What's the multi-window interface in Visual Studio called? Where can I find it?

Question

The style from Visual Studio (pictured above) is perfect for a program I'm writing, but I don't know what it's called or if there are any libraries that provide this functionality. The key points of this interface that interest me are

1. On the left and right sides, there is a task bar-like list of open Windows (Circled on left)
2. You can pin windows (Circled on right)
3. There is also a taskbar on the bottom, although it's not visible right now
4. You can move the side-windows around each other, etc.

My question:

• Is there a name for this?
• Are there any open source libraries that provide this functionality?

Answer 1

I would call it a docking window framework.

Examples:

• SandDock from Divelements
• Docking from Telerik
• Docking windows from DevExpress
• AvalonDock

Answer 2

This combination is sometimes called Canvas plus palette. (You could read more about the pattern in the book Designing interfaces by Jenifer Tidwell. It's also briefly mentioned in this article that gives a great overview of different application layouts.

The interface is constructed of a couple of different interaction patterns:

• "Toolbox" and "Data sources" is something that is usually called "Collapsable panels or Closable panels".
• In the middle you have the "Many workspaces" pattern that consists of a center stage and tabs.
• To the right you have Movable panels or Floating panels

Answer 3

Generically/historically speaking, it's called a Multi Document Interface (MDI): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_document_interface#IDE-style_application_examples

Answer 4

Sidebar or toolbar can both be used to describe this UI element. The best way to determine some other terms is to go to the View menu in the application and see if the UI components have been grouped under a single label.

OmniGraffle uses Sidebar, calling individual components Sidebars, while Axure does not use a name.