A form is an easy way to distribute and collect information electronically. For example, a form can be available for anyone to order supplies or post information in a public folder. Microsoft Outlook provides built-in forms such as the New Message form to compose messages and the New Contact form to enter information for a contact. If you have sent an e-mail message or created an appointment, you have used a form. Every Outlook item is based on a form.
You use the Outlook Forms design environment to create custom forms either from an item (based on a built-in form) or from an Office file. Use a built-in form to leverage functionality from the item associated with it — for example, to include automatic name checking in a custom form, create it from a form based on a mail message. To modify a form, you can add and remove fields, controls, options, and tabs. You can use an Office file to incorporate functionality from another Office program, such as Microsoft Excel or Word, into a custom form. A form can be saved as a file (for use as a template or in another program) or in a forms library (to make the form available to others).
Developers can extend forms with ActiveX controls and put World Wide Web pages right on their forms by using Internet Control Pack controls. Forms can be programmed by using VBScript.
You cannot use Outlook Forms in Visual Basic and Microsoft Exchange, although you can use forms created with the Microsoft Exchange Forms Designer in Outlook.