Unable to edit the message body of a form in Design mode

[Senapathy]

Hello all,

I want to create a standard template for a type of review mail that I want
to send.
This has to have a standard Subject line, a standard address in CC and a
standard message body. I thought I can use the feature of Outlook forms
instead of Copy/Paste from old mails.

My problem is this:
When I design a new form, the message body appears with my mail signature.
But that is it.
I am simply not able to edit the message body to whatever text I wanted. If
I open the property page of the Message field, I can see only tab. And this
doesn't allow me to set the text I want.

For the Subject field, if I click on the field in the design mode, it allows
me to type in the text I want.

I tried a workaround - I removed the Message field. Instead I added a
Control of my own - a multiline edit box similar to the message body. In
this I can edit and type whatever text I want. But the drawback is that in
the preview pane mode of Outlook, the message body appears null since I have
deleted the message field.

1) Can you tell me how I can edit the Message field?
2) I am also curious if I can do some handling before the form is shown to
the user. Maybe pop up some of my own forms and get some information...
Is there an Init sort of function (like what VB provides) where I can handle
something before this custom form is shown to the user?

Thanks and regards,
Sena

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

1) Run the form. Make the changes you want, then republish.

2) Put initialization code in the Item_Open event handler.