Programmatically Update Custom Form Description

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Reb DeWinter - 28 Jul 2004 23:24 GMT

Is there a way to programmatically update a custom form description? Manually I would just make the changes to the custom form, run the form and then use "Publish Form As" to overwrite the existing form definition.

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Thanks and best regards,

Reb Dewinter

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Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook] - 28 Jul 2004 23:54 GMT

In general, you'd do the same thing programmatically, using the
FormDefinition.PublishForm method. But of course, we don't know what changes
you have in mind, so it's impossible to say if they can be done.

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Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

> Is there a way to programmatically update a custom form description? Manually I would just make the changes to the custom form, run the form and

then use "Publish Form As" to overwrite the existing form definition.

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Reb DeWinter - 29 Jul 2004 00:56 GMT

All I did was change the values in a custom combobox control. When I display the form, the changes seem to work, but then they don't appear when I open a new form. Here is a code snipped of how I tried to use the PublishForm procedure:

m_olNameSpace = myOlApp.GetNamespace("MAPI")
ConFolder = m_olNameSpace.GetDefaultFolder(Outlook.OlDefaultFolders.olFolderContacts)
ActFolder = m_olNameSpace.GetDefaultFolder(Outlook.OlDefaultFolders.olFolderJournal)
myContact = CType(ConFolder.Items.Add("IPM.Contact.Test Contact"), Outlook.ContactItem)

'Clear out curent items listed in form field
oldValCount = myContact.GetInspector.ModifiedFormPages("General").controls("Test Field").listcount - 1
Dim k As Integer
For k = 0 To oldValCount
myContact.GetInspector.ModifiedFormPages("General").controls("Test Field").removeitem(0)
Next

'Add Revised List
ValCount = lsvValues.Items.Count - 1
Dim i As Integer
For i = 0 To ValCount
myField = lsvValues.Items.Item(i).Text
myContact.GetInspector.ModifiedFormPages("General").controls("Test Field").additem(myField)
Next

'display item for development purposes
myContact.Display()
myContact.Save()
Dim oFormDesc As Outlook.FormDescription
oFormDesc = myContact.FormDescription
oFormDesc.Name = "Test Contact"
oFormDesc.PublishForm(Outlook.OlFormRegistry.olFolderRegistry, ConFolder)

Signature

Thanks and best regards,

Reb Dewinter

> In general, you'd do the same thing programmatically, using the
> FormDefinition.PublishForm method. But of course, we don't know what changes
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Manually I would just make the changes to the custom form, run the form and
> then use "Publish Form As" to overwrite the existing form definition.

Reply to this Message

Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook] - 29 Jul 2004 01:26 GMT

The change you made -- using ItemAdd to fill a list box -- is not
persistent, because you haven't really changed the **design** of the form,
only the runtime UI. To change the design and persist that change, you'd
need to set the control's PossibleValues property. A possibly better
approach is to include code to fill the list box in your form's Item_Open
event.

Signature

Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of
Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

> All I did was change the values in a custom combobox control. When I display the form, the changes seem to work, but then they don't appear when

I open a new form. Here is a code snipped of how I tried to use the
PublishForm procedure:

> m_olNameSpace = myOlApp.GetNamespace("MAPI")
> ConFolder = m_olNameSpace.GetDefaultFolder(Outlook.OlDefaultFolders.olFolderContacts)
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> 'Clear out curent items listed in form field
> oldValCount = myContact.GetInspector.ModifiedFormPages("General").controls("Test

Field").listcount - 1

> Dim k As Integer
> For k = 0 To oldValCount

myContact.GetInspector.ModifiedFormPages("General").controls("Test
Field").removeitem(0)

> Next
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> For i = 0 To ValCount
> myField = lsvValues.Items.Item(i).Text

myContact.GetInspector.ModifiedFormPages("General").controls("Test
Field").additem(myField)

> Next
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> oFormDesc = myContact.FormDescription
> oFormDesc.Name = "Test Contact"

oFormDesc.PublishForm(Outlook.OlFormRegistry.olFolderRegistry, ConFolder)

> > In general, you'd do the same thing programmatically, using the
> > FormDefinition.PublishForm method. But of course, we don't know what changes
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> > Manually I would just make the changes to the custom form, run the form and
> > then use "Publish Form As" to overwrite the existing form definition.

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Reb DeWinter - 29 Jul 2004 02:48 GMT

Thanks, Sue - the PossibleValues field worked and I would never have known about it since it is not in the help documentation!

Signature

Thanks and best regards,

Reb Dewinter

> The change you made -- using ItemAdd to fill a list box -- is not
> persistent, because you haven't really changed the **design** of the form,
[quoted text clipped - 55 lines]
> and
> > > then use "Publish Form As" to overwrite the existing form definition.

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