As promised, here is the source code for the demos I did during my breakout session OFC331 - Creating and Using Outlook Add-ins in Visual Studio Tools for OFfice 2005. There are two demos and each one shows different aspects of Outlook customization. The demos are written in VB.NET.
AWBrandedEmail - This demo provides the ability to send email using custom HTML templates for branding. It shows the following VSTO/Outlook features:
- Creating Custom CommandBars and CommandBarButtons
- Working with Outlook Events
- Working with Outlook Built-in Items
- Debugging Outlook Code
- Embedding Resources into Outlook Add-ins
AWHumanResources - This demo is a bit more complex and shows how to integrate Windows Forms controls into Outlook Add-ins. It highlights the following VSTO/Outlook features:
- Extending the functionality of built-in items
- Working with Folders
- Replacing built-in Inspectors with a Custom Windows Form
- * Adding Tabs to the Options Property Page
* I ran out of time during the live demo and wasn't able to show this but I have added the code to this source for readers to use as an example.
Download the Outlook Add-Ins Demo Code As always, your comments or questions are welcome. I will be adding more advanced customization samples soon, so watch this space.
For the past four years I've enjoyed going to Tech-Ed, Microsoft's premiere technical education conference. This might have something to do with the first one I attended combining the fun and craziness of New Orleans with meeting people who would truly become some of my very best friends. This year however I'm not simply going to be wandering its halls looking for the next Don Box talk. This year, I've gotten involved up to my neck, and so next week is going to be a VERY busy week for me. Here are a few places you'll be able to find me.
Tuesday, June 13 5:00pm - Lounge Area C - "Advanced Outlook Customizations"
I'm giving a very brief demo of how to dig into the guts of Outlook 2003 using Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Microsoft Office to perform more advanced customizations such as creating your own folder home pages, combining standard Outlook views with custom WinForms controls, and how to modify the display of items in an inspector. If you want to get a quick but deep look into the heart of Outlook 2003, this is the chalk talk to catch!
Thursday, June 15 1:00pm - 153ABC - "OFC331 - Creating and Using Outlook Add-Ins in Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Microsoft Office"
Outlook is about more than email. Locked in that single program is the "who", "when", and "where" that drives your business. In this session, learn to leverage that information and add the "what" and "why" by building custom add-ins for Outlook using Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office that combine existing information such as contacts and appointments with enterprise data to turn Outlook into a powerful data portal.
Friday, June 16 9:00am - Blue Technology Center - "Click Once Deep Dive"
This chalk-talk will be a detailed look into the architecture of how Click Once deployment works. We'll look at the files and directories created on the web server and how the client machine uses these files to install and update an appliation deployed over the internet. We'll also look at changes made to the client machine for both online and offline installations.
Friday, June 16 12:00pm - "BOF: Can AJAX/Atlas Do This? Comparing AJAX and Smart Client User Interfaces"
This session is a discussion of the differences between the features available with AJAX/Atlas and those available to Smart Client applications. This is a Birds-of-a-Feather session setup by INETA and is meant as an open discussion of the topic. Everyone is welcome no matter which side of the Ethernet cable you prefer to develop applications for.