How do I save a window docking layout? (0.8)

[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. Add load_init_file(...) or set_init_file(...) at the beginning of your app.
   a. load_init_file(...) if you don't want the layout to be overwritten by the user.
   b. set_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.enable_docking(dock_space=True)

# 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()

with dpg.window(label="Left", id=left_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Right", id=right_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Top", id=top_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Bottom", id=bottom_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Center", id=center_window):
    pass

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

dpg.start_dearpygui()

We lay the windows out like so before saving:

Next, we modify the script like so:

import dearpygui.dearpygui as dpg

dpg.enable_docking(dock_space=True)
dpg.load_init_file("custom_layout.ini")

# 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()

with dpg.window(label="Left", id=left_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Right", id=right_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Top", id=top_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Bottom", id=bottom_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Center", id=center_window):
    pass

dpg.start_dearpygui()

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 set_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

dpg.enable_docking(dock_space=True)
dpg.set_init_file(file="user_custom_layout.ini")

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


# 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()

with dpg.window(label="Left", id=left_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Right", id=right_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Top", id=top_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Bottom", id=bottom_window):
    pass

with dpg.window(label="Center", id=center_window):
    pass

dpg.start_dearpygui()

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.