Task Form: Unlock/clone/copy first page, or where to get prebuiltcustom form?

[alexw]

I want a custom task form which closely resembles the standard task
form, but has some fields replaced by user-defined fields. As probably
everyone here knows, the first page is locked and can only be hidden,
not customized.

So here are my questions:

(1) Is there a way to unlock the first page? (From what I've read here
so far, no.)
(2) If not, is there a way to clone/copy the first page and have the
copy editable?
(3) If not, is there a (fully editable) custom task form out there
that's as identical to the standard one as possible which would save
me the hassle to rebuild a nearly identical form?

I don't know much about forms so far, and it would be a great help to
find one of the above solutions.

Oh, and:
(4) If not, is it even possible to rebuild the first page with allmost
all the same fields?

This is for Outlook 2003.

TIA
Alex

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

1, 2) No.
3) None that I know of.
4) Not with Outlook 2003. You can do it or come pretty close with a form
region in Outlook 2007.

See http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=60 for more on task forms.

 

[alexw]

4) Not with Outlook 2003. You can do it or come pretty close with a form
region in Outlook 2007.

Seehttp://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=60for more on task forms.

Sue, thank you.

I was afraid to get that answer.
For (4), I understand that the problem is the date picker.
I could live without it (barely use it anyway) as long as I can type
in a date (German localized format, preferrably).
But I'm afraid that natural language entry ("tomorrow", "in one week"
etc.) won't work, either.
And are there other elements that are impossible to rebuild?

And while I'm at it: A while ago, I bought your book (the old, OL 2002
edition of "Outlook Programming"). I remember having seen some
information/update about the differences that came with OL 2003. I
can't find it anymore. Could I get a pointer?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Other things that would be hard, if not impossible, to duplicate -- the
reminder sound popup and the checkboxes for assigned task options.

The main change for Outlook 2003 is how security is handled; see
http://www.outlookcode.com/article.aspx?id=55
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Microsoft Outlook Programming: Jumpstart
for Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[alexw]

Sue, thanks again.

What about the natural language entry for dates ("tomorrow", "in one
week" etc.)?
On second reading the article(s) on your site, I think I got it wrong
the first time.
Looks like it will work on all date entry fields. Am I right? Will it
work on a localized system with the foreign language's expressions?

I don't need reminders or checkboxes for assigned task options.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I have no experience with natural language entry in non-English systems. I
would expect it to work, though. You might want to ask in one of the general
Outlook usage newsgroups, such as microsoft.public.outlook.general.