user form in outlook

[Guest]

Hello I have created my first form in outllook. I want to send this form to
other users so that can fill it out and return to me.(to be used as an order
form) Everytime I try to save the form I get the following message "The
file As field for this contact is empty. You may not have entered a name or
company. Do you want to save this contact with an empty File As field? How
can I fix this. thanks

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

It's not clear what you're actually trying to save or whether anything needs fixing. It sounds like you have created a custom contact form, not a message form, that you want people to use as an order form. Is that correct? Are you using OUtlook 2003 SP2 or an earlier version? Are you using Exchange as your mail server?

FYI, there is a newsgroup specifically for Outlook forms issues "down the hall" at microsoft.public.outlook.program_forms or, via web interface, at http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...spx?dg=microsoft.public.outlook.program_forms


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

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

 

[Guest]

Thanks Sue for reponding so quickly. Yes I have created a custom contact form
that I want people to use as an order form. iI have microsoft outlook 2003
SP2 and we use Exchange as the mail server

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

To avoid the prompt, your form needs to either display the File As property so users can fill it in or (perhaps better) fill it with code behind the form. This is an unavoidable limitation of using a contact form for this purpose.

More importantly, though, a contact form has no inherent "send" ability. You're going to have to build that in -- maybe with code to forward the contact as an attachment? -- or make users jump through a lot of hoops just to fill out a single order.

Also have you considered that this form needs to be published to the Organizational Forms library or to each user's Personal Forms library?

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

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

 

[Guest]

Sue
You are absolutely right. This form does not have the "send" Ability. Is
there another type of user form that I can use that has the "send" ability. I
would like to publish the form to each users Personal Forms Library. Is
there a book that can help me with this. I'm just a novice at microsoft
userforms trying hard . The form looks great but ....is not functional
again thanks

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Think this through and you might have your own "aha" moment: What kind of Outlook items do people send? Messages, right? Then what kind of form can you use to create items that people can send? A message form.

As for books, see the 2nd link in my signature, as well as the accompanying web site, e.g. http://www.outlookcode.com/d/messageform.htm

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

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