Tip:  Pressing the Shift key while categorizing will modify the default behavior to either append or replace categories.  The default behavior is configured using the Append or Replace with Shift Key option that is configured under the Other Settings tab in the Categorize Plus Options dialog.

Categorize Outlook items without using Category Combo Boxes

If the Add Categories to the Toolbar option is disabled, then whenever Category Tag Menu Items are selected from within the Categorize Menu, then the categories that are associated with the Menu Items will be added to each of the currently selected Outlook items.  To accomplish this, Categorize Plus reads the categories that are stored in the criteria field of each of the selected Menu Items and then adds these categories to the selected Outlook items. 

Standard and Group Menu Hierarchies
In addition, depending on whether the selected Menu Item is part of a Standard Menu Hierarchy or a Group Menu Hierarchy then either the parent Menu Items or the child Menu Items will also be included when categorizing selected Outlook items.  To learn more regarding the behavior of Standard and Group Menu Hierarchies, then please refer to the Standard Menu Hierarchy and Group Menu Hierarchy help topics.

Categorize Outlook items using Category Combo Boxes

To categorize Outlook items using Category Combo Boxes, then simply select the Categorize Item(s) command button from the Categorize Menu whenever Category Combo Boxes are displayed in the toolbar.  An example of this button is shown in the illustration at the end of this help topic.  When the Categorize Item(s) command is selected, then the categories that are associated with each of the currently displayed Category Combo Boxes will be added to each of the currently selected Outlook items.  To accomplish this, Categorize Plus first reads the categories that are contained in the criteria field of each of the Category Tag Menu Items that are associated with each of the currently displayed Category Combo Boxes.  Categorize Plus then uses these categories to categorize the selected Outlook items

Note:  The Categorize Item(s) command button will only appear in the Categorize Menu when there are Category Combo Boxes displayed in the Categorize Plus Toolbar.  If there are no Category Combo Boxes displayed in the toolbar, then the Categorize Item(s) command will not appear in the menu.  Please refer to the Add Category Combo Boxes help topic to learn how to add Category Combo Boxes to the toolbar.

Note:  The icon used by Categorize Plus to designate the Categorize Item(s) command button is different in Outlook 2003 verses Outlook 2007.  This difference is illustrated below.

Categorize Item(s) Command Button in Outlook 2003

Categorize Item(s) Command Button in Outlook 2007

Remove or Replace Categories already assigned to Outlook items

Category Combo Boxes can also be used to remove or replace categories that are already assigned to Outlook items.  To learn how to remove or replace categories using Category Combo Boxes, then please refer to the Subtract, Replace or Append Categories help topic.   

Additional information that applies to this Help Topic

• Learn how to identify or add Category Combo Boxes
  Category Combo Boxes that are displayed in the toolbar are identified by the Remove Category Combo Boxes command button.  Combo boxes just to the right of this command button are Category Combo Boxes.  Please refer to the Category Combo Boxes help topic for more detailed information on identifying Category Combo Boxes.  If there are no Category Combo Boxes currently displayed in the toolbar, then please refer to the Add Category Combo Boxes help topic to learn how to add Category Combo Boxes to the toolbar. 
   
• Learn more regarding Menu Item Criteria Fields
  Categorize Plus uses the categories stored in the criteria field of Category Tag Menu Items to categorize Outlook items.  To learn more regarding Category Tag Menu Items and how they are used in Categorize Plus, then please refer to the Menu Items help topic.  To learn how to assign categories to the criteria field of Category Tag Menu Items, then please refer to the Category Tag Criteria help topic.  
   
• Learn how Standard and Group Menu Hierarchies behave when adding Category Combo Boxes to the toolbar
  Whenever a child Menu Item is selected from within a Standard Menu Hierarchy, then both the child Menu Item and the parent Menu Item are simultaneously added as combo boxes to the Categorize Plus Toolbar.  Conversely, when a child Menu Item is selected from within a Group Menu Hierarchy, then the parent group Menu Item is not added to the toolbar.  To learn more regarding the behavior of Standard and Group Menu Hierarchies, then please refer to the Standard Menu Hierarchy and Group Menu Hierarchy help topics.
   
• Learn how Multi-Criteria Menu Items and Group Categorizations behave when categorizing Outlook items
  If the criteria field associated with a Category Tag Menu Item contains multiple categories separated by commas, then all of the categories within the single Category Tag will be used to categorize the selected Outlook items.  Please refer to the Category Tag Criteria help topic for more information regarding multi-criteria Category Tags.  In addition, Outlook items can also be categorized as part of a Group Menu Hierarchy.  Please refer to the Group Categorizations help topic for more information regarding using group Category Tags to categorize Outlook items.
  

Example of using the Categorize Item(s) Button in Outlook 2007:

See Also

Categorize Plus Toolbar | Category Combo Boxes | Building Menus | Menu Items | Add Category Combo Boxes | Group Categorizations | Feature Comparison