Custom msg form is blank when sent

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Guest

I'm trying to create a custom form for use in a public folder. I read the
articles and I've figured out how to design a form (I based it on the Message
template). But when I send an email based on my new form -- filling out all
my new fields and the default ones -- everything besides the default fields
like To, CC, Subject, and Message do not appear to the person who receives
the email (and to me when I look in Sent items).

I've tried several different things. I copied the fields from the Edit
Compose Page tab to the Edit Read Page tab and still get nothing. Then I
tried editing the Post template instead of the Message one (just adding a To
field), and the new Post posts correctly, but again my new field doesn't
appear in the actual post (nor, interestingly, did the post get emailed to
the recipients I added in my new To field).

A secondary problem I'm having is in making the form the default for the new
folder or even getting it to appear in the list of forms that appears when
clicking the New button while on the folder (instead, I have to navigate to
Choose Form...).

I'm stuck and frustrated. Any ideas?
 
One clarification. The Post did (finally) arrive to the recipient, but still
all custom fields are missing.
 
For a message form to fully function, it must be published either to the Organizational Forms library or to each user's Personal Forms library. Publishing it only to a public folder guarantees it will never work properly, because Outlook does not know to look in one public folder among potentially thousands to find that published form definition.

Also, a message form cannot be the default for a folder, because messages are meant to be sent, not posted to a folder.

Maybe you should back up and give us an idea of what you're trying to accomplish with this form.

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

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
 
I'll gladly give you some background.

I want to create a form that people can use to easily communicate
configuration changes they make in our production environment. So I need
fields for "products affected," "markets affected," "date/time of change,"
"script/command run," and the like. I'm happy with an email form that they
can quickly fill out and send to a distribution list, or a post form that
they can post to a public folder (as long as I can ALSO have them email it to
a distribution list).

So I
1. Created a new public folder (I am an Owner).
2. Used the Message (then Post) standard template and customized it with my
fields on both the Compose and Read edit pages.
3. Published the form (both to the public folder and to my personal forms
library).
4. Set the properties of the shared folder to allow users to use my new form.
5. Tested the new form by clicking on the folder, choosing the form, and
clicking Send to email it to myself (and a coworker).
6. In my inbox, the message appears, but with none of the custom fields I
created.

I planned to publish my form to the Organizational Forms folder only after I
verified the form would work.

Where might I be going wrong?
 
DId you click the Edit Read Page button in design mode and create a read layout that contains controls to display your custom fields?

You realize, right, that the way you have this set up, each user testing this form will need to publish the form to their Personal Forms library?

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

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
 
I'm not sure what's required on the Edit Read Page. None of the tutorials I
found about form design/publishing even mentioned that page, so I was winging
it.

However, suspecting that it might be part of my problem, I did click that
button and copied everything I had on the Edit Compose Page onto the Edit
Read Page. That didn't fix the problem. Then I even made a few of the fields
read-only on the Edit Read Page page, thinking maybe that would make a
difference. It didn't.

If you could point me toward instructions for how to correctly create a read
layout to display my custom fields, I'd be thrilled.

As for publishing, I know that for now it will only work for me. Once I get
the form working, then I'll have my IT group publish it to the organizational
folder so everyone can use it.
 
You create a read layout exactly the same way you create a compose layout, by adding controls to display Outlook fields and static information. If you want a field to both senders and recipients, you need to display it on both layouts. After you make your changes, increment the version number on the (Properties) page of your form and publish it again. The version number will let you troubleshoot future problems by allowing you to check the form version in the Help | About This Form dialog.

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

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