Microsoft Access 2010 Bible

Part IV: Professional Database Development

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The ID field just keeps track of the ribbons in the table. The RibbonName is used to specify which

ribbon Access should load at startup (described in Step 5 later in this chapter), whereas

RibbonXML is a memo field (with a maximum size of 65,000 characters) containing the XML that

defines the ribbon.

Because USysRibbons is a table, your Access database may actually include the definitions of

many different custom ribbons. However, only one custom ribbon can be active at a time. In the

section titled “Managing Ribbons,” later in this chapter, we cover how to invalidate an existing rib-

bon and load a new ribbon in its place.

You might find good reasons to add additional fields to USysRibbons, if necessary. For instance,

you could add a Notes or Comments field that helps another developer understand how the rib-

bon should be used. You could also add a modification date and other fields that help track

changes to your custom ribbons. If you modify USysRibbons, be sure not to remove or rename

the three required fields (ID, RibbonName, and RibbonXML). These three fields must exist in

USysRibbons and must be named correctly for your custom ribbons to work.

Step 4: Add XML to USysRibbons

Figure 29.16 shows the XML, in a Microsoft Visual Web Developer window, for a very simple

Access ribbon.

FIGURE 29.16

The XML required for a very simple Access ribbon