AdvancedSearch method not searching subfolders? - vba

Question

I have the below code in my "ThisOutlookSession" object:
The purpose is to, upon application startup, to filter mail received while the Outlook client is closed. To do this, I am using the AdvancedSearch method. The results of the search are printed to the immediate window. Only mail that is in the Inbox is captured in the search, but not anything that had a client rule routing the applicable mail to a subfolder within the Inbox (which should also be captured by the search given the option SearchSubFolders has been set to True.
Does this have something to do with client rule processing vs. application events ordering?
If so, how can I search all the subfolders of the Inbox in order to capture all mail received after a certain time?
Option Explicit
Public blnSearchComp As Boolean
' Code in ThisOutlookSession
Private Sub Application_AdvancedSearchComplete(ByVal SearchObject As Search)
' https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/api/outlook.application.advancedsearch
' Code should be in a class module such as ThisOutlookSession
Debug.Print "The AdvancedSearchComplete Event fired"
If SearchObject.Tag = "Process_New_Items" Then
'm_SearchComplete = True` ' Use Option Explicit.
blnSearchComp = True
End If
End Sub
Private Sub Application_Startup()
Dim dmi As MailItem
Dim timeFol As Folder
Dim timeFilter As String
Dim lastclose As String
Dim utcdate As Date
Dim strFilter As String
Dim i As Object
Dim strScope As String
Dim SearchObject As Search
Set dmi = CreateItem(olMailItem)
Set timeFol = Session.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderNotes)
timeFilter = "[Subject] = 'App Close Time'"
For Each i In timeFol.Items.Restrict(timeFilter)
lastclose = i.CreationTime
Next i
Debug.Print lastclose
utcdate = dmi.PropertyAccessor.LocalTimeToUTC(lastclose)
'strFilter = "#SQL=""urn:schemas:httpmail:datereceived"" >= '" & Format(utcdate, "dd mmm yyyy hh:mm") & "'"
strFilter = "urn:schemas:httpmail:datereceived >= " & "'" & utcdate & "'"
Debug.Print strFilter
strScope = "'" & Session.Folders(1).Folders("Inbox") & "'"
Debug.Print strScope
strScope = "'" & Session.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox) & "'"
Debug.Print strScope
strScope = "'Inbox'"
Debug.Print strScope
Set SearchObject = AdvancedSearch(Scope:=strScope, Filter:=strFilter, SearchSubFolders:=True, Tag:="Process_New_Items")
' 2022-07-01 Eureka!
blnSearchComp = False
' Otherwise remains True.
' Search would work once until Outlook restarted.
While blnSearchComp = False
DoEvents
' Code should be in a class module such as ThisOutlookSession
Debug.Print "Wait a few seconds. Ctrl + Break if needed."
Wend
Debug.Print "SearchObject.results.count: " & SearchObject.Results.Count
For Each i In SearchObject.Results
If TypeName(i) = "MailItem" Then
Process_MailItem i
Debug.Print i.ReceivedTime, i.Subject
Else: End If
Next i
End Sub

Answer 1

The third parameter (SearchSubFolders) allows you to specify whether to include subfolders to the search results (scope) or not. Also you need to specify the scope correctly. Here you specify in what folders you would like to search for items. The FolderPath property of Outlook folders helps you do that correctly.
Scope = "'" & Application.Session.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderInbox).FolderPath & "'"
Read more about the AdvancedSearch method in the Advanced search in Outlook programmatically: C#, VB.NET article.