Add option to disable hiding/showing contained elements of containers

pygame_gui/core/ui_container.py

@@ -352,29 +352,35 @@ def enable(self):
             for element in self.elements:
                 element.enable()
 
-    def show(self):
+    def show(self, show_contents: bool = True):
         """
         Shows the container, which means the container will get drawn and will process events.
         Should also show all the children elements and containers.
         If the container was visible before - ignore.
+
+        :param show_contents: whether to also show the contents of the container. Defaults to True.
         """
         if not self.visible:
             self.visible = True
 
-            for element in self.elements:
-                if hasattr(element, 'show'):
-                    element.show()
+            if show_contents:
+                for element in self.elements:
+                    if hasattr(element, 'show'):
+                        element.show()
 
-    def hide(self):
+    def hide(self, hide_contents: bool = True):
         """
         Hides the container, which means the container will not get drawn and will not process
         events. Should also hide all the children elements and containers.
         If the container was hidden before - ignore.
+
+        :param hide_contents: whether to also hide the contents of the container. Defaults to True.
         """
         if self.visible:
-            for element in self.elements:
-                if hasattr(element, 'hide'):
-                    element.hide()
+            if hide_contents:
+                for element in self.elements:
+                    if hasattr(element, 'hide'):
+                        element.hide()
 
             self.visible = False
 

pygame_gui/elements/ui_panel.py

@@ -287,23 +287,27 @@ def enable(self):
             if self.panel_container is not None:
                 self.panel_container.enable()
 
-    def show(self):
+    def show(self, show_contents: bool = True):
         """
         In addition to the base UIElement.show() - call show() of owned container - panel_container.
+
+        :param show_contents: whether to also show the contents of the panel. Defaults to True.
         """
         super().show()
         if self.panel_container is not None:
-            self.panel_container.show()
+            self.panel_container.show(show_contents)
 
-    def hide(self):
+    def hide(self, hide_contents: bool = True):
         """
         In addition to the base UIElement.hide() - call hide() of owned container - panel_container.
+
+        :param hide_contents: whether to also hide the contents of the panel. Defaults to True.
         """
         if not self.visible:
             return
 
         if self.panel_container is not None:
-            self.panel_container.hide()
+            self.panel_container.hide(hide_contents)
         super().hide()
 
     def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[IUIElementInterface]:

pygame_gui/elements/ui_scrolling_container.py

@@ -513,29 +513,33 @@ def enable(self):
             if self._root_container is not None:
                 self._root_container.enable()
 
-    def show(self):
+    def show(self, show_contents: bool = True):
         """
         In addition to the base UIElement.show() - call show() of owned container - _root_container.
         All other sub-elements (view_container, scrollbars) are children of _root_container, so
         it's visibility will propagate to them - there is no need to call their show() methods
         separately.
+
+        :param show_contents: whether to also show the contents of the container. Defaults to True.
         """
         super().show()
         if self._root_container is not None:
-            self._root_container.show()
+            self._root_container.show(show_contents)
 
-    def hide(self):
+    def hide(self, hide_contents: bool = True):
         """
         In addition to the base UIElement.hide() - call hide() of owned container - _root_container.
         All other sub-elements (view_container, scrollbars) are children of _root_container, so
         it's visibility will propagate to them - there is no need to call their hide() methods
         separately.
+
+        :param hide_contents: whether to also hide the contents of the container. Defaults to True.
         """
         if not self.visible:
             return
 
         if self._root_container is not None:
-            self._root_container.hide()
+            self._root_container.hide(hide_contents)
         super().hide()
 
     def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[IUIElementInterface]:

pygame_gui/elements/ui_tab_container.py

@@ -170,25 +170,30 @@ def enable(self):
         if not self.is_enabled:
             self._root_container.enable()
 
-    def show(self):
+    def show(self, show_contents: bool = True):
         """
         In addition to the base UIElement.show() - show the _window_root_container which will
         propagate and show all the children.
+
+        :param show_contents: whether to also show the contents of the tab container. Defaults to True.
+
         """
         super().show()
-        self._root_container.show()
+        self._root_container.show(show_contents)
 
-    def hide(self):
+    def hide(self, hide_contents: bool = True):
         """
         In addition to the base UIElement.hide() - hide the _window_root_container which will
         propagate and hide all the children.
+
+        :param hide_contents: whether to also hide the contents of the tab container. Defaults to True.
         """
         if not self.visible:
             return
 
         super().hide()
         if self._root_container is not None:
-            self._root_container.hide()
+            self._root_container.hide(hide_contents)
 
     def set_dimensions(self, dimensions: Coordinate, clamp_to_container: bool = False):
         """

pygame_gui/elements/ui_window.py

@@ -750,26 +750,30 @@ def enable(self):
             if self._window_root_container is not None:
                 self._window_root_container.enable()
 
-    def show(self):
+    def show(self, show_contents: bool = True):
         """
         In addition to the base UIElement.show() - show the _window_root_container which will
         propagate and show all the children.
+
+        :param show_contents: whether to also show the contents of the window. Defaults to True.
         """
         super().show()
         if self._window_root_container is not None:
             self._window_root_container.show()
 
-    def hide(self):
+    def hide(self, hide_contents: bool = True):
         """
         In addition to the base UIElement.hide() - hide the _window_root_container which will
         propagate and hide all the children.
+
+        :param hide_contents: whether to also hide the contents of the window. Defaults to True.
         """
         if not self.visible:
             return
 
         super().hide()
         if self._window_root_container is not None:
-            self._window_root_container.hide()
+            self._window_root_container.hide(hide_contents)
 
     def get_relative_mouse_pos(self):
         """