Mini-Toolbar
The mini-toolbar is a great new concept introduced in Office 2007. Any controls, including galleries, can be used on the mini-toolbar.
A mini-toolbar showing the use of a color picker gallery child control
Mini-toolbars are typically used in two scenarios: following a mouse selection in a document and for display along with a context menu to provide additional options.
Showing a Mini-ToolBar After a Mouse Selection
When a selection is made in a document, a mini-toolbar can be made to semi-transparently appear above the mouse.
As the end user moves the mouse closer to the mini-toolbar, it becomes more opaque.
Moving the mouse farther away makes the mini-toolbar more transparent until a point where the mini-toolbar disappears completely.
After a certain threshold distance is passed, the mini-toolbar is closed completely and does not reappear until another selection is made.
A mini-toolbar displayed after a selection showing how it changes from semi-transparent to opaque when the mouse moves over it
Configuring a Mini-ToolBar for Pairing With a Context Menu
A mini-toolbar can optionally be paired and displayed with any ContextMenu.
Normally the mini-toolbar appears above the context menu.
If a menu item on the context menu is chosen, both the context menu and mini-toolbar close.
Alternatively, if the end user clicks a control on the mini-toolbar, the mini-toolbar remains open but the context menu closes.
After this point the mini-toolbar behaves as if it was opened standalone.
A mini-toolbar displayed with a context menu
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