Clipping into OmniFocus from Outlook 2011 [See post #34]
 

Are there any plans for OF to work with email from Outlook 2011?

I do love my Mac, and so pleased to have ditched the PC, but for there not being a good alternative to Outlook!

PRH

A bit off topic answer following, but I really doubt Outlook will be scriptable for OF, although I could be wrong. Anyway:

I thought the same as you did when switching to Mac, but today I only use native programs; Mail, Address Book, iCal. To compensate for a few of Mail's shortcomings in mail handling, I use [URL="http://indev.ca/"]Mail Tags and Mail Act-on[/URL]. I have been connected to an MS Exchange server for nearly two years, and there is no doubt that Mail has had far fewer issues than Outlook users at work had during that time. I never regretted switching in other words.

For consolidating data: If you need to link info and see it in one place, there is Bento as a cheap, very ok solution. As for professional, large databases there is nothing matching Filemaker whereas a free form alternative is Devonthink (which I use myself). The latter works great with OF too, by the way.

I understand your adoption of Mail etc but a 'one stop' shop for mail, cal and contacts is far more attractive particularly when I understand that Outlook 2011 comes with VBA which allows great possibilities. The downside is OF is soooooooo good!!

Depending on your needs Mail, iCal and Adressbook are equally good (and scriptable via AppleScript as well). If you need a more CRM-like solution, see Arilds post above for some initial pointers.

If you need a tighter integration it might help if you could clarify about the specific things you want to accomplish with OF and Outlook/Entourage.

Outlook 2011 is shaping up to be a good product.

I think it will be easy to script Outlook as it will support applescript (along with vba)

Biggest problem so far is that Outlook 2011 does not even allow you to save an email. Older OF scripts used this functionality to get a proper link to Outlook. I have no idea why you can not do something basic like save an email to the filesystem, but you can't.

I would love a script or functionality where I can bring an email or email+attachment into OF like we use to be able to do with scripts on Entourage.

Actually I may have spoken too soon, the actual shipping release seems to work with the older OF scripts. It gets the attachment even though Outlook can't save. I don't know enough about AppleScript to know how this is working, but the Outlook emails are in XMLish type language that is confusing, it would be great if OmniFocus could display the emails like they do in Outlook

[QUOTE=PeterRHawkes;84190]I understand your adoption of Mail etc but a 'one stop' shop for mail, cal and contacts is far more attractive particularly when I understand that Outlook 2011 comes with VBA which allows great possibilities[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=tarun101;84193]I think it will be easy to script Outlook as it will support applescript (along with vba)[/QUOTE]

It looks as if VBA [URL="http://www.networkworld.com/reviews/2010/100110-microsoft-outlook-for-mac.html"]may not[/URL], in the end, have made it into Outlook 2011.

I would be very happy to be able to "use some script" to attach email to omnifocus, any ideas on what direction we need to go to get this working?

The comments above about "mail , ical, and address book being the answer are not completely true. I have been a long user of the built in mail and absolutely hated entourage, but Outlook 2011 is really a good solid product and is only missing the ability to add a task into omnifocus based on an email or selection of an email, with some sort of link back in the omni-focus

[QUOTE=RobTrew;86605]It looks as if VBA [URL="http://www.networkworld.com/reviews/2010/100110-microsoft-outlook-for-mac.html"]may not[/URL], in the end, have made it into Outlook 2011.[/QUOTE]

Not this time either...? Incredible. I suppose Microsoft thinks that will make Mac users convert to Windows at least for work. My reaction is, however, that I will probably never even consider Office 2011... I have Office 2008, but the continuous database daemon's clogging of the system makes me avoid using it unless I have to for collaborative reasons.

PeterRHawkes has a point: Mac has hardly any obvious, ready-made productivity suite alternative - baked into a single UI - but I must say I prefer to live with my Mail/iCal/Address Book/Omnifocus/Devonthink-combination (with additional tools such as Omnioutliner and Novamind). After the miserable performance of Office 2008 on my system, it takes more than Outlook 2011 to convince me.

As I mentioned earlier, sending an email from Outlook 2011 into OF is working great using the scripts mentioned at:

[url]http://rainer.4950.net/wordpress/?p=178[/url]

[QUOTE=signal;86853]As I mentioned earlier, sending an email from Outlook 2011 into OF is working great using the scripts mentioned at:

[url]http://rainer.4950.net/wordpress/?p=178[/url][/QUOTE]

This script works with a little additions from comments.

The only problem I have is XMLish style messages in OF. Can't actually understand the reason why one messages imported well and others are XML code. Both are HTML-based.

I will be working on fixing the script for Outlook. At the moment its not quite perfect.

[url]http://rainer.4950.net/wordpress/?p=178[/url]

check back in a week.

Thanks I'll wait. As workaround, I've modified your script to take "selected text" as body of Task Note. Now I can select part of mail or all text (cmd+a) and then execute script. I have mail attached to task anyway.

I get a consistent error message using this script (see attached image).




[QUOTE=Invoker;87618]This script works with a little additions from comments.

The only problem I have is XMLish style messages in OF. Can't actually understand the reason why one messages imported well and others are XML code. Both are HTML-based.[/QUOTE]

Finally, I did manage to spend some time looking at the problem. You can find the updated script here [url]http://rainer.4950.net/wordpress/?p=273[/url]

Does this create a link in OF that links back to (and opens) Outlook 2011 when clicked on to "see the original"?

(so exact same operation as OF and Mac Mail?)

Thanks v much

(and a cheeky extra question please! Using an MS Exchange 2007 email account Does Outlook 2011 display a "replied to" status to messages that were responded to out "in the field" on iPhone? With an easy link to the reply? (it's driving me nuts that iPhone / Mail won't do this - on my return to work I am unable to check at "a glance" if I have replied to messages or not while i was out and responding with my iPhone)

[QUOTE=rburgst;87717]Finally, I did manage to spend some time looking at the problem. You can find the updated script here [url]http://rainer.4950.net/wordpress/?p=273[/url][/QUOTE]

Rainer, I just wanted to thank you very much for putting this and your [URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=16185"]Entourage clipping scripts[/URL] together and making them available to folks.

You're awesome, and we're grateful. :-)

Can't get the script to work inside Outlook
 

I'm sure this is my ignorance, but I can't seem to get the script to work. I got it installed in the correct place, thanks to the very clear instructions, and I can see it in Services. However, I cannot see it in Outlook. What did I do wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[QUOTE=rburgst;87717]Finally, I did manage to spend some time looking at the problem. You can find the updated script here [url]http://rainer.4950.net/wordpress/?p=273[/url][/QUOTE]

Hi Rainer or anyone else.

The link provided is down. Are you able to confirm when it will be up and running or an alternative location where the script and instructions are stored?

Not to worry...I was able to use the cached version of the website from google to download the script. Looks awesome

Unfortunately the site is still down and google cache doesn't seem to still contain the page.
@Rainer: will your site be available again or is there another place to get the script from?

The site is up and running again.
Thanks a lot! Great Script!!!!

Outlook for Mac 2011 integration?
 

Are there pointers to instructions (or plans) for integration with Outlook 2011 for Mac, similar to the 'clip-o-tron 3000'?

Merging your post into the thread you're looking for.

HTML messages with script
 

I got version 4 of the script to work.

It works well with text only messages, but with HTML messages I just see the code.

Has anyone else had experience with this?

@Pete, the latest version should do a reasonable job with HTML mails, basically it chooses the text version of the mail which is typically included in the mail body as well (most mail clients send both HTML and pure text versions of the same mail). Depending on the mail application of the sender, this could look ok. If you have tons of links in those mails they will still stay however, if you only have a marked up mail it typically will show only the text.

Check the latest version here: [url]http://rainer.4950.net/wordpress/category/gtd/[/url]

Just wanted to thank you again for this, Rainer. OmniFocus customers are the best. :-)

Just posted the latest version. This allows a ton of configuration options:

Features:
[LIST][*] configurable growl notifications (provided by Paul)[*] added mail headers (from, date) to content of the note (provided by Paul)[*] does not rely on a separate jar tool anymore and should therefore be more compatible with older Mac OS versions. (courtesy of someone on the omnifocus forums whos name I forgot unfortunately)[*] configuration options[INDENT][LIST][*] growl enabled[*] delete mail after turning it to an omnifocus task[*] bring omnifocus to the front[*] put cursor into a specific field in the quick entry panel[*] open quick entry panel (or just add the task silently to inbox)[/LIST][/INDENT][/LIST]
Grab it here

[URL="http://rainer.4950.net/wordpress/blog/category/gtd/"]http://rainer.4950.net/wordpress/blog/category/gtd/[/URL]

I'm looking for a way to modify Rainer's excellent script to create a "waiting for" action when I send an email to someone and want to set an action for me to follow up on the message. Here's what I want to do:

1. Create a new message in Outlook 2011 (or open an existing message that I want to forward)
2. Send the message while simultaneously creating a new OF action (using the Quick Entry window), with a link back to the sent message and the body of the sent message in the notes field of the action, with the context set to "Waiting for...", the subject field set to the same as the subject of the message and the other fields blank for me to fill in with a due date, etc.

The goal would be to use a keyboard shortcut to engage this script in lieu of the standard "command-return" Outlook keyboard shortcut I would use to send the message under normal circumstances in situations where I want to automatically give myself a reminder to follow up on the message I'm sending. Presently the only way to (sort of) do this is to send the message, then go into my sent items folder manually, highlight the message I just sent, and engage Rainer's script to create an OF action that i then have to manually set to the "Waiting for..." context. Much less efficient.

Anyone have any idea how to accomplish this?

Thanks,

Adam

That sounds doable but you would need to also script outlook. So first get the reference to the open outlook message then perform the same steps as my script and finally hitting the send button programmatically.
The only thing I don't know without checking the docs is whether you need (and which one) a different call into outlook to get the currently open message.

Great help, Rainer!
Works beautifully for me and helps to create better flow. Thanks a lot.
Just donated on your Blog.
Have a great weekend - Chris

[QUOTE=codog24;98704]I'm looking for a way to modify Rainer's excellent script to create a "waiting for" action when I send an email to someone and want to set an action for me to follow up on the message. Here's what I want to do:

1. Create a new message in Outlook 2011 (or open an existing message that I want to forward)
2. Send the message while simultaneously creating a new OF action (using the Quick Entry window), with a link back to the sent message and the body of the sent message in the notes field of the action, with the context set to "Waiting for...", the subject field set to the same as the subject of the message and the other fields blank for me to fill in with a due date, etc.

The goal would be to use a keyboard shortcut to engage this script in lieu of the standard "command-return" Outlook keyboard shortcut I would use to send the message under normal circumstances in situations where I want to automatically give myself a reminder to follow up on the message I'm sending. Presently the only way to (sort of) do this is to send the message, then go into my sent items folder manually, highlight the message I just sent, and engage Rainer's script to create an OF action that i then have to manually set to the "Waiting for..." context. Much less efficient.

Anyone have any idea how to accomplish this?

Thanks,

Adam[/QUOTE]

Hi Adam - any luck with getting this done? I am looking for the same feature as well.

Thanks.

posted a new version which fixes a problem with mails that don't have a sender name.

[url]http://rainer.4950.net/wordpress/blog/2011/10/14/outlook-to-omnifocus-take-6/[/url]

Thanks very much, Rainer!

Great script. has helped my productivity

For anyone still interested in Outlook and Omnifocus here is a version which works for OmniFocus 2.
[url]http://rainer.4950.net/2014/05/04/outlook-to-omnifocus2-take-10/[/url]