OL2000: Color Organize Feature May Produce Unexpected Results (193980)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Outlook 2000
This article was previously published under Q193980

SYMPTOMS

When you use the "Organize" utility of Microsoft Outlook 2000 to color messages received from a specific person, the results may not be as expected.

CAUSE

When you use the basic Organize feature to color messages, the Display Name property on the message's "To" or "From" line is used to select the item. The presence of commas, spaces, and quotation marks in the display name determines how the Organizer treats the elements of the name.

RESOLUTION

Use the Automatic Formatting functions of the Organize feature for more control over the name evaluation and message selection.

MORE INFORMATION

To use the Basic Organizer Feature to Color Selected Messages

  1. On the Inbox Tools menu, click Organize.
  2. In the Organize area, click Using Colors.
  3. In the "Color messages" section, click to select "from" and type the name of the person whose messages you wish to color.

    NOTE: The following describes how commas, spaces and quotation marks will affect the treatment of the name entered:
  • If a name is entered with a comma separator, such as "Doe, John" (without the quotation marks), the comma is treated as an OR, and the entry is interpreted as two names. In this case the entry is treated as either Doe OR John and all messages including either of the values, Doe OR John, such as Mary Doe and John Smith, will be colored.
  • If a name is entered with a space separator, such as "John Doe" (without the quotation marks), the space is treated as an AND, and the entry is interpreted as two names. In this case the entry is treated as John AND Doe and all messages including both of the values John AND Doe, such as John Doe Jr., and John Robert Doe, will be colored.
  • If a name is entered enclosed in quotation marks, such as "John Doe" (WITH the quotation marks), it will be treated as a single name and the names John and Doe must appear together in order to qualify for coloring.

To use the Automatic Formatting Feature to Color Selected Messages

  1. On the Inbox Tools menu, click Organize.
  2. In the Organize area, click Using Colors.
  3. At the top of the Organize area, click Automatic Formatting.
  4. Click Add, in the Name field, type a name for this rule and click Font.
  5. Click to select a color from the Color list and click OK.
  6. Click Condition and on the Advanced tab, click Field, point to All Mail fields and click From.
  7. Click to select "is (exactly)" from the Condition list.
  8. Type the name of the person whose messages you wish to color, click Add to List, and click OK and OK.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/5/2003
Keywords:kbprb KB193980
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.