QAT does not allow enough room for customization - please help

[Chris D.]

I posted the paragraphs below on a message board
(http://www.exceluser.com/explore/surveys/ribbon/ribbon-survey-results.htm)
some time ago. My company's #1 client has migrated to 2007, and are were
forced to do so in order to maintain our relationship. The option to 'stick
with 2003' is not available to us , and 2007 is crippling our productivity.
There is no end in sight, as the custom programming we built in is now gone
forever, and we will lose work due to loss of competitive advantage. I'm not
critical of change, and I'm not trying to hold on to a dinosaur of a program,
so before you blast me, please read below. I just want to find a way to do
what we've done for years now, and are no longer able to do (replace the
standard toolset with one custom-built to do what we do):

In my company, we use Excel as a meeting facilitation tool, and have built a
customized workbook complete with templates we use while conducting
workshops. This allows us to conduct very fluid workshops with real-time
on-screen data capture, and to provide our customers with Excel-based
workshop deliverables within minutes of closing our workshop. In order to
minimize the 'behind the curtain' processes that would normally require
multiple clicks, we have built a set of about 50 specific macro-enabled
toolbar buttons to automate our tasks. This allows us to drive the workshop
rather than drive our spreadsheets. In Excel 2003, we completely hide the
standard and formatting toolbars, and instead use two custom-built bars.

There is nothing in the Ribbon that empowers us in the way that our
one-click toolbars do. Our workshop participants rarely see the machinations
of what we're doing, because we have refined and automated our process well.
We facilitate workshops for a living - 52 weeks a year. Upgrading to Office
2007 has destroyed our ability to use our #1 toolset, and eliminates the
competitive advantage that we built for ourselves. I simply want to build my
own toolbars and have the interface that I want, and I want to eliminate the
Ribbon altogether.

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...0-80ae3c031d2e&dg=microsoft.public.excel.misc

 

[Rick Rothstein]

Can you perhaps use a UserForm to simulate your toolbar? There is code
available to hide the Ribbon, so if you do that and then show your UserForm
"toolbar" as non-modal in the Workbook Open event, you will be able to use
it and the workbook at the same time. Obviously, there will be some work
involved in moving the existing toolbar code to a UserForm (for instance,
making sure all your ranges are properly qualified), but the underlying
logic behind your existing code would probably not have to be changed
dramatically. Anyway, it's just a thought that your company might want to
consider pursuing.

 

[Homey]

if you have costom toolbar why can you not have custom ribbon tab? you can
also hid all other tabs on ribbon so only ribbon user see is just yor tab.
you just have to learn to do ribbons and person who smart enouf to do
toolbars can do ribbon to i think. lots on web to show you how. you just do
search on word "ribbonx".


|I posted the paragraphs below on a message board
|
(http://www.exceluser.com/explore/surveys/ribbon/ribbon-survey-results.htm)
| some time ago. My company's #1 client has migrated to 2007, and are were
| forced to do so in order to maintain our relationship. The option to
'stick
| with 2003' is not available to us , and 2007 is crippling our
productivity.
| There is no end in sight, as the custom programming we built in is now
gone
| forever, and we will lose work due to loss of competitive advantage. I'm
not
| critical of change, and I'm not trying to hold on to a dinosaur of a
program,
| so before you blast me, please read below. I just want to find a way to
do
| what we've done for years now, and are no longer able to do (replace the
| standard toolset with one custom-built to do what we do):
|
| In my company, we use Excel as a meeting facilitation tool, and have built
a
| customized workbook complete with templates we use while conducting
| workshops. This allows us to conduct very fluid workshops with real-time
| on-screen data capture, and to provide our customers with Excel-based
| workshop deliverables within minutes of closing our workshop. In order to
| minimize the 'behind the curtain' processes that would normally require
| multiple clicks, we have built a set of about 50 specific macro-enabled
| toolbar buttons to automate our tasks. This allows us to drive the
workshop
| rather than drive our spreadsheets. In Excel 2003, we completely hide the
| standard and formatting toolbars, and instead use two custom-built bars.
|
| There is nothing in the Ribbon that empowers us in the way that our
| one-click toolbars do. Our workshop participants rarely see the
machinations
| of what we're doing, because we have refined and automated our process
well.
| We facilitate workshops for a living - 52 weeks a year. Upgrading to
Office
| 2007 has destroyed our ability to use our #1 toolset, and eliminates the
| competitive advantage that we built for ourselves. I simply want to build
my
| own toolbars and have the interface that I want, and I want to eliminate
the
| Ribbon altogether.
|
| ----------------
| This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
| suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
| Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow
this
| link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
| click "I Agree" in the message pane.
|
|
http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...0-80ae3c031d2e&dg=microsoft.public.excel.misc