Default text in body?

[Linn Kubler]

Hi,

I'm making a custom form for a public calendar folder. I've been asked if
it is possible to have default text in the body field of the form. It would
be alright if this text is editable when the user launches the form. The
text is like this:

Delivery Instructions:
Alternate Delivery address:
Phone:
Alternate Phone:
etc...

I suggested making these fields on the form but they said it would get too
cluttered and if they didn't need them it would be nice to be able to delete
the text. So I'm trying to figure out how to make this happen. If it were
a Word document I'd just make it a template but I'm not sure there is a way
to modify or create a template field. Would one of the events work? It
only has to be inserted when a new item is created.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions,
Linn

 

[Hollis D. Paul]

So I'm trying to figure out how to make this happen. If it were
a Word document I'd just make it a template but I'm not sure there is a way
to modify or create a template field. Would one of the events work? It
only has to be inserted when a new item is created.

It used to be that you just had to get a new blank item, type in the text you
want, then go to Tools (on the item explorer) -> Forms -> design this form,
and then put in the customized fields and stuff you want for the form. The
text in the body field then gets included in the published form definition,
and appears in every new item instantiated from the form.

Now, they have made it difficult. If you get a new, blank form, you don't get
a Tools/forms/design this form from the item explorer. You have to go to the
Outlook Application explorer Tools -> Forms -> Design a Form, and pick the
type of form you want to develop. You then get the blank form open in design
mode, and it is difficult to put text into that control. So, the work around
is to make some of your changes to that blank form, publish it, instantiate a
new item of that newly published form, type desired your text into the body
field, then click Tools (in the item explorer) -> Forms -> Design this form,
and the immediately publish it, or make the other changes to the form and
publish it again. The body text gets incorporated in the published form
design.

Make sure to publish it with a name that incorporates the version number, so
that you avoid cache problems. That is, if the initial published name was
...MyTask, then the next published name should be ...MyTask_v2, and so on.

Hollis D. Paul [MVP - Outlook]
(e-mail address removed)
Mukilteo, WA USA

 

[Linn Kubler]

It used to be that you just had to get a new blank item, type in the text
you
want, then go to Tools (on the item explorer) -> Forms -> design this
form,
and then put in the customized fields and stuff you want for the form.
The
text in the body field then gets included in the published form
definition,
and appears in every new item instantiated from the form.

Now, they have made it difficult. If you get a new, blank form, you don't
get
a Tools/forms/design this form from the item explorer. You have to go to
the
Outlook Application explorer Tools -> Forms -> Design a Form, and pick the
type of form you want to develop. You then get the blank form open in
design
mode, and it is difficult to put text into that control. So, the work
around
is to make some of your changes to that blank form, publish it,
instantiate a
new item of that newly published form, type desired your text into the
body
field, then click Tools (in the item explorer) -> Forms -> Design this
form,
and the immediately publish it, or make the other changes to the form and
publish it again. The body text gets incorporated in the published form
design.

Make sure to publish it with a name that incorporates the version number,
so
that you avoid cache problems. That is, if the initial published name was
..MyTask, then the next published name should be ...MyTask_v2, and so on.

Hollis,

Thanks for the response. Yeah, it looked difficult at first but once I
tried it it was actually not too bad. Since I'm just learning OL forms
programming with 2003 I'm used to the Design this form method. So it worked
great! I think this project is ready to go live!

Thanks much,
Linn