Do you use ribbons in the applications you develop?
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Just curious, based on Chris' rant. So, do you actually develop applications that have a ribbon bar, or do you use the old fashioned menu and toolbars? Do your customers demand that you create a UI with a ribbon so they feel like they are in the "modern" world? Marc
No. Never been asked by any of our customers but have had plenty tell us they'd be very unhappy if we did this. It's a UI concept that seems to be very unpopular. What the hell were MS thinking? Don't they realise how much this decision has cost businesses?
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Just curious, based on Chris' rant. So, do you actually develop applications that have a ribbon bar, or do you use the old fashioned menu and toolbars? Do your customers demand that you create a UI with a ribbon so they feel like they are in the "modern" world? Marc
We have a *very* widely used app we sell globally and not one customer has ever asked for a ribbon and we avoid it like the plague because there would be howls of indignation. People are used to and understand menus as they are. Anything else would be irresponsible. I don't know if this will change in the future but for now there's no way in hell.
“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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How could you forget Microsoft Bob (not to be mistaken for the awesome one), Windows ME or Clippy?
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
Yes, was thinking of Microsoft Bob but you can take your pick
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Marcus Kramer wrote:
Either way, that is a very, very disturbing thought that will take a long time to remove from my brain again.
Therapy. Lots of therapy. Alternatively, try consuming vast quantities of alcohol; I find that helps.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
Pete O'Hanlon wrote:
Alternatively, try consuming vast quantities of alcohol
Ah, so you are responsible for the birth of DD. Wait until he finds out you're his father. Nooooooo!
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Just curious, based on Chris' rant. So, do you actually develop applications that have a ribbon bar, or do you use the old fashioned menu and toolbars? Do your customers demand that you create a UI with a ribbon so they feel like they are in the "modern" world? Marc
I use menus and toolbars in my for-work and freeware apps. I expect most users will find ribbons harder to navigate than multiple toolbars. Admittedly, all my apps have a single toolbar. /ravi
My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com
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I've never had the misfortune of using crappy Windows ME, although I've heard stories.
See if you can crack this: fb29a481781fe9b3fb8de57cda45fbef
The unofficial awesome history of Code Project's Bob! "People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid."
There was one good thing with ME. System restore. It's almost like as if they knew how much it would be needed.
"When did ignorance become a point of view" - Dilbert
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Just curious, based on Chris' rant. So, do you actually develop applications that have a ribbon bar, or do you use the old fashioned menu and toolbars? Do your customers demand that you create a UI with a ribbon so they feel like they are in the "modern" world? Marc
No, but this might be a very good survey question though; and whoever answers yes to that mighty Maunder will summon evil hamsters on them.
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Pete O'Hanlon wrote:
Alternatively, try consuming vast quantities of alcohol
Ah, so you are responsible for the birth of DD. Wait until he finds out you're his father. Nooooooo!
You are mistaking me for the former Jedi. I am the other one.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
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You are mistaking me for the former Jedi. I am the other one.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
Yes, you are not the Jedi I am looking for. I will move along.
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Just curious, based on Chris' rant. So, do you actually develop applications that have a ribbon bar, or do you use the old fashioned menu and toolbars? Do your customers demand that you create a UI with a ribbon so they feel like they are in the "modern" world? Marc
I haven't done before, but would consider it depending on how much I think the app is suited for it and if I think the customers would be more familiar with and prefer it. I've not started a single new app (other than small utilities that have had barely any UI) since I first saw the ribbon though and moving from menus and toolbars to a ribbon in existing apps is very low on the priority list even if the ribbon was to be favored so haven't really thought about it much. This is for apps I develop myself at home. In the workplace at everywhere I've worked the customers typically don't even like toolbars and menubars let alone ribbons. They always seem to want to have big buttons all over the place instead (often drawing up the forms themselves and usually very inconsistent with other forms in the same app but they're the customer I guess).
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Just curious, based on Chris' rant. So, do you actually develop applications that have a ribbon bar, or do you use the old fashioned menu and toolbars? Do your customers demand that you create a UI with a ribbon so they feel like they are in the "modern" world? Marc
I'd happily create a configurable toolbar holder that looked like a ribbon.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Just curious, based on Chris' rant. So, do you actually develop applications that have a ribbon bar, or do you use the old fashioned menu and toolbars? Do your customers demand that you create a UI with a ribbon so they feel like they are in the "modern" world? Marc
Yes, even for web applications.
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It is indeed, and your task for this evening is to work out which one. I'll give you a clue; it's a Vietnam movie.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
I googled "You don't know man. You weren't there. I remember Sarge saying to me" and it comes up with, Black Hawk Down, Band of Brothers, and Saving Private Ryan :laugh:
See if you can crack this: fb29a481781fe9b3fb8de57cda45fbef
The unofficial awesome history of Code Project's Bob! "People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid."
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Yes, even for web applications.
Nemanja Trifunovic wrote:
Yes, even for web applications.
So, since you're the one contrarian in the replies so far, why do you use ribbons? Marc
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Nemanja Trifunovic wrote:
Yes, even for web applications.
So, since you're the one contrarian in the replies so far, why do you use ribbons? Marc
Marc Clifton wrote:
why do you use ribbons?
Because I am told so :) Seriously, I work for a big software company - it is other people's job to design UI. I design and write code.
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Marc Clifton wrote:
why do you use ribbons?
Because I am told so :) Seriously, I work for a big software company - it is other people's job to design UI. I design and write code.
Nemanja Trifunovic wrote:
it is other people's job to design UI.
Ah! :) Marc
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Just curious, based on Chris' rant. So, do you actually develop applications that have a ribbon bar, or do you use the old fashioned menu and toolbars? Do your customers demand that you create a UI with a ribbon so they feel like they are in the "modern" world? Marc
I have and would do so again. I've found that what people don't like about ribbons is that there are too many options present which makes it more difficult to use. That's not a problem with UI design, not ribbons per-se. As far as I'm concerned a ribbon is a single-tier menu where each menu item has it's own toolbar. It doesn't have to be much different than the way things were done before with a menu and a toolbar, except now, with multiple toolbars, things can be presented in a way that looks simpler. Unfortunately most of the ribbons I've seen haven't been treated that way and the developers dump every bit of funtionality into them as they can. Not a great way to develop any UI, including a ribbon. Cheers, Drew. [edited to take out the "not"]
modified on Wednesday, December 1, 2010 7:34 PM
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Yes, yes and yes. We are development whores, and will do anything for the clients money. This explains why gathering user requirements feels like lap dancing a fat, sweaty bloke.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
Pete O'Hanlon wrote:
gathering user requirements feels like lap dancing a fat, sweaty bloke.
I hesitate to ask just how you know this, and I really don't think I want to know. I'm never going to get to sleep tonight with that image in my head... :sigh:
Will Rogers never met me.
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Just curious, based on Chris' rant. So, do you actually develop applications that have a ribbon bar, or do you use the old fashioned menu and toolbars? Do your customers demand that you create a UI with a ribbon so they feel like they are in the "modern" world? Marc
In my experience Ribbon does improve the usability of an application. It definitely lives up to the promise of making obscure program features evident. For instance, after implementing ribbon in an application people praised me about all the "new" features in the application (rather than the ribbon). In reality all the "new" features in the application were already there in the previous versions. The only problem with ribbon is that it does not make the keyboard shortcuts evident.
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Just curious, based on Chris' rant. So, do you actually develop applications that have a ribbon bar, or do you use the old fashioned menu and toolbars? Do your customers demand that you create a UI with a ribbon so they feel like they are in the "modern" world? Marc