Outlook Automation In C++

for people with no MFC background.

first off lemme make this clear that this requires visualc++ (i'm using visual studio 6.0 and i'm not sure how backwards or forwards compatible this is, but it works here and now)

Start by creating a new MFC application.
Ctrl-n Select MFC AppWizard(exe) (or (dll)).
Give your app a name. click 'Ok'
Determine the style of app. click 'Next'
Add DB support if you need it. click 'Next'
Check off 'Automation' check box.. or press the letter 'u' (this should check off the Automation checkbox for you). click 'Next'
Check off 'MAPI (Messaging API)' check box or press 'i'. click 'Next'
fill in whatever remaining parameters etc.. and finally click 'Finish'
Now you should have an Application/DLL skeleton that supports Automation. (MAPI is necesary for getting MS Outlook folder information.)
Next step : Add the appropriate classes fromt he Outlook type lib to your project.
Press Ctrl-w to summon the Class Wizard.
click on the Automation tab.
Click 'Add Class' and select 'From a type library'
Browse to c:\program files\microsoft office\office\ (or wherever you happened to install office.
Select 'Msoutl8.olb' as the type library. (this is in Office '97 i think...but the file should be named MsoutlN.olb where 'N' is a version number.)
Now the work begins, you need to figure out which Objects you will need to work with, but I guess it can't hurt to just grab them all. (NOTE: no matter what you plan on doing with Outlook you will probably need these objects: _DApplication, NameSpace, Folders, MAPIFolder, Items, and the _DXXXItem you will be working with.. (I worked with _DContactItem and _DNoteItem).
Once you have selected the objects you need, the Class Wizard generates a header file (msoutl8.h) and a .cpp file (msoutl8.cpp) (the cpp file just contains functions which call the OLE objects as needed). The Class Wizard will add these two files to your project automatically.
[a NOTE: If you find you need other objects from Outlook, you can go back and add them in the same way you got the first ones, no need to select the ones you already have.. if you do select ones you already have, the Class Wizard creates duplicates in msoutl8.h & msoutl8.cpp which is bad and errors at compile time with redefinition problems. Once you are sure you have all the Outlook objects you will need it is a good idea to add the normal #ifdefs to ensure a header is only loaded once to msoutl8.h so that the only redefinition errors you will get will certainly be from accidentally duplicated class definitions that the class wizard made when you imported a class from Outlook twice.]
Now you are ready to code :)
First things first.. use your workspace browser to look over the functions provided in each of the Outlook objects. Familiarise yourself with the interfaces. I will explain how a basic Automation session works.

First off, you create a _DApplication object and get a running instance of it. Attach it to the A running version of the actual application you want. Then create or obtain other objects (folders items etc) using the _DApplication interface.

A note about LPDISPATCH, an LPDISPATCH is a generic pointer to an OLE object. You call functions which return LPDISPATCH types and then you create the objects you want, and attach them to the LPDISPATCH you received like so: your_object.AttachDispatch(yourLPDISPATCH); DetachDispatch() reverses this. By default you only need to call DetachDispatch when you want to reassign an object to a new LPDISPATCH. (for example if you are iterating through an Items object and dealing with one _DNoteItem @ a time you could do this:
```
Items my_items;
//...initialise my_items.  --we will get to this later.
LPDISPATCH lp = NULL;
_DNoteItem it;

for(int i=1;i<=my_items.GetCount();i++)
{
	//set lp = next element of my_items.  --we will get to this.

	if(lp!=NULL)
	{
		it.AttachDispatch(lp);
		AfxMessageBox(it.GetBody()); //display each note.
		it.DetachDispatch(); //so that we will be able to Attach the next note when lp is new.
	}

}
```
Now, Automating Outlook in C++ here we go, lots of code ahead, dont worry I try to take it all one step @ a time: Coding Examples!

These few pages were put together after an intense period of coding OLE Automation over parts of the summer of 99 using MS winNT4(sp4..i think) & MS Visual Studio 6.0 (visualc++). I found volumes of information on Automating Outlook with VBA and VB .. but either none at all or next to none on Automating Outlook in C++. This information is all pieced together from wwweb examples, MSDN VB examples, MSDN C++ examples for MSWord and MSExcel, my own experimentation, and help from my peers(I don't recall any .. but in case I recieved help.. I should acknowledge it.) [be aware.. a month ago I had never written a single line of MS-specific code. (only java and C/C++ w/ std libs.)]

I hope this helps you, but as it's provided for free, and to contribute to the simplicity of life, I cant claim responsibility for whatever silly or stupid things people may do with this stuff. I ask that it only be used to further aid people and never for destructive purposes. I also can't guarantee it won't cause damage in it's current state, I feel that it shouldn't and wouldn't but as I don't have your system or the code you integrate this into in front of me, I can't be sure.

If you would like to reach me with questions, problems, or for help please contact me via email yitz@datalife.com.
Otherwise I can be found on AOL InstantMessenger as "TenVessels".

Outlook Automation In C++

for people with no MFC background.

Now, Automating Outlook in C++ here we go, lots of code ahead, dont worry I try to take it all one step @ a time: Coding Examples!