Define ribbon commands

Note

This topic is about classic commands.

There is a new way to define commands. See Modern commanding overview (preview).

A Ribbon command creates a reusable definition that can be referenced by ribbon control elements.

Ribbon command elements

The <CommandDefinition> element defines a command in the ribbon. The Id attribute specifies a unique identifier for the command that can be referenced by ribbon control elements by using the Command parameter.

A ribbon command defines three things:

  • Enable Rules: Specifies when a specific ribbon control is enabled.

  • Display Rules: Specifies when a specific ribbon element is visible.

  • Actions: Specifies what code executes when a ribbon control is used.

Important

All command definitions are downloaded to a user's computer so that they can be evaluated at run time. This means that a user without the privileges to see a particular control in the ribbon can use the browser View Source command, review the code, and determine that a control exists that isn't displayed to them.

See also

Customize commands and the ribbon
Use localized labels with Ribbons
Define Ribbon enable rules Troubleshoot ribbon issues