Posts Tagged ‘Outlook’
Working with Outlook special folders (Inbox, Outbox, Drafts, Sent Items, Deleted Items)
Pieter van der Westhuizen | January 9th, 2014
Happy 2014 everyone! We'll start this year with an article looking at Outlook special folders. Microsoft Outlook has a number of special folders of which the most common folders are: Inbox, Drafts, Sent Items, Outbox and Deleted Items. Now let's have a closer look at each of the Outlook special folders and see how to work with them in the most efficient manner.... Read the rest of this entry →
How to create and modify Outlook-specific files
Pieter van der Westhuizen | December 20th, 2013
Microsoft Outlook produces and uses a variety of file types. The most common and well known fields are either .pst or .ost files. These two file types are known as Outlook Data Files, the .pst file is known as the Personal Outlook Data file and stores you messages and other Outlook items... Read the rest of this entry →
Create a status report generator using Excel and Outlook: C# sample
Ty Anderson | December 16th, 2013
Today, I'll show you how to create a status report using Excel and Outlook. This add-in sample will run within Excel. The user will have a button to click that starts the report process. Instead of creating a new workbook or worksheet, the add-in will insert the task status report into the existing spreadsheet... Read the rest of this entry →
How to import contacts and appointments from Excel into Outlook and vice-versa
Pieter van der Westhuizen | December 11th, 2013
Importing contacts and appointments into Microsoft Outlook is a feature that has existed in Outlook for a while. In Outlook 2013 you can find the Import/Export function in the File or Backstage view menu, under Open & Export... Read the rest of this entry →
Developing powerful Outlook add-ins with Visual Studio (VB.NET, C#)
Ty Anderson | July 2nd, 2013
With the recent Beginning Outlook Development series complete, we thought it would be a good idea to do a demo that shows how easy/simple/relatively painless it is to build a powerful Outlook add-in with Visual Studio ... Read the rest of this entry →
7 features Microsoft Outlook needs today
Ty Anderson | June 13th, 2013
Microsoft Outlook is more than an email application running on the desktop or the browser. It's an application for managing the details of living (work, home, social, and anti-social, what-have-you). It's time for Outlook to accept its maturity and reinvent itself... Read the rest of this entry →
Working with Outlook tasks: how to create, get and delete Task and To-Do items
Pieter van der Westhuizen | June 12th, 2013
Outlook tasks are a great way to keep track of things you need to do. I use it every single day! A task item is a standard Outlook type and by default all tasks are flagged for follow-up when created. When any items such as an e-mail, task or contact are flagged for follow-up it automatically becomes a to-do item and is visible in your To-do bar... Read the rest of this entry →
Working with Outlook mail items: how to create, delete, access & enumerate
Ty Anderson | June 3rd, 2013
Mail items are the featured player of Outlook… email! Sure, contacts and appointments are regulars but email receives the most attention. We are addicted to the stuff. And as an Outlook plug-in developer, you need to know the basics.... Read the rest of this entry →
Working with Outlook Accounts, Stores, Folders and Items
Pieter van der Westhuizen | May 31st, 2013
Any user of Microsoft Outlook will tell you that you cannot use Outlook without first setting up an account. This account can either be an Exchange server, POP or IMAP account, although Outlook can support any MAPI style account too.... Read the rest of this entry →
Advanced Outlook form regions for Outlook 2013 – 2000
Ty Anderson | May 30th, 2013
As great as Outlook is, it was not designed to meet 100% of any one user's needs. Therefore, users constantly think of ideas for how we developers can "trick it out". And what do they want? They want custom Outlook forms!... Read the rest of this entry →
Outlook 2013 view regions: Explorer pane, Navigation Pane, ToDo bar, Preview pane
Ty Anderson | May 24th, 2013
When building an Outlook add-in you will definitely confront scenarios that require custom forms. In these scenarios, you must answer two questions. What does the form need to do? Where does the form need to display?
... Read the rest of this entry →
Customizing Outlook main menu, context menus and Backstage view
Ty Anderson | May 13th, 2013
Often, the focus of an Outlook add-in centers around a custom ribbon or form region. I think this makes sense. They are sexy, upfront, and what everyone wants to see. But they are not enough. A good Outlook solution should provide other user interface customizations that allow the user to execute your solution's logic. These other methods are, arguably, the less-sexy, more utilitarian UI components. I am referring of course to the main menu, context menus, and the backstage.... Read the rest of this entry →
Video: Develop Office 2013 add-ins with Visual Studio 2012 Express
Ty Anderson | April 30th, 2013
In this video, I show how to create an add-in for Microsoft Office 2013 Outlook, Excel and Word and add a custom ribbon using Add-in Express for Office and .net with Visual Studio Express 2012. Enjoy!... Read the rest of this entry →
The Outlook UI: Explorer and Inspector Windows. What is customizable?
Pieter van der Westhuizen | April 29th, 2013
It can take some time to familiarize yourself and understand the various different components of the Outlook UI. Outlook is made up of windows, panes and forms. The two types of Outlook windows are Explorer and Inspector windows... Read the rest of this entry →
Outlook forms: How to create a custom Outlook form using VBA
Ty Anderson | April 24th, 2013
Because it is composed of different windows, panes, and form regions, the Outlook UI presents a complex UI model to the developer. Despite these options, a common customization request is for custom forms to display the various Outlook items. Today, we'll take a look at Outlook forms and how you can customize them... Read the rest of this entry →
Outlook views: How to create a custom view for calendar, task, mail items
Pieter van der Westhuizen | April 18th, 2013
Outlook views allow you to group, sort and view all the different types of Outlook data within the View panel of the Outlook Explorer window. Outlook comes with a few built-in views for each Outlook item type (mail, task, calendar, etc.) which can be accessed via the View tab... Read the rest of this entry →