Updated: FogBugz Outlook Plugin

I updated my FogBugz Outlook plugin with several nice features:

Confirmation screen
The confirmation screen now is a link to your FogBugz server with the right case:

Link message to existing case
Some users just won't understand what you want them to do and keep sending e-mails to you instead of your support address. With version 1.1 you can enter an existing case number and the message is added to this case. After entering a case number, the case is looked-up and existing data (project, area, ...) is displayed.
Cleanup of the interface
The interface has been cleaned up a little bit by using collapsable groups. On the screenshot below the Due, Estimate and correspondent have been collapsed. Clicking on the arrows will open them:

Pop-up menu button added
When you right-click a message an option has been added here to create a case from this message:

Download

For those who want to give it a try, here is the installer: FogBugz Outlook plugin. There is also a stand-alone version that just opens a form to add a new case: FBNewCase.

If you tried a version before: it is safe to install this update over the old one.

Please give me your feedback and suggestions!

Outlook plugin for FogBugz

FogBugz
At CNOC Informatiesystemen we use FogBugz for our bug tracking. FogBugz is set up in such a way that it fetches customer support questions from a special e-mail address. As soon as a mail is send to our support account, a case is created and assigned to a developer.

Problem
Creating cases from incoming messages only works for e-mail that is send directly to our support address. If a customer sends an e-mail directly to one of the developers, the developer has two options:

1. Forward the e-mail to our support address
2. Open FogBugz and create the case manually

The downside of this solution is that a manually created case is not linked to the sender (the correspondent is not set). When replying to the customer by e-mail the user has to look up the e-mail adress somewhere else.

Solution
I created a plugin for MS Outlook that adds a button to the Outlook toolbars. With this button a FogBugz case will be created directly (by using the FogBugz API), and the case is then linked to the sender of the message.

Screenshots
A new message arrives in my inbox. Oh user, why didn't you send it directly to our support address?

I can create a case right now by clicking the 'case from message' button, but let's open the message:

 

Ok, this is definitely something to create a case from. Let's press the 'Case from message' button that is nicely placed in my ribbon.

Ok, this seems ok. I can tidy up the message a little bit, no need for the 'kind regards' in our bug system. Notice the correspondent name and e-mail in the lower right corner? That's what it's all about.

Good. The case has been created with all the correct properties. I can now open it in FogBugz:

The plugin needs to know about the FogBugz API URL and a username / password. This is done in the Outlook settings screen:

For those who want to give it a try, here is the installer: FogBugz Outlook plugin. There is also a stand-alone version that just opens a form to add a new case: FBNewCase.
Instructions 
API Url: The URL of your FogBugz installation, must include http:// or https:// 
Username: Your FogBugz username 
Password: Your FogBugz password
Please let me know what you think about this!

Updates
2009/12/23: 

• Updated the plugin to work over SSL and FogBugz on Demand accounts.

2009/12/24:

• Improved performance (less calls to the server)
  
• Automatic detection of project / area by correspondent e-mail
• All projects / areas that have cases from the correspondent are marked in the selection lists so you canfind them more easy
• Assigned to... set to project or area primary contact (just like web interface)
• Added a setting to have default project set to the previous used project or detect the project by means of correspondent
• Changed installation directory to FogBugzOutlookClient

New version! I put up a small website for this project (it is a FogBugz wiki actually). Please go there for any information and suggestions for new features

Dig this!

Gisteren heb ik een geweldig cadeau gekregen voor mijn verjaardag (inmiddels alweer een tijdje geleden): instructie + 90 minuten spelen op een graafmachine! Net als veel andere jongens / mannen droomde ik er al heel lang van om eens zo'n machine te besturen. Lekker met de joysticks spelen en ondertussen bergen zand verplaatsen van links naar rechts en weer terug. Een geweldige ervaring, na een tijdje oefenen raak je gewend aan de bediening en lukt het om het apparaat voorzichtig als verlengstuk van jezelf te gebruiken.

En wat is er dan gegraven? Maakt dat uit? Er was zand (een heleboel) en een bergje waar ik zomaar niet op kon komen. Eerst keurig een opritje gemaakt. Daarna de hele machine omhoog gereden. Eenmaal boven aangekomen een eitje getikt (ging goed!) en een paar kuub zand verplaatst. Uiteindelijk weer een afritje gemaakt en naar beneden gereden.

Wat een fantastische ervaring, Inge bedankt voor het organiseren! Hier een paar foto's van de ervaring: