I'm not really sure which radio group or type a button you're talking about, but there's a really amazing amount of button choices for
However, a radio button is usually something for a form, or some type of "setup" screen, and probably does not make a whole lot of sense in a Ribbon from a UI point of view anyway.
If you are wondering what the conceptual idea behind backstage is, well it's really just a separation of the type of task or work you're doing in the particular application.
The problem is over the years each of the applications like word excel and even access continues to absolutely have HUGE growth in the amount of features. The problem is there's a whole class or set of features in applications that are not used while you're
actually editing data. So in word, Excel, Access etc. you might be editing word or entering data into a form. The other area of the application is a set of options to "setup" the options in the application.
So for display of options like who edited the document last, default page layout, even the startup options in access, all of these things are tasks that you don't generally use during regular running of the application when you're manipulating and editing
data. You do not have to "see" the data when using these options.
So what they did is they took all this mass of huge amount of options that displays who edited the document last, the ODBC options, and moved all of this stuff OUT OF the standard UI area. In other words all of the options in your application that's
not used for actual editing of data should be placed in backstage.
It makes no sense to see the word document or even an access form when you using a set of options that has little to do with actual editing of data. Thus we can now use the WHOLE computer screen to layout these options on one nice big easy to read page.
And it means that the user will not be attempting to edit data when you use such options.
So backstage would NEVER be used for cut and paste options because you actually can't see the document in question anyway! However backstage would certainly be used in your application where you want to set up the sales tax rate. You also might have screen
for setup of default city and setup of default area code. Perhaps setting for a special invoice printer etc.
From software organizational point of view backstage is thus a great concept and it's simply moves tons of junk and clutter out of the main application. This moving out of tons of features that are not really required during regular editing means that
the "regular" part of the application ALSO has FAR less clutter and options in your way. In fact this design concept is what contributes to the overall clean look and de-clutter we see in office 2010.
It is a win win since a user does not now have to look through "tons and tons" of editing data menus to find some setup option since once you go to backstage, then all of the "main" editing options are now unavailable and un-seen.
If you look at competing products to office they continue to clutter up their main part of the application with ever more and more options. So the engineering and design concept of the backstage is really something that been long overdue in the software
industry and something that competition to office likely will have to adopt once they grasp and understand what backstage is all about.
When word came out it had under 100 options, I think today it up around 3000+ menu options. Something had to be done here from a software design point of view.
This simple idea of separating menu options for editing vs. that of setup type options is a simple but fantastic design addition to office 2010.
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
2010 Ribbon - Backstage
