Import/Export Tasks from a Public Folders

[Rick A]

I'm using Outlook 2003.

Is it possible to import tasks to a public folder and export tasks from a
public folder?

I want to do this using Outlook, I do not want to write code if that is
possible.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[Judy Gleeson \(MVP Outlook\)]

I drag and drop them to the destination folder in both directions. Have you
tried that?

 

[Rick A]

Actually I found that I have to do this to add tasks to public folders...
1) Create a local tasks folder
2) import from Excel into the folder I created
3) Edit, Select All
4) Edit, Copy to folder
I select the public folder and the tasks are copied
I noticed that duplicates do happen when doing the copy if this is run more
than once and the old tasks are not deleted first. I'm guessing there is no
way to avoid this with the out of the box tool. I noticed that the import
option has a duplicate feature.

In order to export tasks I had to reverse the process, in other words...
1) filter the tasks I wanted in public folders
2) Edit, Select All
3) Edit, Copy to folder
select the task folder I want and the tasks are copied
4) File, Import and Export
5) Select the task folder I want and the data is exported to Excel

The process works but is not as simple as I would like. I am going to be
giving this process to non-technical people and I'm sure there will be a
great deal of maintenance involved.

Is there a way to go from Excel to Public Folders and back? Third party
tool or code? If code where can I start my education on writing it?

Also, I wanted to import and export "Owner" but see that this field is not
in the default import/export for tasks. I also see that Owner might be a
user defined field. Where can I find more information about populating the
Owner field directly?

Many questions. Sorry. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Rick
--

 

[Judy Gleeson \(MVP Outlook\)]

Why use Excel anyway? What's your aim?

--
Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook
www.acorntraining.com.au

 

[Rick A]

I need to give someone a quick way to enter many new tasks. I don't want to
use MS project because that is too complicated. I don't want them to enter
task manually because that's too labor intensive. I figured MS Excel was a
good middle ground.

My goal is to give the responsibility of adding tasks to an administrative
person. This person needs to follow instructions but not make decisions.
That's my aim.

Is there a better way to add tasks? I don't want someone to type them in as
there may be hundreds to do at any given time.

 

[Judy Gleeson \(MVP Outlook\)]

So are they typing them into Excel? Why not type them straight into
Outlook?

Do you need to programmatically create a whole lot of Tasks?

--
Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook
www.acorntraining.com.au

 

[Rick A]

I'm suggesting Excel because the administrative people understand Excel real
well. It also give them a way to copy and paste the same value across many
tasks, like contact or category. Entering tasks one at a time in Outlook is
ugly and opens the door for many typos. At least with the Excel idea if a
typo is made it is duplicated across all tasks for that set of tasks. If
that made and sense.

It would be great to find a programmatic way to enter a whole lot of tasks
and then maintain them. For example, I'd like to be able to enter 20 tasks
at one time and then update the owner field from the person who entered the
task to the actual project manager. By the way, this all needs to happen in
public folders because this is being used by many people who are in
different offices.

Is there a book that would help me?

 

[Judy Gleeson \(MVP Outlook\)]

Are you talking about making 20 Tasks which are basically the same, then
changing the Owner?

You may do well out of investigating CRM software that adds on to Outlook.
There are many which are designed to help manage workflow in teams. Outlook
CRM and Prophet, Microsoft CRM 3.0 - have a search on Outlook and CRM and
see what's around.

Also, try a post to the forms design or programming newsgroup.

Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook
www.acorntraining.com.au