Workflows & Images

[Britabroad (Steve Banyard)]

Hello. New to the forum and Outlook FORMS so apologies if my questions have already been answered elsewhere! :d

So have just found the power of Outlook forms and am implementing my V1 file today. :lol:

Already looking at the next version and here is what I'd like to do but haven't been able to figure out :blush: , so this is where I need your help.
Background : Outlook 2003 (XP) in Exchange environment (but the aren't letting us publish folders)...

Workflow : So the idea is that people complete the form send it to me where I do some testing and reply with a result. In the future we'd need it to go to one person, who then approves it and then forwards it to me so that I can reply. Can this be done?

Images : Well screen shots really. We have a IT service who require Observation Reports when we find bugs. We currently have a Word Solution, but our bosses like the Outlook solution better. The only thing is that we need to be able to paste images into the fields along with the text.... help!

Cheers
Steve

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

If your organization won't let you use public folders, they probably also won't let you publish a form to the Organizational Forms library on the Exchange server (but it wouldn't hurt to ask). That means that, to make a custom message form work, you would need to get each person who needs to use it to publish the form to their Personal Forms library. If you don't think that's going to be possible, then stop here and stick to your Word solution.

If you can get that kind of cooperation, the next step in designing a custom form workflow solution is to map out the different "states" of the process, e.g.:

1) New item

2) Item undergoing testing

3) Item finished testing

4) Pending approval

etc.

Only you know what these states might be for your process. Generally, some "work" happens while an item is in a state and then some action is taken to make the transition from one state to the next. Mapping that activity out in detail is the key to designing a form that will contain all the controls and code needed to support that activity.

As for images, the only field on an Outlook form where you can paste images is the message body.

 

[Britabroad (Steve Banyard)]

Sue. Thanks for the reply.
Had pre-empted the Publish problem by issuing an how to install guide/video.
Different states :
1 Request sent to manager for authorisation
2 Manager Authorises -> sends to my team
3 Change tested and result returned to manager and requestor

So what is the next step?

Image : Figured that out and have added a message body so that people can add images if necessary....

Cheers

Steve

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Your form needs these things at a minimum:

1) a property to store the current state of the workflow item

2) Some way for the user to take action on the item. This is usually one or more command buttons on the form.

3) Code to do whatever "work" the item is supposed to do when the user takes an action, based on the current state of the workflow.

4) Code to change the value of the state property (and thus move the item to the next phase of the workflow) after the work for that state has been completed.

Ideally, the form should also have code to alter its appearance so that the user can easily see the current state of the workflow and the next appropriate action.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook 2007 Programming:
Jumpstart for Power Users and Administrators
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=54

Sue. Thanks for the reply.
Had pre-empted the Publish problem by issuing an how to install guide/video.
Different states :
1 Request sent to manager for authorisation
2 Manager Authorises -> sends to my team
3 Change tested and result returned to manager and requestor

So what is the next step?

If your organization won't let you use public folders, they probably also won't let you publish a form to the Organizational Forms library on the Exchange server (but it wouldn't hurt to ask). That means that, to make a custom message form work, you would need to get each person who needs to use it to publish the form to their Personal Forms library. If you don't think that's going to be possible, then stop here and stick to your Word solution.

If you can get that kind of cooperation, the next step in designing a custom form workflow solution is to map out the different "states" of the process, e.g.:

1) New item

2) Item undergoing testing

3) Item finished testing

4) Pending approval

etc.

Only you know what these states might be for your process. Generally, some "work" happens while an item is in a state and then some action is taken to make the transition from one state to the next. Mapping that activity out in detail is the key to designing a form that will contain all the controls and code needed to support that activity.