July 01, 2010

Excel 2007/2010 Classic Ribbon Tab

This, I think, is by far the easiest way for you to bring your favorite icons/buttons in the way you like 'em arranged under a 'Ribbon Tab' of your updated Excel 2007/2010. I am bringing it here because I know some of you dudes have recently upgraded at your office and it will be a hassle to work your deadlines under an unfamiliar interface.

Steps:
1) Open your old Excel application or any pc where it is not yet upgraded.

2) Right click the toolbar area and select 'Customize'. A toolbar customization dialog will open. Select 'New' and a blank Toolbar, ready for you to populate with icon will appear. You can name this toolbar any name.

3) Drag your selected icons or menu item from those you see into the new toolbar. Place it in the sequence you are most comfortable with. You may also click the 'Commands' tab of the 'Customize' dialog, as shown here, to reveal other icons that you think you may need.

4) Take care that you do not over extend the new toolbar beyond the screen. If needed, you may create another blank toolbar to populate with icons or menu items. After you are satisfied, select the 'Reset' command button on the 'Customize' dialog under the 'Toolbars' tab as shown on the screen. This will repopulate the default Excel toolbars (you don't want to piss the user of that pc with missing icons).

5) Now, click the 'Attach' command button. This will make you carry these toolbars and buttons with this particular workbook. Save this blank workbook under a name you can easily remember and someplace with your network (or usb/diskette) where you can retrieve using your upgraded Excel version. When you open the said workbook, it will appear under the 'Addin' tab of your upgraded Excel ribbon.

There you have it. Congratulate yourself, you have programmed the ribbon without really programming! Bear in mind though that if you download any other add-in with it's own ribbon customization script, the buttons may clog on that same place. You may also reduce the space by right clicking the icons and selecting delete toolbar. Or you may learn the 'XML' scripting of the Excel ribbon (the steps of which, you may have otherwise already googled by now).

Anyway, you've learned the easier way here. And I will share some more ways for you to program without really programming, until one day, we may wake up and find out we are already programming for real! Enjoy.

Sample Classic / other fave icons imported into Excel 2007 (Note some buttons may have a different button/menu counterpart in the new versions):

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