GroupWise Rules

GroupWise is capable of managing most of your messages for you (even while you are not logged in to the system) through GroupWise rules. Rules enable you to move messages to folders, generate automatic replies, forward messages, and delete messages. You can also set up rules to manage your calendar items automatically. For example, you can create a rule that accepts all the tasks your boss sends you (always a good idea) or a rule that automatically declines appointments scheduled after 5:00 p.m. (an even better idea).

This chapter doesn't list all the possible rules you can create, but it does explain the basics for setting up rules and show you a few useful examples.

To access the rule-creation process, from the main window of the GroupWise client application, choose Tools, Rules, New. The New Rule dialog box, shown in Figure 8.1, appears.

Figure 8.1. This sample rule automatically accepts any new reminder notes that are sent to you.

The rule is added to your Rules List and is automatically activated (the check mark in the box next to a rule indicates that the rule is activated, as shown in Figure 8.2).

Figure 8.2. Your Rules List shows all the rules you have saved, both active and inactive.

You can use the Rules dialog box to change a rule in the following ways:

• To modify a rule, select the rule and then click the Edit button. You can then change any of the parameters of the rule. Choose Save to complete your changes to the rule.

• To copy or delete a rule, select the rule and then click the Copy button or the Delete button. You can use the Copy feature to create additional rules, based on the original rule. For example, if you create a rule that routes all messages from a specific user to a specific folder, you could copy this rule for messages from another user that you want routed to a different folder (without having to create a new rule from scratch).

• To activate or deactivate a rule, click the check box next to the rule or use the Enable/Disable button to the right of the Rules List.

• To run a rule, select the rule in the list and then click the Run button. You need to use the Run button only when you create a new rule that acts on messages already in your mailbox.

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Your rules are executed in the order in which they appear in the Rules List (see Figure 8.2). This is important when, for example, you have a "delete" rule before a "reply" rule. To change the order in which the rules are executed, click a rule in the Rules dialog box and drag it to a new position, or use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change the rule position.

Figures 8.3, 8.4, and 8.5 show examples of commonly used rules.

Figure 8.3. This commonly used vacation rule will reply to the sender during specific dates you are out and only if the message is from internal GroupWise users.

Figure 8.4. This rule automatically accepts appointments, tasks, or notes from a specified person.

Figure 8.5. This commonly used rule marks the message read and then automatically moves it to a folder based on the subject of the message.

Table 8.1 describes the available actions that you can assign to a rule, under the Add Action button. It also describes the information needed to completely specify the action.

Table 8.1. Actions Assignable to a Rule

ACTION	DESCRIPTION	INFORMATION NEEDED
Send Mail	Generates a new mail message	Complete the Mail Message dialog box (recipient, subject, message, and so on)
Forward	Forwards a copy of the message with a comment	Identify the recipient of the forwarded message, along
Delegate	Delegates the appointment, reminder, note, or task to another individual	Complete the Delegate dialog box with a comment to both the sender of the original message and the person to whom you are delegating this item
Reply	Generates a reply to the sender the original message, and	Specify the recipient (sender or all recipients), indicate whether to include enter a reply message (subject and message body)
Accept	Accepts the appointment, reminder, or note	Select whether to show the accepted item as Free, Busy, Tentative, or Out of the Office, and enter a comment to the sender
Category	Categorizes item	Specify the desired category to apply to items that the rule fires upon
Delete/Decline	Deletes the message or declines the calendar event	Enter a comment for the sender's Sent Items folder
Empty Item	Purges the item from the Trash folder	N/A
Move to Folder	Moves the message to a folder	Select the folder and click Move
Link to Folder	Places a copy of the message in a folder	Select the folder and click Link
Mark as "Private"	Places a "Private" lock on the item	N/A
Mark as "Read"	Changes the status of the item to "Opened"	N/A
Mark as "Unread"	Changes the status to "Unopened"	N/A
Stop Rule Processing	Ends the processing of a rule	N/A

The highly customizable Rule feature allows you a significant amount of automation for your mailbox.

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To see how other users have employed GroupWise rules, see the GroupWise Cool Solutions Community at www.novell.com/coolsolutions/gwmag/ or choose Help, Cool Solutions Web Community.