CDO and MAPI Programming with Visual Basic

Computers and devices are more connected now than ever before. Why? Because the humans who use those computers need to collaborate. We need to share information, and we need to do it quickly, without regard to the physical distance that separates us. Corporate solution developers now more than ever have the opportunity and responsibility to enable people to communicate in ways never before possible.

CDO and MAPI Programming with Visual Basic: Developing Mail and Messaging Applications dives deep into Microsoft's Collaboration Data Objects (CDO) and the Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), then moves into succinct explanations of the types of useful messaging applications that can be written in Visual Basic.

Microsoft has given the Visual Basic community Collaboration Data Objects (CDO)--a technology that goes far beyond simple email, fully into the realm of information workflow. CDO enables Visual Basic applications to exchange not only classic email, but in fact any information in a straightforward and easy way. The Internet--sometimes seen as a barrier by developers--is turned into an open pipe, ready to take your application's data around the world. Routing documents and building email list servers is just the beginning. Harness the power of worldwide communication in your everyday business applications.

MAPI is the cornerstone of messaging on the Windows platforms, and profoundly influences the way you will write your collaboration applications. Understanding this technology lays the foundation for adding effective collaboration capabilities to your own applications.

CDO and MAPI Programming with Visual Basic: Developing Mail and Messaging Applications fills a gap in an exciting and relatively young, yet popular, technology that lacks adequate documentation.

1. Introduction

2. MAPI
     MAPI Architecture
     Other Messaging Technologies
     Obtaining MAPI
     Programmatically Discovering Whether MAPI is Present
     Programmatically Discovering Profile Names and the Default Profile
     Summary

3. Simple MAPI
     Accessing APIs from Visual Basic
     Establishing a Session
     Sending Mail
     Sending File Attachments
     Reading Mail
     Reading File Attachments
     Showing the Address Book
     Showing Recipient Properties
     Microsoft's Helper Functions
     Summary

4. The MAPI ActiveX Controls
     Getting Started
     The MAPISession Control
     The MAPIMessages Control
     Sending Mail
     Sending File Attachments
     Sending Embedded OLE Objects
     Reading Mail
     Reading File Attachments
     Showing the Address Book
     Advanced Features
     Miscellanea
     Assessing the MAPI Controls
     Summary

5. Collaboration Data Objects
     COM
     Object Models
     The CDO Object Model
     Accessing CDO Online Help
     CDO Licensing
     Where to Go from Here
     Summary

6. An Email Client Application
     The Sample Application
     Establishing a Session
     Sending Mail
     Sending File Attachments
     Sending File References
     Sending OLE Objects
     Sending Embedded Messages
     Reading Mail
     Reading File Attachments
     Reading File References
     Reading OLE Objects
     Reading Embedded Messages
     Forwarding and Replying to Mail
     Formatted Text
     Showing the Address Book
     Summary

7. Enhancing the Email Client
     How CDO Wraps MAPI Objects
     Handling Message Items
     Working with Folders
     Folders with Special Status
     Hidden Messages
     Working with Address Books
     Filters
     Summary

8. Calendar Folders
     Finding the Default Calendar Folder
     Appointments and Meetings
     Viewing Calendar Contents
     Filtering Appointments by StartTime and EndTime
     Creating an Appointment
     Deleting an Appointment
     Creating a Meeting
     Getting Free/Busy Information
     Recurrence
     Summary

9. Task Folders
     Finding the Default Task Folder
     Reading Tasks
     Creating a Task
     Copying, Moving, and Deleting
     Using Message Filters with Task Folders
     Task Item-Specific Properties and the Fields Collection
     Summary

10. Contacts Folders
     Finding the Default Contacts Folder
     Reading Contact Information
     Filtering Contacts
     Creating a Contact
     Embedding a Contact in an Email
     Summary

11. Web Applications
     The Development Environment
     The Server Environment
     ASP Applications and Sessions
     Establishing a MAPI Session
     Displaying CDO Data
     Summary

12. CDO for Windows 2000
     Getting Started
     The CDO for Windows 2000 Object Model
     Sending Email
     Receiving Email
     Summary

A. Programming Internet Email Protocols

B. Programming the Outlook Object Model

C. The Outlook E-mail Security Update

D. Where Am I Running?

E. Resources for Messaging Developers

F. Obtaining the Sample Code

Index