Outlook Categories

Hi
I make wide use of large list of private Categories in my office system and
am so fed up with the related MS management tools that I have developed a
class which manages an external database of Categories and inserts
appropriate selections into the Standard Outlook contact form.

I would like to overwrite the Master Category list programatically as a
method in this class and would be grateful if some one would point me
towards the appropriate tools or API to get at this data
Thanks in anticipation
Roger Stenson

Thanks Ken
I am using Professional XP version 2002 (version10 +SP3)
Roger Stenson
"Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]" <kenslovak@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:OXPel2UMEHA.3420@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> The master categories list has default categories that are hard-coded and
> can't be changed, the others you create are stored in the registry. The
path
> and whether they are ANSI coded strings or Unicode strings stored as a
> binary depends on the Outlook version.
>
> --
> Ken Slovak
> [MVP - Outlook]
> http://www.slovaktech.com
> Author: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
> Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options
> http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm
>
>
> "Roger Stenson" <roger.stenson1@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> news:Eovlc.124$pc7.120@newsfe1-gui.server.ntli.net...
> > Hi
> > I make wide use of large list of private Categories in my office system
> and
> > am so fed up with the related MS management tools that I have developed
a
> > class which manages an external database of Categories and inserts
> > appropriate selections into the Standard Outlook contact form.
> >
> > I would like to overwrite the Master Category list programatically as a
> > method in this class and would be grateful if some one would point me
> > towards the appropriate tools or API to get at this data
> > Thanks in anticipation
> > Roger Stenson
> >
> >
>
>

The master categories list has default categories that are hard-coded and
can't be changed, the others you create are stored in the registry. The path
and whether they are ANSI coded strings or Unicode strings stored as a
binary depends on the Outlook version.

--
Ken Slovak
[MVP - Outlook]
http://www.slovaktech.com
Author: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options
http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm


"Roger Stenson" <roger.stenson1@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:Eovlc.124$pc7.120@newsfe1-gui.server.ntli.net...
> Hi
> I make wide use of large list of private Categories in my office system
and
> am so fed up with the related MS management tools that I have developed a
> class which manages an external database of Categories and inserts
> appropriate selections into the Standard Outlook contact form.
>
> I would like to overwrite the Master Category list programatically as a
> method in this class and would be grateful if some one would point me
> towards the appropriate tools or API to get at this data
> Thanks in anticipation
> Roger Stenson
>
>

Outlook 2002 and later use Unicode strings, before that it was ANSI strings.

The location would be also based on Outlook version. For Outlook 2002 it
would be:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Categories\MasterList. Change
10.0 to 9.0 for Outlook 2000 and to 11.0 for Outlook 2003.

You can use the Win32API to read the string (semicolon delimited) or you can
use Windows scripting. If it's a Unicode string every other character would
be 0x00 (including for the semicolons).

--
Ken Slovak
[MVP - Outlook]
http://www.slovaktech.com
Author: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options
http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm


"Roger Stenson" <roger.stenson1@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:MILlc.38$wx5.20@newsfe1-win...
> Thanks Ken
> I am using Professional XP version 2002 (version10 +SP3)
> Roger Stenson

Thanks very much indeed for your help
Roger Stenson
"Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]" <kenslovak@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:%23vxPp3dMEHA.3988@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Outlook 2002 and later use Unicode strings, before that it was ANSI
strings.
>
> The location would be also based on Outlook version. For Outlook 2002 it
> would be:
> HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Outlook\Categories\MasterList. Change
> 10.0 to 9.0 for Outlook 2000 and to 11.0 for Outlook 2003.
>
> You can use the Win32API to read the string (semicolon delimited) or you
can
> use Windows scripting. If it's a Unicode string every other character
would
> be 0x00 (including for the semicolons).
>
> --
> Ken Slovak
> [MVP - Outlook]
> http://www.slovaktech.com
> Author: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
> Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options
> http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm
>
>
> "Roger Stenson" <roger.stenson1@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
> news:MILlc.38$wx5.20@newsfe1-win...
> > Thanks Ken
> > I am using Professional XP version 2002 (version10 +SP3)
> > Roger Stenson
>
>