Using MS OUTLOOK as an external application - passing switches

[AntSal60]

Hello.
Using ASG RD 2019 Patch 3.

Have created an external application definition for MS Outlook. However, when creating a connection to use the external application, I can't pass any parameters (switches) to the program, even if they are static.

Am trying to set it to do this windows command:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE" /c ipm.note /m "G=Test email address"

I define the the external application as:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE"

I define the connection to use the external MS-OFFICE application and since it only has field URL for parameters, I have set it as follows:

/c ipm.note /m "G=Test Email address"

When using the connection, it does open the OUTLOOK program but it doesn't pass the parameters.

Anything you could point out as being in error in my definitions? or would the external program won't work under these circumstances ?

many thanks.
Antonio Salcedo
Systems Engineer

[DevOma]

The external application itself has configuration settings for the command line options - did you try to set the parameters there? Is that working? I do not understand why you want to use URL in connection object?

Have a look in the documentation of ASGRD how to use external applications - and how to use parameters for ext. app. - then try step by step to configure your ext. app. and if necessary your connection with ext.app.

[AntSal60]

The external application itself has configuration settings for the command line options - did you try to set the parameters there? Is that working? I do not understand why you want to use URL in connection object?

Have a look in the documentation of ASGRD how to use external applications - and how to use parameters for ext. app. - then try step by step to configure your ext. app. and if necessary your connection with ext.app.

Good morning:
if I add the parameters to the external application itself it will work as intended - however that won't allow me to have multiple connections using the same external tool (outlook) and use different parameters for each connection (for example, send e-mail to ABC or XYZ).

Am using URL field as there is no other place where I could specify the parameters for the external application for that specific connection.
Or is there :-) ?

Regards.
Antonio Salcedo

[AntSal60]

The external application itself has configuration settings for the command line options - did you try to set the parameters there? Is that working? I do not understand why you want to use URL in connection object?

Have a look in the documentation of ASGRD how to use external applications - and how to use parameters for ext. app. - then try step by step to configure your ext. app. and if necessary your connection with ext.app.

Good morning:
if I add the parameters to the external application itself it will work as intended - however that won't allow me to have multiple connections using the same external tool (outlook) and use different parameters for each connection (for example, send e-mail to ABC or XYZ).

Am using URL field as there is no other place where I could specify the parameters for the external application for that specific connection.
Or is there :-) ?

Regards.
Antonio Salcedo

Update:
So i used the connection description field to specify the parameters to the outlook external application and that worked well.  So I will use that approach for the other connections.

If I may suggest, it would be a good idea to have other free-form field(s) for the user to pass parameters to external applications not tied to existing properties or predefined values.

Regards.

[DevOma]

With the latest Patch (2019 Patch5) you can define until 3 custom fields - you need to activate this function in Settings=>Custom fields - afterwards you will see the fields in your connection

[AntSal60]

With the latest Patch (2019 Patch5) you can define until 3 custom fields - you need to activate this function in Settings=>Custom fields - afterwards you will see the fields in your connection

Outstanding - have a great day/evening.
Regards.

[AntSal60]

With the latest Patch (2019 Patch5) you can define until 3 custom fields - you need to activate this function in Settings=>Custom fields - afterwards you will see the fields in your connection

Outstanding - have a great day/evening.
Regards.

Oliver, a quick question:

Are there plans for a 2019 Patch 6? and if so, what is your guess of when it will be available?

Thanks.

[AntSal60]

With the latest Patch (2019 Patch5) you can define until 3 custom fields - you need to activate this function in Settings=>Custom fields - afterwards you will see the fields in your connection

Greetings DevOma:

Have installed 2019 Patch6 and enabled the custom field 1, which I named "e-mail"; after restarting ASG-RD, the new custom field shows "email" on a new connection.

Am trying to reference the new custom field in a external tool (outlook) using parameters = "/c ipm.note /m %email%"  (without the quotes).

Outlook opens but it doesn't set the e-mail address on the e-mail properly.  When I was using parameters = "/c ipm.note /m %Description% (without the quotes), the e-mail "to" field was being setup properly.

Is it possible to reference CUSTOM FIELDS ? and if so, what is the syntax or character marker (% or else) ? 

Many thanks.

Antonio Salcedo

[DevOma]

Ok I see there is nothing in documentation on how to use CustomFields as parameter - we will add this…

Please try %Custom1% %Custom2% %Custom3% - then it should work

[DevOma]

I just tried with a simple example - create an ext. app. with notepad.exe - Argument %Custom1% - execute the ext.app. on a connection where the field "Custom1" is set - in my case notepad is starting and wants to open a file named like my Custom1 field - so the Custom1-Parameter is working for me...