Ok. I’ll admit it. I haven’t read the book. But I did read the article on Wikipedia! And I have been working with Outlook, no, I’ve lived my life (sad, I know) from Outlook for almost a decade now. Since my days as a MicroSerf in Redmond and it had another, more vile name or two (MS Mail, then Schedule+, then Exchange) and ugly reputation for crashing.
Nowadays Microsoft Outlook can almost walk the dog! The day it can do that will be the day that it supports custom forms on portable devices. If you don’t know what custom forms are, then you have been bound by the design into a mode of productivity as decided by a Microsoft employee. Download rap music|Download Mp3 All Genres|Download Leona Lewis Mp3
Well, be bound no more! In my next article… no, hey, I’ll start it now. Here. In Outlook, click on Tools, Forms, Design a Form. The Design Form dialog is displayed and is looking in the Standard Forms Library. (See the little Look In: thing?) This a list of the underlying forms for Outlooks Mail, Contact, Task, Calendar and other items. You can open then and create CUSTOM versions! But first, click the drop down list and Look In: the Personal Forms Library. If that list is empty, then you have nothing custom and yes, you’re trapped.
Now, we’re assuming that you are NOT using the Corporate Exchange Server version. That’s a different bushel of corn altogether. M’kay? So, return to the drop down of your Design Form dialog and up to the Standard Forms Library. Double click on the Contact form and up pops a scary vision! A naked Outlook Contact form! Well, it’s not really naked but it is very vulnerable. Because you can move its naughty bits around! Check this out… you see the wobbly, little circle that I’ve drawn there in my graphic?
In that circle are buttons for, from left to right, the Field Chooser, the Control Toolbox, Properties List and the View Code window. What you are looking at, in toto, is a Design Environment for the easiest programming known to mankind! It’s easier than your TiVo! Now you are almost a programmer! Come back next week… when we’ll talk about making Outlook your bitch! As always click on our sponsors and buy stuff…
