5 different questions from a Newbie

[Charlie]

I noticed that there is a book from Sue Mosher - regarding how to design your
own forms. Is this a book in "plain english" for a non-computer expert?? Or
does anyone know if there is a "How to design your forms for Dummies"???

I have a few questions - for this forum however.

1. I have a TREO 650, which I have already sycronized with Outlook 2003 -
once I build my new necessary forms (and after I put them into play AND I
sycronize to the TREO) - will the information be available to me on my TREO
(in other words, in the design mode, it's called Pg 2 - will that page show
up somehow on my TREO once I design it???)

2. I have looked through all of these threads and they all seem to be for
large companies. I am just doing this form design for myself in Real Estate
(and yes, I did look for Templates for Contact Management for Real Estate -
found nothing) - I'm just wondering, when I use the "tool box" and add in the
calendar, will this event actually show up (when I put the whole thing to
use) in my calendar items - or is there some code I need to use??

3. On the "details" tab of my design "Contacts" template, is there any way
to change the word "Anniversary", to something else??

4. I have already been using the Microsoft Outlook (basic contact
information form) - in other words, I already have contacts names, phone
numbers, etc input into my contacts. Once I am done designing my template,
can those contacts be switched to my NEW design without too much trouble??

5. Once my design is finished - and all of my contacts are typed in - if I
notice that I need something else on my new design - is it possible to change
or alter the design at that time and have it apply to ALL of my currently
installed contacts??? OR, does my new design have to be perfect right from
the get go???

Thank you greatly for any help you can offer - sorry it's so long-winded.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, but can you keep in mind when
you respond, that in my first paragrah - I asked where I could find a book
entitled "How to design your forms for Dummies" (and respond in plain
English)

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

1) No. Outlook's form designer is for Outlook only. As I understand it, whether custom field information is available on the Treo depends on whether your sync program supports custom fields, but I don't track which sync program does what.

2) I'm not sure I know what you mean by "add in the calendar."

3) No, the Details page is not editable. See http://www.outlookcode.com/d/contactform.htm for other gotchas.

4) Yes, you just need to change the MessageClass on the existing items to point to your new form's class. See http://www.outlookcode.com/d/newdefaultform.htm#convert for several tools and scripts to accomplish this.

5) Yes, you'd increment the version number on the (Properties) page and publish it with the same name.

FYI, people tell me that my book is pretty readable.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

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

 

[Charlie]

Thanks for the info and patience Sue - I'm glad to hear that your book is
"readable" - I think I need to invest.

Regarding #2:
- "add in calendar" - you know the little hidden calendar that you can put
on your page where when you click on the arrow, it (the calendar) pops up and
you can choose a date (this question is actually for all of the little tricks
in the tool box) basically what I'm asking is, once I click on that date -
does it automatically go onto my calendar and create a reminder??

ie: Let's say I decide to put the "birthday" option on my first page (I
know it's already on the "details" page - just using it as an example) - so I
put the word birthday and tie it into the tool box option (the mini pop-up
calendar) and voila -------- Does it miraculously appear in my reminders or
outlook calendar to remind me that it is "so and so's" birthday??? OR, do I
have to use something different. Hope this makes sense.

ALSO: You wouldn't happen to know where I could find out about the TREO
situation???

Thanks again Sue.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Since Outlook doesn't include any little calendar "that you can put on your page," I'm still at a loss to understand exactly what you're doing. In any case, reminders occur for messages and contacts with reminder flags and appointments and tasks with reminders set, not for any custom date fields.

You can put the Birthday field on the first page of the contact form, but the calendar control won't be available to you. It will be just a text field. And since it's still the Birthday field, regardless of how the data is entered, it will still create an appointment in your Calendar. My recollection (test it yourself) is that such events don't have reminders.

I'd suggest you ask TREO support or inquire on a TREO discussion forum.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

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

 

[Charlie]

Hi again,
It's called a DTPicker and I found it somewhere in the "Control Toolbox" -
don't ask me where. I was able to put it on my design page.

Thanks for the TREO advice - I'm now in the process of looking through all
of the threads on that site now too - there doesn't seem to be anything yet.