How to programmatically create Ribbon and add controls to it?

Question

I want to have a single ribbon in microsoft office, in which I will have all my add-ins. Let's say there are 2 add-ins, both are a single button on the ribbon, which then open a winform. The user installs the first add-in, the program checks for an installed ribbon, since there isn't any, it adds the ribbon and the button, which calls the add-ins function.

Then the user installs the second add-in later, which, instead of adding the same ribbon, checks if there is already a ribbon with the same name installed, and if there is, it only adds the button to the already installed ribbon, if there isn't(somehow the first add-in was uninstalled or something) it adds the ribbon with the button.

So I thought that in the ThisAddin_Startup event I instantiate a "RibbonController" class. In the RibbonController class i would check for the ribbons existence. (Every addin would have a RibbonController class)

Since I'm fairly new in the MS Office Add-in programming zone, i need help accessing the ribbons objects and creating it programmatically if it wasn't installed earlier.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 15 '14 at 10:48

I made a Ribbon.xml for every addin, that has the same structure. I've set a "namespace" in every ribbon.xml, that will help the controls to be added to the same tab, everytime.

<customUI xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2009/07/customui" onLoad="Ribbon_Load" xmlns:x="NAMESPACE FOR EVERY TAB"> //the namespaces abreviation is "x"
    <ribbon>
        <tabs>
            <tab idQ="x:tab1" label="CommonTab" >
            ....

Then I set the tabs idQ with the "x:" prefix so it will know the namespace. From every add-in that uses the same xml structure, the controls from the tab will be added to a single tab.

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:05

0

We use Add In Express at our work place. It's really easy to use and does everything. It's paid though.

Also please look at this answer.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:05

Community

1
1

answered Sep 19 '14 at 21:15

Mayank

8,777
4
35
60

And it can do the exact same thing as I was requesting? I would really like to do it without any third-party stuff, but if it's the only way, i have to convince my boss to buy it. – Laureant Sep 20 '14 at 08:06
It can do whole lot more. You can do it your self but you can't beat the price. For $450 you get tools that make your life much easier. I don't work for add-in-express but because I really like the tool as I use them at my work place. – Mayank Sep 20 '14 at 20:16
Thank you Mayank! The thing is, that I would really like to know a more basic approach to this, without third-party applications – Laureant Sep 22 '14 at 07:21
Thanks for the edit, but sadly it's not exactly what I wanted. I can't add add-in specific controls to that shared ribbon from the add-in itself. – Laureant Sep 23 '14 at 10:39

How to programmatically create Ribbon and add controls to it?

2 Answers2