Change the default Ribbon from "Home" to something else...

[Patrick Schmid [MVP]]

You are welcome. I actually emailed my activation provider after your
question and asked if there will be a way for me to control this
validation mechanism. Apparently in their next release (January/February
timeframe), I'll get some way of controlling this mechanism. Hopefully,
I can do something about it then and make it less a concern for users

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
Office 2007 Beta 2 Technical Refresh (B2TR):
http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/09/18/43
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://pschmid.net/office2007/ribboncustomizer
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***
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Thank you for the explanation of your validation system, and why you decided
to use it. I guess we'll have to stand apart on this issue. Ms really got my
goat when they introduced their validation/activation schemes, and it
bothers me when I see others going the same way. In the old days, there was
shareware, a concept that worked fine for me.

What period activation? You activate once and that's it.

Do you mean the validation? It only happens if you have an Internet
connection (if you use a 3rd party firewall, you can probably just block
the request and be done with it).
It wasn't in my original concept. The original concept was activate once
and be done. However, I wanted to have some free activations to give out
as thank yous to beta testers and other people who helped me with this.
My activation provider made me an offer where I got free activations,
but it was contingent on me using the scheme that has the periodic
validation. Being a graduate student, there was no way I could have
absorbed the cost of paying for the free copies I wanted to hand out.
Also, I didn't have the time to come up with my own activation system,
so I was stuck with that 3rd party (I rather spend my time developing
features than worrying about the whole stupid activation thing. It's sad
that you cannot do without this kind of stuff nowadays.)
Considering that Office 2007 itself goes online frequently to download
or upload things (if you opted in that is), I didn't consider the
periodic validation issue to be such a big deal.
I am sorry this bothers you, but there isn't really anything I can do.
Getting an Office add-in done the right way costs money, and there is
only so much I can pay out of pocket. When I get offered something for
free, I have no choice but to take it. Until my sales have actually made
up for my already incurred costs, I can't do much about this situation.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
Office 2007 Beta 2 Technical Refresh (B2TR):
http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/09/18/43
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://pschmid.net/office2007/ribboncustomizer
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed

I was going to take a look at your add-in, but the whole "activation thing"
made me decide to forget about it. I don't mind registration and entering a
serial etc, but to have to periodically activate it is just plain dumb. I'm
sure you have your reasons for all this silliness, but I'll wait until
someone comes up with a "working" customizer for Office 2007.
Thanks for letting us know about it, anyway.


In a few weeks, you'll be able to do it with my add-in.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
Office 2007 Beta 2 Technical Refresh (B2TR):
http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/09/18/43
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://pschmid.net/office2007/ribboncustomizer
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***
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Can you post your website address?

No need for any apologies for the elegance of your product. You're the
first
one I know of who's tried to do something in this area. I hope others,
who
have the ability, will have a go at that ribbon also.

As soon as I figured out how to make the Add-In ribbon the default, I
was going to post the solution on my website. I guess I'll just go
ahead and post it and then add the rest later.

Just so you know... it is extremely NOT elegant. ) There's no GUI or
anything fancy. The first procedure just lists the items from the
Menu,
Standard, and Formatting bar in three columns and allows you to
change/re-order them, and then a second script applies those three
columns as menus/toolbars in the Add-Ins Ribbon.

WATYF


It sounds like you're doing something most of us would like to check
out.
Any chance that you might share your script and how to use it with
the
rest
of us? Maybe you could post it as a download on a website or in a
binary
newsgroup. I'm sure a lot of people would appreciate it. In the
meantime,
can you post some screenshots somewhere, so we can get a good look
at
the
project? Thanks!

message


In any event, I am mere steps away from achieving my goal... I
have
written a script that will list out all the commands from the
Menu,
Standard and Formatting toolbars and allow you to customize them
(add/remove/re-order) and then apply your lists as toolbars. Right
now,
I have a glorious Add-In ribbon that looks just like the old
interface
...except for the fact that they got rid of "separators" in the
ribbons, those bastards!! ;o) ...but aside from that, all I need
to do
now is figure out how to make the Add-In ribbon the default, and I
will
never again even have to click on another Ribbon.... looks like
Christmas is coming early for me. :O)- Hide quoted text -- Show
quoted
text -

 

[Patrick Schmid [MVP]]

How are you going to incorporate the new commands that are not in the
old UI into your 2003 look?

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
Office 2007 Beta 2 Technical Refresh (B2TR):
http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/09/18/43
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://pschmid.net/office2007/ribboncustomizer
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed

 

[WATYF1]

How are you going to incorporate the new commands that are not in the
old UI into your 2003 look?

Which new commands? Chances are, I won't be using any new commands too
frequently. If I have to go dig around in a Ribbon every once in a
while, I can live with that... what I can't live with is the constant,
"ok... now where would "this" be..? OK... not that ribbon... alright...
not that one... oh... there it is... and now I need to click on a
pull-down icon to get to it... ok... so next time I need this feature,
I'll have to stop and remember where I saw it last (nothing like
playing "Memory" while trying to work).. and then it'll be a mere 4
clicks away.... how handy." p

So I'll probably leave the Ribbon around. Or else, maybe all the new
options are available in the Menus. That's the crazy thing... the menus
still exist... if you look at my picture (linked above) you can see
that all the old menus are still there (in the background, though), and
it looks like they have all the features in them. It's almost crazy
that MS would keep them around yet make it so difficult to get to
them....

....although, I have a buddy who said he accidentally hit some keystroke
and the old menus showed up (he just can't remember the keystroke)...
so who knows... maybe it's not so hard.


WATYF

 

[WATYF1]

How are you going to incorporate the new commands that are not in the
old UI into your 2003 look?

Which new commands? Chances are, I won't be using any new commands too
frequently. If I have to go dig around in a Ribbon every once in a
while, I can live with that... what I can't live with is the constant,
"ok... now where would "this" be..? OK... not that ribbon... alright...
not that one... oh... there it is... and now I need to click on a
pull-down icon to get to it... ok... so next time I need this feature,
I'll have to stop and remember where I saw it last (nothing like
playing "Memory" while trying to work).. and then it'll be a mere 4
clicks away.... how handy." p

So I'll probably leave the Ribbon around. Or else, maybe all the new
options are available in the Menus. That's the crazy thing... the menus
still exist... if you look at my picture (linked above) you can see
that all the old menus are still there (in the background, though), and
it looks like they have all the features in them. It's almost crazy
that MS would keep them around yet make it so difficult to get to
them....

....although, I have a buddy who said he accidentally hit some keystroke
and the old menus showed up (he just can't remember the keystroke)...
so who knows... maybe it's not so hard.


WATYF

 

[Patrick Schmid [MVP]]

There are definitely no keystrokes to get the old menus to show up.
However, all keyboard combinations of the old menus still work. So if
you remember the keystroke for something in the edit menu, use it and it
will work.

Which new commands? Chances are, I won't be using any new commands too
frequently. If I have to go dig around in a Ribbon every once in a
while, I can live with that... what I can't live with is the constant,
"ok... now where would "this" be..? OK... not that ribbon... alright...
not that one... oh... there it is... and now I need to click on a
pull-down icon to get to it... ok... so next time I need this feature,
I'll have to stop and remember where I saw it last (nothing like
playing "Memory" while trying to work).. and then it'll be a mere 4
clicks away.... how handy." p

New commands like save as PDF, SmartArts, Equations, etc
You aren't going to like this reply: Yes, that's true. Office 2007
simply requires you to learn the new UI. You'll get used to it
eventually (took me about a month). You will have to learn it at some
point...

So I'll probably leave the Ribbon around. Or else, maybe all the new
options are available in the Menus. That's the crazy thing... the menus

They are definitely not.

still exist... if you look at my picture (linked above) you can see
that all the old menus are still there (in the background, though), and
it looks like they have all the features in them. It's almost crazy
that MS would keep them around yet make it so difficult to get to
them....

They are around to keep add-ins using CommandBars working.

Patrick Schmid [OneNote MVP]
--------------
http://pschmid.net
***
Office 2007 RTM Issues: http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/11/13/80
Office 2007 Beta 2 Technical Refresh (B2TR):
http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/09/18/43
***
Customize Office 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/customize
RibbonCustomizer Add-In: http://pschmid.net/office2007/ribboncustomizer
OneNote 2007: http://pschmid.net/office2007/onenote
***
Subscribe to my Office 2007 blog: http://pschmid.net/blog/feed