Categorize Plus - Open Categorize Menu using a Hotkey?

[Hornblower409]

Is there a way to get the Categorize Plus, Categorize Menu to open using a Hotkey? From both an Outlook Explorer and Inspector?

I currently use a pair of Outlook Macro's (VBA Code below) to open the standard Outlook Categorize dialog. This is so that I can put the Macro's on the Quick Access Toolbar, give the Quick Access Toolbar item a Hotkey, and then execute the Macro using only the keyboard. (I also use the HotKey execution method as part of some more complex automation done with AutoIt, but that's not part of this question).

Categorize Plus V2.0.178 Professional
Outlook 2007 (12.0.6557.5001) SP2 MSO (12.0.6554.5001)
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 x64 (Pretty much the same as Windows 7 SP1 x64 as far as Outlook is concerned)

Code:

' Categories - Show the All Categories selection dialog in an Item
Private Function Categories_SelectDialog_Open_Inspector()

    Application.ActiveInspector.CurrentItem.ShowCategoriesDialog
     
End Function

' Categories - Show the All Categories selection dialog in a View
Private Function Categories_SelectDialog_Open_Explorer()

    ' Walk the command bar:
    '   Actions -> Categorize -> All Categories
    '   and show the selection dialog
   
    Dim objExplr As Outlook.Explorer
    Set objExplr = Application.ActiveExplorer
       
    Dim colCBs As Office.CommandBars
    Set colCBs = objExplr.CommandBars
   
    Dim objCB As Office.CommandBar
    Set objCB = colCBs.Item("Menu Bar")
   
    Dim objCBCs As Office.CommandBarControls
    Set objCBCs = objCB.Controls
   
    Dim objCBP As Office.CommandBarPopup
    Set objCBP = objCBCs.Item("&Actions")
   
    Set objCBCs = objCBP.Controls
    Set objCBP = objCBCs.Item("Categor&ize")
    Set objCB = objCBP.CommandBar
    Set objCBCs = objCBP.Controls
       
    Dim objCBB As Office.CommandBarButton
    Set objCBB = objCBCs.Item("&All Categories...")
   
    objCBB.Execute
   
Categories_SelectDialog_Open_Explorer_Exit:

    Set objExplr = Nothing
    Set colCBs = Nothing
    Set objCB = Nothing
    Set objCBCs = Nothing
    Set objCBP = Nothing
    Set objCBB = Nothing

End Function

[JonZimmerman]

The Categorize Plus drop down menus employ the use of Underlined Keyboard Accelerators the same as those used in the standard Outlook menus. 

Therefore, by adding an ‘&’ in front of a character in the caption field of a menu item, then that character becomes a keyboard accelerator.  Then, all you need to do is press the “alt” key and then press the underlined letter to select the menu item. 

For example, to open the Categorize menu you would press “alt” and then “z”.  And you only have to press the “alt” key once to then navigate through the entire menu hierarchy using the accelerators.  Categorize Plus also has an option to auto expand the Categorize menu after each selection so that you can immediately make the next selection.

[Hornblower409]

Thank you for the quick reply. I'm afraid I didn't make myself clear.

As you described, Alt-Z will open the Categorize Plus menu from an Outlook Explorer (e.g. Inbox). But I still can not find a way to open the menu from an Inspector (individual item).

With an item open, I can easily CLICK on the Categorize Plus Ribbon item, but I do not see any way to get to it with a hotkey or VBA code.

For the standard Outlook Categorize command, I can use VBA code to walk the menu tree to find the Categorize command and execute it. (I then tie the VBA code to a HotKey).  I was looking for something similar I could do with Categorize Plus.

Categorize Plus is an excellent product and the effort you put into the design shows. If there is no way to get to Categorize Plus with a hotkey from an Inspector, that won't stop me from continuing to use the product. Just thought I'd ask in case I was missing something.

Thank you.

[JonZimmerman]

When in an Inspector window, then you need to press “alt”, and then "h", and then “z" to open the the Categorize menu.  After that, everything else will work the same as I have explained before.

[Hornblower409]

You are correct. Thank you. I got lost looking for something complicated.