how to apply filter only on outlook messages using vba - vba

Question

The following code which get all uncategorised items from outlook however it returns all the items including appointments and meetings. I need a code which returns only messages which are not categorised.
Sub NullCategoryRestriction()
Dim oFolder As Outlook.Folder
Dim oItems As Outlook.Items
Dim Filter As String
'DASL Filter can test for null property.
'This will return all items that have no category.
Filter = "#SQL=" & Chr(34) & _
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office#Keywords" & _
Chr(34) & " is null"
Set oFolder = Application.ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder
Set oItems = oFolder.Items.Restrict(Filter)
Debug.Print oItems.Count
End Sub

Answer 1

You need to include the MessageClass property check to the filter as well. The property returns a string representing the message class for the Outlook item.

Answer 2

The following code worked for me.
Filter = "#SQL=" & Chr(34) & _
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office#Keywords" & _
Chr(34) & " is null"
Set ml = ml.Items.Restrict(Filter)
For i = ml.Count To 1 Step -1
If TypeOf ml(i) Is MailItem Then
End if
Next

Answer 3

There may be no noticeable gain in efficiency but you could apply a second restrict rather than checking each item with If TypeOf ml(i) Is MailItem Then.
Option Explicit
Sub NullCategoryRestriction_MailItems()
Dim oFolder As Folder
Dim oItems As Items
Dim ml As Items
Dim i As Long
Dim oFilter As String
Dim oFilter2 As String
Debug.Print
'DASL Filter can test for null property.
'This will return all items that have no category.
' https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/outlook/How-to/Search-and-Filter/filter-items-that-do-not-have-categories
oFilter = "#SQL=" & Chr(34) & _
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office#Keywords" & _
Chr(34) & " is null"
Debug.Print " " & oFilter
Set oFolder = ActiveExplorer.CurrentFolder
Set oItems = oFolder.Items.Restrict(oFilter)
Debug.Print " oItems.Count: " & oItems.Count
'This will return mailitems
' https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/outlook/concepts/forms/item-types-and-message-classes
oFilter2 = "[MessageClass] = 'IPM.Note'"
Debug.Print " " & oFilter2
Set ml = oItems.Restrict(oFilter2)
Debug.Print " ml.Count: " & ml.Count
For i = ml.Count To 1 Step -1
' If TypeOf ml(i) Is mailItem Then
Debug.Print ml(i).MessageClass & ": " & ml(i).subject
'End If
Next
End Sub
The TypeOf test is no longer necessary.