Outlook add-in

Along with the launcher application, ReliefJet Essentials for Outlook offers an Outlook add-in, which particularly allows running utilities directly from Outlook using the familiar interface or, to run them in the automatic mode on receiving and sending messages.

After installing ReliefJet Essentials for Outlook, the utilities become available in various areas of the user interface: ribbons and toolbars in Outlook windows, the main menu, context menus of Outlook folders and items and the custom action settings in Outlook rules.

Configuring and running utilities

To run a utility, click the Run button [4] on the ribbon/toolbar or menu [1]. You will be asked to select the utility from the list of utilities available in this place of the user interface. You can also simply select the required utility on the favorites list [3]. That list can be configured by clicking on the Customize button [2], separately for each menu, ribbon or toolbar.

Favorite utilities for Outlook ribbon/toolbar can be configured using a separate dialog box. Use toolbar in the top of the window [1] to add, rename, copy, remove or move the utility in the list [2]. The right side of the window [3] shows the current configuration of the selected utility (see below for more details). In the drop-down list [4], you can select launch and display mode for the utility. Ask for the configuration each time I run the utility requires to display a confirmation dialog when running the utility using Outlook ribbon/toolbar. This provides the ability to review and change the configuration right before you run the utility. Do not ask for the configuration when I run the utility allows you to run the pre-configured utility with a single click of a mouse without any additional actions. Do not show this utility on Outlook ribbon or toolbar hides the utility’s button from Outlook user interface. This can be useful when running the utility from VBA scripts. The VBA button [8] shows the script ready to use with Outlook rules (more details in the next section). Click the Save button [5] after all necessary changes are made. It is also possible to run the utility right from the list by clicking the Run button [6]. In order to finish managing the favorites, click the Close button [7].

Before running certain utilities, you may need to select the folders those utilities would work with. For example, the "Export Messages to EML Format" utility saves messages from selected folders to files. Wherever necessary, you may click the Configure button [1]. Also, some utilities may offer to adjust a number of additional settings [2]. In particular, when exporting messages, you would need to specify a folder on the hard drive or a network resource where those messages are to be stored. ReliefJet Essentials for Outlook will remember your settings if you click the Save button [3]. Having done this once, you will not have to configure the utility all over when you run it again.

For your convenience, whenever possible, ReliefJet Essentials will try to configure the utility for you automatically. For example, when a utility is run from a folder's context menu, it is automatically configured to work efficiently with that folder. Please note that only the active folder is selected automatically; the folders inside it are not affected. To select additional folders, click the Configure button. On the other hand, when the utility is run from the context menu of selected Outlook items, the program automatically configures itself to work with the selected items.

Once the utility is configured, click the Run button [4]. If a utility is run from the main menu or the ribbon/toolbar on Outlook's main window, when the utility is finished, you can return to the settings by clicking the Back button. You can learn more about monitoring the progress and getting the results in the respective section. After you finish working with the utility, simply click the Close button [5].

Integrating with Outlook rules

One of ReliefJet Essentials' most interesting features is the ability to use special custom actions or VBA scripts in Outlook rules. This integration allows the use of the utilities directly in your rules.

For example, you can set up a rule, which automatically packs attachments in outgoing messages to ZIP-archives or a rule that automatically extracts attachments from all incoming messages and saves them in a certain folder on a hard drive or network resource, adding hyperlinks to the saved attachments to the message text. Basically, you can use any ReliefJet Essentials' utilities you like inside Outlook rules.

Integration is available in two modes: using VBA scripts (for incoming messages in all Outlook versions) and with custom action (for incoming and outgoing messages, but in Outlook 2010 and below only). In order to run utilities for outgoing messages in Outlook 2013 and above, refer to the next section.

To run the utility from Outlook rule via VBA script, you need to do the following:

1. Make sure that macros are enabled in Outlook. To do this open Outlook options, on Trust Center tab click the Trust Center Settings button and follow the Macro Settings tab. Make sure that Enable all macros option is set. It is possible to set the Notifications for all macros option but you will need to enable macros each time on Outlook security notices, otherwise, scripts and rules will not function. If you cannot change these settings, contact your system administrator.

2. Open Favorites Manager dialog and select the required utility. It may be handy to set Do not show this utility on Outlook ribbon or toolbar mode for the utility dedicated exclusively for Outlook rules.

3. Click the VBA button in the upper-right corner of the window to show the ready to use script. If the VBA button is disabled, the selected utility is not configured or does not support running from VBA scripts.

4. Copy the resulting script to the Clipboard by clicking the Copy button and close the script window as well as the Favorites Manager.

5. Open Visual Basic editor by pressing the Alt+F11 keyboard shortcut. If you see the Outlook security notice, click Enable Macros.

6. Open ThisOutlookSession object in the Project Explorer. You can also create a new module for ReliefJet Essentials macros.

7. Paste the code from the Clipboard to the end of the module. If it is the first time you are pasting the script, copy the following line (for 32-bit Outlook version):
Private Declare Function Run Lib "ReliefJet.Component.Outlook.Addin.dll" (ByVal Id As String, ByVal Item As Object) As Long
or the following line (for 64-bit Outlook version):
Private Declare PtrSafe Function Run Lib "ReliefJet.Component.Outlook.Addin.dll" (ByVal Id As String, ByVal Item As Object) As Long
from the inserted function’s comments to the beginning of the module if is not there already. After that you can delete all function’s comments as shown below:

8. Save the changes and close the Visual Basic Editor.

9. Create a new Outlook rule, specify run a script as an action and select the required function in the Select Script window.

10. Enable and save the rule.

From now on, Outlook will run the selected utility when the rule is fired. Please note that you do not need to change the script when configuring the utility – as it always runs using current configuration. The rule stops working when the utility is removed from favorites because the script runs the particular utility for which it has been generated.

If you installed the product for all users of the computer and Outlook version is 2010 or below, ReliefJet Essentials custom action is available in your rules.

To configure a rule using the ReliefJet Essentials for Outlook utilities, simply select the Perform a custom action option [1] on the Select action(s) step in Outlook's Rules Wizard. Then click on Custom action [2], select ReliefJet Essentials on the drop-down action list [3] and select the required utility by clicking the Change button [4]. Now you can configure the selected utility. Further on, the Change button will open the configuration window for the selected utility. After that, click the OK button [5]. You can now continue to use the Rules Wizard.

Automatic processing of outgoing messages

ReliefJet Essentials Outlook add-in features enable you to automatically run utilities for processing email messages you send. If the product is installed for all users of the computer and the Outlook version is not higher than 2010, you can use the "custom action" in your outbound rules as described above. In all other cases, you will need the VBA to run utilities for outgoing messages.

To set up automatic launch of one or more utilities for sent messages, first follow steps 1-7 from the previous section. But this time in step 7, uncomment the Application_ItemSend event handler procedure or use an existing one:

Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
    ReliefJet_OutlookUtility Item
End Sub

After adding the handler, restart Outlook. You will need to do this once; next time just add the utilities to the existing Application_ItemSend procedure. When this procedure exists in the ThisOutlookSession module, it will be automatically called for each message sent from Outlook. In this procedure, you can add procedure calls generated by the VBA button (which allows you to run them for both incoming and outgoing messages), and directly run the favorite utility by its identifier:

Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
    Run "{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx}", Item
End Sub

If you want to run the utilities conditionally for messages you send, you will need to make yourself familiar with the basics of Outlook VBA. For example, if you want to automatically run the utility for messages whose subjects start with the [URGENT] prefix, just validate the message subject before running the utility:

Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
    If Item.Subject Like "[URGENT]*" Then
        ReliefJet_Utility Item
    End If
End Sub

You can use all the VBA features to create filters of any complexity. In addition, you can check if the utility succeeded to receive error notifications and perform other required actions:

Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
    ErrorCode = Run("{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx}", Item)
    If ErrorCode < 0 Then
        MsgBox "Error: " & ErrorCode, vbCritical
        Cancel = True
    End If
End Sub

In this example, if the favorite utility with the specified ID fails, a message with the error code will be displayed, and the message sending will be canceled.