Create Outlook 2003, 2007 forms: C#, VB.NET. Components
to embed custom .NET & ActiveX controls into Outlook.

The Add-in Express Extensions for Outlook components

The Add-in Express Extensions for Outlook is a plug-in for Add-in Express .NET specially designed for creating custom Microsoft Outlook 2000 - 2003 and Outlook 2007 forms and folder views by embedding native .NET forms (WinForms) into Advanced Outlook Regions. In other words the Add-in Express Extensions gives you an opportunity to benefit from the advantages of the Microsoft Outlook 2007 Regions technology and design custom forms and views in Microsoft Outlook 2003, 2002 (XP), 2000 and 2007 both programmatically (C#, VB .NET) and in design-time. With Add-in Express Extensions you can comfortably customize mail forms, tasks, notes, contact and appointment / calendar forms. On these forms, you can use any feature-rich native and third-party .NET controls as well as visual ActiveX controls.

It is based on a new extensible plug-in architecture implemented by Add-in Express .NET starting from version 2.3. The Extensions for Outlook is integrated with the add-in modules and adds its own wizards, components and modules to the add-in projects based on Add-in Express .NET, namely:

• A new command of the add-in module, "Add Outlook Forms Manager".
• A new wizard "Add ADX Outlook Folder Form" that creates a special form module and includes it in the project.
• A new form class, ADXOlForm that implements embedding custom forms into Outlook folder views.
• A new component, Outlook Forms Manager that centralizes all forms embedded into Outlook.

A new command - "Add Outlook Forms Manager"

The Extensions for Outlook adds a new command to the add-in module, "Add Outlook Forms Manager".

The "Add ADX Outlook Form" wizard and the ADXOlForm class

The Extensions for Outlook adds to the "Add New Item" dialog of the add-in project a new wizard that creates a new form module (a descendant of ADXOlForm) and includes it in the add-in project. The ADXOlForm class is a special Windows.Forms.Form descendant that can be embedded into the Outlook Explorer window.

Outlook Forms Manager

The Extensions for Outlook concentrates all logic in a special component, the Outlook Forms Manager, added by the "Add Outlook Forms Manager" command. It centralizes and controls all forms to be embedded into Outlook windows. The Outlook Forms Manager includes the Items property, each item of it binds one form to the corresponding Outlook folder or / and Outlook form.

Binding forms to Outlook folders

The Items collection of the Outlook Forms Manager binds your forms to Outlook folders. To bind a form to an Outlook folder you create a new item of the Items collection, select the class of the form in the FormClassName property and specify the folder through three special properties: FolderName, FolderNames and ItemTypes. These properties are standard for Outlook-related components of Add-in Express so their behavior is well-known.

As a result, we get a new region on top of the Outlook Explorer window. This region can be populated with any visual .NET and ActiveX controls, such as Button, Image, Grid, ComboBox, CheckBox, UserControl etc.