used by the init file, they must be the
#                same between sessions
left_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
right_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
top_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
bottom_window = dpg.generate_uuid()
center_window = dpg.generate_uuid()

dpg.add_window(label="Left", tag=left_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Right", tag=right_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Top", tag=top_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Bottom", tag=bottom_window)
dpg.add_window(label="Center", tag=center_window)

# main loop
dpg.show_viewport()
while dpg.is_dearpygui_running():
    dpg.render_dearpygui_frame()  

dpg.destroy_context()

Resources

• Init Files

Notes

• Init files use the ID of the window. Make sure the ID does not change between sessions by generating the ID beforehand.