Ribbon Commander Framework
Framework for dynamic Ribbon User Interface development from
VBA / .NET / Delphi
2048 game in Excel
Unviewable+ VBA for Excel
Ribbon Commander VBA Approved Developer

Excel / VBA Function Navigation Addin

Syntax and usage navigation tool for Excel 2013 functions
Syntax and usage navigation Add-in for Excel 2013 functions powered by Ribbon Commander's dynamic menus
New functions are added or renamed / improved in every Excel version.There are almost 500 functions in Excel 2013.

By using the most appropriate function for your task, you will get the most accurate results possible, plus your Excel models will be easier to maintain and audit.

The function syntax and usage navigation Add-in can speed-up your modelling work, if you are:
  • looking for multi-lingual documentation or translation for a function

  • searching for a new function to simplify your formulas

  • trying to perform otherwise impossible calculations

  • wondering, if a function is backwards compatible with previous Excel versions
Microsoft has embedded sample workbooks in webpages, which describe Excel 2013 functions.

The embedded information you see in online help is from an Excel workbook that's stored in a SkyDrive folder on Microsoft's Live.com website and it's hosted by Excel Web App. 

In the Excel desktop program, you can see details that you can't quite see in the embedded workbook, plus you can experiment even more with the sample data. 

Click any name in our embedded workbook below to launch a Microsoft help page describing a function. 
You can navigate to any function help webpage using our navigation (unlocked VBA) Add-in created with the innovative Ribbon Commander framework using:

  • An alphabetical index (A-Z) menu

  • Any of the available function category menus

  • A keyword search

After clicking any function name, Excel will launch a Microsoft online help webpage with an embedded workbook explaining the function of interest.
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Navigation using an alphabetical function index
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Navigation using function categories
New functions are being added in Excel's library with every new Microsoft Office launch. 

The new functions can be used in the current version of Excel, but are incompatible with earlier Excel versions.

Some Statistical functions have been renamed so that they are more consistent with the function definitions of the scientific community and with other function names in Excel. 

If backward compatibility is required, you can run the Compatibility Checker, so that you can make the necessary changes in your worksheet to avoid errors.

An icon next to a function name indicates the Excel version in which the function was first added or renamed.
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Toggle search within Function names or descriptions
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Search results for 'round' within Function descriptions
Description function search for 'look' with results shown in a large Menu size setting 
HLOOKUP is displayed translated in 16 languages

Download

Click icon to download our FREE VBA unlocked Demo Add-in for Excel 2007 or later

How It Is Made: Ribbon Commander VBA code

Public Sub CreateUI()
 
    Dim oFMenu As rxMenu
    Dim oFMenuRegular As rxMenuRegular
    Dim oLOIndex As Range
    Dim oLOFunctions As Range
    Dim oLOCategories As Range
    Dim oRng As Range
    Dim avFunctions() As Variant
    Dim sFType As String
    Dim i As Long
     
    Set oLOIndex = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Index").ListObjects(1).DataBodyRange
    Set oLOFunctions = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("All Functions").ListObjects(1).DataBodyRange
    Set oLOCategories = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Categories").ListObjects(1).DataBodyRange
    
    avFunctions = oLOFunctions.Cells
    
    
    With CustomUI
 
        .Clear
        .loadImage = .make_delegate("LoadImageFromThisWorkbook")
 
        With .ribbon.Tabs.Add(New rxTab)
            .ID = MAIN_TAB_ID
            .Label = MAIN_TAB_LABEL
            .insertAfterMso = "TabDeveloper"
 
            CreateAboutGroup
             
            With .groups.Add(New rxGroup)
                With .Controls.Add(New rxControlClone)
                    .idMso = "FunctionWizard"
                    .Size = rxsLarge
                End With
            End With
                         
            With .groups.Add(New rxGroup)
                .ID = "functions_group"
                .Label = "Online syntax and usage navigation Add-in for Excel 2013 functions"
                 
                With .Menus.Add(New rxMenu)
                    .Label = "All Functions"
                    .imageMso = "FormulaMoreFunctionsMenu"
                    .Size = rxsLarge
 
                    For Each oRng In oLOIndex.Cells
                     
                        Set oFMenuRegular = .Menus.Add(New rxMenuRegular)
                         
                        With oFMenuRegular
                            .Label = oRng.Value2
                             
                            For i = LBound(avFunctions) To UBound(avFunctions)
                                 
                                If Left(avFunctions(i, 1), 1) = oRng.Value Then
                                    Call AddFunctionMenuButton(oFMenuRegular, avFunctions(), i)
                                End If
                                 
                            Next i 'Array Index
                        End With
                    Next oRng
                End With 'Menu control
                                 
                .separators.Add New rxSeparator
                 
                For Each oRng In oLOCategories.Columns(1).Cells
                 
                    sFType = Trim(oRng.Value2)
                    Set oFMenu = .Menus.Add(New rxMenu)
                     
                    With oFMenu
                        .Label = oRng.Value2
                        .imageMso = oRng.Offset(0, 1).Value2
                        .Size = rxsLarge
                         
                        For i = LBound(avFunctions) To UBound(avFunctions)
                             
                            If avFunctions(i, FTable.C3Type) = sFType Then
                                Call AddFunctionMenuButton(oFMenu, avFunctions(), i)
                            End If
                        Next i
                    End With 'Menu control
                     
                    .separators.Add New rxSeparator
                     
                Next oRng
                 
                .separators.Remove .separators.Count 'Remove last redundant separator
                 
            End With 'Group
             
            With .groups.Add(New rxGroup)
                                                         
                With .labelControls.Add(New rxLabelControl)
                    .Label = "Search for a function"
                End With
                 
                With .EditBoxes.Add(New rxEditBox)
                    .showLabel = rxFalse
                    .showImage = rxFalse
                    .sizeString = String(15, "X")
                    .onChange = CustomUI.make_delegate("FunctionSearchEditBox_OnChange")
                    .supertip = "Enter a brief description of what you want to do and hit Enter"
                End With
                                 
                With .Menus.Add(New rxMenu)
                    .ID = RESULTS_MENU_ID
                    .Label = "Search Results"
                    .imageMso = "GroupSearchScope"
                End With
                                            
            End With
                         
        End With 'Tab
 
        .Refresh
        .ActivateTab MAIN_TAB_ID
    End With
 
End Sub
 
Public Sub AddFunctionMenuButton(oMenu As Object, avFunctions() As Variant, i As Long)
 
    'oMenu  = rxMenu, rxMenuRegular
     
    If oMenu Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
 
    With oMenu
        With .Buttons.Add(New rxButtonRegular)
             
            .Label = avFunctions(i, FTable.C1Name)
            .ScreenTip = avFunctions(i, FTable.C1Name)
            .supertip = avFunctions(i, FTable.C2Desc)
            .Tag = avFunctions(i, FTable.C4Link)
            .OnAction = CustomUI.make_delegate("NavigateToWebPage_OnAction")
                                                 
            If avFunctions(i, FTable.C5Vers) > 0 Then
                .image = "Excel_" & CStr(avFunctions(i, FTable.C5Vers)) & "_icon"
            End If
             
        End With
    End With
 
End Sub

How It Is Made: ImageMSO Icons Used In The Custom Ribbon Tab

All icons used in our custom tab are built-in the Microsoft Office suite. However, you must be aware that there are more than 10,000+ icons stored in Office 2013.

To find suitable icons for Excel applications - such as the Functions Addin - we have built a dynamic icon & image Add-in, the Dynamic Icon Browser. 

The search involves 3 simple steps:

  1. Load the built-in MSO icons in the list (10,236 in total)
  2. Search for the keyword 'Functions'. Press Include and the list is filtered, showing 13 icon names only.
  3. Uncheck 'Button labels' and press Show Buttons
Please note:
  • Some icons are designed in 16x16 pixels, so they are not suitable for 32x32 Ribbon buttons. All Icons should be previewed in the Ribbon for an accurate evaluation, as they may not be shown correctly in user-forms or in Excel objects.
  • Not all icons are available in previous Excel versions. Ideally, custom Ribbon tabs should be tested with every Excel version that you are currently using or plan to use soon.
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