Change the Ribbon in Excel 2007 or Excel 2010Ron de Bruin (last updated 5-June-2011)Go back to the Excel tips page

Contents

Things we must do and understand before we startFirst exampleMore RibbonX Examples (sample workbooks)Find the Control, Group and Tab namesFind the names of the button imagesRibbonX TipsRibbonX templates for the Sample XML menu in the UI EditorMore Information

Things we must do and understand before we start

If you want to change the Ribbon in Excel 2007 or Excel 2010 you must add RibbonX(xml)to a file named customUI.xml and/or customUI14.xml that is inside your Excel file.What, files that are inside a Excel file ?.Excel 2007-2010 files are really zip files so if you change the extension to zip and openthe file in your zip program you see that there are a few folders and a file inside the zip.

If you want a easy way to insert RibbonX into a Excel 2007-2010 workbook, then I suggest youdownload and install the new version of the Custom UI Editor here :http://openxmldeveloper.org/archive/2006/05/26/CustomUIeditor.aspx

Important for Win XP users : Before you install the Custom UI Editor do this:Run Windows Update, and in Optional Updates pick .NET framework 2 or 3.After you installed it, run Windows Update again to see if there are patches for it.

This version of the Custum UI Editor gives you an option to insert a customUI.xml file for Excel 2007-2010and/or a customUI14.xml file only for Excel 2010 into your 2007-2010 workbook.

When you do not want to work with new stuff from Excel 2010 (like Backstage View for example), then you canuse the Office 2007 Custom UI Part option to add your RibbonX to workbooks that you use in Excel 2007and Excel 2010. If there is no customUI14.xml file when you open the workbook in Excel 2010, it will loadthe customUI.xml file.

But if you want to insert (for example) a button in the Office Button menu when you open your file in Excel 2007and a button in Backstage View when you open the workbook in Excel 2010, then you must insert the RibbonX inboth the xml files with the Custum UI Editor. See this page for a example :http://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbonx20072010.htm

Open the Custom UI Editor.

You see that there are 5 menu buttons on the toolbar menu in the UI editor.

Open : Open the Excel file that you want to edit (change the Ribbon for this file)Save : Save the RibbonX in the file that you have open in the UI editor(not possible to save when the file is open in Excel)Insert Icons : Insert your own icons in the file (icons will be saved in the file)Validate : Validate your RibbonX so you are sure that there are no typosGenerate Callbacks : This will create macros(callbacks) for each onAction you have inthe RibbonX. Select all callbacks and copy them in a normal module in your workbook.

When you open a Excel file in the Custom UI Editor you can right click on the file name and choose :Office 2007 Custom UI Part Or use Office 2010 Custom UI PartOr you can use the Insert menu to choose one of the two options.

It creates the customUI14.xml file if you choose Office 2010 Custom UI Part andthe customUI.xml file if you choose Office 2007 Custom UI Part. After you chooseone option or both, you can enter or paste your RibbonX in the right window.

First example

This example add RibbonX that create a button on the Home tab when you open yourfile in Excel 2007 or in Excel 2010. Because we not use something new for 2010 we can

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add the RibbonX only to the customUI.xml file ("Office 2007 Custom UI Part") .

1: Open a new workbook and save it as Book1.xlsm (Excel Macro-Enabled workbook)2: Close the workbook3: Open Book1.xlsm in the Custom UI Editor4: Right click on the File name in the Custom UI Editor or use the Insert menu5: Choose "Office 2007 Custom UI Part" to create the customUI.xml file6: Paste the RibbonX below in the right window Note: If there is no customUI14.xml file it will load the customUI.xml also in Excel 2010.

<customUI xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/01/customui"> <ribbon> <tabs>

<tab idMso="TabHome" > <group id="customGroup1" label="My Group" insertAfterMso="GroupEditingExcel">

<button id="customButton1" label="Click Me" size="large" onAction="Macro1" imageMso="HappyFace" />

</group> </tab>

</tabs> </ribbon></customUI>

7: Save your changes in the Custom UI Editor (click on the Save button)8: Close the Editor9: Open the File in Excel10: Alt F1111: Insert Module12: Copy the macro below in the Module

Sub Macro1(control As IRibbonControl) MsgBox "Hi There"End Sub

13: Click on the Save button in the VBA editor14: use Alt q to close the VBA editor15: Test the workbook in 2007 and/or in 2010

For a example to load different RibbonX in 2007 and 2010 visit this pagehttp://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbonx20072010.htm

More RibbonX examples

You can download 8 Excel files here with basic RibbonX examples for Excel 2007 and Excel 2010.Download Example Excel files Last Updated : 27-June-2010

Add custom group in built-in tab.xlsmAdd menu and buttons to Backstage or Office Button.xlsmCustom tab for Favorite Groups and buttons.xlsmCustom tab for your favorite macros part 1.xlsmCustom tab for your favorite macros part 2.xlsmDictator(1).xlsmDictator(2) With_Custom_Tab.xlsmDisable-Visible-Repurposing.xlsm

Note 1: when you create your menus with Application.CommandBars in Excel 97-2003 you have codeto create the menu and delete the menu. In Excel 2007-2010 when you use RibbonX to customize the ribbon thisis different, when you close or deactivate the workbook it will automatic remove your customizations.

Note 2: The files are working OK in Excel 2007 and 2010.If you want to load different RibbonX for Excel 2007 and Excel 2010 see :

Load different RibbonX when opening file in Excel 2007 or 2010http://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbonx20072010.htm

Find the Control, Group and Tab names

You see that I use idMso="VisualBasic" to point to a built-in control.But how do you find the names of the controls ?

Microsoft files for Excel 2007 and Excel 2010Download this file from the Microsoft site: Office 2007: Lists of Control IDsDownload this file from the Microsoft site: Office 2010: Office Fluent User Interface Control Identifiers

I create my own versions of the files for Excel above to make it easier.Note: If you disable macros you can't use the files.Download the Excel 2007 versionDownload the Excel 2010 version

If you are only looking for the names of the controls in the built-in groups on the Ribbon see :

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http://www.rondebruin.nl/xmlribbongroups.htm

Download the Word and PowerPoint version for Excel 2007 :Download the Word versionDownload the PowerPoint version

Tip: ContextMenu Add-in for Office 2010This add-in from Microsoft add the name of the ContextMenu in every Context menu(Right click menu's).This is a very easy way for developers to find the idMso of the menu so they can use it in the RibbonX.Note: Only In 2010 you can change the ContextMenu's with RibbonX.http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/contextmenusaddin

See also: How do I Change a ContextMenu in Excelhttp://www.rondebruin.nl/contextmenu.htm

Find the names of the button images

You can see that I use imageMso="HappyFace" to use the built-in image I want.But how do you find the names of all the images?

Microsoft files for Excel 2007 and Excel 2010Download this file from the Microsoft site Office 2007 : Icons GalleryDownload this file from the Microsoft site Office 2010 : Icons Gallery

Control Image Add-in for Excel 2007 and Excel 2010 (made by Jim Rech) TipJim's add-in displays the images on buttons in the Ribbon (by adding a new tab), he has tried to remove most orall duplicate images and, in the case of Excel 2007, added a few images not in the MS list.Download it from my site File date (16-Nov-2010), also working in the 64 bit version of Excel 2010.

Note 1: There is one small problem on this moment when you have this add-in loaded in Excel 2007:If you select “All Commands” In the “Choose commands from” dropdown in the QAT customize dialog with thisadd-in loaded you will get a error 400 a lot of times (you can hold the Enter key, faster than clicking OK).Microsoft fixed this bug in Excel 2010.

Note 2: Jim describes on the add-in's worksheet how he got the image names that he uses. If you are curious change the IsAddin property of the add-in to False to see the worksheet.

For Excel 2007: You can use John Walkenbach's mso image browser for Excel 2007 workbook.Download it from my site

RibbonX Tips

1: How do I use my own icons in the Ribbon

<--- ron.png

1) Download my picture ron.png on your desktop (right click on the picture and use Save Picture As)2) Open the file "Book1.xlsm" from the first example in the Custom UI Editor.3) Click on the Insert Icons button or use the Insert menu to insert the file ron.png. You see it now below the custumUI file in the Custom UI Editor, maybe you must click on the + before customUI.xml if you not see it.

Then change thisimageMso="HappyFace"

toimage="ron"

Click on the Save button in the Custom UI Editor and open the file "Book1.xlsm"in Excel and you see my nice face on the ribbon.

imageMso = Built-in iconimage = Your own icon

For more information see this page :Images on custom Ribbon controlshttp://www.rondebruin.nl/getimage.htm

2: Display and Hide Tabs, Groups, and Controls on the Microsoft Office Ribbon

In one of the 8 Excel files above you can find RibbonX examples toHide Disable or Display Enable Ribbon controls/groups/Tabs.

But how can you Hide or make a Tab, Group or Control visible with VBA code ?

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My MSDN Articles :

Display and Hide Tabs, Groups, and Controls on the Microsoft Office Ribbon (Part 1 of 2)http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee390805(office.11).aspx

Display and Hide Tabs, Groups, and Controls on the Microsoft Office Ribbon (Part 2 of 2)http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee633442(office.11).aspx

Or on my own site :

Hide or Display Custom Ribbon Tab/Group/Control with getVisiblehttp://www.rondebruin.nl/hidevisible.htm

3: Enable or Disable custom Ribbon buttons in Excel 2007-2010Enable or Disable custom Ribbon buttons in Excel 2007-2010http://www.rondebruin.nl/enable.htm

4: loss of state of the global IRibbonUI Ribbon object

There is a common problem when you are working with the Ribbon with RibbonX and VBA.The ribbon object (which is initialized when Excel loads your file) can loose its reference to the ribbon,which means your code can no longer tell Excel to update your ribbon customizations.There is simply no easy built-in way to recover the handle to the Ribbon when there are problemsin or with your code. The only way to fix it is to close reopen your workbook, not a very user friendly way.

Visit this page for a solution for this nasty problemhttp://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbonstate.htm

5: How do I Change a ContextMenu in Excel with VBA and RibbonX (Excel 2010)

Visit the page below for examples and example workbooks

How do I Change a ContextMenu in Excelhttp://www.rondebruin.nl/contextmenu.htm

6: Examples to change Backstage View in Excel 2010

There is one example in the download above but on the page below there are more examples.

How do I change Backstage(File) in Excel 2010http://www.rondebruin.nl/backstage.htm

7: How do I create Galleries in the Ribbon

There are many controls that you can add to the Ribbon and one of them is a Gallery.On this page you can download a few example workbooks that are maybe useful if youwant to create your own Gallery on the Ribbon.

Galleries in the Ribbonhttp://www.rondebruin.nl/galleries.htm

8: How do I fill a dropdown on the Ribbon with values from a range

In the download you find one file from Jim Rech and one from mebased on Jim's example. I my example you can see how you canuse the dropdown value in another macro.

Download DropDown.zip

9: Dictator examples and Hide the MRU("Most Recently Used") file list

There are two dictator examples in example files but you see that the MRU list is still there.

Note: in Excel 2010 this is no problem anymore, see this page for a examplehttp://www.rondebruin.nl/backstage.htm

There is no built-in option to disable the MRU("Most Recently Used") file list in the Office button menu.Try this example file that create a new tab on the Ribbon and hide/disable afew controls with RibbonX and with VBA code from Jim Rech disable the MRU list.

Part from the comments in the code from Jim:Because there is apparently no way to disable the MRU list on the Office Menu directlywe clear it by setting Application.RecentFiles.Maximum to 0. Since this action clears

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the MRU list in the registry we first backup its contents to the registry as wellas number of files the user is showing in it. We use the registry in case VB variables are cleared.

Download the example filePlease give feedback if you have problems or suggestions with the code.

If you test the Dictator examples you also notice that it will not disable/hide everything.With VBA code you must also hide the formula bar, status bar and right click menus.

10: Hide/Show the whole Ribbon with VBA

You can use this VBA example posted by Jim Rech to Hide/Show the whole Ribbon and QAT.

Sub HideRibbon() Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro "SHOW.TOOLBAR(""Ribbon"",False)"End Sub

Sub ShowRibbon() Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro "SHOW.TOOLBAR(""Ribbon"",True)"End Sub

Only in Excel 2010 you can use this to toggle the view of only the RibbonCommandBars.ExecuteMso "MinimizeRibbon"

See this site for a function to check the state of the Ribbonhttp://www.accessribbon.de/en/index.php?FAQ:19

11: Edit the Ribbon with a Add-in

Try this Add-in : RibbonX Visual Designer Add-in (made by Andy Pope)http://www.andypope.info/vba/ribboneditor.htm

Now that you know how you can use the Custom UI Editor to save the RibbonX in a workbookmaybe you want to try this old workbook to create the RibbonX for a custom tab on the Ribbon.XMLCreator-1.5 File date: 5 March 2007

12: How do I change the QAT (Quick Access Toolbar)

Menu for favorite macros in Excel 2007-2010 (for all workbooks)Menu for favorite macros in Excel 2007-2010 (for one workbook)Add missing built-in commands to the QAT or RibbonAdd buttons to the QAT and customize the images of the buttons

13: Customize Contextual tabs in Excel 2007 and Excel 2010

Learn how to customize Contextual tabs in Excel 2007 and Excel 2010http://www.rondebruin.nl/contextualtabs.htm

RibbonX templates for the XML menu in the UI editor

On the Insert menu in the Custom UI Editor you see that there is a menu called "Sample XML"

It is easy to have your own menu templates there so you can insert it quick in any workbook you want.You only have to make a few changes after you insert it from the Sample menu and you are ready.But In the UI editor you cannot save the RibbonX directly to an xml file and use that in theInsert>Sample XML menu. It is only possible to save the RibbonX directly in a Excel file.

But you can do this:

Make your template menu in the UI editor and validate and test the RibbonX in a test workbook.Then copy the RibbonX in a Notepad file and save it with the name you want.

Then change the extension from txt to xmlIf you not see the extensions of your files do this:

1: Open Windows Explorer2: Win XP : Click on Tools>Folder Options3: Vista or Windows 7 : Click on Organize>Folder and Search Options4: On the View tab uncheck “Hide extensions for known file types"

Then copy the template xml file in the samples folder.

C:\Program Files\CustomUIEditor\Samples

Or if you have a 64 bit machineC:\Program Files (x86)\CustomUIEditor\Samples

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After you open the UI editor you will see your template file in the Sample menu of the UI editorand you can insert it in any workbook you want.

You can download a zip file here with 11 XML files with RibbonX from the example workbooks that you candownload in the "More RibbonX examples" section so you can paste them in the "Samples" folder to test it.

XMLSamples.zipFile date: 27-June-2010 (8 for the "Office 2007 Custom UI Part" and 3 for the "Office 2010 Custom UI Part")

More information

See the links in this part "Excel 2007-2010 Ribbon and QAT pages" of my Tips pagehttp://www.rondebruin.nl/tips.htm

Customizing the 2007 Office Fluent Ribbon for Developers (MSDN)http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa338202.aspx

Read Chapter 14 (RibbonX) of this great book: Excel 2007 VBA Programmer's Referencehttp://www.oaltd.co.uk/Excel2007ProgRef/Default.htm

Book: RibbonX: Customizing the Office 2007 Ribbonhttp://www.amazon.com/RibbonX-Customizing-Office-2007-Ribbon/dp/0470191112

RibbonX Visual Designer Add-in (made by Andy Pope)http://www.andypope.info/vba/ribboneditor.htm

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