Change built-in groups in the Ribbon
It is not possible to add to or remove controls from
built-in groups in the Ribbon. For example, the
Format Painter button from the Home tab's Clipboard group cannot be removed from this group.
But there is a way around this restriction.
We can hide a built-in group and then duplicate it with RibbonX.
And then we can modify our duplicate group anyway we want.
To do this you have to know how to add RibbonX to a workbook first.
If you not know how to do this follow the steps on this page and then come back.
http://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbon.htm
Let's begin
There are a seven default tabs on the ribbon and an eighth if you show the Developer tab.
To display the Developer tab go to Office Button >Excel Options...Popular.
Note: For each tab there is a different page, click on the links in the Tab Name column.
In the RibbonX we must know the names of the Tabs
If you click on a tab name in the first column you will go to a page where you can see a origenal
screenshot of every group in that tab and you can copy the RibbonX to create this group.
Note: You see that not every group looks the same as the original group because there are a
few things that we can't control. For example It is not possible to change the width of a built-in
combobox or to center two rows of controls in a group.
Tab number nine: Add-Ins
This tab only exists when you open an workbook that creates its own menus with VBA code or
use RibbonX that put the controls specific in the Add-ins tab.
The name you must use in RibbonX is : TabAddIns
Example
As an example of replacing a built in group and then customizing it, we will hide the original
"Clipboard" group on the Home tab and build a new one without the Format Painter control.
In addition we will add the Mail Recipient button that Microsoft has hidden.
The Mail Recipient button sends a selection or worksheet to the body of an email.
You can add a built-in control like we do here or add a custom button that runs a macro.
On my Ribbon page you can find examples of how you can add a custom button.
http://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbon.htm
Excel’s built-in Clipboard group before we replace it with ours:
First we create a new workbook and save it with the name test1.xlsx
Next we close this workbook and open the Custom UI Editor.
Then we open the file test1.xlsx in the Custom UI Editor.
Tip: If you want to copy and paste the RibbonX click here: Example1.txt
We enter the following six lines in the UI editor (start and end lines of the XML)
Between these lines we first add RibbonX to hide the built-in Clipboard group.
Now we click on the Save button in the Custom UI Editor and open the file test.xlsx in Excel.
And if you have done it correctly the Clipboard group is not visible anymore.
The next step is to rebuild the group and delete the line that adds the Format Painter control and then to
add the Mail Recipient button. But first be sure to close test.xlsx in Excel so the UI editor can change it.
You can find the RibbonX on this page
http://www.rondebruin.nl/xmlribbongroups_1.htm
We copy and paste the RibbonX from the Clipboard group between these lines in the UI editor.
First, specify the name of the built-in tab we are changing.
(You must add these lines yourself).
The complete RibbonX looks like this after we delete this line that creates
the Format Painter control:
<control idMso="FormatPainter"/>
And add the Mail Recipient control:
<toggleButton idMso="SendCopySendToMailRecipient" />
Now we click the Save button in the Custom UI Editor and open the file test.xlsx in Excel.
If you have done it correctly, the Format Painter button will be replaced by the
the Mail Recipient like this:
Downloads
Download XMLRibbonGroups.zip
In this Zip file there is one file for each tab on the ribbon.
Every file hides all groups on its tab and duplicates them with RibbonX.
Use the Custom UI Editor to see the RibbonX that creates the whole tab.
I will add a file for the whole Ribbon soon
More information
Change the Ribbon in Excel 2007
http://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbon.htm
There are more links in the "More Information" part of that page
Format Painter button from the Home tab's Clipboard group cannot be removed from this group.
But there is a way around this restriction.
We can hide a built-in group and then duplicate it with RibbonX.
And then we can modify our duplicate group anyway we want.
To do this you have to know how to add RibbonX to a workbook first.
If you not know how to do this follow the steps on this page and then come back.
http://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbon.htm
Let's begin
There are a seven default tabs on the ribbon and an eighth if you show the Developer tab.
To display the Developer tab go to Office Button >Excel Options...Popular.
Note: For each tab there is a different page, click on the links in the Tab Name column.
In the RibbonX we must know the names of the Tabs
| Tab Name | Name in XML |
| Home | TabHome |
| Insert | TabInsert |
| Page Layout | TabPageLayoutExcel |
| Formulas | TabFormulas |
| Data | TabData |
| Review | TabReview |
| View | TabView |
| Developer | TabDeveloper |
If you click on a tab name in the first column you will go to a page where you can see a origenal
screenshot of every group in that tab and you can copy the RibbonX to create this group.
Note: You see that not every group looks the same as the original group because there are a
few things that we can't control. For example It is not possible to change the width of a built-in
combobox or to center two rows of controls in a group.
Tab number nine: Add-Ins
This tab only exists when you open an workbook that creates its own menus with VBA code or
use RibbonX that put the controls specific in the Add-ins tab.
The name you must use in RibbonX is : TabAddIns
Example
As an example of replacing a built in group and then customizing it, we will hide the original
"Clipboard" group on the Home tab and build a new one without the Format Painter control.
In addition we will add the Mail Recipient button that Microsoft has hidden.
The Mail Recipient button sends a selection or worksheet to the body of an email.
You can add a built-in control like we do here or add a custom button that runs a macro.
On my Ribbon page you can find examples of how you can add a custom button.
http://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbon.htm
Excel’s built-in Clipboard group before we replace it with ours:
First we create a new workbook and save it with the name test1.xlsx
Next we close this workbook and open the Custom UI Editor.
Then we open the file test1.xlsx in the Custom UI Editor.
Tip: If you want to copy and paste the RibbonX click here: Example1.txt
We enter the following six lines in the UI editor (start and end lines of the XML)
Between these lines we first add RibbonX to hide the built-in Clipboard group.
Now we click on the Save button in the Custom UI Editor and open the file test.xlsx in Excel.
And if you have done it correctly the Clipboard group is not visible anymore.
The next step is to rebuild the group and delete the line that adds the Format Painter control and then to
add the Mail Recipient button. But first be sure to close test.xlsx in Excel so the UI editor can change it.
You can find the RibbonX on this page
http://www.rondebruin.nl/xmlribbongroups_1.htm
We copy and paste the RibbonX from the Clipboard group between these lines in the UI editor.
First, specify the name of the built-in tab we are changing.
(You must add these lines yourself).
The complete RibbonX looks like this after we delete this line that creates
the Format Painter control:
<control idMso="FormatPainter"/>
And add the Mail Recipient control:
<toggleButton idMso="SendCopySendToMailRecipient" />
Now we click the Save button in the Custom UI Editor and open the file test.xlsx in Excel.
If you have done it correctly, the Format Painter button will be replaced by the
the Mail Recipient like this:
Downloads
Download XMLRibbonGroups.zip
In this Zip file there is one file for each tab on the ribbon.
Every file hides all groups on its tab and duplicates them with RibbonX.
Use the Custom UI Editor to see the RibbonX that creates the whole tab.
I will add a file for the whole Ribbon soon
More information
Change the Ribbon in Excel 2007
http://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbon.htm
There are more links in the "More Information" part of that page