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Welcome! Custom Ribbons, Menus & Buttons

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Welcome to Microsoft Access Developer Level 44. In this course we will discuss building custom ribbons and menus in Access, including how to set up custom ribbons for your database, apply ribbons to specific forms, and swap them dynamically. We will cover creating the USysRibbons table, building the ribbon XML, and using VBA to manage ribbons. We'll talk about adding custom functions, using built-in and custom images, and working with various ribbon controls like checkboxes and combo boxes. Callback functions, dialog launchers, SuperTip text, and sending parameters to ribbon buttons will also be covered.

Navigation

Prev: D44
Next: Lesson 01

Keywords

Access Developer, custom ribbon, USysRibbons table, ribbon XML, VBA ribbon swap, custom ribbon buttons, callback functions, Access built-in images, custom ribbon images, LoadPicture, control tip text, dialog launcher, split button, toggle button, combo bo

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Intro

Transcript

Welcome to Microsoft Access Developer Level 44, brought to you by AccessLearningZone.com. I am your instructor Richard Rost.

Today is part one of my series on building custom ribbons and menus. Today, we are going to talk about all kinds of different stuff, and I am going to show you how to set up custom ribbons for your entire database, apply specific ribbons to individual forms, and swap them on the fly.

We are going to learn about callback functions, using built-in Access images, custom images, and tons of ribbon controls, checkboxes, drop down lists, combo boxes - you name it. Lots of stuff today.

Of course, this is a developer level class. However, the stuff that I am teaching today really does not require that you have watched all the previous developer lessons, but definitely the Beginner and Expert series, the Advanced series, and at least Developer Level 1, so you have got some basic VBA under your belt. Of course, I always recommend not skipping levels.

This class was recorded using Microsoft 365. It is currently 2023, so I am using the most current version. As far as I know, the stuff I am covering today goes all the way back to Access 2007, which is when they introduced the ribbon. They have made some changes to it since then. If you are using 2007 or 2010, I am not exactly sure that this stuff is going to work for you. It has been a while.

Of course, if you have questions, post them down below. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page you are watching this video on and post them right there.

Here is a detailed look at exactly what is covered in today's class.

In lesson one, we are going to begin learning how to build custom ribbons. We will create the USysRibbons table, which is a hidden system table that will contain your ribbon data. We will see how to build the ribbon XML, which is basically a text file that indicates what goes in the ribbon, the different groups and tabs, and such.

We will learn how to apply a ribbon to an entire database and how to build a ribbon just for a single specific form, like your customer form. Then we will learn how to swap the ribbons on the fly with VBA code. You can click a button or have an event that runs that changes the ribbon.

In lesson two, we are continuing with custom ribbons. We are going to learn how to make buttons with our own custom functions in them. So instead of just having to use the built-in Access functions like cut, copy, paste, that kind of stuff, we can make our own cool buttons that do our own cool thing.

We are going to learn about something called callback functions. We are going to learn how to use the built-in Access images, the little icons that come with Access. Then we are going to learn how to use our own custom images, like a picture of that handsome guy right there. We will learn about the LoadPicture function.

Then, a bunch of different properties like control tip text, which is called SuperTip, label controls. We will learn about dialog launchers, those little tiny buttons at the bottom of a group. We will learn how to send parameters to our callback functions to open different forms with different parameters.

We will make a ribbon button to open the contacts for the current customer on the customer form. All that is in lesson two.

In lesson three, we are continuing on with custom ribbons. We are going to build a Compact and Repair button right on our ribbon editor ribbon, so we do not have to keep switching back to the Database Tools ribbon. We are going to learn about the separator, the split button, toggle button, checkbox, edit button, drop down and combo box controls.

Quiz

Q1. What is the main focus of this lesson in Microsoft Access Developer Level 44?
A. Building custom ribbons and menus
B. Designing reports in Access
C. Creating complex queries
D. Importing data from Excel

Q2. What is the USysRibbons table used for?
A. Storing user data
B. Containing ribbon XML data for custom ribbons
C. Tracking form changes
D. Holding VBA code modules

Q3. Which file format is used to define the layout and content of custom ribbons in Access?
A. HTML
B. XML
C. CSV
D. TXT

Q4. What is one feature covered for customizing ribbons at the database level?
A. Creating a split form
B. Applying a ribbon to the entire database
C. Linking ODBC data sources
D. Encrypting the database

Q5. How can you assign a custom ribbon to just a single form?
A. By using a macro
B. By setting the ribbon property on the form
C. By copying the form
D. By importing XML into the form

Q6. What functionality allows you to change the ribbon being displayed while the database is open?
A. Query parameters
B. VBA code to swap ribbons on the fly
C. Form events only at startup
D. Compact and repair process

Q7. What are callback functions in the context of custom ribbons?
A. Functions used to validate data input
B. Functions that connect Access to Excel
C. Functions that are assigned to ribbon controls for custom actions
D. Functions to backup databases

Q8. Which of the following can be used as button images in a custom Access ribbon?
A. Only external image files
B. Only built-in Access images
C. Both built-in Access images and custom images
D. Only animated GIFs

Q9. What is the purpose of the LoadPicture function in this course?
A. To create reports
B. To load custom images for ribbon controls
C. To link to SharePoint lists
D. To refresh a subform

Q10. What is a SuperTip in the context of Access ribbons?
A. A function that sorts records
B. The control tip text for ribbon items
C. An advanced query type
D. The name of a ribbon group

Q11. Which of the following ribbon controls is NOT specifically mentioned in the video as being covered?
A. Toggle button
B. Checkbox
C. Video player
D. Combo box

Q12. What is the main advantage of creating a Compact and Repair button on the custom ribbon?
A. It backs up the database automatically
B. It avoids the need to switch to the Database Tools ribbon
C. It enables multi-user editing
D. It encrypts the database tables

Answers: 1-A; 2-B; 3-B; 4-B; 5-B; 6-B; 7-C; 8-C; 9-B; 10-B; 11-C; 12-B

DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Summary

Today's video from Access Learning Zone is Microsoft Access Developer Level 44, where I begin a series on creating custom ribbons and menus. In this session, I will introduce you to several important topics surrounding ribbons and how you can tailor them for your Access databases.

We will start by looking at how to create custom ribbons for your entire database, then move on to specifying ribbons for particular forms. I will explain how to switch ribbons dynamically while your application is running, which can be done using VBA.

This class is designed for developers, but you do not need to have completed every previous developer-level lesson. However, having gone through the Beginner, Expert, and Advanced series, as well as at least Developer Level 1, is recommended since some basic VBA knowledge is expected. I always advise building a solid foundation before tackling higher level material.

I am using Microsoft 365 for this course, and it was recorded in 2023 using the latest version at the time. The concepts I am teaching today date back to Access 2007, which introduced the ribbon interface. Some features and methods might differ if you are working in Access 2007 or 2010, but most of the content should still apply.

If you have any questions as you follow along, you can post them below the video page for help.

Here is an overview of what we will cover today:

In the first lesson, I will introduce custom ribbons by creating the USysRibbons table, a system table that stores your ribbon definitions. I will discuss how to write the ribbon XML, which is the code that describes how your ribbons are structured, including tabs, groups, and controls.

I will show you how to set a custom ribbon for your entire database, as well as how to build a ribbon that is specific to an individual form, such as a customer form. I will also demonstrate how to switch ribbons on the fly using VBA, so you can trigger ribbon changes through buttons or events within your application.

The second lesson takes the ribbon customization further. Here, we begin making buttons on the ribbon that link to your own custom functions, not just the built-in Access actions like cut, copy, or paste. I will discuss callback functions, which let you control what happens when each ribbon button is used. We will also explore how to use the standard Access images for your buttons, and how to add your own images, using the LoadPicture function and referencing your own graphics.

I will explain various ribbon control properties, including control tip text, also known as SuperTip, as well as labels and dialog launchers, which are the small buttons often found at the bottom of a ribbon group. You will also learn how to send parameters to your callback functions, making it possible to open different forms or pass different values based on which ribbon button is pressed. As an example, I will show you how to add a button that opens the contacts related to the current customer on your customer form.

Lesson three continues this journey into custom ribbons. In this section, I will guide you through building a Compact and Repair button directly into your custom ribbon, so you do not need to use the standard Database Tools ribbon anymore. You will see how to use various controls like separators, split buttons, toggle buttons, checkboxes, edit buttons, drop down controls, and combo boxes on your ribbon for more advanced functionality.

You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

Building custom ribbons in Access
Creating and using the USysRibbons table
Writing ribbon XML for tabs and groups
Applying a custom ribbon to the entire database
Applying a custom ribbon to a single form
Swapping ribbons dynamically using VBA
Adding buttons with custom functions to the ribbon
Understanding and using callback functions
Using built-in Access images on ribbon controls
Adding custom images to ribbon buttons
Setting control tip and SuperTip text
Using dialog launchers on ribbon groups
Passing parameters to callback functions
Creating ribbon buttons to open forms with parameters
Adding a Compact and Repair button to the ribbon
Using ribbon controls: separator, split button, toggle button
Adding checkboxes, edit buttons, dropdowns, combo boxes