Outlook 2021 'Run Script" Rules?

[nurbles]

[BTW -- I'm sure it is already known that Office 2021 is not an option in the account sign-up, so I lied and picked 2019]

Is there any way to have an Outlook 2021 rule run a script? I've found many examples of doing this, but it appears that the ability to have rules activate scripts was removed several Outlook version ago.

I would like to remove common text from the start of every subject line that my rule is filtering -- the text the rule matches is totally redundant in the destination folder and reduces much of the actual subject to an ellipsis. If there's a way to do that without a script, I'm open to that solution as well!

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Technically, there is little difference "under the hood" between 2016, 2019, 2021, and 365 - just some new features in the newer versions. But I fixed it. (One of the regulars mentioned it yesterday.)

To use run a script, you need to set a registry key - its the same as for 2016 and newer.

Run-a-Script Rules Missing in Outlook

Microsoft released an update to disable any existing run-a-script and run application rules. This update affects Outlook 2010 and newer. Run a script and Run applications can be enabled using a registry key.

www.slipstick.com

 

[nurbles]

Thanks! Now I can see the 'Run a script' item in the rule actions.

Actually getting my script to work is turning out to big much more difficult than I expected, but hopefully I'll get there. Thanks again!

 

[nurbles]

OK, I am now able to choose the "Run a script" option for a rule and I created a rule that matches the subject string "Developer Community" that should run this macro:

Public Sub CleanDevSubject(ByRef Item As Outlook.MailItem) Debug.Print Now ' This shows you when the code runs End Sub

Every once in a while, when I try to test run the rule, the time is printed. Most of the time, NOTHING is printed to the immediate window (where the Debug.Print should write.)

So... is there a 'trick' to actually getting a rule to match & activate a script? I have an older rule that matches the exact same subject text that moves the message to a sub-folder and that rule triggers perfectly. So I am at a total loss as to why the 'Run a script' version of the rule seems to rarely ever fire when there is a match.

[EDIT: Should I start a new thread? I figured I'm still asking about a rule running a script, so I continued here...]

 

[nurbles]

Never mind, I found the issues.

First, the "stop processing more rules" item is actually processed BEFORE the "Run a script" item, so when both are checked, the script NEVER RUNS. Stupid, but repeatable.

Second, I added lines like these:

        If 0 <> Err.Number Then
            Debug.Print "ERROR G: [" & CStr(Err.Number) & "] " & Err.Description
            End
        End If

between EVERY LINE of my actual script to find out what was failing and slowly, but surely eliminated the bugs. (I change the 'G:' in each instance of the error print to make them unique (because I don't know how to get the current line number .)

So, now my script runs perfectly, both removing the unnecessary common text from all subjects and moving the messages to the appropriate folder. Thanks again for pointing me in the correct direction!