subtasks

[CheekyCharli]

See: http : //blogs.msdn . com/melissamacbeth/archive/2006/01/13/512780.aspx (sorry I can't post a true link:dunno) for a thorough drubbing of Microsoft and the not-really-veiled-at-all attitude towards customer service and product development.

I wondered if anyone has looked at developing a VBA solution to this and/or has any constructive thoughts about putting something together.

CC

[Oorang]

Wow that was a really long thread you dug up there... Perhaps it would be more efficient if you summarized what you have in mind?

[CheekyCharli]

Well, the only relevant part is the actual blog from Melissa. No subtasks in Outlook now and no subtasks in OL12 ('07). The fierce deprecation following I can only describe as "appropriate".

I want to use 'subtasks' or 'dependent tasks' in Outlook, like a folder hierarchy. Large tasks are normally built of many constituent parts. It would be good to be able to put these into a timeline-type arrangement or hierarchy so that smaller tasks can be crossed off as prerequisites for a bigger goal. At the moment I group tasks by category, where the category is a task - but this barely masquerades as one level of nesting. Building timelines is ridiculous because the whole thing gets skewed as soon as one thing slips, and, in any case, most things I do, I do "as soon as possible". I looked at putting further task folders into my main task folder, but then you can't see them or their contents in normal view. Creating a new folder for every task would be insane, plus I'd be running OL from folder view - which is perverse...

I guess I thought the frustration with this lack of functionality in OL was pretty well documented, but now I've made it explicit, any ideas anyone?

CC

[JP2112]

Use MS Project.




I guess I thought the frustration with this lack of functionality in OL was pretty well documented, but now I've made it explicit, any ideas anyone?

CC

[CheekyCharli]

Thank you for your thorough and helpful response. I do hope you are able to help many people in this charming way.

Actually, believe it or not, there are some tasks for which using a complete project management tool is not appropriate. This is discussed in the responses to the blog in the link I posted initially.

Does anybody have anything useful to add?

CC

[JP2112]

I understand your frustration, but sometimes there are better tools available for the task you want to complete. MS Project (or a similar project management program) is an entirely appropriate solution to your problem.

The thread link you posted is simply too long for me to read the comments and find what you are talking about. From what I did read, it looks like a lot of whining. I've read blog posts from people trying to use Excel like Access, and complaining that VBA isn't object oriented the way some other languages are. There's a fine line between requesting legitimate functionality, and trying to force a tool to do something that would be done better elsewhere.

You can email outwish@microsoft.com and ask them to (re)implement this feature.




Thank you for your thorough and helpful response. I do hope you are able to help many people in this charming way.

Actually, believe it or not, there are some tasks for which using a complete project management tool is not appropriate. This is discussed in the responses to the blog in the link I posted initially.

Does anybody have anything useful to add?

CC

[CheekyCharli]

MS Project (or a similar project management program) is an entirely appropriate solution to your problem.
No it is not.

I have used Project, though I don't currently. It is absurd to present it as a reasonable way of planning fairly basic tasks.

In terms of legitimate functionality, Outlook includes a tasks section precisely because that is an appropriate part of office productivity software. To suggest it shouldn't be is to ridicule its incarnation in the software at all.

This is a VBA forum, not a 'give abrupt, expensive and counter-productive arguments' forum. Is there anyone here who has considered ways of creating dependent tasks in Outlook with VBA or otherwise?

CC

[Oorang]

CC I also understand your frustration, but please keep your remarks in check. JP may not have read the (very long) thread to have noticed that the idea was already brought up (which is why it's good to summarize). As for integrating sub tasks into outlook via add-in I'm sure it could be done. It's just a matter of being willing to put in the effort. But I am not aware of a way to accomplish this without a serious add-in development effort.

If you do decide to build said add-in and have questions about how to proceed when you are stuck, I am sure any member of this board would be pleased to offer assistance.

[CheekyCharli]

Thanks for the help.