Custom Reply Form

[cjohnson300]

Is it possible to use Outlook Forms to have a custom reply form that reads
certain information from the message you are replying from (such as date
sent, subject, who it was to etc) and then puts them into the Subject line of
the new mail message? Some starter pointers would be very much appreciated

I have done loads of VBA in Excel and Access but Outlook is completely new
to me!

Thanks in advance

Chris

 

[Hollis Paul]

Is it possible to use Outlook Forms to have a custom reply form that reads
certain information from the message you are replying from (such as date
sent, subject, who it was to etc) and then puts them into the Subject line of
the new mail message? Some starter pointers would be very much appreciated

I have done loads of VBA in Excel and Access but Outlook is completely new
to me!

At this point you really do not need to do VBA, but Outlook VBA works much the
same.

Now, to begin with, are you wanting to reply to a message that uses a custom
form. If so, then you can, in design mode, go to the Actions page and replace
the default reply action, which uses the standard form, with a call to a
subroutine that instantiates your custom reply form, and loads it with the field
data from your current form, and then sends it. The trick here is to
instantiate the form with a named object, so you can use that object name to
reference the new message. Then, you gather up the field data from the current
form, construct the subject line string, and set the subject line variable in
the new message: myReply.Subject = "mySubjectstring" . Then send it on its way
and close the current message.

But, make that change after you publish your custom reply message.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Only if the form is for internal use ... in an organization that uses Exchange as its mail server ... and you can publish the form to the Organizational Forms libary.

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

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

 

[cjohnson300]

Thanks for the reply.

Do I need to change the Action on the Standard message form to call my
custom form instead of the Standard message form? Because that is what I
have done expecting to see my custom form but it does not display. And does
it make a difference if Outlook uses Word as its mail editor?

Chris

 

[cjohnson300]

I have tried accessing this folder, but keep getting this message: "An error
occurred while going to this folder". The form is for internal use and
Exchange is our mail server. Is this a permissions issue or does the folder
need to be initialised in Exchange?

Many thanks

 

[cjohnson300]

I changed the setting that told Outlook to use Word as the email editor but
my custom form still does not show. When I change the setting for Reply on
the Standard message form, it does not save when I press Save. Is this the
correct form I should be changing?

 

[cjohnson300]

Sorry I meant -
Do I need to change the Action on the Standard Message form to call my
custom form or on the custom form itself? I have changed it on the standard
message form expecting to see my custom form but it does not display

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

The Exchange administrator needs to create and grant permissions for the Organizational Forms library folder.

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

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

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Are you referring to the Reply action? You can't change the standard form. Any changes need to be made to a published custom form.

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

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

 

[cjohnson300]

So in order to obtain what I'm trying to achieve, I need to create two forms.
One is a copy of teh standard message form, but when you press reply it
calls the other custom form that reads the previous form's information and
displays it?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Yes, that's a viable approach. Depending on exactly what you want the users on either end to see, you may even be able to use the same form throughout.

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

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

 

[cjohnson300]

Having done some more research, I don't think I can do what I want to be able
to. I want to see my custom form when I press New Mail Message in my Inbox.
And then when I send an email message using my custom form, have that visible
to recipients outside of my Exchange organisation.

Can you confirm? Hopefully I'm not as confused as I sound

Many thanks

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

No, a custom form isn't likely to work outside your Exchange organization.

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

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