Persistent Site level Custom Ribbon Tab in SharePoint 2013

Senthil Kumaresan
 
SharePoint Consultant
May 13, 2014
 
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Most of you have come across articles on customizing the SharePoint contextual Ribbon programmatically. But I found very few information about developing a Site wide Custom Ribbon that gets displayed throughout the site pages regardless of the context. So started writing my explorations below.

The idea of having a site wide custom ribbon tab came out when I decided to publish few end user SharePoint videos and training materials for the end users of my organization and integrate certain aspects of application governance. So I was wondering on “How do I make the information (Training Videos, Site Collection Creation requests, IT Helpdesk Request e.t.c.. ) available to users easily”. So I decided to show the information in a Site level Custom Ribbon Tab as icons which would how they get easily notified to end users.

Below is the Custom Ribbon Tab that I tried to achieve. This tab will show in all the Pages of the site.

clip_image001

Below is the Custom Ribbon XML that I created. Check the comments which would be self-explanatory. Refer the Ribbon XML Schema for more options http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ff458369(v=office.15).aspx

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
   <CustomAction
     Id="MyCustomRibbonTab"
     Location="CommandUI.Ribbon" >
     <CommandUIExtension>
       <CommandUIDefinitions>
         <CommandUIDefinition
           Location="Ribbon.Tabs._children">
           <!--Location of Ribbon. Attribute instructs to add the tab as a children in the Ribbon -->
           <Tab
             Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample"
             Title="Help"
             Description="5 Minute Video Series"
             Sequence="501"  >
             <!-- Use the sequence number to position your tab in the Ribbon. -->
             <Scaling
               Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Scaling">
               <MaxSize
                 Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.MaxSize"
                 GroupId="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.CustomGroupExample"
                 Size="AllMedium" Sequence="1"/>
               <!--  This element specifies the maximum size of the controls in the group. Each group in a tab must have a MaxSize and Scale Element part of the Scaling element. Sequence number decides the order of the group in the Custom Ribbon Tab -->
               <MaxSize
                 Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.MaxSize"
                 GroupId="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Support"
                 Size="AllMedium" Sequence="2"/>
               <Scale
                 Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Scaling.CustomTabScaling"
                 GroupId="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.CustomGroupExample"
                 Size="AllMedium" Sequence="3" />
               <Scale
                 Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Scaling.CustomTabScaling"
                 GroupId="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Support"
                 Size="AllMedium" Sequence="4" />
             </Scaling>
             <Groups Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Groups">
               <Group
                 Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.CustomGroupExample"
                 Description="End User Videos!"
                 Title="End User Videos"
                 Sequence="52"
                 Template="Ribbon.Templates.CustomTemplateExample">
                 <Controls Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.CustomGroupExample.Controls">
                   <Button
                     Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.CustomGroupExample.SharePointOverview"
                     Command="CustomTabExample.SharePointOverview"
                     Sequence="15"
                     Description="SharePoint 2013 Overview!"
                     LabelText="SharePoint Overview"
                     TemplateAlias="cust1"/>
                   <Button
                     Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.CustomGroupExample.SiteOverview"
                     Command="CustomTabExample.SiteOverview"
                     Sequence="17"
                     Description="SharePoint 2013 Sites Overview"
                     LabelText="Site Overview"
                     TemplateAlias="cust2"/>
                   <Button
                     Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.CustomGroupExample.MySiteNewsFeed"
                     Command="CustomTabExample.MySiteNewsFeed"
                     Sequence="19"
                     Description="How to use MySite Newsfeed!"
                     LabelText="MySite Newsfeed"
                     TemplateAlias="cust3"/>
                   <Button
                       Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.CustomGroupExample.IntegrateOutlook"
                       Command="CustomTabExample.IntegrateOutlook"
                       Sequence="21"
                       Description="Integrate SharePoint Tasks with Outlook!"
                       LabelText="Outlook Integration"
                       TemplateAlias="cust4"/>
                   <Button
                     Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.CustomGroupExample.DocumentLibrary"
                     Command="CustomTabExample.DocumentLibrary"
                     Sequence="23"
                     Description="How to use Document library"
                     LabelText="Document Library"
                     TemplateAlias="cust5"/>
                   <Button
                     Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.CustomGroupExample.Mobile"
                     Command="CustomTabExample.Mobile"
                     Sequence="25"
                     Description="SharePoint 2013 on the Mobile"
                     LabelText="SharePoint Mobile"
                     TemplateAlias="cust6"/>
                 </Controls>
               </Group>
               <Group
                Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Support"
                Description="Support"
                Title="Support"
                Sequence="104"
                Template="Ribbon.Templates.CustomTemplateExample">
                 <Controls Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Support.Controls">
                   <Button
                     Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Support.RequestSite"
                     Command="CustomTabExample.RequestSite"
                     Sequence="27"
                     Description="Request a SharePoint 2013 Site!"
                     LabelText="Request a Site" Image32by32="_layouts/15/Help/RequestSite.jpg"
                     TemplateAlias="cust7"/>
                   <Button
                     Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Support.SelfHelp"
                     Command="CustomTabExample.SelfHelp"
                     Sequence="29"
                     Description="SharePoint 2013 Self Help Portal"
                     LabelText="Self Help" Image32by32="_layouts/15/Help/selfhelp.jpg"
                     TemplateAlias="cust8"/>
                   <Button
                     Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Support.RaiseITRequest"
                     Command="CustomTabExample.RaiseITRequest"
                     Sequence="31"
                     Description="Raise an IT Request!"
                     LabelText="Raise IT Request" Image32by32="_layouts/15/Help/RequestSupport.jpg"
                     TemplateAlias="cust9"/>
                   <Button
                       Id="Ribbon.CustomTabExample.Support.Connect"
                       Command="CustomTabExample.Connect"
                       Sequence="33"
                       Description="Connect to SharePoint Community!"
                       LabelText="Connect" Image32by32="_layouts/15/Help/connect_icon.jpg"
                       TemplateAlias="cust10"/>
 
                 </Controls>
               </Group>
             </Groups>
           </Tab>
         </CommandUIDefinition>
         <CommandUIDefinition Location="Ribbon.Templates._children">
           <!--  Element and its sub elements that defines how the controls are aligned and visible in the Group. -->
           <GroupTemplate Id="Ribbon.Templates.CustomTemplateExample">
             
             <Layout
               Title="AllMedium"
               LayoutTitle="AllMedium">
               <Section Alignment="Top" Type="ThreeRow">
                 <Row>
                   <ControlRef DisplayMode="Medium" TemplateAlias="cust1" />
                 </Row>
                 <Row>
                   <ControlRef DisplayMode="Medium" TemplateAlias="cust2" />
                 </Row>
                 <Row>
                   <ControlRef DisplayMode="Medium" TemplateAlias="cust3" />
                 </Row>
               </Section>
               <Section Alignment="Top" Type="ThreeRow">
                 <Row>
                   <ControlRef DisplayMode="Medium" TemplateAlias="cust4" />
                 </Row>
                 <Row>
                   <ControlRef DisplayMode="Medium" TemplateAlias="cust5" />
                 </Row>
                 <Row>
                   <ControlRef DisplayMode="Medium" TemplateAlias="cust6" />
                 </Row>
               </Section>
               <Section Alignment="Top" Type="OneRow">
                 <Row>
                   <ControlRef DisplayMode="Large" TemplateAlias="cust7" />
                 </Row>
               </Section>
               <Section Alignment="Top" Type="OneRow">
                 <Row>
                   <ControlRef DisplayMode="Large" TemplateAlias="cust8" />
                 </Row>
               </Section>
               <Section Alignment="Top" Type="OneRow">
                 <Row>
                   <ControlRef DisplayMode="Large" TemplateAlias="cust9" />
                 </Row>
               </Section>
               <Section Alignment="Top" Type="OneRow">
                 <Row>
                   <ControlRef DisplayMode="Large" TemplateAlias="cust10" />
                 </Row>
               </Section>
             </Layout>
           </GroupTemplate>
 
         </CommandUIDefinition>
       </CommandUIDefinitions>
       <CommandUIHandlers><!-- Elements and Sub elements define command handlers for the controls defined for the tab-->
         <CommandUIHandler
           Command="CustomTabExample.SharePointOverview"
           CommandAction="javascript:OpenPopUpPageWithTitle('//www.youtube.com/embed/J_q8Wx4YKKc',null,null,null,'SharePoint Videos');" EnabledScript="javascript:function showtrue(){ return true; } showtrue();" />
         <!--  Opens a youtube video in a SharePoint Popup screen  -->
         <CommandUIHandler
           Command="CustomTabExample.SiteOverview"
           CommandAction="javascript:OpenPopUpPageWithTitle('//www.youtube.com/embed/RAtsUQ9mv8s',null,null,null,'SharePoint Videos');" EnabledScript="javascript:function showtrue(){ return true; } showtrue();"  />
         <CommandUIHandler
           Command="CustomTabExample.MySiteNewsFeed"
           CommandAction="javascript:OpenPopUpPageWithTitle('//www.youtube.com/embed/Ben-kqZjINU',null,null,null,'SharePoint Videos');" EnabledScript="javascript:function showtrue(){ return true; } showtrue();"  />
         <CommandUIHandler
           Command="CustomTabExample.IntegrateOutlook"
           CommandAction="javascript:OpenPopUpPageWithTitle('//www.youtube.com/embed/wp7AZbKg_ME',null,null,null,'SharePoint Videos');" EnabledScript="javascript:function showtrue(){ return true; } showtrue();" />
         <CommandUIHandler
           Command="CustomTabExample.DocumentLibrary"
           CommandAction="javascript:OpenPopUpPageWithTitle('//www.youtube.com/embed/MSqfrEYdk_c',null,null,null,'SharePoint Videos');" EnabledScript="javascript:function showtrue(){ return true; } showtrue();" />
         <CommandUIHandler
           Command="CustomTabExample.Mobile"
           CommandAction="javascript:OpenPopUpPageWithTitle('//www.youtube.com/embed/nTOy7w9tW60',null,null,null,'SharePoint Videos');" EnabledScript="javascript:function showtrue(){ return true; } showtrue();" />
         <CommandUIHandler
           Command="CustomTabExample.RequestSite"
           CommandAction="javascript:window.location.assign('http://www.contoso.com/SharePointCommunity');" EnabledScript="javascript:function showtrue(){ return true; } showtrue();"  />
         <!--  Opens a web page in the same form  -->
         <CommandUIHandler
           Command="CustomTabExample.SelfHelp"
           CommandAction="javascript:OpenPopUpPageWithTitle('http://www.contoso.com/it/Pages/selfhelp.aspx',null,null,null,'Support');" EnabledScript="javascript:function showtrue(){ return true; } showtrue();"  />
         <CommandUIHandler
           Command="CustomTabExample.RaiseITRequest"
           CommandAction="javascript:OpenPopUpPageWithTitle('https://www.contosoweb.com/Clean%20Login.do',null,null,null,'IT Support');" EnabledScript="javascript:function showtrue(){ return true; } showtrue();"  />
         <CommandUIHandler
           Command="CustomTabExample.Connect"
           CommandAction="javascript:window.location.assign('http://www.contoso.com/SharePointCommunity');" EnabledScript="javascript:function showtrue(){ return true; } showtrue();"  />
       </CommandUIHandlers>
     </CommandUIExtension>
   </CustomAction>
   <Control ControlSrc="/_controltemplates/15/Help/CustomHelpRibbon.ascx"
            Id="SuiteBarBrandingDelegate"
            Sequence="1" />
 </Elements>

In the above xml, sequence numbers are most important to select and apply as sometimes the controls or a group or the tab might not appear in the Ribbon due to improper sequence numbers set in the xml.

Check the Last section in the above XML. This is how I add the Custom Tab to the Site level Ribbon.

 <Control ControlSrc="/_controltemplates/15/Help/CustomHelpRibbon.ascx" Id="SuiteBarBrandingDelegate" Sequence="1" />

The Ribbon tabs are available in the SuiteBarBrandingDelegate delegate control . So in order to make the custom tab visible regardless of which context it is, I have to create a custom web control and push the web contol inside the “SuiteBarBrandingDelegate” delegate control to show the custom ribbon tab.

Below I have provided the Custom web control code which tells the page to make the custom tab visible in the SPRibbon control.

 namespace Help.ControlTemplates.Help
 {
     public partial class CustomHelpRibbon : UserControl
     {
         protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {
             SPRibbon current = SPRibbon.GetCurrent(this.Page);
             if (current != null)
             {
                 current.MakeTabAvailable("Ribbon.CustomTabExample");
             }
         }
     }
 }

So it is pretty easy to make a custom tab and make it available for all the site pages. The idea helps to post lot of information to end users. I found it to be one of the easiest methods to make information available for SharePoint Users.

Category : SharePoint

Author Info

Senthil Kumaresan
 
SharePoint Consultant
 
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SharePoint Architect – Consulting on SharePoint Infrastructure, IT Governance and Apps Development. ...read more
 

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