# Outlook Case Helper

A Windows system tray application that automatically organizes Outlook emails by TrackingID into folders.

---

## Requirements

- Windows 10/11
- Microsoft Outlook (classic) installed and configured
- .NET 8.0 Runtime

---

## Installation

1. Run `OutlookCaseHelperSetup.msi`
2. Follow the installation wizard
3. Launch the app from the Start Menu — **Outlook Case Helper**
4. The app runs in the system tray (bottom-right corner of the taskbar)

---

## How It Works

The app monitors your Outlook Inbox and Sent folders in real time. When an email arrives or is sent with a subject containing `TrackingID#<number>`, it is automatically moved to the corresponding folder under:

```
Inbox > Cases > Active > <folder name>
```

When a case is closed, the folder is moved to:

```
Inbox > Cases > Closed > <folder name>
```

---

## Features

### Create Rule (Selected Email)
Right-click the tray icon → **Create Rule (Selected Email)**

- Select an email in Outlook first
- The app reads the `TrackingID#` from the subject automatically
- Optionally add a name to the folder (e.g. `123456 | Client Name`)
- All existing emails with that TrackingID are moved immediately
- Future emails are moved automatically in real time

> If the case already exists in **Closed**, it is moved back to **Active** automatically — no new folder is created.

---

### Create Rule (Manual ID)
Right-click the tray icon → **Create Rule (Manual ID)**

- Manually type a TrackingID number
- Optionally add a name to the folder
- Searches and moves all matching emails from Inbox and Sent

---

### Remove Rule (Selected Email)
Right-click the tray icon → **Remove Rule (Selected Email)**

- Select an email in Outlook first
- The app reads the TrackingID and removes the active rule
- The folder is moved from **Active** to **Closed**
- Monitoring stops for that TrackingID

---

### Remove Rule (Manual ID)
Right-click the tray icon → **Remove Rule (Manual ID)**

- Manually type a TrackingID number to remove
- Same behavior as above

---

### Run All Rules Now
Right-click the tray icon → **Run All Rules Now**

- Scans all folders in the mailbox
- Moves any emails matching active rules to the correct folders
- Useful after the app was closed for a period

---

### Settings
Right-click the tray icon → **Settings**

Configure keyboard shortcuts:

| Action | Default Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Create Rule | Alt + 1 |
| Remove Rule | Alt + 2 |

Modifiers available: **Alt**, **Ctrl**, **Shift**  
Keys available: F1–F12, 0–9, A–Z

Also available in Settings:
- **View Rules File** — opens `active_rules.json` in Notepad
- **Reload Rules** — reloads rules from file without restarting the app

---

### Start with Windows
Right-click the tray icon → **Start with Windows**

- Toggle whether the app starts automatically when Windows starts
- Checkmark indicates current state

---

## Folder Structure

```
Inbox
└── Cases
    ├── Active
    │   ├── 123456 | Client Name
    │   └── 789012
    └── Closed
        └── 654321 | Old Case
```

---

## Rules File

Rules are stored at:
```
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\OutlookCaseHelper\active_rules.json
```

You can edit this file manually in Notepad (via Settings → View Rules File) and reload without restarting.

---

## Email Subject Format

The app looks for emails with subjects containing:
```
TrackingID#<number>
```

Examples:
- `Case update - TrackingID#1234567890`
- `Re: Support ticket TrackingID#9876543210123456`

The number can be any length. Everything before `TrackingID#` is ignored.

---

## Limitations

- **Classic Outlook only** — does not work with New Outlook (web-based). New Outlook support via Microsoft Graph API is planned.
- **Single mailbox** — monitors only the primary Outlook account. Shared mailboxes are not supported.
- **Outlook must be open** — the app connects to a running Outlook instance. If Outlook is closed, rules are saved but monitoring pauses until Outlook is opened again.
- **Subject matching only** — rules are matched by subject line. Emails without `TrackingID#` in the subject are ignored.
- **No undo** — moving folders to Closed or Active cannot be undone through the app. Use Outlook directly to move folders manually if needed.
- **Manual file editing** — if you edit `active_rules.json` manually, use **Reload Rules** in Settings or restart the app for changes to take effect.
- **Case sensitivity** — `TrackingID#` is case-sensitive. `trackingid#` or `TRACKINGID#` will not be matched.

---

## Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcuts work globally — even when Outlook is in focus.

| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt + 1 (default) | Create Rule from selected email |
| Alt + 2 (default) | Remove Rule from selected email |

Shortcuts can be changed in **Settings**.

---

## Uninstall

Go to **Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall a program** → select **Outlook Case Helper** → Uninstall.

Rules and settings stored in `AppData` are not removed automatically. Delete the folder manually if needed:
```
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\OutlookCaseHelper\
```