How Do I Add "Button" (Tool Strip Menu Item) To A Task Pane Tool Strip

Question

I'm using VS 2008 and programming with VB.  I have created a Task Pane AddIn for Excel 2007.  In this Task Pane I added a ToolStrip...in this ToolStrip I have a ToolStripDropDownButton.  I have been trying to programmaticly add a "button" into this ToolStripDropDownButton.  When I add this "button" manually it is called a ToolStripMenuItem instead of an actual button.

I have been able to programmaticly add a button...using user input from a textbox on form1...to the custom Ribbon with the following code:

        Dim userFileName As String
        Dim NwBttn As New RibbonButton()
        Dim Menu1 As RibbonMenu

        userFileName = TextBox1.Text
        Menu1 = Globals.Ribbons.Ribbon1.Menu1

        NwBttn.Label = userFileName
        NwBttn.Name = userFileName
        NwBttn.ControlSize = Microsoft.Office.Core.RibbonControlSize.RibbonControlSizeRegular
        Menu1.Items.Add(NwBttn)
        NwBttn.Visible = True
        NwBttn.Enabled = True

But, whenever I try to simulate this process for the Task Pane ToolStrip ToolStripDropDownButton I get no results at all.

'I've tried different options, like this
Dim TSMI1 As New ToolStripMenuItem

'And like this
Dim TSMI1 As New ToolStripButton

'And many different paths like this
System.Windows.Forms.Item.AddRange(New System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem() {TSMI1})

I don't know if I'm using the wrong type of controls for this or if the different paths I've tried are just way off.

Answer 1

Hi fdegree,

Thanks for posting in the MSDN Forum.

Would you show more detail of your snippet for further research?

Have a good day,

Tom

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Tom Xu [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 2

Thanks Tom...actually I decided to go a different route.  I'm not going to use the Task Pane now

But, basically I couldn't dynamically add a button to the task pane.  I read someplace on the internet that a button can not be added dynamically to a task pane...the task pane must have another container, to which a button could then be added...not sure if that's correct though.

Thanks Anyway...

Answer 3

Hi fdegree,

I would recommend you try following snippet. It work fine on my side.
ThisAddIn.vb

Public Class ThisAddIn

    Private Sub ThisAddIn_Startup(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Startup
        Dim Worksheet As Excel.Worksheet = Application.ActiveSheet

        For i As Integer = 1 To 10 Step 1
            Worksheet.Cells(i, 1).Value = "Test " & CStr(i)
        Next

        CustomTaskPanes.Add(New UserControl1, "test").Visible = True
    End Sub

    Private Sub ThisAddIn_Shutdown(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Shutdown

    End Sub

End Class

UserControl1.vb

Imports System.Windows.Forms

Public Class UserControl1

    Private Sub UserControl1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim dropDown As ToolStripDropDown = New ToolStripDropDown()
        Dim button1 As ToolStripButton
        Dim Workbook As Excel.Workbook = Globals.ThisAddIn.Application.ActiveWorkbook
        Dim Worksheet As Excel.Worksheet = Workbook.ActiveSheet

        ToolStripDropDownButton1.DropDown = dropDown

        For i As Integer = 1 To 10 Step 1
            button1 = New ToolStripButton
            button1.Text = Worksheet.Cells(i, 1).Value
            dropDown.Items.Add(button1)
        Next

    End Sub
End Class

I hope it can help you.

Have a good day,

Tom

---

Tom Xu [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us