AX3034

Placing file groups on the ribbon

If you want end users to be able to access file groups on the ribbon, you must edit the Axiom ribbon tab to place them there. There is no automatic way to display file groups on the ribbon; simply granting a user permission to a file group does not place it on the ribbon (though the file group will display in the user's Explorer task pane).

File group visibility works as follows:

  • If a user does not have any security permissions to a file group, then by default the user does not see that file group in ribbon tabs, task panes, or other menus.

  • If a user is granted security permissions to a file group, then the file group will display automatically in the user's Explorer task pane. Administrators see the full list of file groups in the Explorer task pane. By default, the view in the task pane is set to category. All users have the option to change the view by right-clicking the File Groups header.

  • If a file group is placed on a custom ribbon tab or task pane, then a user will see it if that user has security permissions to that file group. Otherwise, it will be hidden (unless Show restricted item is enabled, in which case it will display as grayed out). Administrators always see a file group if it is placed on a custom ribbon tab or task pane.

You may be using the default Axiom ribbon tab (AxiomMain.AXL), or you may have created one or more copies of that tab that you have assigned to certain users and roles. You may also have created completely custom ribbon tabs or task panes that you expect users to use to access their file groups. This topic will discuss editing AxiomMain.AXL as an example of how to edit a custom ribbon tab (or a task pane) to display file groups.

For more information on working with custom ribbon tabs, see Ribbon tabs.

To place file groups on the default Axiom ribbon:

  1. On the Axiom tab, in the Administration group, click Manage > Ribbon Tabs.

    The Axiom Explorer dialog opens, with the focus on the Ribbon Tabs Library folder. You can also use the Explorer task pane to access this folder.

  2. Locate the file named AxiomMain.AXL and double-click it to open it for editing.

  3. In the Edit Ribbon Tab dialog, in the Ribbon Structure section, locate the File Groups group. It should look something like the following example:

  4. In the Axiom Explorer section in the left-hand side of the dialog, locate the file group or file group alias that you want to add to the ribbon, then drag and drop it as a child item in the File Groups section. For file groups, make sure to drag and drop the parent file group name, not any of the child items underneath the name.

    Alternatively, you can add a new child item to the File Groups section, and then use the Shortcut Target field to browse to the desired file group or file group alias.

    If you place a file group alias on the ribbon tab, the currently assigned file group for that alias will display on the ribbon. If the alias is later edited to point to a different file group, then that newly assigned file group will now display on the ribbon.

    NOTE: If you are using file group categories, you can also choose to place a category on the ribbon tab. See the following section for more information.

  5. Configure the settings for the new item on the ribbon tab as desired. Note the following:

    • By default the file group will display on the ribbon using the Display Name defined in the file group properties. You should leave the Display Text for the ribbon tab item blank unless you do not want to use the display name for the file group.

    • Clear the Show restricted item check box so that the file group will only display if the user has security permission to access it. If you leave the option checked, then the file group will always display, but it will be grayed out if the user does not have permission to access it.

    • In the Shortcut Parameters, leave the Command option set to Menu. This means that the item will dynamically display only the features that the user has rights to. If the user only has rights to open plan files, then the item will be a button that opens Open Plan Files. If the user has permissions to other file group features, then the item will be a drop-down list with the appropriate features.

    • You can optionally select Use large image if you want the file group to display using a large-size icon. Typically, you would select or clear this option for all items in the File Groups group, so that all file groups display using the same size icon.

  6. If you want to remove a file group from the ribbon tab, select it in the ribbon structure and then click Delete.

  7. Click Apply or OK to save.

Any changes made to the ribbon tab will be reflected the next time you log in. The contents of the ribbon tab are determined at startup and do not reflect any subsequent changes made to the tab structure.

If you are using multiple versions of the AxiomMain ribbon tab, or if you are using other custom ribbon tabs and task panes, then you will need to update each ribbon tab where you want to display the file group.

Using file group categories on the ribbon tab

If desired, you can display a file group category on a ribbon tab. If you place a category on the ribbon, then all file groups in that category will be included on the ribbon, in a drop-down menu underneath the category name.

In order to place a category on the ribbon, the File Groups section of Axiom Explorer must be displayed in category view. This is true whether you want to drag and drop a category from the Axiom Explorer pane in the ribbon tab editor, or whether you are using the Browse function of the Shortcut Target to browse the full Axiom Explorer dialog. To enable category view, right-click the File Groups header in Axiom Explorer, and then click View > By Category. The File Groups section now displays file groups organized by category. If a file group is not assigned to a category, it displays under (No Category).

Keep in mind the following regarding the settings for the item when using categories:

  • Categories do not have separate display names. The item will display on the ribbon using the category name. If you want to use a different name, you can define the Display Text for the item or change the name of the category.

  • Again it is recommended to clear the Show restricted item check box. This will cause the file groups in the category to show or hide based on whether the user has access to each file group (including hiding the category entirely if the user has no access to any file groups in the category). If instead you leave Show restricted item checked, then all file groups in the category will display on the ribbon, and if the user does not have access to a file group then it will be grayed out.

  • Categories do not have shortcut parameters. All file groups in the category will display using the "default" mode that dynamically displays the appropriate features for each user.

Keep in mind that if a category is placed on the ribbon, then all file groups in that category are eligible to be displayed on the ribbon (dependent on the user's security permissions and on the Show restricted item option). It is not possible to assign a file group to a category yet exclude that file group from the ribbon. You must remove the file group from the category if you do not want it to display on the ribbon.

By default, the file groups in a category will display in the order they were added to the category. If you want to define a different order, you can use the Organize File Group Category dialog to change the order. For more information, see Using file group categories.

See also