ch5.htm

MAPI__SAPI__TAPI

    <td WIDTH="138">1</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td WIDTH="90">　</td>
    <td WIDTH="186"><tt><font FACE="Courier">Number</font></tt> </td>
    <td WIDTH="138">1</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td WIDTH="90">　</td>
    <td WIDTH="186"><tt><font FACE="Courier">Item Type</font></tt> </td>
    <td WIDTH="138">IPM.JobRequest</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center></div>

<p>You will note that the first time you bring up a new form, the <tt><font FACE="Courier">Item 
Type</font></tt> property is set to a long string of letters and numbers. This is a <i>GUID</i> 
(<i>guaranteed unique ID</i>). Microsoft Exchange uses this ID value internally to 
identify the form. The value you enter here does not have to be this cryptic. It is a good 
idea to enter a value that will mean something to you and others in your organization. It 
is, however, important that you keep this name unique. </p>

<p>Save this project again (<tt><font FACE="Courier">JOBREQ.EFP</font></tt>) before you go 
on to your last development step-adding help. </p>

<h3><a NAME="AddingOnlineHelptotheJobRequestFo">Adding Online Help to the Job Request Form</a></h3>

<p>It is very easy to add online help to your electronic forms. The Microsoft Exchange 
Forms Designer has a built-in QuickHelp feature that lets you build tooltips and pop-up 
help boxes at the field, window, and form levels. You can even add notes to the 
design-time version of the form for tracking development issues. </p>

<h4>Adding Designer Notes</h4>

<p>First, let's add a few notes to the design-time form. Select <tt><font FACE="Courier">Help 
| Designer Notes...</font></tt> from the main menu to bring up the Designer Notes screen 
(see Figure 5.12). </p>

<p><a HREF="f5-12.gif"><b>Figure 5.12 : </b><i>Viewing the Designer Notes screen.</i></a> </p>

<p>Enter a short comment about the form, the date, and the author. The information you 
enter here is stored with the project and will be available each time you load the project 
into the Microsoft Exchange Forms Designer. Notice that this is a rich-text box. You can 
set the font type, size, and color at any time. </p>

<h4>Adding Form-Level Help</h4>

<p>You can also have a help pop-up at the form level. To do this, bring up the Form 
Properties page (select <tt><font FACE="Courier">View | Form Properties | General Tab</font></tt>) 
and press the <tt><font FACE="Courier">Form Help...</font></tt> button. You'll see a 
dialog box like the one in Figure 5.13. </p>

<p><a HREF="f5-13.gif"><b>Figure 5.13 : </b><i>Adding form-level help.</i></a> </p>

<p>Notice that you can select <tt><font FACE="Courier">No Help</font></tt>, <tt><font
FACE="Courier">QuickHelp</font></tt>, or enter a context ID for a standard WinHelp file. 
For now, enter a short comment into the QuickHelp pop-up box and press <tt><font
FACE="Courier">Close</font></tt> to save the form. You can also set the Windows Caption by 
moving the cursor up into the title bar of the sample help window and typing a caption. </p>

<h4>Adding Window-Level Help</h4>

<p>You can enter help at the window level, too. This is most useful when you have a 
project with multiple windows. For now, select the Window Properties dialog box (<tt><font
FACE="Courier">View | Window Properties | General</font></tt>) and press the <tt><font
FACE="Courier">Window Help...</font></tt> button. Your screen will look like the one in 
Figure 5.14. </p>

<p><a HREF="f5-14.gif"><b>Figure 5.14 : </b><i>Viewing the window-level help dialog box.</i></a> 
</p>

<p>Notice that you have an additional control on this dialog box. If you have multiple 
windows in your project, you can use the drop-down list control to select each window and 
enter unique help information. </p>

<h4>Adding Field-Level Help</h4>

<p>Finally, you can also enter help information at the field level. Double-click a field 
object or select <tt><font FACE="Courier">View | Field Properties |</font></tt> <tt><font
FACE="Courier">General Tab</font></tt> to bring up the Field Properties dialog box. Then 
press the <tt><font FACE="Courier">Field Help...</font></tt> button to view the help 
dialog box (see Figure 5.15). </p>

<p><a HREF="f5-15.gif"><b>Figure 5.15 : </b><i>Viewing the Field Help for Users dialog 
box.</i></a> </p>

<p>Notice that there are now two controls at the top of the help dialog box. The drop-down 
list can be used to select the field for which you want to create a help topic. The Status 
Bar control lets you enter a short help line that will appear at the bottom of the form as 
you select each field. Of course, the QuickHelp box contains the help information that 
will appear in a pop-up box if you press f1 at run-time while a field is in focus. </p>

<p>Enter QuickHelp information for several fields and then save the project. Save your 
project as <tt><font FACE="Courier">JOBREQ.EFP</font></tt> before continuing with the last 
step-installing and testing your new form. </p>

<h3><a NAME="InstallingtheJobRequestForm">Installing the Job Request Form</a></h3>

<p>After you have completed the development phase of your Microsoft Exchange form, you 
need to run the <tt><font FACE="Courier">Install</font></tt> routine from the Microsoft 
Exchange Forms Designer. This routine 

<ul>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Saves the project</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Generates Visual Basic 4.0 code from the project</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Loads Visual Basic 4.0 (16-bit version) and compiles the form</font> 
  </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Prompts you for a Microsoft Exchange forms library in which to 
    install the new form</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Prompts you for a final set of Form Properties to help Microsoft 
    Exchange categorize your form</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Registers the form with Microsoft Exchange and closes Microsoft 
    Exchange</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Returns you to the Microsoft Exchange Forms Designer</font> </li>
</ul>

<p>This entire process may take awhile, depending on the size of your project and your 
hardware configuration. If you do not have the project loaded now, open the Microsoft 
Exchange Forms Designer and load the <tt><font FACE="Courier">JOBREQ.EFP</font></tt> 
project. </p>

<p>Select <tt><font FACE="Courier">File | Install...</font></tt> from the main menu. 
You'll see a small dialog box telling you that the Microsoft Exchange Forms Designer is 
generating Visual Basic code. Then you'll see Visual Basic 4.0 load and compile the 
project. </p>

<p>After Visual Basic finishes, you'll see a dialog box that asks you where you want to 
install the form (see Figure 5.16). </p>

<p><a HREF="f5-16.gif"><b>Figure 5.16 : </b><i>Selecting a forms library for installation.</i></a> 
</p>

<p>Select <tt><font FACE="Courier">Personal Forms Library</font></tt> for now. This will 
install the form on your workstation. Once you have tested it thoroughly, you can 
re-install the form on a network location to allow others to use the form. </p>

<p>After selecting a forms library, you'll be asked to fill in a few more questions about 
the form (see Figure 5.17). The information in these fields is used by Microsoft Exchange 
to categorize your form. Forms are sorted and grouped to make them easier to locate and 
use. </p>

<p><a HREF="f5-17.gif"><b>Figure 5.17 : </b><i>Supplying the form properties for Microsoft 
Exchange.</i></a> </p>

<p>For now, enter your initials for the first category and <tt><font FACE="Courier">Help</font></tt> 
for the second category. Enter your initials again as the contact person. Notice that 
several of the fields you set in design mode appear here, too. </p>

<p>Your new Microsoft Exchange form is now installed. Exit the Microsoft Exchange Forms 
Designer and switch to your Windows Messaging client so that you can start testing your 
new form. </p>

<h3><a NAME="TestingtheJobRequestForm">Testing the Job Request Form</a></h3>

<p>Once you have installed the form, you can switch to Microsoft Exchange and run it. In 
the previous step, you installed the form in your personal forms library. In order to 
start an instance of the form, you need to launch your Windows Messaging client and select 
<tt><font FACE="Courier">Compose | New Forms...</font></tt> from the main menu. You'll see 
a dialog box that lists all the forms you have in your personal library (see Figure 5.18). 
</p>

<p><a HREF="f5-18.gif"><b>Figure 5.18 : </b><i>Viewing your personal forms library.</i></a> 
</p>

<p>Select the job request form from the list to launch an instance of the form. You'll see 
the form appear with several fields already filled in with suggested entries (see Figure 
5.19). </p>

<p><a HREF="f5-19.gif"><b>Figure 5.19 : </b><i>Viewing the job request form at run-time.</i></a> 
</p>

<p>Complete the form and send it to yourself. Then check your inbox for the arrival of the 
message. </p>
<div align="center"><center>

<table BORDERCOLOR="#000000" BORDER="1" WIDTH="80%">
  <tr>
    <td><b>Tip</b></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td><blockquote>
      <p>If your server is slow in returning your form to you, select <tt><font FACE="Courier">Tools 
      | Deliver Now Using... | Microsoft Exchange</font></tt> or <tt><font FACE="Courier">Tools 
      | Deliver Now Using... | Microsoft Mail</font></tt> if you are running a standalone 
      version of Microsoft Exchange for Windows 95. </p>
    </blockquote>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center></div>

<p>When you open the message, you'll see that it appears in the same electronic form that 
it was sent in. If you select <tt><font FACE="Courier">Compose | Reply</font></tt> from 
the main menu of the form, you'll see your form automatically convert the data on the 
application into a text message (see Figure 5.20). </p>

<p><a HREF="f5-20.gif"><b>Figure 5.20 : </b><i>The reply gets converted into a text 
message.</i></a> </p>

<p>You can now fill out a response to the request and return it to the person who sent you 
the note (in this case, yourself!). </p>

<h3><a NAME="MoreFormsDesigningTechniques">More Forms Designing Techniques</a></h3>

<p>You can use the Microsoft Exchange Forms Designer to create a response form that reads 
information from the job request form and includes that data automatically on the response 
form. You can also create Post forms that are not addressed to users, but to folders. 
These Post forms help you control discussion groups and other public data sharing in your 
organization. </p>

<p>The Microsoft Exchange Forms Designer ships with several example projects that 
illustrate using multiwindow forms and using several forms together to create a set of 
send/respond forms. Check out the Templates folder and the Samples folder for more 
examples of Microsoft Exchange forms development. </p>

<p>In the next section, you'll learn how to create folder views and then how to install an 
electronic form in a folder. </p>

<h2><a NAME="DesigningMicrosoftExchangeFolders"><font SIZE="5" COLOR="#FF0000">Designing 
Microsoft Exchange Folders</font></a></h2>

<p>Another very easy and powerful way to create custom MAPI interfaces is to use the 
Windows Messaging client's capabilities to create and control folder views. Folder views 
are an excellent way to set up customized views of the message base. You can create folder 
views that show and group messages according to their subject. You can also create views 
that show only selected items in the folder based on subject, sender, or several other 
criteria. </p>

<p>In effect, you can use folder views to narrow the scope of your incoming messages. This 
is especially handy in large organizations where you get a lot of information and must 
focus on the most important messages first. </p>

<p>In this section, you'll learn how to create a new discussion folder and establish its 
view properties. You'll then write several messages to test the folder view. Finally, 
you'll install a form in the folder. This way every time someone wants to post a message 
to the folder, he or she can use the custom form. </p>
<div align="center"><center>

<table BORDERCOLOR="#000000" BORDER="1" WIDTH="80%">
  <tr>
    <td><b>Note</b></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td><blockquote>
      <p>You need to have access to the Windows Messaging client that ships with the Microsoft 
      Exchange Server. That version has the capability to create folder views. You do not, 
      however, have to be connected to the Microsoft Exchange Server to create folders and 
      views. This example uses personal folders and views.</p>
    </blockquote>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
</center></div>

<h3><a NAME="CreatingandManagingFolderViews">Creating and Managing Folder Views</a></h3>

<p>Creating folder views is the easiest way to build custom discussion applications using 
Microsoft Exchange. You can create a specialized view, test it on your personal system, 
and then publish it for others to use. You can even use the Microsoft Exchange Forms 
Designer to create custom posting forms for use in the discussion forum. These forms can 
be installed in the folder itself and will be available to anyone who enters the forum. </p>

<p>There are just a few steps to creating a custom folder and view: 

<ul>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Select a message store and add a new folder.</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Create a folder view by setting the </font><tt><font
    FACE="Courier">Sort</font></tt>, <tt><font FACE="Courier">Group</font></tt>, and <tt><font
    FACE="Courier">Filter</font></tt> options. </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Test the view by sending/posting messages to the folder.</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Install a new or existing form in the folder.</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Test the form by using it to send messages.</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Share the folder and place the form in the folder library.</font> </li>
</ul>

<h4>Creating a New Folder</h4>

<p>The first step is to create a new folder. If you haven't done so yet, start the Windows 
Messaging client and select your personal message store. Point to the top level of the 
message store and add a new folder called &quot;MAPI Discussion Group&quot; (see Figure 
5.21). </p>

<p><a HREF="f5-21.gif"><b>Figure 5.21 : </b><i>Adding the Mapi Discussion Group Folder.</i></a> 
</p>

<p>Once the folder is created, it is a good idea to set its <tt><font FACE="Courier">Description</font></tt> 
property. This description will help everyone know what kind of information is supposed to 
be in the folder. It is also a good idea to add the name of the person who created the 
folder and the date it was first created. To set the <tt><font FACE="Courier">Description</font></tt> 
property of a new folder, select the folder, and then select <tt><font FACE="Courier">File 
| Properties</font></tt> from the main menu. Enter a general description of the folder 
along with a creation date and the author's initials (see Figure 5.22). </p>

<p><a HREF="f5-22.gif"><b>Figure 5.22 : </b><i>Setting the folder's Description property.</i></a> 
</p>

<p>Once you fill in the description, press the <tt><font FACE="Courier">Apply</font></tt> 
button or the <tt><font FACE="Courier">OK</font></tt> button to update the folder 
properties. </p>

<h4>Setting the Folder View</h4>

<p>The folder view controls just which messages are seen by the user, along with the order 
in which they are seen and what message columns appear in the summary listing. There are 
four main steps to setting a folder view: 

<ul>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Select the columns to be displayed in the listing window.</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Select the grouping rules.</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Select the sorting rules.</font> </li>
  <li><font COLOR="#000000">Set the filtering rules.</font> </li>
</ul>

<p>Once you have set al