OL97: User-Defined Field Shows How E-mail Is Addressed

• Microsoft Outlook 97

SUMMARY

When you receive e-mail messages in Microsoft Outlook 97, there is no immediate way to determine if the message is sent directly to you, sent to you as a member of an alias, or sent as a carbon copy. This article describes a way to display how the message is addressed to you, without opening the message.

MORE INFORMATION

You can add a user-defined field to the column headings in your Inbox. This field will indicate if your name is the only name in the "To" field, the "Cc" field, or in an alias.

To add the custom field in your Inbox, follow these steps:

1. On the View menu, click Field Chooser. In the Field Chooser dialog box, click New.

2. In the Name box, type a unique name such as To?

3. In the Type list, click Formula.

4. Click Edit, and then type the following text into the Formula box, substituting your user name for "E-mail User." (Do not delete the quotation marks.)

   IIf([To]="E-mail User","To",IIf(InStr(1,[To],"E-mail User",1),"(To)",IIf([Cc]="E-mail User","CC",IIf(instr(1,[Cc],"E-mail User",1),"(CC)","Alias"))))

   NOTE: Do not delete the quotation marks. The only spaces allowed in the formula are in your user name. If you are using the original Internet Mail Service, your user name is the "Full Name" in the Personal Information section of the Internet Mail Properties. If you are using the Internet Mail Enhancement Patch, your user name is the "Name" in the User Information section of the General Properties of the service. If you are using the Microsoft Exchange Server Service, your user name is the name shown as your resolved mailbox name in the Microsoft Exchange Server Properties.

5. Click OK to close the Formula editor, and then click OK to close the New field dialog box.

6. Drag the new field from the Field Chooser into an appropriate position in the column headings.

7. Close the Field Chooser.

REFERENCES

For more information about creating special fields, type "user-defined fields" in the Office Assistant, click Search, and then click to view "Create a custom field."