Customize a Form

[Guest]

Where do I find information on how to customize a form in Outlook 2007?

I found tools/form/design a form on the outlook menus but there isn't any
info on how to customize and implement your changes.

I've searched in help and on the MS knowledge base but all I can find is
some general information on what forms are.

 

[Guest]

OK, I found one of Sue's posts here which led me to "Tutorial: Creating and
distributing custom forms with Outlook". Great. Now, why (tools/forms/design
a form/contact) does the "general" tab of the contacts form look like the
contacts form in Outlook 2002 (my previous version) and not the one in 2007?
The Details, Activities, Certificates, and All Fields tabs look like 2007.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Because it contains controls that are not available to legacy custom form designers.

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

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

 

[Guest]

So how do I customize the new 2007 contacts form if I don't have it in the
Design Form library?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

These are your 3 options:

-- Design a legacy custom form, putting all the customization on pages P.2-P.5

-- Design the General page of a legacy custom form and live with the changes it makes in the layout

-- Do all your design work in one or more form regions (new feature in Outlook 2007), managing the region(s) with an add-in if you need to run related code

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

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

 

[Guest]

I would like to be able to add/link a contact to another contact using the
"contact" window on the general page of the contact form, like existed in
2002. Is it necessary to design a form or is there an easier way to acheive
this in 2007?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

You don't need a custom form for that. In Outlook 2007, the Contacts box for linking items to contacts does not appear by default. You will need to turn it on -- Tools | Options | Contact Options | Show Contact Activity Information on All Forms.

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

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

 

[Guest]

Excellent! I don't see how to turn on the "categories" field. How do I bring
back the "categories" field?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Use the Categories command on the ribbon. Or customize the form to add a text box bound to the Categories property.

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

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

 

[Guest]

OK, I'd like to "customize the form to add a text box bound to the categories
property". When I go to Tools/Forms/Design a form/Standard Forms
Library/Contact, I don't see a page that looks like an Outlook 2007 Contact
form. How do I see that page to add the text box?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

You use the page you see, or one of the blank pages. Developers will see a different layout when they put a contact form into design mode. The built-in layout is not available to be customized, except with Outlook 2007 form regions.

For other contact form idiosyncracies, see http://www.outlookcode.com/d/contactform.htm


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

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

 

[Guest]

Am I blind or are there no help topics covering how to customize a form in
outlook 2007? I see lots of topics and even videos on customizing BCM, but
not outlook!? Can you please advise on where to find this information?

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

1) Press Alt+F11 to start Outlook VBA.

2) In the VBA window, choose Help | Microsoft Visual Basic Help.

3) In the Help table of contents, choose Concepts | Forms | Custom Form Basics.


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

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