Outlook 2007 Auxiliary Reference: Overview

Outlook 2007 Auxiliary Reference: Overview

The Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Auxiliary Reference contains conceptual content, reference documentation for twelve sets of APIs, code samples, and a redistributable installer, that allow developers to extend and integrate with Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.

The conceptual discussion includes the following subjects:

• Configuring MAPI to load and dispatch calls to a specified version of MAPI
• Conflict resolution for custom item types
• Setting the resolution order for address lists in Outlook
• The last update time of an Offline Address Book
• Meeting Requests as Informational Updates and Full Updates
• Rebasing calendars programmatically for daylight saving time. There is also a redistributable installer for third-party calendar rebasing tools. To download the installer, see Outlook 2007 Auxiliary Reference Code Samples and Redistributable Installer.
• Registering stores for indexing
• Notification-based store indexing

The reference content includes the following:

• The APIs Exported by Outlook include functions and data structures that were originally implemented for internal use and are now exposed for public consumption.
• The Account Management API provides access to user account information and notifications of account changes.
• The Attachment Security API allows Outlook solutions to find out if an attachment is considered unsafe by Outlook and is blocked for viewing and indexing.
• The Data Degradation Layer API supports clients that access an Outlook item in a preferred character format rather than the object's native character format.
• The Free/Busy API provides free/busy status information about specific user accounts within a specific time range.
• The Mail Envelope API allows a mail client to interface with 2007 Office applications and let their users send 2007 Office documents.
• MAPI Additions are APIs that belong to Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), including constant definitions, data types, and properties, that were previously not exposed and documented as part of the Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) Reference.
• The MAPI-MIME Conversion API supports conversion between MIME objects and MAPI messages.
• Named Properties Used by Outlook include some of the MAPI named properties that Outlook uses to implement some of its features.
• The Offline State API supports Outlook callbacks, notifying clients of changes in a user's connection state in Outlook—for example, from being online to being offline in Outlook.
• The Replication API supports synchronizing folder files and Outlook items between a local store and a server.
• The Store API provides miscellaneous store functionality.
• The Sample Address Book Provider, Sample Wrapped PST Store Provider, and Sample Transport Provider show examples of three basic MAPI service providers. To download the code samples, see Outlook 2007 Auxiliary Reference Code Samples and Redistributable Installer.
• The Sample Offline State Add-in shows an example of a COM add-in that uses the Offline State API to monitor and change the connection state. To download the code sample, see Outlook 2007 Auxiliary Reference Code Samples and Redistributable Installer.
• Sample how-to tasks in the Outlook 2007 Auxiliary Reference include the following:
  • How to: Access a Message on an IMAP Store Without Downloading the Entire Message
  • How to: Access a Store on the Remote Server When Outlook is in Cached Exchange Mode
  • How to: Detect the Version of Exchange Server in an Outlook Profile
  • How to: Determine if Outlook Downloaded Only the Header of a Message
  • How to: Get the E-mail Address of a Contact Item
  • How to: Get the Path of a Specific Version of MAPI for the Default Mail Client
  • How to: Identify a Meeting Item as a Counter-Proposal to a Prior Meeting Request
  • How to: Manage a Message in an OST Without Invoking a Synchronization in Cached Exchange Mode
  • How to: Obtain a Contact Message Given a Contacts Address Book Entry
  • How to: Open a Store on the Remote Server When Outlook is in Cached Exchange Mode
  • How to: Parse a Stream from a Binary Property to Read the TZDEFINITION Structure
  • How to: Parse a Stream from a Binary Property to Read the TZREG Structure
  • How to: Programmatically Set the Resolution Order for Address Lists
  • How to: Read Time Zone Properties from an Appointment
  • How to: Remove Custom Form Definition Saved With a Message
  • How to: Retrieve the Body of a Message in Compressed RTF and Convert It to Its Native Format
  • How to: Specify an Internet Encoding Scheme for the Body and Attachments of a Message
  • How to: Use the MAPI Crash Recovery API
  • How to: Use Relative Time to Access Free/Busy Data
  • How to: Verify an Attachment is Blocked

The reference for each API lists the constants, type definitions, and interfaces that a developer must implement in order to use the additional functionality. The reference also lists related definitions for constants and functions that are currently available as part of public header files and assemblies.

Because some of the APIs in the Outlook 2007 Auxiliary Reference apply only to Outlook 2003 Service Pack 1 and Outlook 2007, solutions that use these APIs must check for the version of Outlook that is running. For a code example, see Check the Version of Outlook.

Note
Developers must implement these APIs only as documented in this reference. Certain interface members and method parameters are named as placeholders because they are reserved for the internal use of Outlook, and are subject to change without notice.