Publishing forms

[Karla V]

OK, I think I'm on the right track now. I changed the version number, set
the fields to read only and so far, seems to be working!

A few other quick questions:

ICON - I changed the icon to a custom one we use at our company, but it
doesn't show up in the Inbox. Not a huge issue, but would be nice if
possible. It still shows the paper with push pin.

TAB ORDER - Is there a way to change the 'tab order' on the compose form?
In other words, I've moved some of the fields around since first placing them
on the form and when I am entering information using the tab key, it jumps
all over.

SHORTCUT - Can I add the form to my Outlook bar - Shortcuts? I'm guessing
I'll need to create on the Desktop and then drag to the bar, but where is the
Form saved so I can create the shortcut?

THANK YOU so much for your patience in helping me get this figured out. It
will be a huge time saver for many people here!

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

ICON - I changed the icon to a custom one we use at our company, but it

doesn't show up in the Inbox. Not a huge issue, but would be nice if
possible. It still shows the paper with push pin.

The icons need to be 32x32. For the small icon, the image should occupy the upper-left 16x16 corner of the 32x32 image.

TAB ORDER - Is there a way to change the 'tab order' on the compose form?
In other words, I've moved some of the fields around since first placing them
on the form and when I am entering information using the tab key, it jumps
all over.

Layout | Tab Order

SHORTCUT - Can I add the form to my Outlook bar - Shortcuts? I'm guessing
I'll need to create on the Desktop and then drag to the bar, but where is the
Form saved so I can create the shortcut?

A shortcut can run only a file or a folder (system or Outlook). Your form won't work if you launch it from an .oft file. You'd have to create a .bat file that starts Outlook.exe with the /c <messageclass> switch to create a new item with your form. See http://office.microsoft.com/assista...C010229981033&QueryID=fTx9WyW3E&respos=1&rt=6

If you want to put your form on the toolbar, not the Shortcuts pane, see http://www.outlookcode.com/d/launchform.htm

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Karla V]

My form is working great, I've created a button on the toolbar, and we're
working on the icon size. Problem solved!

Thank you again for your time...and patience. It's people like you that
make these user groups the awesome resource that they are!

 

[RadioRyan]

I'm having the same problem. The form itself works fine, as I've sent it to
other people, who have received it fine but when I send it tomyself or when
they send it to me everything is gone.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

An Outlook 2003 SP2 user most likely ***will not*** be able to see custom fields from a form saved as an .oft file template. Beginning with Outlook 2003 SP2, users can work with most .oft form templates files only by opening the template from the Tools | Forms | Choose Form dialog, browsing for User Templates in File System. This means that if the .oft file is sent as a message attachment, the user must save it to the local hard drive first. The article at http://support.microsoft.com/?id=907985 explains this change in more detail, suggests best practices, and provides registry keys that can return Outlook 2003 to the older, less secure behavior.

A form published only to a public folder also will not work reliably.

As the article cited above explains, to get a message form to work consistently, you need to publish it either to the Organizational Forms library or to each user's Personal Forms library.

1) When my test email is received (not by me) the target user opens the
form, he do see all custom fields, he fill it out and send it.

Sends it how? Reply? Forward? Custom action?

2) is it possible to create a Hyperlink on the body of the message to link
to the form?

Not directly. It can be done with the form and technique described at http://www.outlookcode.com/d/formlauncher.htm

* I have tried oulook.exe /c IPM.Note.Test1 "DO NOT open my form, just a
blank mail"

Works only with a form published either to the Organizational Forms library or to the Personal Forms library.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Hi, I have sort of the same problem, I am using Outlook 2003 SP2 and
Exchange, dont know the version. I had my Exchange administrator create a new
folder where some of the employees will use my forms, I created One
IPM.Note.Test1 form and published in [outlook:\\Public Folders\All Public
Folders\Customer Orders]. If I go "Choose form" I do open it with all my
custom fields, I push the send button and successfully sends it. I receive it
with all the information. I have read a lot of post in the forum about
publishing/distributing forms. I want to avoid ask the target user to go
Forms/choose form, so I decided to send him an .OFT file, so far I realized
this method wont update any changes, but at least the target user is able to
see all my custom fields. the target users do have access to this Curtomer
Orders folder.

So my two questions are:

1) When my test email is received (not by me) the target user opens the
form, he do see all custom fields, he fill it out and send it. When I receive
it, I do NOT see anything but a plain blank message? What I am doing wrong?

2) is it possible to create a Hyperlink on the body of the message to link
to the form?
* I have tried oulook.exe /c IPM.Note "this open a blank form successfully"
* I have tried oulook.exe /c IPM.Note.Test1 "DO NOT open my form, just a
blank mail" (at this point it occurered to me it is because may be this way I
have no access to the MesageClass so I tried this)
* outlook.exe /c IPM.Note.A [A is a new custom form I made and published in
Personal Folders] (this works but I need to open the messageclass is
located in the public folder {Customer Orders})