Creating Ribbon Styled Applications

Question

Using the standard Delphi TRibbon components I noticed they are not that brilliant.

• Firstly they dont look as nice as the Microsoft ones, for example the gl

Answer 1

i use the Windows Ribbon Framework - the native component that ships with Windows (7).

Here's a super-short primer on the Windows Ribbon Framework from Delphi; copy-paste of important parts of code, without much explanation:

procedure TfrmTicketDetail.ShowScenicRibbon;
begin
    try
        Fframework := UIRibbon.CoUIRibbonFramework.Create;
        Fframework.Initialize(Self.Handle, Self); //Give the ribbon the hwnd, and our implementation of uiapplication for callbacks
        OleCheck(Fframework.LoadUI(hInstance, 'APPLICATION_RIBBON'));
    except
        on e:Exception do
        begin
            if DebugHook > 0 then
                raise;
            Exit;
        end;
    end;
end;

But it starts to get hairy, since you have to follow Microsoft's API.

{IUIApplication}
function  OnViewChanged(viewId: SYSUINT; typeID: UI_VIEWTYPE; const view: IUnknown;
      verb: UI_VIEWVERB; uReasonCode: SYSINT): HResult; stdcall;
function  OnCreateUICommand(commandId: SYSUINT; typeID: UI_COMMANDTYPE;
      out commandHandler: IUICommandHandler): HResult; stdcall;
function  OnDestroyUICommand(commandId: SYSUINT; typeID: UI_COMMANDTYPE;
      const commandHandler: IUICommandHandler): HResult; stdcall;

And then you have to implement them:

function TfrmTicketDetail.OnViewChanged(viewId: SYSUINT;
     typeID: UI_VIEWTYPE; const view: IUnknown; verb: UI_VIEWVERB;
     uReasonCode: SYSINT): HResult;
var
    cy: integer;
begin
    Result := S_OK;

    //viewID: The ID for the view. Only a value of zero is valid.
    if viewID <> 0 then
       Exit;

    //typeID: The only declared typeID is UI_VIEWTYPE_RIBBON
    if typeID <> UI_VIEWTYPE_RIBBON then
       Exit;

    case verb of //there are only 4 verbs: create, destroy, size, error
    UI_VIEWVERB_CREATE:
        begin
            {   The view was resized.
                In the case of the Ribbon view, the application should call
                GetHeight() to determine the height of the Ribbon.}
            (view as IUIRibbon).GetHeight(cy);
            bvTopSpacer.Height := cy;
        end;
    UI_VIEWVERB_SIZE:
        begin
            {   The view was resized.
                In the case of the Ribbon view, the application should call
                GetHeight() to determine the height of the Ribbon.}
            (view as IUIRibbon).GetHeight(cy);
            bvTopSpacer.Height := cy;
        end;
    UI_VIEWVERB_DESTROY: {nop};
    UI_VIEWVERB_ERROR: {nop};
    end;

    Result := S_OK;
end;

function TfrmTicketDetail.OnCreateUICommand(commandId: SYSUINT;
  typeID: UI_COMMANDTYPE; out commandHandler: IUICommandHandler): HResult;
begin
    commandHandler := Self; //this form will handle all commands on the ribbon;
    Result := S_OK;
end;

function TfrmTicketDetail.OnDestroyUICommand(commandId: SYSUINT; typeID: UI_COMMANDTYPE;
      const commandHandler: IUICommandHandler): HResult;
begin
   Result := E_NOTIMPL;
end;

And then you also have to

• implement IUICommandHandler
• author a ribbon XML file
• compile the ribbon XML file with the ribbon compiler

• include the compiled ribbon as a resource:

  {$RESOURCE '..\Resource\UIRibbon\Ribbon_frmTicketDetails.res'}

Here's a dump of the ribbon xml i have for my app:

    
    
        
        
        
        
        

        
        
        
        
        

        

            
                
                    Save and Close (Alt+S)
                    Saves the current ticket and closes the detail screen.