To add a toolbar button to launch an Outlook form

Code Sample

This VBA subroutine to open a new item based on a customized Task form, published as IPM.Task.MyForm, is adapted straight from the Help file. Note the use of the MAPIFolder.Items.ItemAdd method instead of Application.CreateItem to create the task using a custom form.

Sub RunMyForm() Dim myOlApp as Application Dim myNameSpace as Namespace Dim myFolder as MAPIFolder Dim myItems as Items Dim myItem as Object Set myOlApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application") Set myNameSpace = myOlApp.GetNameSpace("MAPI") Set myFolder = _ myNamespace.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderTasks) Set myItems = myFolder.Items Set myItem = myItems.Add("IPM.Task.MyForm") myItem.Display Set myOlApp = Nothing Set myNameSpace = Nothing Set myFolder = Nothing Set myItems = Nothing Set myItem = Nothing End Sub

If you're using some other type of form besides a Task form, make sure that the argument for GetDefaultFolder() specifies the right folder for the type of item you're trying to create. The Auto List Members feature of VBA will suggest constants for Outlook's default folders. 

If you want to have the item saved to a particular folder, get the appropriate MAPIFolder object by the usual means (PickFolder method, walking the folder tree, GetFolder() function, etc.) and use the Add method on its Items collection.

You can also adapt the above code to VBScript in a web page by using late binding, rather than specific Dim type declarations, and substituting the numeric literal values for constants like olFolderTasks.

Creating the Button

1. Choose View | Toolbars | Customize.
2. In the Customize dialog, switch to the Commands tab.
3. Under Categories, select Macros.
4. Drag the Project1.RunMyForm macro command to the desired toolbar.
5. Right-click on the new Project1.RunMyForm toolbar button, then change the Name or button appearance as desired.
6. Close the Customize dialog.  

More Information

• To launch a custom form -- Non-macro methods and tools
• OL2000: How to Assign a Macro to a Toolbar Button
• Save in Target Folder Sample Form
• To launch a custom Outlook form from a Web page