Programming Outlook

Post by **Shmee** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 1:40 pm

So, Outlook 2000 doesn't do ANYTHING like all the other Office programs in terms of programming. Poor editor, weird object constructs, etc. I'm basically going to have to learn new syntax to make it do what I want. Bah.

Has anyone here programmed for later versions of Outlook (like XP, 2003, etc.)? I would assume the newer Office suites use .Net as their programming base. Am I right?

Post by **Freakaloin** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 1:57 pm

outlook is pure shit...move on...

Post by **Shmee** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:02 pm

Thanks again for you always valuable input! It not like I'm working with it for fun.

Post by **U4EA** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:09 pm

I've never programmed anything related to Office, but I do know that Office 2003 isn't programmed in .NET .. it should just be your ye average Win32/COM stuff.

Post by **Shmee** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:10 pm

Oh, rapture :icon8:

Post by **MKJ** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:10 pm

outlook2000 is quite homophobic indeed

Post by **Freakaloin** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:11 pm

U4EA wrote:I've never programmed anything related to Office, but I do know that Office 2003 isn't programmed in .NET .. it should just be your ye average Win32/COM stuff.

hmmm thats weird...

Post by **Shmee** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 2:16 pm

MKJ wrote:outlook2000 is quite homophobic indeed

Post by **Cool Blue** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:11 pm

Outlook 2003 kicks ass IMO.

I've done some coding for it in VB. Yes it uses .Net.

I highly recommed the book:

Programming Outlook and Exchange 2003

by Thomas Rizzo

Very good book. Covers some VB scripting too (although, I feel VB script is the soupy shit that dripped out of the devils ass after taco night).

Post by **R00k** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:26 pm

Out of curiosity, what exactly do you program for Outlook? Creating custom forms to access certain Exchange information?

Post by **Cool Blue** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:13 pm

Well, for exchange programming tonnes of stuff. Being as exchange is essentially a database program, you can learn to extract any kind of informatin you want from your exchange server.

Having said that, that allows you to write custom automated processes to manage your email system however you see fit. E.g. You want to write a custom trouble ticket system with complex routing and message handling.

And then there is the usual forms and what not for end users to enter data more easily.

By using the Exchange API mail and other objects are already defined making use of mail functions exceptionally easy and fast. With about 5 lines of code I can have a program import the exchange objects, create an email and send it.

Post by **Shmee** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:40 pm

Cool Blue here - works for Microsoft.

Er, yeah - that's what I meant.

Post by **Cool Blue** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 11:51 pm

Hell no. They fired me after I punched out Steve 'The cunt' Ballmer.

Post by **U4EA** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:10 am

Cool Blue wrote:I've done some coding for it in VB. Yes it uses .Net.

By this do you mean that you can write your own applications/modules for Office suites in .NET? In my mind that's not the same as it using .NET itself. If I'm not mistaken all the functionality is exposed as COM objects.