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Overview

The WinForms Ribbon control (ribbon menu) accommodates all the tools required for an application in a single, easy-to-navigate user interface similar to Microsoft Office. Its dynamic resizing, keyboard accessibility, and complete customization options help organize an application.


Create an application with an Office UI-like ribbon

The Ribbon control provides an application UI similar to Microsoft Office with a 2007 style that contains an application menu and a 2016 style that contains a backstage view.

WinForms Ribbon control in simplified ribbon UI.

Simplified ribbon

The simplified ribbon acts as a mode for viewing the most commonly used commands in a single line and therefore offers more screen space for a compact view of the document. End users can quickly navigate to other commonly used commands in the overflow menu. End users can switch to normal mode using the built-in toggle button.

WinForms Ribbon control in Office 2016 UI.

Office 2016 UI

The Office 2016 UI provides a backstage view. Available color schemes are White, Colorful, Dark Gray, and Black.

WinForms Ribbon control in touch UI.

Ribbon touch UI

The Ribbon control supports a touch UI with plenty of interaction space.

WinForms Ribbon control in Office 2010 UI.

Office 2010 UI

The Office 2010 UI supports gradient colors and color schemes that include Blue, Black, and Silver.

WinForms Ribbon control in Office 2007 UI.

Office 2007 UI

The Office 2007 UI is a classic interface that contains three color schemes: Blue, Silver, and Black.


Wide variety of controls

The WinForms Ribbon control supports a variety of tool strip items. Button items (like tool strip button, tool strip drop-down button, tool strip split button) can be included in different types of states. The Ribbon control can also support the following tool strip controls, making it comprehensive yet flexible: radio button, combo box, gallery, check box, text box, label, and progress bar. All these controls can be separated using the ribbon separator.

Tool strip button.

Button

Tool strip drop-down button.

Tool strip split button.

Split button

Tool strip radio button.

Radio button

Tool strip check box.

Check box

Tool strip progress bar.

Progress bar

Tool strip combo box.

Combo box

WinForms Ribbon control gallery.

Tool strip text box.

Text box


Access items with the quick access toolbar

The quick access toolbar (QAT) is used to render a set of ribbon items that are commonly used in applications. It renders at the top-left corner of a window to make it more accessible. Users can choose to place it above or below the ribbon, remove certain commands from it, or add commands to it.

WinForms Ribbon quick access toolbar.


Tabs with contextual groups

The Ribbon control supports any number of contextual tab groups, which can be hidden or shown in certain contexts.

WinForms Ribbon tab groups.


Office 2010, 2016 backstage view

The backstage is a separate view that contains tabs and buttons that can show an application’s information and basic settings. The backstage items can also be arranged at the top or bottom of the view.

WinForms Ribbon backstage view.


Office 2007 application menu

The application menu is equivalent to a file menu found in a traditional UI.

WinForms Ribbon shows Office 2007 application menu.


Ribbon resizing

The Ribbon will resize its controls to fit within the space available in the ribbon window.

WinForms Ribbon control shows Office 2007 application menu.


Merge MDI panel

In a multiple document interface (MDI), parent and child forms can have their own ribbon menus and items specific to their requirement. Normally in the ribbon, the parent form holds general commands like File, Home, Help, etc., whereas the child form holds specific and exclusive functionalities like Insert, Review, View, etc. Users can either switch between forms to operate these functionalities or merge both parent and child MDI forms to combine the ribbon menus and items within the parent form, if needed.

WinForms Ribbon control merging MDI panel.


Loading user control in the title bar

Load any user control to the right side of the title bar in the ribbon form.

Loading user control in the WinForms Ribbon title bar.


User customization

The Ribbon control lets users customize the QAT as well as the ribbon window, its appearance, and its tabs.

Quick access toolbar are placed in WinForms Ribbon.

QAT positioning

Place the quick access toolbar either above or below the ribbon.

WinForms Ribbon quick access toolbar items are added.

Add items to the QAT

Users can add frequently accessed commands to the QAT.

WinForms Ribbon quick access toolbar items are customized.

Custom QAT

Customize the QAT in the customization window by adding, removing, or reordering items.

WinForms Ribbon tab customization.

Custom ribbon tab

Users can create a new ribbon tab by adding commands in the WinForms Ribbon control.


Serialization

Settings in the WinForms Ribbon control can be serialized to XML format. The XML files can be loaded back with built-in deserialization options. The Ribbon control also offers the option to serialize and deserialize QAT and tabs modules, separately.


More Office Ribbon UI controls

WinForms Ribbon shows mini-toolbar option.

Mini-toolbar

The mini-toolbar control is a lightweight, floating toolbar that can be dynamically displayed and hidden for certain contexts. A good example is text editing. When users select text in the editor, you can display a mini-toolbar next to the text to quickly let users bold, italicize, or underline it.

WinForms Ribbon shows mini-toolbar option.

Ribbon status bar

Display the current status of an application or document, similar to in Microsoft Office.

WinForms Ribbon shows mini-toolbar option.

Launcher button

The launcher button allows users to execute an action they define.


Complete keyboard accessibility

The Ribbon control supports key tips for ribbon items, letting users quickly access a command in a few keystrokes. When a user presses the Alt key, key tips for commands in the current tab are displayed. Pressing a key indicated in the key tip invokes the corresponding command.

WinForms Ribbon keyboard accessibility.



Tooltips

The Ribbon control supports super tooltips, which are used to customize the default look and feel of all tooltips.

WinForms Ribbon shows tooltips.


Right-to-left languages

Right-to-left (RTL) orientation allows users to work in right-to-left languages like Hebrew, Arabic, or Persian.

WinForms Ribbon shows right to left rendering.


Localization

Content in the Ribbon control can be formatted according to culture.

WinForms Ribbon shows content based on culture.


WinForms Ribbon Code Example

Easily get started with the WinForms Ribbon using a few simple lines of C# code example as demonstrated below. Also explore our WinForms Ribbon Example that shows you how to render and configure the WinForms Ribbon.

using Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Tools;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace WindowsFormsApp1
{
    public partial class Form1 : RibbonForm
    {
        private RibbonControlAdv ribbonControlAdv1;
        private ToolStripTabItem homeTabItem;
        private ToolStripTabItem sendTabItem;
        private ToolStripTabItem folderTabItem;
        private ToolStripButton newMailButton;
        private ToolStripButton IgnoreButton;
        private ToolStripButton replyButton;
        private ToolStripEx newToolStripEx;
        private ToolStripEx deleteToolStripEx;
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            this.newToolStripEx = new ToolStripEx();
            this.deleteToolStripEx = new ToolStripEx();
            this.respondToolStripEx = new ToolStripEx();
            this.ribbonControlAdv1 = new RibbonControlAdv();
            this.Controls.Add(ribbonControlAdv1);
            this.homeTabItem = new ToolStripTabItem();
            this.sendTabItem = new ToolStripTabItem();
            this.folderTabItem = new ToolStripTabItem();
            this.homeTabItem.Text = "Home";
            this.sendTabItem.Text = "Send";
            this.folderTabItem.Text = "Folder";
            this.ribbonControlAdv1.Header.AddMainItem(this.homeTabItem);
            this.ribbonControlAdv1.Header.AddMainItem(this.sendTabItem);
            this.ribbonControlAdv1.Header.AddMainItem(this.folderTabItem);
            this.newMailButton = new ToolStripButton();
            this.IgnoreButton = new ToolStripButton();
            this.replyButton = new ToolStripButton();
            this.homeTabItem.Panel.Controls.AddRange(new Control[] { newToolStripEx, deleteToolStripEx, respondToolStripEx});
            this.newMailButton.Text = "New Mail";
            this.IgnoreButton.Text = "Ignore";
            this.replyButton.Text = "Reply";
            this.newToolStripEx.Items.AddRange(new ToolStripItem[] {this.newMailButton });
            this.deleteToolStripEx.Items.AddRange(new ToolStripItem[] {this.IgnoreButton });
            this.respondToolStripEx.Items.AddRange(new ToolStripItem[] {this.replyButton});
        }
    }
}



95+ WINDOWS FORMS CONTROLS

Frequently Asked Questions

The Syncfusion WinForms Ribbon controls offers the following features:

  • Create an Office-like ribbon that enriches an application’s UI.
  • Choose from normal and simplified layouts.
  • Place frequently used items on the quick access toolbar.
  • Experience Ribbon’s improved version of a button control, the RibbonButton.
  • Minimize and maximize the ribbon.
  • Use KeyTips for easy keyboard navigation.
  • Place status bar items on the Ribbon status bar.
  • One of the best WinForms Ribbon in the market that offers feature-rich UI to interact with the software.
  • Enjoy a simple configuration and API.
  • Take advantage of extensive demos and documentation get started quickly with the WinForms Ribbon control.

You can find our WinForms Ribbon demo on GitHub location.

No, this is a commercial product and requires a paid license. However, a free community license is also available for companies and individuals whose organizations have less than $1 million USD in annual gross revenue, 5 or fewer developers, and 10 or fewer total employees.

A good place to start would be our comprehensive getting started documentation.

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