2

Does anybody know if it is possible (and in that case how) to navigate programmatically in an Office 2010 addin?

The idea is to create a settings button on a ribbon tab, that when clicked, will direct the user to the settings of the add-in that would be located in the backstage view. Is there a way to programmatically change the active view being displayed to the user or something like that?

Thank you!!

Vintharas
  • 190
  • 1
  • 8

1 Answers1

2

As a developer putting on the user spectacles, I find your approach not convincing. If I click on a settings button, I expect a well-designed dialog, not to be thrown into backstage view. On the other hand - as a developr I'm much more at ease with a well-designed Windows Form than with the controls Microsoft provides for the backstage user interface; I guess you'll find there more limitations then you like. As far as I understand your question, you want to have two different entry points to your settings dialogue - one from a button in the ribbon, and another from a point in the backstage view. Why not combining and showing from both positions the same form? Also Microsoft provides you with additional dialogues, if you click on controls in the backstage view.

Technically: If you want to start the action of a ribbon control, you can use the "ExecuteMSO" command of the application.commmandbar object, e.g. in Word you may use 

Application.CommandBars.ExecuteMso "ApplicationOptionsDialog"

to open this dialogue. However, I've done a limited test to call a custom button in backstage view, and it failed. Sol I guess that you can use ExecuteMSO only for built-in commands.

domke consulting
  • 1,022
  • 8
  • 5
  • Hi! Thank you for your response! I don't want to open a settings dialog. The settings dialog IS in the backstage view, inside a custom tab :). I think it would be nice if the user could click on a button in the ribbon tab and be magically transported to backstage view, where the settings form resides XD. – Vintharas Oct 11 '11 at 11:14