Docking or Floating a Toolbar

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When Visual C++ opens in its default configuration after installation, it displays the Standard toolbar docked at the top of the main application window.

You can make the Standard toolbar or any other toolbar be docked or floating.

In docked mode, a toolbar is fixed to any of the four borders of the application window. You cannot modify the size of a toolbar when it is docked.

In floating mode, a toolbar has a thin title bar and can appear anywhere on your screen. A floating toolbar is always on top of all other windows. You can modify the size or position of a toolbar when it is floating.

What do you want to do?

Change a docked toolbar to a floating toolbar

Dock a floating toolbar

Move a docked toolbar to its last floating position

Move a floating toolbar to its last docked position

Position a floating toolbar over a docked toolbar

To change a docked toolbar to a floating toolbar

  1. Point to a blank area between buttons on the toolbar.

  2. Drag the toolbar away from the dock to the position that you want.

Note   If you double-click a docked toolbar, it moves to its previous floating position.

To dock a floating toolbar

  1. Point to the title bar or to a blank area in the toolbar.

  2. Drag the toolbar to any of the four borders of the application window.

Note   When the mouse pointer reaches the boundary of the docking area, the toolbar window assumes a shape appropriate for the docking location. Along the top and bottom borders, it becomes a single horizontal row of buttons; along the sides, it becomes a single vertical row.

To move a docked toolbar to its last floating position

  • Double-click the docked toolbar.

To move a floating toolbar to its last docked position

  • Double-click the title bar of a floating toolbar.

Tip   If the toolbar has not been docked before, it moves to a new row in the toolbar dock below the Menu Bar.

To position a floating toolbar over a docked toolbar

  1. Point to a blank area of the toolbar or its title bar.

  2. Hold down the CTRL key, and drag the toolbar over any docking area of the application window.

Tip   The orientation of a docked toolbar generally corresponds to the orientation of the dock. Toolbars dock vertically on vertical docks and horizontally on horizontal docks. You can switch a toolbar’s docked orientation between horizontal and vertical by pressing or releasing the SHIFT key as you drag the toolbar.