Outlook with .NET 2.0

Outlook Object Model Overview

For accessing the outlook and its features you have to add reference of Microsoft Outlook 11.0 object library Version 9.2 (COM component) to your project.This COM component provides various objects through we can access the outlook.

1. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.Application
2. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.Explorer
3. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.Inspector
4. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.MAPIFolder
5. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.MailItem
6. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.AppointmentItem
7. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.TaskItem
8. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.ContactItem

1. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.Application

Using this class we can create an object ot the outlook application.

Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.Application outlookApp = new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.Application();

2. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.AppointmentItem

You can create an appointment using this class. You can not directly create an instance of this class. Because the AppointmentItemClass has not constructors defined so; you have to use the application object for create an instance of the appointment object.

For create an instance of the AppointmentItem object You have to use the Application object's CreateItem() method. This method takes OlItemType enumuration parameter which has eight values.

(olAppointmentItem, olContactItem, olDistributionListItem, olJournalItem, olMailItem, olNoteItem, olPostItem, olTaskItem) and cast it to AppintmenItem type.

Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.AppointmentItem oAppointment = (Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.AppointmentItem)outlookApp.CreateItem

(Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.OlItemType.olAppointmentItem);

AppointmentItem object provides various properties.

Properties

OlImportance enumeration takes three values

olImportanceHigh -> High importance

olImportanceLow -> Low importance

olImportanceNormal -> Normal importance

OlBusyStatus enumeration takes four values

olBusy -> Busy status

olFree -> Free status

olOutOfOffice -> Out of office status

olTentative -> Tentative status (under terms not fully final)

Methods:

Save()

This method save your appointment to your system. When you call the save() method an appointment is save to outlook.

ForwardAsVcal()

This method can be used to the Vcs file via email.

Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.MailItem oMailItem = oAppointment.ForwardAsVcal();

oMailItem.To = "Destination mail id";

oMailItem.Send() ;

The send method send the appointment via email.

The receipient receive the mail and press the save button the appointment is automatically add to his outlook.

//Create an instance of the Appilcation object

Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.Application outlookApp = new Application();

//Create and instance of the Appointment class

Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.AppointmentItem oAppointment = (Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.AppointmentItem)outlookApp.CreateItem(Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.OlItemType.olAppointmentItem);

//Set the various property of the appointmentitem object

oAppointment.Subject = "This is appointment Subject";

oAppointment.Body = "This is appointment body";

oAppointment.Location = "This is appointment location";

oAppointment.Start= Convert.ToDateTime("06/29/2006 10:00:00 AM");

oAppointment.End= Convert.ToDateTime("06/29/2006 10:00:00 AM");

oAppointment.ReminderSet = true;

oAppointment.ReminderMinutesBeforeStart = 15;

oAppointment.ReminderPlaySound = false;

oAppointment.Importance = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.OlImportance.olImportanceHigh;

oAppointment.BusyStatus = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.OlBusyStatus.olBusy;

//This method save the appointment to the outlook

oAppointment.Save();

//send a mail and appointment as an attachment to Ajay Rohilla

Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.MailItem oMailItem = oAppointment.ForwardAsVcal();

oMailItem.To = "FirstName.LastName @t-systems.com";

oMailItem.Send();

3. Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.ContactItem

Using this class you can add contacts to outlook. You have to create an instance of the application object and then set the parameter value olContactItem to OlItemType to the CreateItem() mehod of the Appication object.