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MS Office Forum / Outlook / Contacts / September 2006Outlook, forms and Public Folders
I have created a form for my clients, I want this to be the default form in this folder. I have tried importing a contact list from an access dbase but the imported dbase does not use the same form and I have tried, with my limited intelect to change these forms to correspond with my created form. Is it possible to import contacts to this new folder with it's own form and have the imports use this form? Regards Your choices and solutions really depend on the data in the contact list you are importing. Things to keep in mind: #1 - Using the Outlook import wizard - contacts will be created using the standard contact form (Msg Class=IPM.Contact) regardless of what the default setting is for the folder #2 - You cannot import data into any user-defined fields whether using a custom form or not using Outlook's import wizard #3 - Outlook doesn't provide for importing directly into a public folder Having said the above - your options are basically as follows: #1 - If you're importing data that is destined for user-defined fields - you'll need to either write your own code or use a 3rd party product (see: http://www.contactgenie.com or you may find other alternatives on Slipstick - http://www.slipstick.com) #2 - If the data you are importing is all targetted for standard Outlook fields - then you can use Outlook's import wizard for the basic import process and then simply change the message class for all imported contacts to use your custom form (we have a utility for that purpose - ContactGenie Message Class Modifier - http://www.contactgenie.com/cgtmcm.htm or as above you can find other alternatives on Slipstick as noted above). #3 - If these are contacts destined for a "public" contact folder and you don't want to use 3rd party software or write your own code (and the data doesn't involve custom fields) - simply follow step #2 using a contact folder in a PST file and then copy these contacts to the public folder where the form also has to be published. Karl _____________________________________________________________ ContactGenie - Importer 1.3 / DataPorter 2.0 / Exporter "Power contact importers/exporters for MS Outlook '2000/2003" http://www.contactgenie.com >I have created a form for my clients, I want this to be the default form in > this folder. I have tried importing a contact list from an access dbase [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Regards Karl, that information is kept at http://www.outlookcode.com/d/newdefaultform.htm now, no longer at slipstick.com.  SignatureSue Mosher, Outlook MVP Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003 http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for Administrators, Power Users, and Developers http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx > > #1 - If you're importing data that is destined for user-defined fields - [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > folder in a PST file and then copy these contacts to the public folder where > the form also has to be published. The data I ma trying to import only contains standard fields data, however I want them to be displayed using the custom form I have created so that I can input the data into the custom fields. I have tried importing the data and changing the form with no success. > Karl, that information is kept at http://www.outlookcode.com/d/newdefaultform.htm now, no longer at slipstick.com. > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > folder in a PST file and then copy these contacts to the public folder where > > the form also has to be published. Without knowing exactly what you did (all the steps you followed) - impossible to make any suggestions in terms of "tried .......... with no success". To start - after you've changed the message class for the contacts after importing them, do these open with the new custom form? (Also assume that all you're "standard fields" are also contained on your custom form. Karl _____________________________________________________________ ContactGenie - Importer 1.3 / DataPorter 2.0 / Exporter "Power contact importers/exporters for MS Outlook '2000/2003" http://www.contactgenie.com > The data I ma trying to import only contains standard fields data, however > I [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] >> > where >> > the form also has to be published. Karl, (sorry mate I am a novice). Here are the steps I have followed. I designed a custom form using the the contacts form (where in between the general & Details tab it opens with P.2, P.3 etc. After creating this I then published it under "outlook folders" titled BHMF. I then go to this folder and import from an access dbase my contacts. (this much I can do) This is where I come undone. By right clicking on the folder under folder list and opeining the properties I check the box "when posting to this folder, use BHMF I then go to forms tab whilst at properties and associate BHMF, by clicking on "manage" (I really don't know what I am doing) this opens forms manager and I make sure BHMF is in both boxes (are you as confused as I am) I apply these changes close the properties page and nothing changes when I open an imported contact the form is the standard form and not my custom form. > Without knowing exactly what you did (all the steps you followed) - > impossible to make any suggestions in terms of "tried .......... with no [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > >> > where > >> > the form also has to be published. Perform the import, then use one of the scripts or tools on the page I suggested to update the MessageClass property of the imported items to point to your published custom form. You can check whether the items were updated properly by adding the Message Class field to any view, so that you can see what form they use. SignatureSue Mosher, Outlook MVP Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003 http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for Administrators, Power Users, and Developers http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx > The data I ma trying to import only contains standard fields data, however I > want them to be displayed using the custom form I have created so that I can > input the data into the custom fields. > > I have tried importing the data and changing the form with no success. Just as an aside - ContactGenie Message Class Modifier (also free) identifies the following in a single solution: - default message class assigned to the folder - all message classes published to the folder, (as well as those in Personal Forms Lib & Org Forms Lib) - all message classes found being used within tthe selected folder whether published or not - all field names used in a given custom form - ability to rename multiple message classes at the same time - ensures that you cannot rename the message class using an invalid name (i.e. "FormName" instead of "IPM.Contact.FormName" which a number of the various other script solutions allow resulting in an invalid formname being assigned to an item which in turn results in a contact item being opened as an IPM.Note (mail) item by default - ability to copy or move items based on selected message class(es) from one folder to another (PST or Exch) Karl _____________________________________________________________ ContactGenie - Importer 1.3 / DataPorter 2.0 / Exporter "Power contact importers/exporters for MS Outlook '2000/2003" http://www.contactgenie.com Perform the import, then use one of the scripts or tools on the page I suggested to update the MessageClass property of the imported items to point to your published custom form. You can check whether the items were updated properly by adding the Message Class field to any view, so that you can see what form they use. SignatureSue Mosher, Outlook MVP Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003 http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for Administrators, Power Users, and Developers http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx > The data I ma trying to import only contains standard fields data, however > I [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > I have tried importing the data and changing the form with no success. Sue, you say update the "MessageClass property of the imported items. I really don't understand how to do this or what this does. I download CG-MCM and have no idea how to operate this and what the outcome is. > Perform the import, then use one of the scripts or tools on the page I suggested to update the MessageClass property of the imported items to point to your published custom form. You can check whether the items were updated properly by adding the Message Class field to any view, so that you can see what form they use. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > > > I have tried importing the data and changing the form with no success. Above everything else, at some point you will need to take the time to learn and become familiar with the tools you're using (i.e. Outlook in this case) and how custom forms are implemented if you are going to get involved with making changes etc Having said that....... #1 - Every contact item is associated with a specific message class which represents a "form" as to how a contact is displayed. If nothing ever gets changed then this message class will have a value of "IPM.Contact" which represents the standard "form" that Outlook uses to display the contact info #2 - When you create a custom form and make it the "default" for the folder as you already have done, then this "form" (represented by a message class name of "IPM.Contact.SomeFormName") will be used whenever you add a NEW contact via the Outlook user interface. #3 - Changing the default message class for a contact folder (or for any kind of folder for that matter) does NOT change the message class associated with any contact item that exists at the time you made the change to a different default custom form for the folder (i.e. when you change the name of "when posting to this folder, use...........". #4 - To change the message class for any contact item that already existed prior to making the change in item#3 - you will need a tool (whether it's CG-MCM or any script mentioned by Sue - ultimate objective is the same for all). These tools will change the message class to your new "default" #5 - Outlook's own import wizard ONLY imports new contacts using the standard message class name (IPM.Contact) regardless of the default folder setting - therefore whenever you open an IMPORTED item (via Outlook) - it will open up using the standard form until you change the message class for these newly created imported items. (an alternative to the Outlook import wizard (free) is using a 3rd party import product such as ContactGenie Importer or DataPorter (not free) that will enable you to import new contacts using a published custom form including importing data to custom fields) #6 - You can "Publish" a custom form to one of 3 different places - the contact folder itself, the Personal Forms library, and the Exchange organizational forms library. Which one you select depends on your requirements and permission rights (in the case of Exchange). Publishing the form to the folder itself is generally a very safe bet for simple scenarios such as only one folder using the custom form etc. Hope this helps Karl _____________________________________________________________ ContactGenie - Importer 1.3 / DataPorter 2.0 / Exporter "Power contact importers/exporters for MS Outlook '2000/2003" http://www.contactgenie.com > Sue, you say update the "MessageClass property of the imported items. I > really don't understand how to do this or what this does. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >> > >> > I have tried importing the data and changing the form with no success. Karl & Sue, Thanks for your help, I have succeeded in my task. I had downloaded Contact Genie MCM but it had issues so downloaded a newer version and it worked first go. Now I have a folder which includes all the information I need. > Above everything else, at some point you will need to take the time to learn > and become familiar with the tools you're using (i.e. Outlook in this case) [quoted text clipped - 64 lines] > >> > > >> > I have tried importing the data and changing the form with no success. |
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