Use Contacts from Outlook in Access

[HillTJ]

Hi, I've been experimenting with using outlook contacts in my Employee database instead of creating my own tables. I figure one central source might be best. However, I question the wisdom. I've found that outlook changes the PK? which is a string of lastname & firstname combined if I amend names. Thus, I could not use this as a PK in Access to develop a 1 to many relationship with training records. What's the general consensus? Appreciate any advice.

 

[Gasman]

I just use the actual name in my DB.
So if the recipient name is Mary Blogs, that is what is in my DB. When I send the email, Outlook relates that to Mary Blogs in the contact list. That way if Mary's email address changes, I just have to change it in Outlook.
If however she marries Fred Smith, then I would need to change her name in the DB to Mary Smith if I amend it in Outlook.?

HTH

 

[HillTJ]

Gasman, thanks. How would i flag a contact as being "active" or not for say selection via a query?. I guess i could link the name to a 1 to 1 table that contained a yes/no field? Is it useful to adapt outlook contacts or make up a couple of tables to do similar?

 

[Gasman]

Gasman, thanks. How would i flag a contact as being "active" or not for say selection via a query?. I guess i could link the name to a 1 to 1 table that contained a yes/no field? Is it useful to adapt outlook contacts or make up a couple of tables to do similar?

I have a date field (DeActiveDate) in my table. If not completed they are active.

 

[isladogs]

Alternatively if you don't need a deactivation date, just use a yes/no field called Active. Set the default value to true and use a checkbox control. If unticked the contact isn't active

 

[Gasman]

Alternatively if you don't need a deactivation date, just use a yes/no field called Active. Set the default value to true and use a checkbox control. If unticked the contact isn't active

I use a deactive date as I use the names in a combo, so need them for old records but not be shown for new records.

 

[isladogs]

Either method works equally well for filtering inactive records. You don't need both Boolean and date fields.

 

[Gasman]

Either method works equally well for filtering inactive records. You don't need both Boolean and date fields.

I agree Colin, I was merely trying to point out the fact that the o/p *might* need to still refer to the deactive email recipients in the records.?

I initially had a boolean field for this as well, but due to this thread I changed it to a date as per post #19.

Trying to make sure the o/p does not fall into the same trap.?

 

[HillTJ]

Guys, understood & same as what i've been doing, but if i link the outlook calendar with access, then i'd need a linked table to maintain the active y/n field wouldn't i? Please explain. Cheers Terry

 

[Gasman]

Not sure what you mean.?
I still have the unactive email recipients in my Outlook contacts. They are just marked as Deactive in my DB by the date field. I *could* remove them from Outlook as I would not be sending them any more emails, but for now have left them there.?
Not sure where the calendar gets involved.?

 

[HillTJ]

Sorry Gasman, I meant contacts. If I link contacts with access, where is the date stored?

 

[Mark_]

For myself, I don't attempt to use OUTLOOK to store most contact data, I just have it in a child table for each employee. This allows you to have more than one Email linked to a given employee, something very useful if you add in the ability to enable/disable based off of dates. Something like

ContactID - Primary Key
EmployeeID - FK for Employee
ContactType - Personal/business/what ever Email address
DtFrom - When you can start Emailing them at this address
DtThru - When you stop using this; if blank it does not expire
ContactNote - String to hold notes about this Email.

This allows you to use the employees business Email for most things, their personal while they are on vacation, and their "Client site" Email that goes straight to their phone for when they are at clients.

This won't help with the calendar, but it does work well for large organization that have unique Emails based on where an employee is currently assigned.

 

[HillTJ]

Mark, thanks. Exactly what I was visualizing. Will give it a go.

 

[Gasman]

Sorry Gasman, I meant contacts. If I link contacts with access, where is the date stored?

The date is stored in the DB. Their is no real link, merely the fact that the name in the DB will be recognised by Outlook.

Those names are resolved in Outlook with the statment

                objOutlookRecip.Resolve

to make sure I have not deleted any by mistake.

HTH