Robert W. Stewart's Ribbon Bar Beta 1.0:

Click for Here for Configuration Help:

Thank you for testing the first beta version of a CorelDraw 5.0 editable Ribbon Bar 1.0. Send bug reports or suggestions to Robert Stewart CompuServe address 72632,3004

This Ribbon Bar was designed using idiot-proof Visual Basic code. It is a freeware version and can be copied and distributed to your heart's content. If you would like the Visual Basic forms in either version 2.0 or higher, please send $15.00 to the address on the order form. Click here to order Visual Basic forms.

The source code uses very little idiot-proof variable naming and coding. It shows an excellent example of retrieving an application's main and Child Window handles. This will allow you to use this Ribbon Bar in other programs like Word for Windows or Program Manager. It also shows you how to change a Windows "always on top" property and to retrieve the size and location of any Window or Child Window in a program.

You will also get the single BitMap picture of the 100 icons used in this program so you can edit it any way you wish in Windows Paint Brush program.

The program uses the Grid.VBX, ThreeD.VBX, and PicClip.VBX files that were supplied with the Professional version of Visual Basic 3.0. The Grid, ThreeD, and PicClip VBX files should be placed in your C:\Windows\System directory.

The Ribbon.exe file must be placed in the directory of the CorelDrw.exe file. This CorelDrw.exe file is usually located at C:\Corel50\Programs.

Cheers!


Configuration Form:

The Configuration form is used to do one or more of the following actions:

Load Ribbon Bar:

Load the Default Ribbon Bar and its Icons overtop of CorelDraw's 5.0 Ribbon Bar.

Edit Macro:

Edit Custom Macros that are numbered 1 through 31 in the Grid control.

Save Settings:

Save the Send Key macros that you type in the Text Box and / or save a Custom Ribbon Bar in the C_Ribbon.ini file.

Hide this form:

Hide the Configuration form.

Unload Ribbon Bar

Unload and quit the Ribbon Bar program.


Default Ribbon Bar:

99 default icons are placed overtop of the Corel 5.0 Ribbon Bar. If you rearranged any of the default icons in order to make a Custom Ribbon Bar, you can revert to the default Ribbon Bar by selecting the "Default Icons" option button on the Configuration Form.

Caution!: If you change monitor resolution you should save a copy of the C_Ribbon.ini first. The C_Ribbon.ini stores the position of each icon under the sub-heading [IconXY]. However, these positions values are for the resolution that you first saved the settings in. Pressing the "Custom Icon" option button under a new resolution would places the icons in shattered positions. If this happens use the "Default Icons" option button to start over again.

The order of placement conforms to the CorelDraw's Help Contents Menu (ShortCuts) "Menu Command Keys" order. These icons are followed by the list of selected (ShortCuts) "Function Keys" plus the Import and Export functions.

To print the default icon order go to the Corel 5.0 Help menu and select Contents. Choose the "ShortCuts" topic then select the "Menu Command Keys". Form the File menu select "Print Topic". Repeat the process for the "Function Keys" list.

 Note: The default Ribbon Bar macros, icons, and placement order cannot be edited without the Visual Basic source code.


Icons:

99 push button icons are available for shortcut commands. The first 68 icons use the most common CorelDraw shortcut functions. The last 31 icons (numbered 1 through 31) can be programmed to use custom keyboard commands.

The number of icons that are displayed along the top row is between 18 and 40 depending on your monitor's resolution.

Note: The default Ribbon Bar macros, icons, and placement order cannot be edited without the Visual Basic source code.


Custom Macros:

You can create custom keyboard macros and assign them to the icons numbered 1 through 31.

Note: you must use the Save Setting button in order for the macro to work.

The Keyboard macros use the Visual Basic standard of SendKeys commands. The SendKeys reference commands are listed below.

The Shift, Ctrl, Alt, and Tab command are preset using the corresponding buttons. The "Keys Normal" button can be switched to automatic SendKeys code mode. When in SendKeys mode the buttons caption will read "Key Codes". When in SendKeys mode some normal keyboard commands (e.g. BackSpace, Home, End, etc.) are switched off and their SendKeys codes will be used to place the correct code into the macro Text Box.

SendKeys:

Sends one or more KeyStrokes to the CorelDraw program as if they had been typed at the keyboard.

Characters A through Z and numbers (0-9) can be typed as is. For instance you could simply type "Hello, World" as a macro, then assign it to highlight an icon (1 through 31). However, you must have to be either in text or paragraph mode with the text caret (cursor) active in order for the text to display.

To use the plus sign " + ", carat " ^ ", percent " % ", tilde " ~ "  and parentheses (  ), they must be enclosed in single braces { }. An example of this would be { + }, { ^ }, { % }, { ~ }, and { ( ) }.

Press the "Keys Normal" button to switch to "Key Codes" in order to use or view the correct SendKeys codes for Functions, Arrow, other special keys.

To specify that the SHIFT, CTRL, and/or ALT keys should be held down while other keys are pressed, enclose the codes in parentheses. For example, to have the SHIFT key held down while M and S are pressed,  use +(MS).

To repeat keys simply state the repeat number after the code. For example, {LEFT 42} will press the LEFT ARROW key 42 times; {H 10} would press the H ten times. A space is required between the code and repeat number.

Note: The default "Key Codes" preset SendKeys macros cannot be edited without the Visual Basic source code.


Grid Control:

The 68 preset CorelDraw macros and 31 user-defined macros are displayed in this scrollable single column grid.

In order to assign a custom macro to this grid you must first select an icon numbered between 1 and 31. Once your custom macro is typed in the Text Box you must select the "Save Settings" buttons.

To delete a custom macro simply doubleclick on the macro name in the grid. A dialogue box will appear to confirm your decision to delete the macro.

Note: To edit the order in which icons and macros appear in the grid you will need the Visual Basic source code.


Send Keys:

SendKeys:

Sends one or more KeyStrokes to the CorelDraw program as if they had been typed at the keyboard.

Characters A through Z and numbers (0-9) can be typed as is. For instance you could simply type "Hello, World" as a macro then assign it to highlight an icon (1 through 31). However, you must have to be either in text or paragraph mode with the text carat (cursor) active in order for the text to display.

To use the plus sign " + ", carat " ^ ", percent " % ", tilde " ~ "  and parentheses (  ), they must be enclosed in single braces { }. An example of this would be { + }, { ^ }, { % }, { ~ }, and { ( ) }.

Press the "Keys Normal" button to switch to "Key Codes" in order to use or view the correct SendKeys codes for Functions, Arrow, other special keys.

To specify that the SHIFT, CTRL, and/or ALT keys should be held down while other keys are pressed, enclose the codes in parentheses. For example, to have the SHIFT key held down while M and S are pressed,  use "+(MS).

To repeat keys simply state the repeat number after the code. For example, {LEFT 42} will press the LEFT ARROW key 42 times; {H 10} would press the H ten times. A space is required between the code and repeat number.

Note: The default "Key Codes" preset SendKeys macros cannot be edited without the Visual Basic source code.


Macro Text Box:

The Text Box near the bottom of the Configuration form is used to type in custom Visual Basic SendKeys commands.

Caution!: DO NOT use the SendKeys Syntax, That is, do not use the actual word "SendKeys".

The "Keys Normal" button can be used to switch between normal keystrokes and automatic SendKeys "Key Codes" mode.

The "Edit Macro" button can be used to edit a user-defined macro that has been assigned to an icon 1 through 31.

Note: The Text Box and SendKeys codes cannot be edited without the Visual Basic source code.


Custom Ribbon Bar:

When the Ribbon Bar is placed over top of the CorelDraw 5.0 Ribbon Bar the icons are placed in their default order.

In order to make a custom icon layout do the following actions.

1.  Press the "more" button that is located on the far right of the Ribbon bar.

2.  Press the red "Config Form" button that is located below the "more" button.

3.  The Configuration form will open and the Ribbon Bar will be in "Drag Icon Mode".

4.  Drag the icons on the Ribbon bar to any new location. The white space near the "Config Form" button is a good place to switch icons from one location to another.

5.  If you wish to save the custom Ribbon bar layout you must choose the "Save Settings" in order to write the icons' positions to the C_Ribbon.ini file.

If you chose to save the setting then the "Default Icons" and "Custom Icons" option buttons on the Configuration form can be used to switch between Ribbon bar layouts.

Note: The number of Custom Ribbon Bar layouts is limited to one. You would need the Visual Basic source code in order to make changes to number of Custom layouts and multi resolution icon positioning in the C_Ribbon.ini file.


C_Ribbon.ini file:

The ini contains the macro names of your 31 possible user-defined macros. It also lists the custom Ribbon bar icon positions, if you choose to make one. These icon position values are in the resolution that they were first saved in. If you change resolution you will lose your custom layout. Should you wish to change back to the original monitor resolution, then you should save this file under another to preserve it. In order to restore scattered custom icons use the "Default Icon" buttons and start again.

You do not lose your custom macros when you change monitor resolution.

Note: The number of Custom Ribbon Bar layouts is limited to one. You would need the Visual Basic source code in order to make changes to the number of Custom layouts and multi-resolution icon positioning in the C_Ribbon.ini file.


Hide Button:

Hides the Configuration form but does not unload or quit the Ribbon Bar program.

Note: In order to make changes to this button's commands, you would need the Visual Basic source code.


Unload Ribbon Button:

Unloads the Ribbon bar and Quits the program returning you to the present CorelDraw session.

Note: In order to make changes to this button's commands, you would need the Visual Basic source code.


To Order the Visual Basic source code and bitmap for this program.

Send $15.00 to Robert W. Stewart, 1092 Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5N 2E2.

Home phone 1 - 416 - 481-3792

Please state what version of Visual Basic (2.0 or higher) you want.

Include your mailing address or your CompuServe address if you want it downloaded.