Add an Outlook Toolbar Button to Create a Business Note
It is often necessary to create a Business Note for a contact when you are in a hurry. To simplify this process, you can create a button on your Outlook toolbar:
1.) Verify that your security settings will prompt you to run unsigned macros by selecting "Tools | Trust Center..." from the main Outlook window. Then click "Macro Security" and select "Warnings for all macros" and click "OK"
2.) Create a Macro from the main Outlook window by selecting "Tools | Macro | Macros..."
3.) Type "Note" as the Macro Name, then click "Create"
4.) The Visual Basic editing window will open. On the left-hand side is a project navigation pane. Right-click on the top-level item named "Project1" and select "Project1 Properties..."
5.) Change "Project1" to "Business" and click "OK"
6.) In the main code area, you'll see "Sub Note()", followed by "End Sub". Replace those two lines with the VBA code below, then click Save.
7.) Close the Visual Basic window to return to Outlook
8.) Right-click on the Outlook toolbar and click "Customize..."
9.) Select the "Commands" tab, select the "Macro" from the Categories list, then drag "Business.Note" to the standard Outlook toolbar and click "Close"
on the "Customize" dialog.
10.) Select a business contact or account, then click the "Business.Note" button.
'////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
' Create a New Business Note for the selected Business Contact
Sub Note()
' Get a reference to the MAPI namespace
Dim objNS As Outlook.NameSpace
Set objNS = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
' Get a reference to the currently selected Outlook folder
Dim currentFolder As Outlook.Folder
Set currentFolder = Application.ActiveExplorer.currentFolder
' Make sure at least one item is selected
If Application.ActiveExplorer Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "Please select an item"
Exit Sub
End If
If Application.ActiveExplorer.selection Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "Please select an item"
Exit Sub
End If
' The parent item's EntryID, if any
Dim parentEntryID As String
parentEntryID = "" ' Initialize to empty string
' Get a reference to the currently selected item
Dim oItem As Object
Set oItem = Application.ActiveExplorer.selection(1)
If Not (oItem Is Nothing) Then
' Verify that this item is located in the Business Contact
' Manager Outlook Store
If 1 = InStr(1, currentFolder.FullFolderPath, _
"\\Business Contact Manager\", vbTextCompare) Then
' Only get the EntryID if this is a Business Contact, Account,
' Opportunity, or Business Project
If oItem.MessageClass = "IPM.Contact.BCM.Contact" Or _
oItem.MessageClass = "IPM.Contact.BCM.Account" Or _
oItem.MessageClass = "IPM.Task.BCM.Opportunity" Or _
oItem.MessageClass = "IPM.Task.BCM.Project" Then
parentEntryID = oItem.EntryID
End If
End If
End If
' Get the root BCM folder
Dim olFolders As Outlook.Folders
Dim bcmRootFolder As Outlook.Folder
Set olFolders = objNS.Session.Folders
Set bcmRootFolder = olFolders("Business Contact Manager")
' Locate the Communication History folder
Dim historyFolder As Outlook.Folder
Set historyFolder = bcmRootFolder.Folders("Communication History")
' Create a new history item
Const BusinessNoteMessageClass = "IPM.Activity.BCM.BusinessNote"
Dim newBusinessNote As Outlook.JournalItem
Set newBusinessNote = historyFolder.Items.Add(BusinessNoteMessageClass)
' Set the type to Business Note
newBusinessNote.Type = "Business Note"
' If we found a valid parent EntryID
If parentEntryID <> "" Then
' Link the new Business Note to the selected BCM item
Dim parentEntityEntryID As Outlook.userProperty
Set parentEntityEntryID = _
newBusinessNote.UserProperties("Parent Entity EntryID")
If (parentEntityEntryID Is Nothing) Then
Set parentEntityEntryID = _
newBusinessNote.UserProperties.Add("Parent Entity EntryID", _
olText, False, False)
End If
parentEntityEntryID.value = parentEntryID
' Linking cont'd
Dim parentEntryIDs As Outlook.userProperty
Set parentEntryIDs = newBusinessNote.UserProperties("Parent Entry IDs")
If (parentEntryIDs Is Nothing) Then
Set parentEntryIDs = _
newBusinessNote.UserProperties.Add("Parent Entry IDs", _
olKeywords, False, False)
End If
parentEntryIDs.value = parentEntryID
End If
' Display the new, empty business note
newBusinessNote.Display (False)
Set parentEntryIDs = Nothing
Set parentEntityEntryID = Nothing
Set newBusinessNote = Nothing
Set historyFolder = Nothing
Set bcmRootFolder = Nothing
Set olFolders = Nothing
Set oItem = Nothing
Set currentFolder = Nothing
Set objNS = Nothing
End Sub
'//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////