Display custom form in Preview Pane? Alternatives?

[lex3001]

I am looking for a way to provide custom Outlook Form functionality (a custom
form with data populated from a database which can be modified and saved
again) in a custom Meeting Request. This has all been implemented and tested
except that when other users receive the Meeting Request, they cannot view it
in the Preview Pane.

What are the alternatives? Is there a way to use a COM Add-In to accomplish
the same functionality (an additional tab with fields and data in the form)?
What are the other options we have? This is for Outlook 2003. I understand
that Outlook Form Regions in 2007 and VSTO might not have this issue (is that
true?).

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

Nothing for Outlook 2003. For Outlook 2007 you can use form regions to set
up a replacement form region to completely replace an existing tab in an
Outlook form or an adjacent form region that will show up in addition to the
tab you add the region to. Either form region and its contents will be
readable in the reading pane.

For Outlook 2003 you'd need to do a real hack. You'd get the sub-window for
the reading pane using Win32 API calls and get that window's location and
size. Then you'd create your own window with the data you want, overlay it
on the existing preview/reading pane window and make the new window a child
window of the Outlook Explorer window. You'd also need to subclass a Windows
message handler to handle messages to the existing preview pane window for
things like resizing and closing/opening, so you would know when to resize,
close/show your window, etc. Doable, but a hack.

 

[lex3001]

Thanks Ken - have you seen any examples posted on the Internet of the method
you describe? Also, I read some links about creating a COM Add-In on the
sender's machine that sets an undocumented property which tells the client to
go ahead and render the the preview pane anyway. Have you heard about this?
Any feedback on it?

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

Those who have done such things don't tell how they've done it exactly since
it would be proprietary information for them.

Setting properties on the sending side wouldn't work most or all of the
time. You can set specific properties on the receiving end but since MS
doesn't want those exposed I can't really discuss them.