Category Tag Criteria

Categories stored in the criteria field of Category Tag Menu Items are used to Categorize Outlook Items and to find Outlook items previously categorized. For more information on how Categorize Plus uses Category Tag Menu Items to filter and search Outlook items, then please refer to the Category Filter and Category Search help topics.

Entering Category Tag Criteria

There are three options for entering categories contained in the criteria field of Category Tag Menu Items when using the Menu Builder. Categories can be entered directly into the criteria field, or categories can be selected from the criteria drop down list that is shown in the illustration below, or categories can be entered using the Outlook Category Picker by clicking on the category picker action button that is also shown in the illustration below. The Category Tag criteria drop down list includes a complete list of all the individual Category Tag categories contained in the currently loaded menu file.

Multi-Criteria Category Tags

Multi-criteria Category Tags are created by entering multiple categories and separating each individual category by a comma. Multi-criteria Category Tags can also be created by selecting more than one category in the Outlook Category Picker.

Multi-criteria Category Tags function as a single item when categorizing, filtering and searching Outlook items. It is the unique combination of all of the categories together that is meant to define a multi-criteria Category Tag. Therefore, when categorizing, each Outlook item is categorized with all of the categories in the multi-criteria Category Tag. When filtering and searching, then each category in a multi-criteria Category Tag is first joined by a logical AND conjunction and then enclosed in parentheses before Categorize Plus combines the criteria with other filters or searches.

For example, a multi-criteria Category Tag that has categories equal to "Project A, Project B" will be configured as OR (Project A AND Project B) when the OR logical operator is selected from the combo box drop down list after the Filter Combo Box or Search Combo Box is added to the Categorize Plus Toolbar. This behavior is different from Group Filters and Group Searches. Please refer to the Group Filters and Searches help topic to learn more about the behavior of Group Filters and Group Searches and how they differ from multi-criteria menu items. In addition, please refer to the Modify Filter and Search Combo Boxes to learn how to modify the logical operator of a Filter or Search Combo Box after it has been added to the Categorize Plus Toolbar.

Example of Entering Category Tag Criteria when using Outlook 2007: