FARR alias: Quick Outlook Task

[jpijper]

Version 1.4 of the FARR alias QuickOutlookTask has been released, and from now on updating should be automatic, thanks to mouser's dcupdater program. Here is the link:
http://jpijper.dcmem...uickOutlookTask.html.

Please note that folder information has been removed from the zip-file (since I couldn't get this to work with dcupdater). This means that if you download and install by hand you must extract to FindAndRunRobot\AliasGroups\Installed\QuickOutlookTask\.

Apart from dcupdater integration, the main change is that the feedback the program gives through beeps and message boxes can now be controlled using the new /settings switch.

[mouser]

Great work on the updater support Jan! 

One hint:
Add this line before the <CloseAfter> line:
    <SignalForUpdate>FindAndRunRobot.exe</SignalForUpdate>

That will ensure that FARR rescans the alias directories after downloading your update.

[mouser]

do /settings doesnt work for me, says "unrecognized command switch"
sorry, my bad -- works perfectly -- i was just running older version.

another idea, how about having do /help have an optional button to launch the readme.txt?

[jpijper]

do /settings doesnt work for me, says "unrecognized command switch"
sorry, my bad -- works perfectly -- i was just running older version.

-mouser (August 05, 2008, 08:32 AM)

You scared me there! I was already looking when you were striking through

another idea, how about having do /help have an optional button to launch the readme.txt?

-mouser (August 05, 2008, 08:32 AM)

I like it - I'll make something like that.

By the way, I don't have a <CloseAfter> line in my .dcupdate file, so where should the <SignalForUpdate> line come?

[mouser]

sorry i meant <CloseForUpdate>, but it doesnt really matter, just put it somewhere down there with the rest of them.

[Armando]

Really cool. 

[s.newave]

How cool would it be to be able to display your current tasks within FARR itself and then be able to perform actions on them.

-s.newave (August 04, 2008, 11:59 PM)

Can you give me a sample scenario of the the sort of actions you are thinking of?

-jpijper (August 05, 2008, 12:57 AM)

I was thinking about something like:

do /display - would show all tasks (maybe you could have an option to limit the number of results?)
do /display /c work projectx - display all tasks in work and projectx category
do /display /p high - display all the high priority tasks
do /display /d today - display all tasks due today
....

So bascially each command would list the tasks inside FARR just like any other results. You could then simply go down to the task you wanted in the results list hit <tab> which could insert that task into the edit box with the alias in front of it (i.e. "do paint the house") and then you could simply enter the action you wanted to perform on that task (i.e. /up /complete or /p low, etc..).

This would help out a great deal as well with not having to remember or look up the exact name of the task when you want to update it. I find a lot of times that i have to first look up the name of the task in outlook so that i can use the same name when i go to update it which kind of defeats the whole purpose .


P.S the new v1.4 is working great, especially with the auto-update

[jpijper]

I was thinking about something like:

do /display - would show all tasks (maybe you could have an option to limit the number of results?)
do /display /c work projectx - display all tasks in work and projectx category
do /display /p high - display all the high priority tasks
do /display /d today - display all tasks due today
....

So bascially each command would list the tasks inside FARR just like any other results. You could then simply go down to the task you wanted in the results list hit <tab> which could insert that task into the edit box with the alias in front of it (i.e. "do paint the house") and then you could simply enter the action you wanted to perform on that task (i.e. /up /complete or /p low, etc..).

-s.newave (August 05, 2008, 11:25 AM)

Well, I have to admit that this sounds like a great idea. But I have to be realistic: this would be a non-trivial undertaking and I just don't have the time for this right now. As it is, this Do thing, which started out as just an alias using an existing tiny do.exe that I found somewhere, has grown beyond anything I imagined. Sort of law of nature in software development, I suppose. Don't mistake me, it's great fun and I find the result really useful for myself as well. Later, perhaps ...

This would help out a great deal as well with not having to remember or look up the exact name of the task when you want to update it. I find a lot of times that i have to first look up the name of the task in outlook so that i can use the same name when i go to update it which kind of defeats the whole purpose .

-s.newave (August 05, 2008, 11:25 AM)

I agree that if you work with tasks extensively the calls on your memory may become a serious issue. To relieve at least some of this problem, I will shortly release another version, which will look for subjects containing the string given, not just the one starting with it. Thus "do /up paint" would find "Paint the house", "Buy new paint", "Hang up painting", etc. This should just about remove the need to look up task names in Outlook, I think.

[jpijper]

Version 1.4.1 is now available.

This version finds subjects containing the string given, not just the one starting with it. Thus "do /up paint" would find "Paint the house", "Buy new paint", "Hang up painting", etc. See the previous post for the reason (I don't know how to link).

Also, do /help now lists all possible switches. Not very elegantly perhaps, but that is for another version

[s.newave]

I was thinking about something like:

do /display - would show all tasks (maybe you could have an option to limit the number of results?)
do /display /c work projectx - display all tasks in work and projectx category
do /display /p high - display all the high priority tasks
do /display /d today - display all tasks due today
....

So bascially each command would list the tasks inside FARR just like any other results. You could then simply go down to the task you wanted in the results list hit <tab> which could insert that task into the edit box with the alias in front of it (i.e. "do paint the house") and then you could simply enter the action you wanted to perform on that task (i.e. /up /complete or /p low, etc..).

-s.newave (August 05, 2008, 11:25 AM)

Well, I have to admit that this sounds like a great idea. But I have to be realistic: this would be a non-trivial undertaking and I just don't have the time for this right now. As it is, this Do thing, which started out as just an alias using an existing tiny do.exe that I found somewhere, has grown beyond anything I imagined. Sort of law of nature in software development, I suppose. Don't mistake me, it's great fun and I find the result really useful for myself as well. Later, perhaps ...

-jpijper (August 05, 2008, 12:59 PM)

Totally understandable. The exsiting functionality works really well though and this is definitely a great alias to have .

This would help out a great deal as well with not having to remember or look up the exact name of the task when you want to update it. I find a lot of times that i have to first look up the name of the task in outlook so that i can use the same name when i go to update it which kind of defeats the whole purpose.

-s.newave (August 05, 2008, 11:25 AM)

I agree that if you work with tasks extensively the calls on your memory may become a serious issue. To relieve at least some of this problem, I will shortly release another version, which will look for subjects containing the string given, not just the one starting with it. Thus "do /up paint" would find "Paint the house", "Buy new paint", "Hang up painting", etc. This should just about remove the need to look up task names in Outlook, I think.

-jpijper (August 05, 2008, 12:59 PM)

Thanks for the update. The 1.4.1 version works great with the new feature.

I was also playing around with the /displaycontacts feature and it is very handy!!! Is there any chance you would consider adding something similar for an /email switch? This way you could do something like: do /email "henry smith" "john doe". Perhaps even add a /subject switch although im probably pushing it already . Imo this would be a really useful feature to add and something i could see myself using on a daily basis.

[jpijper]

Version 1.4.2 is now available.

This version finds email containing the string given.

/mf or /mailfrom looks in the from field.
/ms or /mailsubject looks in the subject.
/mb or /mailbody looks in the subject and the body.

Enjoy 

[s.newave]

Wow the functionality of this alias keeps growing, great work! Maybe you should change the name to QuickOutlook .

Also to elaborate on my feature request above as i am re-reading it now and it seems a little vague. My idea was to add a switch like /email where you could enter in the name(s) of ppl in your contact list that you wanted to email and this would open up a new email msg with the person(s) email address already filled in. You could also potentially add a /subject and /body switch so that you could do something like:

do /email "john doe" "nancy smith" /subject painting /body when are we going to paint the house

which would pop a new email msg with the email addresses, subject and body filled in and you could just hit send. Another cool idea would be to add a /send switch so if you wanted to shoot off a quick email you could use "do /email jane /subject see you at dinner /send" which would send out the email instead of popping up the new email dialog.

[jpijper]

Also to elaborate on my feature request above as i am re-reading it now and it seems a little vague. My idea was to add a switch like /email where you could enter in the name(s) of ppl in your contact list that you wanted to email and this would open up a new email msg with the person(s) email address already filled in. You could also potentially add a /subject and /body switch so that you could do something like:

do /email "john doe" "nancy smith" /subject painting /body when are we going to paint the house

which would pop a new email msg with the email addresses, subject and body filled in and you could just hit send. Another cool idea would be to add a /send switch so if you wanted to shoot off a quick email you could use "do /email jane /subject see you at dinner /send" which would send out the email instead of popping up the new email dialog.

-s.newave (August 06, 2008, 01:07 PM)

I'll think about this. Meanwhile, do you know about the core "email" aliases? You can already do something like "email [email protected] subject". That comes really close.

[s.newave]

I'll think about this. Meanwhile, do you know about the core "email" aliases? You can already do something like "email [email protected] subject". That comes really close.

-jpijper (August 06, 2008, 11:12 PM)

It comes close but fails miserably due to the fact that it only works for email addresses you know. The great thing about your program is that it interfaces with outlook directly and you only have to know the name of the person and not their email address which can sometimes be very convoluted.

Please consider adding this if you can, it would definitely be something i and i'm sure others would use daily .

[jpijper]

Version 1.5.0 is now available.

This version adds full support for creating, updating and deleting appointments as well as tasks.

To create a new appointment, add a start time and/or an end time, as follows:

do Meet with Bob /starttime 14:00 /endtime 15:00, or
do Meet with Bob /st 14:00 /et 15:00.

If you give only a start time or an and time, a duration of one hour is assumed.

Updating and deleting work the same as before, but now also for appointments:

do Meet /del, or
do Meet /update /tomorrow

will give you a list with all tasks and appointments containing the string "Meet" or "meet".
You can then use the arrow and Enter keys to navigate the grid and select the item you want.

There are various other minor changes:
<ul>
<li>New date string "nextweek". Example: do test /due nextweek</li>
<li>Time strings are more flexible: 16:00 or 1600 or even 16 are all OK.</li>
<li>/displaycontacts or /dc</li>
<li>/version or /ver</li>
<li>/settings or /set</li>
<li>The /task has been renamed to /file.</li>
<li>There is now a setting that makes the use of slashes to indicated command-line switches optional.
You may like this, but use with care. Example: "do Meeting with Bob tomorrow st 1400"
</li>
</ul>

[jpijper]

Version 1.5.2 fixes a couple of annoying bugs with start and end dates of appointments

[sttrebo]

I just found this and I can't believe how much I use it now.  I have 1 request.  I use a single Outlook note as my "Inbox" for memos to myself.  Would it be possible to add the function to be able to append lines to this note?  Kind of like a running sticky pad so I don't have to move out of what I am doing to record an idea.

thanks
steve

[jpijper]

I just found this and I can't believe how much I use it now.  I have 1 request.  I use a single Outlook note as my "Inbox" for memos to myself.  Would it be possible to add the function to be able to append lines to this note?  Kind of like a running sticky pad so I don't have to move out of what I am doing to record an idea.

thanks
steve

-sttrebo (August 20, 2008, 09:32 AM)

Thanks Steve! It's nice to know that someone is really using this. Please keep me informed of any problems or wishes that you run into.

As for your request, I have put it on my todo list. It's funny, with everything I do with Outlook, I've never used the Notes feature! Please don't hold your breath - I'm pretty busy right now with my regular work, so I'm not making any promises.

[s.newave]

Great new features, must have missed this. The Notes idea is also a really cool one and makes a lot of sense.

Also still have my fingers crossed for the /email feature .

[jpijper]

Bummer. Whenever I try to programmatically touch the existing body of an Outlook item, be it task, appointment or note, I run into the Outlook security warning message box. This completely defeats the idea of quick access to your "sticky pad", Steve, and there does not seem to be a way around this.

Any ideas?

[anishpat]

I haven't tried this myself, but this could be an option for the Outlook Security prompts (and it says it's free): http://www.contextma...om/express-clickyes/

FYI... I'm running Outlook 2007 and don't get any security prompts when using this plugin.

[jpijper]

I haven't tried this myself, but this could be an option for the Outlook Security prompts (and it says it's free): http://www.contextma...om/express-clickyes/

FYI... I'm running Outlook 2007 and don't get any security prompts when using this plugin.

-anishpat (August 21, 2008, 12:07 AM)

Thanks for the input, anishpat. I know about this ClickYes thing, but it means the user needs to install it, and I feel it goes against the grain of a "Quick"Outlook utility. The reason you haven't seen this box so far is probably because you haven't done anything to access an existing Outlook item body. The only command in QuickOutlookTask so far that does this is the /sa (save as appointment) command, where you save an existing task as an appointment. Create a dummy task: "do test" and then try to save it as an apointment: "do /sa test". This will probably produce the message box.

By the way, nice to hear you also use the utility 

[sttrebo]

here's a link to a description on how (maybe) to fix this.

http://www.add-in-ex...ok-security/?mapilab

thanks
steve

[s.newave]

You could also try Redemption http://www.dimastr.com/redemption/ which is something i used a while back and seemed to worked well.

[sttrebo]

i used redemption at my last job/computer and it worked fine for me.