Using VBA to create a Task within an App. (Outlook 2000)

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Hello everyone,
I’ve discovered the help files for creating a New Task in Outlook using VBA from a MS Access2k App I’ve created. This I can do. What I’m trying to do is develop a method of displaying the recurring tasks from within my MS Access App via VBA. I’m not sure of the syntax for fetching a task that is due within a date span, and displaying the task information.
Does anyone have a piece of sample code that does anything like this in Outlook 2k?

TIA,

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I’m trying to do the same thing myself. The attached help file gets you going but not far enough for me. I’m watching this thread to see what else comes !
Regards Ken

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Also – what data structure have you established in access to store recurring tasks?

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Tim
I would have thought an easy way to do it from Access would be to open Outlook from code at a given time which would then pop up the due task. I used to automatically run a query if a particular form was opened before 8.15am (don’t ask!!).
Form_OnOpen
if time is less than X
CreateObject(etc)
exit
Something like that! It depends on your users of course but it could work if they’re disciplined (?) or if it’s just for you.
Peter

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For that my software would have to be running all the time – I prefer to synch my tasks accross to Outlook when they are created.

But the original query was about recurring tasks:

I’m developing some task management software in Access. I’m putting in the ability to synch the tasks from my system into Outlook. That part is reasonably straight forward (he says!). But I want to establish recurrent tasks in my database, and synch those to Outlook to. What I’m having conceptual difficulty is understanding how Outlook manages recurring tasks (and the exceptions that occur as well) and the data structure it uses, so that I can mirror that data structure in my database to minimise the effort required to do the synchronisation. Any thoughts?
Ken

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Ken
I can transfer dates to Outlook from Access and set up recurrence patterns if the needed. Sometimes for me an appointment may last 3 days or repeat over a couple of weeks so instead of entering it in Access several times I have a field that contains the recurrence number. If this is more than 1 the code automatically sets up the recurrence pattern. Is this what you want? If so, I can show you my code and you can adapt it.
Peter

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Basically I have a database that stores user created tasks. These tasks come with DueToStart and ToBeComplete Dates. Based on user input, I will potentially want an e-mail sent when a Task is DueToStart but hasn’t, Has Started, DueToComplete, but hasn’t, and Is Complete. These notifications could go either to the creator or the receiver of the task.

In addition, I will want the ability to create reminder tasks in Outlook, based again on user input, for DueToStart and DueComplete dates – potentially for the creator as well as the receiver. All so far I’m confident of achieving.

But I would like to program in the ability to create recurring tasks into the database. Tasks that will self generate some time later after the most recent instance is complete, and Tasks that will spawn a series of separate occurrences in the database – much as Outlook does. Somehow Outlook manages to generate recurring tasks, with exceptions, that can still be deleted in one action.

So I’m seeking to understand how the various fields in Task Items contribute to the total ability for Outlook to create and maintain Tasks. So I can then create in Outlook programatically from Access any kind of recurring task that I could do with the interface of Outlook.

I’d love to see your code!

Thanks, Regards Ken

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OTOH – you aren’t someone in need of running Microsoft Project, by any chance?

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Oh! You are So Cruel!

Actually this software I’m working on has quite a different slant.

Ken

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Ken
Sorry it’s been a while but I think you’re doing something similar to me so here’s part of my code. I assume you know the set up stuff. Mine is for one item at a time but you could set up a loop of course. RecurrenceType is a long number and you can add RecurrenceInterval. (See OL Help)

‘Write values from variables to fields in the new appt item
With itm
.Subject = “Training Session at ” & strSubject & ” (No ” & lngNo & “)”
.start = dteStart
.Location = strLocation
.End = dteFinish
.ClearRecurrencePattern
‘I found that for some reason you need to clear before you set even tho you think it is clear
‘add recurrence pattern for training session if more than 1 day
If lngDuration > 1 Then
Set myRecur = .GetRecurrencePattern
With myRecur
.RecurrenceType = olRecursDaily ‘or weekly monthly etc
.PatternEndDate = dteEndDate
End With
strMsg = “DATES TRANSFERRED.” & NL _
& “DON’T FORGET THE WALL CHART.”
End If
.Close (olSave)
End With
‘add task reminder for recontact
Set itmT = itms.Add(“IPM.Task”)
With itmT
.Subject = “Send Training follow-up letter to ” & strSubject
.DueDate = dteEndDate + 63
.Close (olSave)
End With

Hope this helps.
Peter

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(Edited by JohnBF on 14-Jan-04 09:02. Corrected Code.)

Are you asking to pop up a specific Outlook Task Item in the standard Task Item Form from VBA code running in Access? If so, here’s some Outlook starter code that uses the subject and searches the default Task Folder, and shows some of the date properties if you need to apply logic on those.

Sub testdisplay()
Call showtask(“My Task Subject Line”)
End Sub

Function showtask(strTaskSubject As String)
Dim OlApp As Outlook.Application
Dim olNS As Outlook.NameSpace
Dim olTaskFolder As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Dim itmTask As TaskItem
Dim boolFound As Boolean

On Error Resume Next
Set OlApp = GetObject(, “Outlook.Application”)
If OlApp Is Nothing Then _
Set OlApp = CreateObject(“Outlook.Application”)
Set olNS = OlApp.GetNamespace(“MAPI”)
Set olTaskFolder = olNS.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderTasks)
For Each itmTask In olTaskFolder.Items
If itmTask.Subject = strTaskSubject Then
MsgBox “Created: ” & itmTask.CreationTime _
& vbLf & “Start: ” & itmTask.StartDate & vbLf _
& “Due: ” & itmTask.DueDate
itmTask.Display
boolFound = True
End If
Next itmTask
If Not boolFound Then MsgBox “No matching Task found”

Set itmTask = Nothing
Set olTaskFolder = Nothing
Set olNS = Nothing
Set OlApp = Nothing
End Function

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G’day JohnBF
… Actually I’m stealing someone’s thread here, but anyway …
I’m developing some task management software in Access. I’m putting in the ability to synch the tasks from my system into Outlook. That part is reasonably straight forward (he says!). But I want to establish recurrent tasks in my database, and synch those to Outlook to. What I’m having conceptual difficulty is understanding how Outlook manages recurring tasks (and the exceptions that occur as well) and the data structure it uses, so that I can mirror that data structure in my database to minimise the effort required to do the synchronisation. Any thoughts?
Ken

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Um, thoughts? Exposure of the Outlook Object Model is limited (XP is less so than 2000, and I haven’t yet looked at 2003) and to my way of thinking kind of arcane, but part of that is because Outlook is a Appointment/Journal/Notes/Task wrapper on top of a Client MAPI server. Have a look at all the Task Item Properties in VB Help, and the MicroEye Outlook Object Model maps. For more ‘under the hood’ stuff with Extened MAPI see if CDOLive has anything on Tasks.

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