how to minimize clicks to get custom form?

[Lee Rider]

Newbie question.

I just created a custom form to send certificates of analysis to our customer service group for their records. Simple form, just text, I attach the cert (pdf) hit send-done.

I added a "choose form" botton to my menu bar because Tools
-> forms doesn't appear.

So right now, I click on the forms button -> click on "look in" drop down -> choose my form -> click "ok".

I would like a custom button that just takes me there with one click. Is this possible?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Yes, that's possible with a VBA macro. To create a new instance of a custom
form programmatically, use the Add method on the target folder's Items
collection:

Sub LaunchIt()
Set targetFolder = Application.Session.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderDrafts)
Set newItem = targetFolder.Items.Add("IPM.Note.YourFormName")
newItem.Display
End Sub

See http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=56 for other ideas.

 

[Lee Rider]

Thanks, but at the risk of sounding less than intelegent...

I saved the form in MS Outlook default (windows xp, office 2007). Copied from the pop up: "C:\Documents and Settings\myname\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\*.oft"

Do I go into windows explorer to use the "add" method or do I do this from Outlook?

I've created some basic macros in Excel so I do have a rudimentary understanding-I'm not a programmer.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

If you're using an .oft file that just contains boilerplate text, you could
simply make a shortcut to it on your Windows desktop.

Outlook has a VBA environment just like Excel, where you can write macros.
For basics, see http://outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=49. Since you're using
an .oft file, you wouldn't use the technique I showed earlier, but would
instead use the Application.CreateItemFromTemplate method, passing the file
name as the parameter. If you need more information on that method, you can
read about it in Outlook VBA Help.

 

[Lee Rider]

It can't be as simple as a shortcut!?

Thanks for you help. The shortcut worked fine