In VLF-WIN a filter or command handler can programmatically shrink the filter pane, the command handler pane, the instance list, or the navigate pane, and can also re-expand them. Command handlers can also programmatically expand themselves to occupy the space used by the filters and instance list (Maximize), and restore themselves back to their original size.
avPaneShrink and avPaneExpand methods are opposites. A shrunk pane can be expanded back to its original size using avPaneExpand. If a pane is not shrunk, then avPaneExpand will do nothing.
avPaneMaximize and avPaneRestore are opposites. A command handler can be expanded to use all the space used by the filter and instance list by using avPaneMaximize. When maximized, a command handler can be returned to its original size by using avPaneRestore.
avPaneFocus causes a pane to become expanded and then to receive the focus.
These methods are asynchronous – the request is queued up and waits for the command handler or filter that issued the instruction to finish its processing before the expand/shrink/maximize/restore is performed.