[OL2007] -> Customize the contact layout in edit mode? <-

[Steve JORDI]

Hi,
I would like to know if it's possible to add fields to the
main contact window shown when you edit a contact.
I'd like to add some custom fields and remove some I never
use.

I checked
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?ID=35
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA012106101033.aspx

and followed instructions from those pages, but when I open
a contact, and then tell Outlook 2007 to "Design This Form",
the design form shown is not the same. It just doesn't look
like it.

The open contact looks like the "normalmode.jpg" screen capture.
As soon as I switch to design mode, it looks like "editmode.jpg".
Any way to really edit the form that looks like an open contact?
Here are the captures:
www.sjordi.com/outlook/normalmode.jpg
and www.sjordi.com/outlook/editmode.jpg

From what I read, Microsoft says
"This problem occurs because the design mode Contact form was not
updated with the new Outlook user interface."
(That's from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823133)

But I never had any Outlook and/or PST file on my machine before.
I don't even have MS Office (I use WordPerfect Office).
And I never used Outlook Express.

Thanks for any help


Sincerely,
Steve JORDI

(Remove the K_I_L_LSPAM from my email address)

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

As the article you cited explains, developers will see a different layout when they put a contact form into design mode. The built-in layout is not available to be customized, except by adding a form region at the bottom.

For other contact form idiosyncracies, see http://www.outlookcode.com/d/contactform.htm

 

[Steve JORDI]

As the article you cited explains, developers will see a different layout when they put a contact form into design mode. The built-in layout is not available to be customized, except by adding a form region at the bottom.

For other contact form idiosyncracies, see http://www.outlookcode.com/d/contactform.htm

Wow, if this sounds really stupid. Why the hell wouldn't we be allowed
to edit one of the most important forms? I don't understand why
MicrobeSoft didn't allow this.
At least they could disable the "Design this form" for that specific
form. Or show a dialog box stating that this form is reserved and not
available for editing.

But just switching to something that has nothing to do at all with the
original look is plain dumb.
Well, in a way, I'm not that surprised (look at the company behind
this)...

Thanks anyway.

Sincerely,
Steve JORDI

(Remove the K_I_L_LSPAM from my email address)

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Nothing prevents you from editing that page. The issue is that certain of the controls that define the look of the standard page are not available to developers except in versions that work only in form regions.

 

[Steve JORDI]

Nothing prevents you from editing that page. The issue is that certain of the controls that define the look of the standard page are not available to developers except in versions that work only in form regions.

Well, I thought "ok, impossible to edit the "general" tab without
losing everything, let's add my extra fields to the "Details" tab.
Hey! Guess what? It's not possible to edit this one as well!
No custom fields to drag and drop. The tab is not in design mode,
but waits for data input!
Ok, I give up.


Sincerely,
Steve JORDI

(Remove the K_I_L_LSPAM from my email address)

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Any page that has a date/time dropdown can't be edited, including the Details page of the contact form. If you want to preserve the look of the General page, then you'd need to do your customization on the P.2-P.5 pages.