New Message form Help

[BSUMelissa]

Please be kind as I am dense in this area. Let me start by stating I have
the Microsoft Outlook Programming book by Sue Mosher sitting right next to me
and I still can't figure out how to create a simple form. I have actually
used the book. I must not be grasping a key point. I have a simple form, by
that I mean an actual form where a person fills in their name, a document
name and fileing location. It's a very basic transmittal form. I want to
create a message (form) that contains the same fields in Outlook. I opened
forms desinger in Outlook 2003 and selected the message form. I used the
field chooser and dragged boxes and created labels. It looks exactly like
what I want. I can "run this form" and it looks perfect. But when I got to
Edit Read Page, it's completely blank. From the "run this form" screen I
have entered data and emailed it and the email is completely blank. What the
heck am I missing? I have read Chapter's 1 and 2. --I still don't get it
completely. I understand what it does but I don't know how it applies to the
type of form I'm trying to create. I don't need any calculations, just
capture the text in the boxes and pass it on to the email recipient. Seems
simple to me, I'm finding otherwise. I've also read Chapters 15, 16 & 17,
that is how I got the layout done. I won't even go into how long I've been
messing with this, it's embaressing! Any words of wisdom or a point in the
right direction would be greatly appreicated.

 

[Hollis D. Paul]

Any words of wisdom or a point in the
right direction would be greatly appreicated.

What you haven't realized is that when a new form is opened in the
Outlook developer environment, it is split into a compose and read
form. If you just entered controls into the first area you saw, then
you entered controls into the compose form. If you then did not enter
any controls into the read form, and mail it to yourself, you will be
reading the item, and it will look blank.

Obviously, you don't need a split form to do your task. When you read
your form, you want to see what you composed. So, when you open a new
form for development, or just your existing form as currently
published, drop down the Forms menu, and uncheck the Split option. If
it is a new menu, it won't look like anything has happened, but you
will see the form as you composed it, when you mail it to yourself. If
it is your existing form, it will warn that anything special on the
read form will be lost, to which you will simply shrug and say OK.

Publish your new form, and you will be able to read what you composed
when you got a new item, filled it in, and sent it too yourself.

Hollis D. Paul [MVP - Outlook]
(e-mail address removed)
Using Virtual Access 4.52 build 277 (32-bit), Windows 2000 build 2600
http://search.support.microsoft.com/kb/c.asp?FR=0&SD=TECH&LN=EN-US

Mukilteo, WA USA

 

[BSUMelissa]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Taking it off "split mode" did exactly
what I need just as you said. If you don't mind, can you tell me how I would
use the "edit read page" and why it's there. I'm not understanding why it
has two "phases" compose and read. There must be a need that I can't imagine.

Again, thank you!

Any words of wisdom or a point in the
right direction would be greatly appreicated.

What you haven't realized is that when a new form is opened in the
Outlook developer environment, it is split into a compose and read
form. If you just entered controls into the first area you saw, then
you entered controls into the compose form. If you then did not enter
any controls into the read form, and mail it to yourself, you will be
reading the item, and it will look blank.

Obviously, you don't need a split form to do your task. When you read
your form, you want to see what you composed. So, when you open a new
form for development, or just your existing form as currently
published, drop down the Forms menu, and uncheck the Split option. If
it is a new menu, it won't look like anything has happened, but you
will see the form as you composed it, when you mail it to yourself. If
it is your existing form, it will warn that anything special on the
read form will be lost, to which you will simply shrug and say OK.

Publish your new form, and you will be able to read what you composed
when you got a new item, filled it in, and sent it too yourself.

Hollis D. Paul [MVP - Outlook]
(e-mail address removed)
Using Virtual Access 4.52 build 277 (32-bit), Windows 2000 build 2600
http://search.support.microsoft.com/kb/c.asp?FR=0&SD=TECH&LN=EN-US

Mukilteo, WA USA

 

[Hollis D. Paul]

There must be a need that I can't imagine.

I have never been able to imagine that either; but I have read some
people talking about collecting info on the read page, which they used
to get/set other info for the recipient, that they didn't want the
recipient to bother about. Mostly, I think it is a case of build it
and someone will use it.

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

 

[BSUMelissa]

Thank you for responding. I hate to ask yet another question. Now that I
can see the fields in the sent message with the data that was entered, I
printed the message. Only one field prints, it's a numerical field for a
phone number. The label and the box with the extension number print. None
of the text data or even the outline of the field prints. I've right clicked
on the phone number field and the text field to look for any differences.
Nothing is jumping out at me to tell me why one prints and not the other.
Any thoughts on that?

There must be a need that I can't imagine.

I have never been able to imagine that either; but I have read some
people talking about collecting info on the read page, which they used
to get/set other info for the recipient, that they didn't want the
recipient to bother about. Mostly, I think it is a case of build it
and someone will use it.

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

 

[BSUMelissa]

Thank you for responding. I hate to ask yet another question. Now that the
form appears to be working as I had expected. By that I mean it can be
filled out and emailed and the reciever can see all the fields with the data.
It seems if the reciever then prints the message it prints blank with the
execption of one field. The label and the coresponding field print but the
data isn't there. That particular field is a numerical field (extension
number) and it prints with 0 in the field. There is one other numerical
field for page count and it doesn't print. Nor do any of the other labels,
text fields or check boxes. Futhermore the checkbox data does not come
through on the email either. They come across unchecked. I suspect there
may be some coding that needs to take place for the checkboxes to work. Any
thoughts on this?

There must be a need that I can't imagine.

I have never been able to imagine that either; but I have read some
people talking about collecting info on the read page, which they used
to get/set other info for the recipient, that they didn't want the
recipient to bother about. Mostly, I think it is a case of build it
and someone will use it.

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

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Only fields with data in them will print, not unbound control values. It
sounds like the check boxes might not be bound to Outlook properties.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

Thank you for responding. I hate to ask yet another question. Now that
the
form appears to be working as I had expected. By that I mean it can be
filled out and emailed and the reciever can see all the fields with the
data.
It seems if the reciever then prints the message it prints blank with the
execption of one field. The label and the coresponding field print but
the
data isn't there. That particular field is a numerical field (extension
number) and it prints with 0 in the field. There is one other numerical
field for page count and it doesn't print. Nor do any of the other
labels,
text fields or check boxes. Futhermore the checkbox data does not come
through on the email either. They come across unchecked. I suspect there
may be some coding that needs to take place for the checkboxes to work.
Any
thoughts on this?

There must be a need that I can't imagine.

I have never been able to imagine that either; but I have read some
people talking about collecting info on the read page, which they used
to get/set other info for the recipient, that they didn't want the
recipient to bother about. Mostly, I think it is a case of build it
and someone will use it.

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

 

[Hollis D. Paul]

It seems if the reciever then prints the message it prints blank with the
execption of one field. The label and the coresponding field print but the
data isn't there.

Word is, of course, the print engine of Office Systems. The memo print style
in outlook is really there just for test purposes. As the receiver
discovered, it does not print custom forms and fields adequately.

Go to www.slipstick.com and search on print to find the example and
discussions there of how to print Outlook data.

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