Installation

AvalonDock is distributed as a set of NuGet packages. The core package contains the docking framework, and theme packages are installed separately.

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Install via NuGet

.NET CLI

dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock

Package Manager Console

Install-Package Dirkster.AvalonDock

PackageReference (csproj)

<PackageReference Include="Dirkster.AvalonDock" Version="5.0.0" />

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Install a Theme

AvalonDock ships with a default generic theme, but you’ll likely want one of the polished built-in themes. Install the theme package for your preferred look:

# Modern Arc theme (recommended)
dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.Themes.Arc

# Visual Studio 2013 theme
dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.Themes.VS2013

# Other themes
dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.Themes.VS2010
dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.Themes.Expression
dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.Themes.Metro
dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.Themes.Aero

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Optional Packages

For advanced scenarios, AvalonDock provides additional packages:

Package	Install Command	Purpose
Serializer (XML)	dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.Serializer.Xml	Save/restore layouts in XML format
Serializer (JSON)	dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.Serializer.Json	Save/restore layouts in JSON format
MVVM	dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.Mvvm	MVVM base classes and services (no external dependencies)
MVVM + CommunityToolkit	dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.Mvvm.CommunityToolkit	ObservableObject-based classes with [ObservableProperty] support
DI	dotnet add package Dirkster.AvalonDock.DependencyInjection	Dependency injection integration

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Verify Installation

After installing, add the AvalonDock namespace to your XAML:

<Window xmlns:avalonDock="https://github.com/Dirkster99/AvalonDock">
    <avalonDock:DockingManager>
        <avalonDock:LayoutRoot>
            <avalonDock:LayoutPanel>
                <avalonDock:LayoutDocumentPane />
            </avalonDock:LayoutPanel>
        </avalonDock:LayoutRoot>
    </avalonDock:DockingManager>
</Window>

If the project builds without errors, you’re ready to go. Head to the Quick Start guide to build your first layout.

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Target Framework Compatibility

Framework	Supported
.NET 10 (net10.0-windows)	✅
.NET 9 (net9.0-windows)	✅
.NET Framework 4.8 (net48)	✅

Make sure your project targets one of the supported frameworks. AvalonDock requires the -windows TFM suffix for .NET 9+ projects.