Skype Hacks: Tips & Tools for Cheap, Fun, Innovative Phone Service

2017-07-07 02:10:07

Hack 55. Integrate Skype with Microsoft Office

Here are some productivity-enhancing tips for using Skype with Microsoft Office.

Works with: Windows version of Skype.

Presented in this hack are a handful of ways in which you can more closely integrate Skype with Microsoft Office.

This hack uses the URL prefix callto:// extensively. However, with version 1.4 of Skype on Windows, a new prefix was introduced: skype: (note that there's no //, as skype: won't work if you use them). The skype: prefix can be used in place of callto:// and can do a lot more; for example, it can start a Skype chat session rather than place a call. See "Make Calls from Your Web Browser" [Hack #43] for more details.

5.5.1. Skype Toolbar for Outlook

Skype's free toolbar add-on for Outlook adds these features to Outlook by means of a couple of pull-down menus and buttons (see Figure 5-6):

All your contacts, for both Skype and Outlook, are together in one place.

Make SkypeOut calls (if you're a SkypeOut subscriber) to contacts that are not yet using Skype.

Call Skype names and phone numbers that appear in email you receive (select Outlook Skype pull down Call <Skypename> or Call <Number>); see Figure 5-7.

Skype pull down Chat with <Skypename>); see Figure 5-7.

Skype pull down Status); see Figure 5-6.

…and more (select Outlook Skype pull down Configure)!

Figure 5-6. Skype toolbar for Outlook

Figure 5-7. Call or chat directly with contacts embedded within email

Figure 5-8. Setting up the Skype toolbar to create journal entries for outgoing and incoming calls

You can download the Skype toolbar for Outlook at http://www.skype.com/products/skypetoolbars/.

The Skype toolbar for Outlook is an add-on that uses the Skype Application Programming Interface (API). Consequently, when you first run Outlook after installing the toolbar, Skype will display a window asking you for permission for the toolbar (specifically, the file SkypeOBE.exe) to access Skype. You must click the radio button labeled "Allow this program to use Skype" for the toolbar to work.

5.5.2. Importing Outlook Contacts

You can import your Outlook contacts directly into Skype. Simply use Skype's own contact import facility by going to Skype Tools Import Contacts…, and following the instructions provided by the Import Contacts Wizard. This is a great way to start using Skype, as youll have a ready-made contact list to begin with.

Skype's import facility for contacts also works with contact lists stored in MSN Messenger, Opera, and Outlook Express.

If you are using the Skype toolbar for Outlook (discussed earlier), an alternative way to get your Outlook contacts into Skype is to use the toolbar's Export Outlook Contacts to Skype function (see Figure 5-9).

Figure 5-9. Export your Outlook contacts to Skype using the Skype toolbar for Outlook

5.5.3. Inserting callto:// and skype: Links in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Documents

Inserting hypertext links into office documents that, if clicked, will start a Skype call to the specified Skype name requires nothing more than a few clicks and keystrokes. Of course, for the links to work, Skype must be installed and properly configured to use callto:// (select Skype Tools Options … Advanced, and check the "Associate Skype with callto: links checkbox) on the machine on which the document is opened.

5.5.3.1. Word.

Place your cursor at the point where you want to insert the Skype link, and then go to Insert Hyperlink…, which will open an Insert Hyperlink dialog into which you can enter the text for the link and its address (URL). Later, if necessary, you can edit the link by right-clicking on it and choosing Edit Hyperlink… (see Figure 5-10).

5.5.3.2. Excel.

Select the cell into which you want to insert the Skype link, and then go to Insert Hyperlink…, which will open an Insert Hyperlink dialog into which you can enter the text for the link and its address (URL). Later, if necessary, you can edit the link by right-clicking on the cell and choosing Edit Hyperlink… (see Figure 5-11).

Figure 5-10. Inserting/editing a callto:// link in a Word document

Figure 5-11. Inserting/editing a callto:// link in an Excel document

5.5.3.3. PowerPoint.

To insert a Skype hyperlink into a PowerPoint presentation, you must first insert an object that can then be associated with the link. The simplest object is a text box with the link text you want to display (select Insert Text Box, click on a slide, and enter text). Next, click on that object to select it (and select the text in the box, if youre using a text box). Then from the PowerPoint menu, choose Insert Hyperlink…, which will open an Insert Hyperlink dialog into which you can enter the text for the link and its address (URL). Later, if necessary, you can edit the link by right-clicking on the text and choosing Edit Hyperlink… (see Figure 5-12).

Figure 5-12. Inserting/editing a callto:// link in a PowerPoint slide

5.5.4. Adding a Skype Me Button to a Web Page or to Your Outlook Email Signature

You can add a Skype Me button to any web page. Simply go to the Skype Me buttons web page, pick a button style, and then cut and paste the HTML for that button into your web page HTML. Anyone who clicks on your Skype Me button in a web page they are viewing in a browser, and has Skype installed and properly configured to use callto:// (select Skype Tools Options… Advanced, and check the "Associate Skype with callto: links checkbox), will start a Skype call to you. You can find the Skype Me buttons web page at http://share.skype.com/tools_for_sharing/tools_for_sharing/skype_me_buttons.

Here's an example of the HTML needed for a very simple web page, shown in Figure 5-13, that displays only your Skype name and Skype Me button:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">  <HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Skype Hacks Button</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <P>Skype Hacks <A href="callto://skypehacksbook>"> <img src="/books/3/92/1/html/2/http://goodies.skype.com/graphics/skypeme_btn_yellow.gif" border="0"> </A> </P> </BODY> </HTML>

Simply replace skypehacksbook in the preceding HTML with your own Skype name to create your own Skype Me button in a web page. Remember that you can insert your Skype Me button HTML (everything between and including the <A> … </A> tags) into any HTML web page where inserting an anchor (hypertext link) is valid.

Figure 5-13. A Skype Me button embedded in a web page

To include a Skype Me button in your email signature for Outlook, go to Outlook Tools Options…, and in the Options dialog that appears, navigate to the Mail Format tab and click on the Signatures… button. That will open a Create Signature dialog, in which you should click on the New… button. That, in turn, will display a Create New Signature dialog. Give the signature a name, and click on the radio button labeled "Use this file as a template." Click the Browse… button and use the file navigation dialog that appears to locate and use this template HTML file (which you can create in Notepad, or download from the books web site):

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">  <HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Skype Hacks Outlook Signature</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <P>Skype Hacks <A href="callto://skypehacksbook>"> <img src="/books/3/92/1/html/2/http://goodies.skype.com/graphics/skypeme_btn_yellow.gif" border="0"> </A> </P> </BODY> </HTML>

Simply replace skypehacksbook in the preceding HTML with your own Skype name to create your own Skype Me button in the HTML signature template.

In the Create New Signature dialog, click Next. That will display an Edit Signature dialog that will allow you to edit the signature further, using fonts and other elements of your choice. Once you're done editing your signature, click Finish and then click OK in the Create Signature dialog. In the Options dialog, choose the name of your newly minted signature in the "Signature for new messages" pull-down menu and click OK. Now, any email you send will have a signature that includes a Skype Me button on which the recipient can click to place a Skype call to you. You can check out what your signature will look like by sending yourself a test email (see Figure 5-14). The recipient of an email from you can click on the Skype Me button to place a Skype call to you.

If you are using the Skype toolbar for Outlook (as discussed earlier), there's an even easier way to insert a Skype Me button as part of your email signature. Select Outlook Skype pull down Configure Email, and then use the settings under Signatures (see Figure 5-15).

Figure 5-14. Outlook signature with a Skype Me button

Figure 5-15. Adding a Skype Me button to your email signature using the Skype toolbar for Outlook

5.5.5. See Also

To learn how to add your Skype online status to a web page or to your Outlook email signature, see "Show Your Online Status in a Web Page" [Hack #88].

For a detailed how-to on importing contacts into Skype, see http://share.skype.com/blog/insight/importing_contacts/.

Several third-party Skype add-ons are available that help integrate it with Microsoft Office applications. See the Skype Extras Gallery at http://share.skype.com/directory/ for details.