191 lines
5.0 KiB
Markdown
191 lines
5.0 KiB
Markdown
# Outlook Case Helper
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A Windows system tray application that automatically organizes Outlook emails by TrackingID into folders.
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---
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## Requirements
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- Windows 10/11
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- Microsoft Outlook (classic) installed and configured
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- .NET 8.0 Runtime
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---
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## Installation
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1. Run `OutlookCaseHelperSetup.msi`
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2. Follow the installation wizard
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3. Launch the app from the Start Menu — **Outlook Case Helper**
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4. The app runs in the system tray (bottom-right corner of the taskbar)
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---
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## How It Works
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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:
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```
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Inbox > Cases > Active > <folder name>
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```
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When a case is closed, the folder is moved to:
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```
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Inbox > Cases > Closed > <folder name>
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```
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---
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## Features
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### Create Rule (Selected Email)
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Right-click the tray icon → **Create Rule (Selected Email)**
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- Select an email in Outlook first
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- The app reads the `TrackingID#` from the subject automatically
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- Optionally add a name to the folder (e.g. `123456 | Client Name`)
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- All existing emails with that TrackingID are moved immediately
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- Future emails are moved automatically in real time
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> If the case already exists in **Closed**, it is moved back to **Active** automatically — no new folder is created.
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---
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### Create Rule (Manual ID)
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Right-click the tray icon → **Create Rule (Manual ID)**
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- Manually type a TrackingID number
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- Optionally add a name to the folder
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- Searches and moves all matching emails from Inbox and Sent
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---
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### Remove Rule (Selected Email)
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Right-click the tray icon → **Remove Rule (Selected Email)**
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- Select an email in Outlook first
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- The app reads the TrackingID and removes the active rule
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- The folder is moved from **Active** to **Closed**
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- Monitoring stops for that TrackingID
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---
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### Remove Rule (Manual ID)
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Right-click the tray icon → **Remove Rule (Manual ID)**
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- Manually type a TrackingID number to remove
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- Same behavior as above
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---
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### Run All Rules Now
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Right-click the tray icon → **Run All Rules Now**
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- Scans all folders in the mailbox
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- Moves any emails matching active rules to the correct folders
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- Useful after the app was closed for a period
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---
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### Settings
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Right-click the tray icon → **Settings**
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Configure keyboard shortcuts:
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| Action | Default Shortcut |
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|---|---|
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| Create Rule | Alt + 1 |
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| Remove Rule | Alt + 2 |
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Modifiers available: **Alt**, **Ctrl**, **Shift**
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Keys available: F1–F12, 0–9, A–Z
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Also available in Settings:
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- **View Rules File** — opens `active_rules.json` in Notepad
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- **Reload Rules** — reloads rules from file without restarting the app
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---
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### Start with Windows
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Right-click the tray icon → **Start with Windows**
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- Toggle whether the app starts automatically when Windows starts
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- Checkmark indicates current state
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---
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## Folder Structure
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```
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Inbox
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└── Cases
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├── Active
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│ ├── 123456 | Client Name
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│ └── 789012
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└── Closed
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└── 654321 | Old Case
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```
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---
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## Rules File
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Rules are stored at:
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```
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C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\OutlookCaseHelper\active_rules.json
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```
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You can edit this file manually in Notepad (via Settings → View Rules File) and reload without restarting.
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---
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## Email Subject Format
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The app looks for emails with subjects containing:
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```
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TrackingID#<number>
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```
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Examples:
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- `Case update - TrackingID#1234567890`
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- `Re: Support ticket TrackingID#9876543210123456`
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The number can be any length. Everything before `TrackingID#` is ignored.
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---
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## Limitations
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- **Classic Outlook only** — does not work with New Outlook (web-based). New Outlook support via Microsoft Graph API is planned.
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- **Single mailbox** — monitors only the primary Outlook account. Shared mailboxes are not supported.
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- **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.
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- **Subject matching only** — rules are matched by subject line. Emails without `TrackingID#` in the subject are ignored.
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- **No undo** — moving folders to Closed or Active cannot be undone through the app. Use Outlook directly to move folders manually if needed.
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- **Manual file editing** — if you edit `active_rules.json` manually, use **Reload Rules** in Settings or restart the app for changes to take effect.
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- **Case sensitivity** — `TrackingID#` is case-sensitive. `trackingid#` or `TRACKINGID#` will not be matched.
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---
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## Keyboard Shortcuts
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Shortcuts work globally — even when Outlook is in focus.
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| Shortcut | Action |
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|---|---|
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| Alt + 1 (default) | Create Rule from selected email |
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| Alt + 2 (default) | Remove Rule from selected email |
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Shortcuts can be changed in **Settings**.
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---
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## Uninstall
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Go to **Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall a program** → select **Outlook Case Helper** → Uninstall.
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Rules and settings stored in `AppData` are not removed automatically. Delete the folder manually if needed:
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```
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C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\OutlookCaseHelper\
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```
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