eRoom and Microsoft Office

eRoom and Office integration

eRoom integrates tightly with Microsoft Office 98/2000/XP/2003. You can

Map an eRoom as a Web Folder so you can save Office files directly to an eRoom without leaving the Office application.
Launch eRoom from Outlook, making Outlook your personal "dashboard" for tracking email, tasks, contacts, and project eRooms.
Synchronize eRoom tasks (from task databases and project plans) and calendar events with Outlook to coordinate your work and keep your projects up-to-date.

eRoom and Office files

Office applications can save documents as HTML, so anyone with a web browser can use them. If you want to read a document, eRoom opens it in the browser. If you want to edit it, eRoom opens it in the appropriate application.

Within Office and operating systems that support WebDAV, you can view and navigate eRoom folders using the Web Folders interface. By mapping individual eRooms as Web Folders, you can see the eRoom and its contents in Windows Explorer and in all Windows file dialog boxes. This lets you view and navigate individual eRooms from within Office applications.

You can save a file by dropping it in an eRoom Web Folder without entering an eRoom. If you open a file from an eRoom Web Folder, you can save it either within or outside of eRoom.

To map an eRoom as a Web Folder from the desktop:

In your browser, go to the eRoom you want to use as a Web Folder (or Network Place) and copy (CTRL-C) its Web address (URL) from the Address box.
On the desktop, double-click My Computer (or My Network Places).
Double-click Web Folders (or Add Network Place).
On Windows NT only, double-click Add Web Folder.
In the Add Web Folder (or Network Place) wizard, paste (CTRL-V) the eRoom URL for the location you are adding as a Web Folder, and then click Next.
If a login box prompts you, enter your eRoom user name and password, and click "OK".
Use the name the wizard provides for the Web Folder, or change it to your preference, and then click Finish.

Your eRoom is now set up as a Web Folder (or Network Place).

To map an eRoom as a Web Folder and save a file within an Office application:

Go to the eRoom page where you want to save an Office file, and copy its URL. If you go to the front page of the eRoom, you can then access all the folders it contains.
Open the file you want to save in the eRoom, and choose File > Save as.
Click the Web Folders (or My Network Places) icon in the menu bar on the left, and then click the Create New Folder icon on the top toolbar.
In the Add Web Folder (or Network Place) wizard, paste the eRoom URL, and then click Next.
If a login box prompts you, enter your eRoom user name and password, and click "OK".
Use the name the wizard provides for the Web Folder, or change it to your preference, and then click Finish.
At the prompt to save the file in that location, specify the file name and click "OK".

eRoom and Outlook

To create a shortcut for launching eRoom from Outlook:

Open Outlook and make sure the Outlook Bar (View > Outlook Bar) is showing in the program window.
Open your eRoom in the Internet Explorer (IE) browser.
Position the browser and Outlook windows so you can see both the Outlook Bar and the IE Address box.
In the browser window for your eRoom, point to the IE icon in the Address box, drag it into the Outlook Bar, and drop it where you want it.
Right-click the icon's URL and rename it if you like, to the name of your eRoom, for example.

When you click the icon, the login page for your eRoom opens in a pane within the Outlook program window.

See also: Setting up the Monitor to work with the Outlook Synchronizer for information about setting up the eRoom Monitor for synchronizing your eRoom task databases, project plans, and calendars with Outlook.