3

I am writing a Powerpoint Addin application, and using 2 ways to create a ribbon menu (XML, and designer). I went through the MSDN document about Office Ribbon XML, and tried to create a Ribbon menu this way. I see that creating a Ribbon menu by using the Designer tool has the same functionality as the Ribbon XML.

In a meanwhile, Ribbon XML is more complicated, time-consuming, more work to deal with (because you have to make it manually: writing callback, etc), not able to access its items via Globals. The only thing, I think Ribbon XML might be useful, since it might be used for different office applications (because you can transfer a xml file from one project to another project easily ???)

Can you tell me the advantages of using Office Ribbon XML over Designer? These advantages are mentioned in some MSDN documents, but I do not get it properly. Thanks

Martijn Pieters
  • 1,048,767
  • 296
  • 4,058
  • 3,343
chipbk10
  • 5,783
  • 12
  • 49
  • 85
  • I think you already do get it. It's simpler to use, does a certain amount of error checking for you, etc. And there's no reason why you can't do some of the work in the Designer tool or some other RibbonXML editor (there are several out there) and later manually tweak the code in your PPTM/PPAM files with any editor you like. Though offhand I can't imagine why you'd need to. – Steve Rindsberg Mar 18 '14 at 19:07
  • Thanks @SteveRindsberg. However, you still do not address my question. What are the advantages of Office Ribbon XML over Designer? – chipbk10 Mar 19 '14 at 09:14
  • Any of the various tools, Designer and so on, PRODUCE RibbonXML in a friendly editing environment. You can write code in pretty much any language you like using Notepad and a compiler EXE but hardly anybody does. It's just easier and more efficient to use an editing program that handles all the boring, repetitive details for you. Same is true of using a ribbon editor vs Ribbon XML. – Steve Rindsberg Mar 19 '14 at 14:41
  • @chipbk10 ,did you ever get to the bottom on this thread? – Bill Roberts May 16 '18 at 15:00
  • I hope the XML aproach will let me use more useful callbacks. (I need to determine if MY ribbon has been selected, so I can hook some keyboard events - quite a task.... ) - I will bundle all useful links, internet-statements and personal experience in an answer. =) – Jan May 28 '18 at 13:47

1 Answers1

2

This is not a complete/good answer yet, but I will try to update it everytime I learn something new about this (awful) Office Ribbon stuff.

There ARE differences, the designer wont give you all possible Types to customize, mentioned here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb386297.aspx

One of those Types would be the built in Tag or the backstage Tab (>=Office2010): https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/vstudio/en-US/e3a68e06-9e27-4d6c-bd1e-e566ab8b7506/ribbon-xml-vs-ribbon-designer?forum=vsto

Jan
  • 333
  • 2
  • 15
  • If you ever need a (<- did not say complete) list of idMso commands available: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=6627 – Jan May 28 '18 at 13:54