Labels

[Tomster]

When scheduling an activity, you are able to customize lables - description
and color... so that you can select the "Label" you want. e.g. Project
Overview meetings are blue. This allows you to standardize the color of
different types of activities on the calendar.

Once you have defined your label descriptions and colors, is it possible to
transfer these settings to other users or apply them Globally?

I am asking as I have two users who share calendars. They have defined the
labels so they are identical. If they want to apply a label to their own
calendar, the choices available are the ones they defined. HOWEVER, If they
try to apply a label to an activity on the other users calendar, the drop
down shows the orignal default settings.

So I guess what we really want to do is change the default listing... and
changing it on each machine does not appear to do that.

Thanks for any suggestions that can help resolve this.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

It's possible with custom programming scripts, assuming CDO 1.21 is installed on each machine. Search my http://www.outlookcode.com site for -- calendar color labels -- to see sample code. Note that the color labels are per-folder, not per-user

Outlook 2007 makes this process much easier.

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

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

 

[Tomster]

When you say "per folder" do you mean that if a user has a personal folder,
it would apply to that folder and all sub-folders or would we have to
manipulate the code for each sub folder as well.

 

[Tomster]

I did a quick check on CDO 1.21 and this shows as win98 and w2000. Both
machines are XP. Will this version work? Will it work without an Exchange
server.

Note: we are not using exchange. Using a product called WorkGroupShare to
share the calendars.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

No, per-folder means per-folder. Each folder has its own labels.

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

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

When you say "per folder" do you mean that if a user has a personal folder,
it would apply to that folder and all sub-folders or would we have to
manipulate the code for each sub folder as well.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

CDO 1.21 is an optional component of Outlook. It has nothing to do with your operating system.

Whether Workgroup Share propagates calendar color labels as part of its sharing process is something you'd have to ask them. I'd to that first.

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

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

I did a quick check on CDO 1.21 and this shows as win98 and w2000. Both
machines are XP. Will this version work? Will it work without an Exchange
server.

Note: we are not using exchange. Using a product called WorkGroupShare to
share the calendars.

 

[Tomster]

Now I'm confused.

If I have the calendar open... and click on the Calendar Coloring button...
I can edit the name and colors for the label options. If I click anywhere
else (besides calendar) on the folders tree, I no longer see the calendar or
the calendar coloring option. So with apologies for being dense, I am not
sure how these settings are specific to a "folder" since the only place you
can set them is in the calendar, not a folder.

So maybe I am misunderstanding what you mean by folder in this context.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

A calendar *is* a folder. Color labels apply only to calendar folders. Each calendar folder can have its own unique set of color labels.

Make sense now?

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

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

Now I'm confused.

If I have the calendar open... and click on the Calendar Coloring button...
I can edit the name and colors for the label options. If I click anywhere
else (besides calendar) on the folders tree, I no longer see the calendar or
the calendar coloring option. So with apologies for being dense, I am not
sure how these settings are specific to a "folder" since the only place you
can set them is in the calendar, not a folder.

So maybe I am misunderstanding what you mean by folder in this context.

 

[Tomster]

OK, so if a user has one calendar folder... the user customizes his labels
and he should be set.

If another user, also with only one calendar folder, customizes her labels
to be an exact match of the other users, then she is set.

Have I got that straight so far...

(thank you for your patience).

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

You got it!!

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

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

OK, so if a user has one calendar folder... the user customizes his labels
and he should be set.

If another user, also with only one calendar folder, customizes her labels
to be an exact match of the other users, then she is set.

Have I got that straight so far...

(thank you for your patience).

 

[Tomster]

Sorry for the delay... I got side tracked for a while.

I checked with them, and they agreed with our earlier discussion that if
both users set their label options to match... they "would think" this would
take care of it. Unfortunately, when either user tries to add something to
the other users calendar - when they go to the label drop down - they do not
see the customized list, but a default list that is being pulled from
somewhere(?). They subsequently confirmed this behavior on their systems as
well. At this point, they are baffled as well by the appearance of this
"default" list of choices... and like myself are wondering where they could
go to change that "default list" or keep it from being pulled.

I would think that there are people who encounter the scenario of scheduling
for each other... but perhaps they do not use custom colors.

If anything crosses your mine on this issue, your insights would be
appreciated.

But in the meantime, thank you for the replies and guidance. Both are
greately appreciated.

Regards,

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

The colors will be the same on all machines. I'd keep a cheat sheet handy of which color is supposed to mean what and just go by the color.

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

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