Customizing and Extending the SharePoint 2010 Server Ribbon

Learn about the components that make up the SharePoint 2010 Server ribbon and how to customize the ribbon by walking through two ribbon customization scenarios.

Contents

  • Introduction to the SharePoint 2010 Server Ribbon
  • SharePoint 2010 Server Ribbon Architecture
  • Customizing the SharePoint 2010 Server Ribbon
  • Customizing the Built-in SharePoint 2010 Server Ribbon Components
  • Creating Custom SharePoint 2010 Server Ribbon Components
  • Custom SharePoint 2010 Server Ribbon Development Tips and Tricks

With the release of the 2007 Microsoft Office system, Microsoft introduced a new user interface structure, known as the ribbon, that replaced the previous application drop-down menus and toolbars. The ribbon came about after much research suggested that certain applications, such as Microsoft Word, contained so many commands that users had trouble finding what they needed.

This article explains the components of the SharePoint Server ribbon so that you can understand how the ribbon is constructed. Then, it explains and shows how developers can customize and extend the ribbon. The SharePoint Foundation 2010 General Reference has a section devoted to explaining the ribbon, and contains various customization walkthroughs. When customizing the ribbon, I recommend that you use this article in conjunction with the SharePoint Foundation 2010 General Reference, specifically the section Server Ribbon in SharePoint Foundation.

Andrew Connell
Developer & Chief Course Artisan, Voitanos LLC. | Microsoft MVP
Written by Andrew Connell

Andrew Connell is a full stack developer who focuses on Microsoft Azure & Microsoft 365. He’s a 20+ year recipient of Microsoft’s MVP award and has helped thousands of developers through the various courses he’s authored & taught. Andrew’s mission is to help web developers become experts in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, so they can become irreplaceable in their organization.