An introduction to how to get started with the MapBasic RIBBONLib for integrating MapBasic applications into the Ribbon of MapInfo Pro 64 bit. Besides showing how to add controls to the interface, I have also added answers to some of the questions that I have come across in the last year related to the RIBBONLib

1. Getting started with the Ribbon Library
Peter Horsbøll Møller
November 2016

2. This will help you getting
started with the Ribbon
Library to develop MapBasic
applications for the new
ribbon based MapInfo Pro 64
bit.

3. Prerequisites:
Download and install:
- MapInfo Pro 16.0 64 bit
- MapBasic 16.0

4. The Ribbon library is a
custom made MapBasic
module which is part of
the broader mbLibrary.
It makes it easier to
integrate the most
common controls into the
Ribbon using MapBasic.

5. Get the MapBasic Library - mbLibrary
You can get the MapBasic Library from Github.com:
Github.com:
• https://github.com/PeterHorsbollMoller/mbLibrary

6. Get the Ribbon Example Application
You can get the Ribbon Example Application from:
Github.com:
• https://github.com/PeterHorsbollMoller/mbRibbonExample
Community Download:
• http://communitydownloads.pbinsight.com/code-exchange/download/ribbon-
library-for-mapbasic

7. Unzip the Ribbon Library
Sample Application
Sample tables
Icons for the ribbon
Full source code

8. Running the RibbonExample

9. ”How can I use the Ribbon Library in
my own MapBasic project?

10. Create a new file structure
Create a new base folder
Create a sub folder for your MapBasic source code
Base folder
Source code

11. Add the mbLibrary modules
Copy the Library folder from the RibbonExample to your source code
folder
Or better: Copy the files and folders from the folder mbLibrary from
the MapBasic Library to the Library folder here
Base folder
Source code
Library

12. Use your preferred text editor to create a new Mapbasic source code file for
your application
Save it to the mbcode folder as type .mb, eg. MyFirstRibbonApp.mb
Insert these lines as a start:
Create a main source code file (.mb)
Include the RibbonLib header file
Include some MapBasic header files
Will show the new Notification

13. Adding an EndHandler
To make sure your application tidy up after itself, add an EndHandler to
your application
Compile with MapBasic 16.0
Call the EndHandler of the RibbonLib

14. Use your text editor to create a new Mapbasic Project file for your application
Save it to the mbcode folder as type .mbp, eg. MyFirstRibbonApp.mbp
Insert these lines as a start:
Link with MapBasic 16.0
Create a MapBasic Project file (.mbp)
Name of final MapBasic application
Compiled libraries to be included
Your compiled module

15. Run the application in MapInfo Pro x64

16. ”How do I create a newTab and add
a Group to it?”

17. Add a newTab to the Ribbon
1. Check if theTab already exists
2. If not, add it
Adding the new Tab
Does it already exist?
Internal name of the tab
Caption of the tab, shown on the ribbon

18. Run the application in MapInfo Pro x64

19. 1. Check if the Group already exists
2. If not, add it
Add a Group to theTab
Adding the new Group
Does it already exist?
Internal name of the group
Caption of the group, shown on the ribbon

20. Run the application in MapInfo Pro x64

21. How do I add a Button to my new
Group?

22. Adding a button to a group
First you add a new button to the group
Then you set the look and behaviour of the button, such as
caption, tooltips and icon
Modular level arrays
Adding a new button
Defining its look and
behaviour
Getting its Control ID for
later use

23. The handler of the button
This handler is designed to manage several buttons calling it
as it determines the ID of the button clicked by the user
Get the ID and calculate
the item number
Now do the work
Requires MAPPERLib

24. Adding the MAPPERLib module
Include the header file in your source code
And include the compiled module in your MapBasic project file
Include MAPPERLib.def
Include MAPPERLib.mbo

25. Run the application in MapInfo Pro x64

26. Adding multiple buttons
Add more elements to
the arrays
Loop the elements

27. Run the application in MapInfo Pro x64

28. ”Can I use my own images
on the buttons?”

29. Using custom images
You can refer to internal MapInfo images, see the MapBasic User Guide, Glossary,
List of Embedded images for a list of all images
You can also refer to individual image files on disk, eg. in a sub folder of the
application directory
Currently you can only refer to images in an asssembly if it’s located in the
MapInfo Pro installation folder. We are looking into improving this.
Internal MapInfo image
Image file on disk

30. Defines for Internal images
In the mbLibraries folder in a a file called MI_ICONS_X64.def you can find
defines for the internal images of MapInfo Pro 64 bit.
The file is included in the source code for the Ribbon Sample application in the
Library folder

31. Can I also make a Button checkable?
Or even modify the image on the
Button?

32. Create a Button and make it toggleable
Any Button can be checked so there isn’t a special CheckButton control
Use a modular variable to hold the index of the button
Let’s remember the index
of the control
Set the Control to be
”toggleable”

33. Create the handler and let it toggle the button
We are using two modular variables.One to hold
the current state of the button and another to hold
the index of the button
Change the state of the
button (checked/unchecked)
Here we change the Tooltip
and the image of the button

34. ”Can I hide controls, groups
and tabs? Can I select a
certain tab?”

35. Hiding elements
You can change the visibility of the elements on the Ribbon.
Hide a tab
Hide a group on a tab
Show a control using the index
Hide a control using the names

36. Selecting tabs
You can select tabs to give these focus.
This could be useful if you load a tool and want to make sure
the user notices that you created some tools on a certain tab

37. What about splitbuttons?
Can I create these, too?

38. Add a SplitButton with a SplitButtonGroup
Start by adding a SplitButton control.
Then set the icon of the SplitButton to match the icon of the first button to
add to it later.
Also set the handler of the SplitButton to match the handler of the first
button, too.This will be the default action of the SplitButton
Finally, you can add a SplitButtonGroup
Adding the SplitButton
Adding a SplitButtonGroup
Set icons
Set handler

39. Adding buttons to the SplitButtonGroup
And then you can add the buttons to the SplitButtonGroup
This is similar to adding buttons to a Group on aTab
Adding the Buttons
Specify icons,
tooltips and
handlers
ControlID – needed in the handler

40. The handler/subprocedure
The the ID of the control
Did the user use the initial
button or did he select one
from the list?

41. Run the application in MapInfo Pro x64

42. Can you talk a bit about
Context menus?

43. Working with Context menus – Alter Menu
Context menus, aka. right click menus, are not
new to the Ribbon interface.
You can use the classicAlter Menu statement to
add menu items to an existing context menu.

44. Working with Context menus - RibbonLib
You can also use the RibbonLib to add ContextMenuItem controls to Context
menus – and add images to these as well.

45. But the Map MiniToolbar
can’t be modified, right?

46. Adding to the Map MiniToolbar
You can alos add controls, buttons or toolbuttons, to the
map mini toolbar to make certain tools easy accessible for
the user when working in a map window

47. Inserting a StackPanel
Adding a Tool_Button
Specifying a built-in command

48. ”How can I easily integrate
my application in theTools
window?”

49. Tool Manager – Addin procedures
Each tool can publish information
Sub
•AddIn_About
•AddIn_Help
•AddIn_DefaultCommand
Function
•AddIn_Name()
•AddIn_Description()
•AddIn_Version()
•AddIn_ImageUri()
Help File Aboutbox End
Description
Version
Image
Name
Default Command
activated thru
double click

50. The ProgramInfo module
These standard subprocedures and functions have been added to the
ProgramInfo module
Include the header file for this module in your application module
Include the ProgramInfo.def file

51. Configure the ProgramInfo module
Specify the values for ProgramInfo to use in the dialogs
You can use the functions from ProgramInfo to get to the values, such as the
application name via PRGIGetApplicationName()
Specifying values for
ProgramInfo
Use functions from ProgramInfo
to get to the values

52. Include compiled modules in your project
You need to include several extra compiled modules in the MapBasic
project file
Reading/writing configuration files
Managing files and folders
Working with map windows
Aboutbox and programinformation
Handling strings i different languages
Working with strings

53. Run the application in MapInfo Pro x64

54. Do I really have to use the
RibbonLib for integrating
my application into the
Ribbon?

55. Other options
The RibbonLib helps you integrate your application into the
Ribbon interface using only MapBasic (and some .NET
methods).
You can achieve the same by using the methods declared in
IMapInfoPro.Def
Or by using the MapInfo Pro .NETAPI from a .NET language
such as C#
Our partner,AGIS, has developed a visual Ribbon Designer
SDK which lets you do this in a visual designer.

56. What did he just talk
about?

57. Summary
We have looked at
• Getting the RibbonLib
• Creating a MapBasic project
• CreatingTabs and Groups
• Creating Buttons
• Using your own images
• Creating checkable Buttons
• HidingTabs, Groups and Controls
• Creating SplitButtons
• Working with Context Menus
• Modifying the Map MiniToolbar
• The newTools window
• Other options for designing the interface

58. Questions?
Peter Horsbøll Møller | peter.moller@pb.com