I've created four new categories that I wish to apply to all of the
tasks that I enter into my Outlook 2003 task list at work. Let's call
them A_Repair, A_Maintenance, A_Research, and A_Project. There is
very little likelihood (probably only when the task is a personal /
private one, and not work-related) that any of the existing categories
will ever be used as applied to a task I enter. The interface that I
usually use to enter new tasks is the one where each task is listed on
it's own line and displays the priority, completed, Subject, start
date, due date, categories, sub priority (custom field) and For Who?
(another custom field) fields. I am not fond of opening a second
window to enter a new task and would prefer to use the simpler one-
line interface. My question is this: As I go from left to right
entering the Subject, task requestor, start and due dates, etc, I
eventually come to the categories field at the far right. Is there
any way to have the four custom categories I defined above, show up in
some kind of a drop-down list ? I currently type in the category each
time, and that can be onerous if I enter enough new tasks in a day.
Thanks.

No, views can't be customized with drop-down lists. YOu could, however, use a custom form with a customized page that has a list of categories. See http://www.outlookcode.com/d/forms/reqcat.htm for an example.

--
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

wrote in message ps.com...
I've created four new categories that I wish to apply to all of the
tasks that I enter into my Outlook 2003 task list at work. Let's call
them A_Repair, A_Maintenance, A_Research, and A_Project. There is
very little likelihood (probably only when the task is a personal /
private one, and not work-related) that any of the existing categories
will ever be used as applied to a task I enter. The interface that I
usually use to enter new tasks is the one where each task is listed on
it's own line and displays the priority, completed, Subject, start
date, due date, categories, sub priority (custom field) and For Who?
(another custom field) fields. I am not fond of opening a second
window to enter a new task and would prefer to use the simpler one-
line interface. My question is this: As I go from left to right
entering the Subject, task requestor, start and due dates, etc, I
eventually come to the categories field at the far right. Is there
any way to have the four custom categories I defined above, show up in
some kind of a drop-down list ? I currently type in the category each
time, and that can be onerous if I enter enough new tasks in a day.
Thanks.