Outlook/Exchange Extension and Deployment

[Andreas Brodbeck]

Hi,

I am looking for a way to extend Outlook (used with Exchange) with
following features:

- adding some new custom-fields for a todo-task-item
- extending the todo-task form with some visual components (reflecting the
added custom-fields)
- connect to another application using OLE automation (COM).

I will develop it in Borland Delphi (Version 7).

My question is mainly this: Where do I make the extensions, in Outlook (as
a COM Addin or similar) or in the Exchange Server? Following-up question:
How does the deployment work, in a Outlook/Exchange environment with dozens
of users?

Thanks for your hints!

Andreas

 

[Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]]

Generally you would create a custom form in Outlook and publish it to the
Organizational Forms Library so all the users have access to it. To make it
the default form for tasks you would also make a change in each user's
registry. Task forms can be customized and new fields and controls added,
but you cannot modify the default Task and Details tabs at all. You can
place your added fields in controls on one of the other tabs that normally
are hidden in a task form.

For something like that once the form was published in the Organizational
Forms Library it would be deployed. Registry changes to make it the default
form, if desired, could be scripted and deployed as a login script or
something like that.

As far as communication with another application, that depends on what you
want to do and when. A custom form can have VBScript in it. Custom forms
cannot use Delphi. For more information about custom Outlook forms see the
sections on Outlook Forms at http://www.outlookcode.com.

Communication with another application can be coded using Delphi if you
develop a COM addin or an Exchange Extension. COM addins are only supported
in Outlook 2000 and later, while Exchange Extensions are supported in all
versions of Outlook. Exchange Extensions can only be developed using
Extended MAPI, not the Outlook object model or other COM API's.

Again, without knowing more about the COM communication you want it's
impossible to make further recommendations on that.

COM addins and Exchange Extensions can be deployed using Windows Installer
technology by packaging the application in an MSI file. Delphi comes with a
light version of InstallShield Express, which can be used to create MSI
files or Setup.exe files that encapsulate MSI files for your deployment.