Send link to item using Folder Assistant rule

[sriramna]

I have an Exchange server public folder set up with a custom form.
The folder assistant rules work nicely to forward the posted messages
to the appropriate list of recipients, based on the value in one of
the user-defined fields of the form (using the Advanced settings in
the rule editor).

However there is no option to forward a _link_ to the posted message -
the entire message gets forwarded. The result is that a message lands
up in the recipients' Inboxes using the default form, and they can
then proceed to reply on the message in their Inbox folders, which is
not desired.

I do not have the option of setting up services on the Exchange
server, or accessing the Organisational Forms Library.

There does not appear to be any way to forward a link to the posted
message, so that the recipient opens the item in the public folder?

The only solution I could think of was something along the following
lines:
1. In the Save or Write event of the custom form, spawn a new item
2. Create a link to the current (saved) item in this new item through
code
3. Post the item, perhaps to another dummy folder

The folder assistant rules of this second folder should fire, and send
the item with the clickable link to the appropriate recipients.
Recipients should get that nice email with a clickable icon linking to
the original saved item using the custom form.

I have to use folder rules because the recipient list for each given
value of the custom field needs to be maintainable by the user.

Will this work? The problem I can foresee is that someone will have
to periodically clean up the dummy folder containing all those link
emails.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I think that would work. It would certainly be easier to maintain than trying to keep the list of recipients in the custom form itself. The Folder Assistant rule on the dummy folder should be able to include a delete action.

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

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

 

[sriramna]

Thanks, it works well enough.

I do not see any Delete action available for public folders, only
Reply and Forward. Any other way to do this?

Also, is it at all possible, without using the Organizational Forms
Library, to set things up so that users can post items to a folder but
not read others' posts to the same folder?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Sorry, I was sure there was a Delete action. I don't have an Exchange server handy today to check. The alternative would be to write an Exchange event sink.

As for your posting question, there is no simple setting to do that.

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

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

 

[Sriram N A]

I was mistaken, there is indeed a standard DELETE action. If I set up the
folder rules so that the DELETE action fires after the FORWARD actions, I
get a script error indicating that "A rule on this public folder is
preventing your message from being moved, copied or posted to the public
folder." and the Save
action cannot be completed.

My assumption that the rules are processed in sequence and not
asynchronously might not be true for the Folder actions? If I disable the
Delete rule, the process goes through but of course the message remains in
the folder.

--
Sriram

Sorry, I was sure there was a Delete action. I don't have an Exchange server
handy today to check. The alternative would be to write an Exchange event
sink.

As for your posting question, there is no simple setting to do that.

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

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

Thanks, it works well enough.

I do not see any Delete action available for public folders, only
Reply and Forward. Any other way to do this?

Also, is it at all possible, without using the Organizational Forms
Library, to set things up so that users can post items to a folder but
not read others' posts to the same folder?

trying to keep the list of recipients in the custom form itself. The Folder
Assistant rule on the dummy folder should be able to include a delete
action.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Rules should be processed in sequence. You created two rules on the second folder, right? The first one to forward the item and the second to delete it?

I don't understand why you'd be getting that warning message, since the first folder shouldn't have any rules at all on it now that you're handling things with the custom form's Write event.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

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

 

[sriramna]

I've got it working like this:
1. User posts the form to the public folder.
2. Item_Write event code spawns a new "Notification" Post form
through a custom action, which has an embedded link to the user's
post. The notification is posted to the same folder.
3. Folder Assistant rule is set up to forward this second
Notification form to the appropriate recipient list. The rule fires
only for the Notification form, and sends to the appropriate list of
recipients based on the value in a user-defined field of the form.
The Delete action is also checked, which simultaneously deletes the
notification post from the folder.
4. Users listed in the rule get the message that a new item has been
posted, with a clickable icon to open the original post.

The trick here is, both the Delete and Forward actions are activated
for the same rule. I got the hint from the fact that these are
checkboxes in the Rules dialog, not radiobuttons. Works great; no
dummy folder required.

Thanks for the guidance!

--
Sriram

Rules should be processed in sequence. You created two rules on the second folder, right? The first one to forward the item and the second to delete it?

I don't understand why you'd be getting that warning message, since the first folder shouldn't have any rules at all on it now that you're handling things with the custom form's Write event.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

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

I was mistaken, there is indeed a standard DELETE action. If I set up the
folder rules so that the DELETE action fires after the FORWARD actions, I
get a script error indicating that "A rule on this public folder is
preventing your message from being moved, copied or posted to the public
folder." and the Save
action cannot be completed.

My assumption that the rules are processed in sequence and not
asynchronously might not be true for the Folder actions? If I disable the
Delete rule, the process goes through but of course the message remains in
the folder.

--
Sriram

Sorry, I was sure there was a Delete action. I don't have an Exchange server
handy today to check. The alternative would be to write an Exchange event
sink.

I do not see any Delete action available for public folders, only
Reply and Forward. Any other way to do this?

On Mar 10, 6:30 pm, "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]"
I think that would work. It would certainly be easier to maintain than

trying to keep the list of recipients in the custom form itself. The Folder
Assistant rule on the dummy folder should be able to include a delete
action.

I have an Exchange server public folder set up with a custom form.
The folder assistant rules work nicely to forward the posted messages
to the appropriate list of recipients, based on the value in one of
the user-defined fields of the form (using the Advanced settings in
the rule editor).

However there is no option to forward a _link_ to the posted message -
the entire message gets forwarded. The result is that a message lands
up in the recipients' Inboxes using the default form, and they can
then proceed to reply on the message in their Inbox folders, which is
not desired.

I do not have the option of setting up services on the Exchange
server, or accessing the Organisational Forms Library.

There does not appear to be any way to forward a link to the posted
message, so that the recipient opens the item in the public folder?

The only solution I could think of was something along the following
lines:
1. In the Save or Write event of the custom form, spawn a new item
2. Create a link to the current (saved) item in this new item through
code
3. Post the item, perhaps to another dummy folder

The folder assistant rules of this second folder should fire, and send
the item with the clickable link to the appropriate recipients.
Recipients should get that nice email with a clickable icon linking to
the original saved item using the custom form.

I have to use folder rules because the recipient list for each given
value of the custom field needs to be maintainable by the user.

Will this work? The problem I can foresee is that someone will have
to periodically clean up the dummy folder containing all those link
emails.