CBCGPRibbonBar

Detailed Description

The CBCGPRibbonBar class implements functionality of "Ribbon" control.

"Ribbon" control was introduced by Microsoft in Office 2007. It's not just a new control - it's a new user interface ideology. Ribbon control replaces traditional toolbars and menus with tabbed groups (Categories). Each group is logically split into Panels and each panel may contain various controls and command buttons. In addition, Ribbon control provides smart layout maximally utilizing the available space. For example, if a Panel has been stretched and has no place to display all available controls, it becomes a menu button which can display sub-items on a popup menu.

Ribbon control behaves as a "static" (non-floating) control bar and can be docked at the top of frame. In fact, the same Ribbon Bar can be used to implement Office 2007-style status bar or any other control that hosts Ribbon Categories (CBCGPRibbonCategory). A Ribbon Category is a logical entity. The visual representation of Category is a Ribbon Tab (CBCGPRibbonTab). A Category contains (and the Tab displays) a group of Ribbon Panels. Each Ribbon Panel contains one or more Ribbon Elements (CBCGPBaseRibbonElement - derived objects).

How to add ribbon control to your application:

Copy

// The simplest way to setup the Ribbon bar conent is using Ribbon Designer application: http://www.bcgsoft.com/doc/RibbonDesigner.htm

// Please read the steps below if you wish to create the bar dynamically in your code, not using the designer.

// Open MainFrm.h, remove CBCGPMenuBar m_wndMenuBar and CBCGPToolBar m_wndToolBar.

// Add definitions for the Ribbon Bar and Ribbon Main Button:

CBCGPRibbonBar m_wndRibbonBar;

CBCGPRibbonMainButton m_MainButton;

// Add definition for the panels image list:

CBCGPToolBarImages m_PanelIcons;

// Open MainFrm.cpp and remove everything related to m_wndMenuBar and m_wndToolBar.

//

// Add to the resources a bitmap for the Ribbon Main Button (IDB_MAIN). Use a bitmap 26x26 pixels.

// Add a bitmap for image list of small icons (16 pixels height, at 96 DPI) and a bitmap for image list of large icons (32 pixels height, at 96 DPI).

// Name them IDB_SMALL_ICONS and IDB_LARGE_ICONS respectively.

// Create Ribbon Bar in CMainFrame::OnCreate:

m_wndRibbonBar.Create(this);

// Initialize and set Main Ribbon Button:

m_MainButton.SetMenu(IDR_FILE_MENU);

m_MainButton.SetImage(IDB_MAIN);

m_MainButton.SetToolTipText(_T("File"));

m_wndRibbonBar.SetMainButton(&m_MainButton, CSize (45, 45));

// Initialize and load image list of panel icons:

m_PanelIcons.SetImageSize(CSize(16, 16));

m_PanelIcons.Load(IDB_PANEL_ICONS);

// Add the first category:

CBCGPRibbonCategory* pCategory = m_wndRibbonBar.AddCategory(

_T("&Write"), // Category name

IDB_WRITE, // Category small images (16 x 16)

IDB_WRITE_LARGE); // Category large images (32 x 32)

// Add the first Panel to category:

CBCGPRibbonPanel* pPanel = pCategory->AddPanel(

_T("Clipboard"), // Panel name

m_PanelIcons.ExtractIcon (0)); // Panel icon

// Now, we need to add ribbon elements (buttons) to the panel:

// Create the first button to Panel ("Paste"):

CBCGPRibbonButton* pPasteButton = new CBCGPRibbonButton (ID_EDIT_PASTE, _T("Paste"), -1, 0);

// The third parameter (-1) tells that this button does not have a small icon.

// Therefore the "Paste" button will be always displayed with large icon.

// Associate a popup menu with the "Paste" button:

pPasteButton->SetMenu (IDR_CONTEXT_MENU);

// Add other buttons to the panel. These buttons have small icons only:

pPanel->Add (new CBCGPRibbonButton (ID_EDIT_CUT, _T("Cut"), 1));

pPanel->Add (new CBCGPRibbonButton (ID_EDIT_COPY, _T("Copy"), 2));

pPanel->Add (new CBCGPRibbonButton (ID_EDIT_PAINT, _T("Paint"), 9));