Outlook Add-in: Set the time for your draft mails, for sending the mails at particular time in Microsoft Outlook 2003

• Download demo project - 573 Kb

Introduction

This utility will set the time for your draft mails. And will automatically send the mails.

This article will give you an basic idea how to create an add-in for the Microsoft applications.

Steps to create a add-in project in VS.Net 2003.

1. Start a new project by choosing File, New Project, Other Projects Extensibility Projects, Shared Add-In. Click OK. Click Next at the Welcome screen.

2. Page 1 of 5 asks you to select a programming language C#, VB or VC++. Select C#. Click Next.

3. On Page 2 of 5 Select an Application Host, Select Microsoft outlook. Click Next.

4. On Page 3 of 5 name the add-in MyAddin and enter a description; for example, My First Add-In. Click Next..

5. On Page 4 of 5 we want to indicate that the add-in can be invoked from the Tools menu, the add-in should load when the host loads, and the add-in should be available to all users. (Check all check boxes.) Click Next.

6. On Page 5 of 5, review the Summary information, and if it is correct, click Finish.

With the above steps 2 projects will be created. One is class library and the other is Set up project. The output of setup will be used to install the Add-in.

The Class library will consist of Connect class which inherits Object class and implements

Extensibility.IDTExtensibility2. The method definition for all the methods in IDTExtensibility2 will already be present with the summary. These methods can be used to implement your add-in. Following are the IDTExtensibility2 Methods:

Public	OnAddInsUpdate	Occurs whenever an add-in is loaded or unloaded from the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE).
Public	OnBeginShutdown	Occurs whenever the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE) shuts down while an add-in is running.
Public	OnConnection	Occurs whenever an add-in is loaded into Visual Studio.
Public	OnDisconnection	Occurs whenever an add-in is unloaded from Visual Studio.
Public	OnStartupComplete	Occurs whenever an add-in, which is set to load when Visual Studio starts, loads.

I have used OnStartupComplete(ref System.Array custom) method to create a CommandBarButton. The CommandBarButton is then added to the Standard CommandBar. 

Following is the code to create a CommandBarButton:

private Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton automateButton;
// In case the button was not deleted, use the exiting one.
try
{
    automateButton = (CommandBarButton)
      oStandardBar.Controls["Automate Mails"];
}
catch(Exception)
{
    object omissing = System.Reflection.Missing.Value ;
    automateButton = (CommandBarButton) oStandardBar.Controls.Add(1, 
                      omissing , omissing , omissing , omissing);
    automateButton.Caption = "Automate Mails";
    automateButton.Style = MsoButtonStyle.msoButtonCaption;
}
automateButton.OnAction = "!<MyCOMAddin.Connect>";
automateButton.Visible = true;
automateButton.Click += new 
  Microsoft.Office.Core._CommandBarButtonEvents_ClickEventHandler(
  this.AutomateButton_Click);

This button is added to the Standard CommandBar. Following is the code to get the Standard CommandBar from the Outlook object.

CommandBars oCommandBars;
CommandBar oStandardBar;
try
{
    oCommandBars = (CommandBars)
      applicationObject.GetType().InvokeMember("CommandBars", 
      BindingFlags.GetProperty , null, applicationObject, null);
}
catch(Exception)
{
    // Outlook has the CommandBars collection
    // on the Explorer object.
    object oActiveExplorer;
    oActiveExplorer= 
      applicationObject.GetType().InvokeMember(
      "ActiveExplorer",BindingFlags.GetProperty, 
      null,applicationObject,null);
    oCommandBars= (CommandBars)
      oActiveExplorer.GetType().InvokeMember("CommandBars", 
      BindingFlags.GetProperty, null, oActiveExplorer, null);
}
// Set up a custom button on the "Standard" commandbar.
try
{
    oStandardBar = oCommandBars["Standard"]; 
}
catch(Exception)
{
    // Access names its main toolbar Database.
    oStandardBar = oCommandBars["Database"]; 
}

The Button click handler will open up the Automate window. Where the user can set the time for all the Draft messages.

private void AutomateButton_Click(Microsoft.Office.Core.CommandBarButton 
     cmdBarbutton, ref bool cancel)
{
  mailAutomationObject.oApp = (Outlook.Application)applicationObject;
  mailAutomationObject.ShowDialog();
}

Double Click any Draft mail in Automation Window will open up a window where user can set the time.

The mails will be send automatically at the selected time.