Is there any way I can link the data validation in a column of cells in an
Excel worksheet to my default Outlook contacts list? I'm trying to set up a
workbook for another user, and I'd like to make it easier for him to insert
the email address of the person listed. I thought a data validation linked
to the contacts list would give him a drop down menu, rather than hope he
types it in correctly.

If that doesn't work, is there a way I can check a name from the worksheet
against the contacts list to return the email address?

Thanks.
Ed

You can certainly look at Outlook data programmatically and I don't see why
you couldn't then use it to populate a combo box or use it for validation.
You'll need either an Outlook object or a MAPI object - there should be some
pages of help on it if you search Microsoft.com or Google (sorry I've got
nothing to hand at present but I've certainly done similar things in the
past).

"Ed" wrote:

Is there any way I can link the data validation in a column of cells in an
Excel worksheet to my default Outlook contacts list? I'm trying to set up a
workbook for another user, and I'd like to make it easier for him to insert
the email address of the person listed. I thought a data validation linked
to the contacts list would give him a drop down menu, rather than hope he
types it in correctly.

If that doesn't work, is there a way I can check a name from the worksheet
against the contacts list to return the email address?

Thanks.
Ed

Well, instead can someone point me to code for accessing the defaults
address book and returning the chosen name? I'm searching the NG and
Outlook sites, but that's a lot of stuff to wade through just to get a
name!! <g I've managed to set an object to OL and create a new mail
message, but really for now all I need is to pop up the address list and let
the user choose a name to be set into a cell. Is this possible?

ED

"Smallweed" wrote in message
...
You can certainly look at Outlook data programmatically and I don't see
why
you couldn't then use it to populate a combo box or use it for validation.
You'll need either an Outlook object or a MAPI object - there should be
some
pages of help on it if you search Microsoft.com or Google (sorry I've got
nothing to hand at present but I've certainly done similar things in the
past).

"Ed" wrote:

Is there any way I can link the data validation in a column of cells in
an
Excel worksheet to my default Outlook contacts list? I'm trying to set
up a
workbook for another user, and I'd like to make it easier for him to
insert
the email address of the person listed. I thought a data validation
linked
to the contacts list would give him a drop down menu, rather than hope he
types it in correctly.

If that doesn't work, is there a way I can check a name from the
worksheet
against the contacts list to return the email address?

Thanks.
Ed

It's possible, but not with Outlook objects before OL2007. You'd need CDO 1.21, the weird little address book control that comes with Office, or, to avoid security prompts , Outlook Redemption (http://www.dimastr.com/redemption/)

For a CDO code sample, see http://www.outlookcode.com/d/code/selectnames.htm

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

"Ed" wrote in message ...
Well, instead can someone point me to code for accessing the defaults
address book and returning the chosen name? I'm searching the NG and
Outlook sites, but that's a lot of stuff to wade through just to get a
name!! <g I've managed to set an object to OL and create a new mail
message, but really for now all I need is to pop up the address list and let
the user choose a name to be set into a cell. Is this possible?

ED

"Smallweed" wrote in message
...
You can certainly look at Outlook data programmatically and I don't see
why
you couldn't then use it to populate a combo box or use it for validation.
You'll need either an Outlook object or a MAPI object - there should be
some
pages of help on it if you search Microsoft.com or Google (sorry I've got
nothing to hand at present but I've certainly done similar things in the
past).

"Ed" wrote:

Is there any way I can link the data validation in a column of cells in
an
Excel worksheet to my default Outlook contacts list? I'm trying to set
up a
workbook for another user, and I'd like to make it easier for him to
insert
the email address of the person listed. I thought a data validation
linked
to the contacts list would give him a drop down menu, rather than hope he
types it in correctly.

If that doesn't work, is there a way I can check a name from the
worksheet
against the contacts list to return the email address?

Thanks.
Ed

Sue -

Thanks so much! I think the link you provided for the CDO will help
greatly. I looked around the OutlookCode.com site for a while
yesterday and was getting very lost in an unfamiliar object model!

I don't know how much I'm going to be able to do, though. I think I
was on the verge of tapping into the address list yesterday when
suddenly Norton's flashed a "virus!! Outlook Worm" warning and my
computer started acting strange. I shut everything down and restarted
- only to find that our security programs had nuked the entire VBA
module containing ALL the coe I was working on for this project! (I'm
lucky our security personnel didn't respond - they have a "scorched
earth" policy with viruses - they come in with no warning, take your
computer out from under you, and completely wipe the hard drive of
EVERYTHING!)

If I can just somehow get an email address returned so the poor guy
I'm doing this for doesn't have to try and type in every address
_correctly_ (the whole reason for this!). But if I can't, then he's
on his own!

Thanks again.
Ed


On Feb 1, 4:33 pm, "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]"
wrote:
It's possible, but not with Outlook objects before OL2007. You'd need CDO 1.21, the weird little address book control that comes with Office, or, to avoid security prompts , Outlook Redemption (http://www.dimastr.com/redemption/)

For a CDO code sample, seehttp://www.outlookcode.com/d/code/selectnames.htm

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx



"Ed" wrote in .. .
Well, instead can someone point me to code for accessing the defaults
address book and returning the chosen name? I'm searching the NG and
Outlook sites, but that's a lot of stuff to wade through just to get a
name!! <g I've managed to set an object to OL and create a new mail
message, but really for now all I need is to pop up the address list and let
the user choose a name to be set into a cell. Is this possible?

ED