OL: Parent Property Does Not Return Item's Parent Folder (304399)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Outlook 97
  • Microsoft Outlook 98
  • Microsoft Outlook 2000
  • Microsoft Outlook 2002
This article was previously published under Q304399

SYMPTOMS

When you are using the Outlook object model from Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) in a custom Outlook form, the Parent property does not return the folder that the item was created in.

CAUSE

Outlook does not set this property until after an item is saved.

RESOLUTION

You must save the item for the Parent property to return an accurate folder reference.

WORKAROUND

Depending on the design of your solution, you may be able to reference the folder by using the CurrentFolder property of the ActiveExplorer object. However, this will always return the folder that is selected in the user interface, which may not always be the folder that the item is located in.

STATUS

This is a limitation of how the Parent property works. There are no plans to change this behavior.

REFERENCES

For additional information about available resources and answersto commonly asked questions about Microsoft Outlook solutions, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

146636 OL2000: Questions About Custom Forms and Outlook Solutions

287530 OL2002: Questions About Custom Forms and Outlook Solutions

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:3/11/2004
Keywords:kbDSWNET2003Swept kbprb KB304399
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