How do I remove a menu item or toolbar button from a module's XML layer?

Refer to TaT_HackingNetBeansXMLLayerPartOne for more details on where to use the following tricks.

Trick #1

• If you want to remove either one of the separators, or even both of them, then delete the entries looking like:

 
<file name="org-nvarun-tat-separatorAfter.instance">
    <attr name="instanceClass" stringvalue="javax.swing.JSeparator"/>
    <attr name="position" intvalue="175"/>
</file>
<file name="org-nvarun-tat-separatorBefore.instance">
    <attr name="instanceClass" stringvalue="javax.swing.JSeparator"/>
    <attr name="position" intvalue="125"/>
</file>

Trick #2

• If you want to remove the action from a toolbar, then remove entries like:

<folder name="Toolbars">
    <folder name="Build">
        <file name="org-nvarun-tat-SayCheez.shadow">
            <attr name="originalFile"
                  stringvalue="Actions/Tools/org-nvarun-tat-SayCheez.instance"/>
            <attr name="position" intvalue="325"/>
        </file>
    </folder>
</folder>

Trick #3

• If you want to remove the action from a menu, and retain it only on the toolbar, then remove entries like:

<folder name="Menu">
    <folder name="Tools">
        <file name="org-nvarun-tat-SayCheez.shadow">
            <attr name="originalFile"
                  stringvalue="Actions/Tools/org-nvarun-tat-SayCheez.instance"/>
            <attr name="position" intvalue="150"/>
        </file>
        <file name="org-nvarun-tat-separatorAfter.instance">
            <attr name="instanceClass" stringvalue="javax.swing.JSeparator"/>
            <attr name="position" intvalue="175"/>
        </file>
        <file name="org-nvarun-tat-separatorBefore.instance">
            <attr name="instanceClass" stringvalue="javax.swing.JSeparator"/>
            <attr name="position" intvalue="125"/>
        </file>
    </folder>
</folder>

Note that these tricks apply to the module which declares the action. You cannot remove an action declared in another module, but you can hide it: DevFaqSwitchingMenusByContext

(Reposted from this entry on NetBeans Zone.)