Adding a new Toolbar and Button to Microsoft Outlook Tutorial - 1

• Download source files - 79 Kb

Introduction

1. Select new ATL COM Wizard - and then select DLL Project.
2. Add an ATL Object through Wizard.
3. Implement Interface -> Add Type Lib -> Microsoft Add-in Designer -> _IDTExtensibility2.
4. Add Outlook architecture and Outlook library in stdafx.h. This changes according to your system configuration where you have installed Office.

   This is pertaining to Microsoft Office XP:

   #import "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft 
     Shared\Office10\mso.dll" rename_namespace("Office"), 
     named_guids using namespace Office; 
   #import "D:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\MSOUTL.olb" 
     rename_namespace("Outlook"), named_guids, 
     raw_interfaces_only using namespace Outlook;

   For Office 2000:

   #import "D:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\mso9.dll" 
     rename_namespace("Office"), named_guids using namespace Office; 
   #import "D:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSOUTL9.olb" 
     rename_namespace("Outlook"), named_guids, 
     raw_interfaces_only using namespace Outlook;

5. Add Registry entry in Addin.rgs.

   HKCU
   {
   Software
   {
   Microsoft
   {
   Office
   {
   Outlook
   {
   Addins
   {
   'MyAddin.Addin'
   {
   val FriendlyName = s 'My Outlook Addin'
   val Description = s 'Outlook Addin'
   val LoadBehavior = d '00000016'
   val CommandLineSafe = d '00000000' 
   }
   }
   }
   }
   }
   }
   }

6. Add member variables in Addin.h.
7. Add the following code in Addin.h's OnConnection method:

   STDMETHOD(OnConnection)(IDispatch * Application, 
       ext_ConnectMode ConnectMode, IDispatch * AddInInst, 
       SAFEARRAY * * custom)
   {
   // QueryInterface() for _Application
   CComQIPtr <Outlook::_Application> spApp(Application); 
   ATLASSERT(spApp);
   
   //make a copy of our Application Object
   m_spApp = spApp;
   
   //get the ActiveExplorer Object
   //each window is called as an Explorer in Outlook
   //so our current viewing wimdow when Outlook starts is Explorer
   //so get the object
   spApp->ActiveExplorer(&spExplorer);
   
   
   // get the CommandBars interface that represents Outlook's
   // toolbars & menu items 
   HRESULT hr = spExplorer->get_CommandBars(&spCmdBars);
   if(FAILED(hr))
   return hr;
   ATLASSERT(spCmdBars);
   
   //give a name for our newly created Toolbar
   CComVariant vName("MyAddin Toolbar");
   //obtain a reference to CommandBar Control
   CComPtr <Office::CommandBar> spNewCmdBar;
   //sepcify in which position our button to be placed.
   //for us it is 1st position
   CComVariant vPos(1); 
   CComVariant vTemp(VARIANT_TRUE); 
   CComVariant vEmpty(DISP_E_PARAMNOTFOUND, VT_ERROR); 
   
   //add the toolbar 
   spNewCmdBar = spCmdBars->Add(vName, vPos, vEmpty, vTemp);
   
   //to add a button to our toolbar we have to get a reference
   //to CommandBarControls Control.Consider Button as a Command
   //BarControl.For Further details,refer Microsoft Outlook
   //Object Model.
   CComPtr < Office::CommandBarControls> spBarControls;
   spBarControls = spNewCmdBar->GetControls();
   ATLASSERT(spBarControls);
   //MsoControlType::msoControlButton = 1
   CComVariant vToolBarType(1);
   //show the toolbar
   CComVariant vShow(VARIANT_TRUE);
   CComPtr < Office::CommandBarControl> spNewBar; 
   //now add the CommandBarControls of type Button 
   spNewBar = spBarControls->Add(vToolBarType, 
                    vEmpty, vEmpty, vEmpty, vShow); 
   ATLASSERT(spNewBar);
   
   _bstr_t bstrNewCaption(OLESTR("Item1"));
   _bstr_t bstrTipText(OLESTR("Tooltip for Item1"));
   //now comes the work of adding the Button to our CommandBarControl
   //get a reference to CommandBarButton
   CComQIPtr < Office::_CommandBarButton> spCmdButton(spNewBar);
   ATLASSERT(spCmdButton);
   
   //assign the properties
   spCmdButton->PutVisible(VARIANT_TRUE); 
   spCmdButton->PutCaption(OLESTR("MyButton")); 
   spCmdButton->PutEnabled(VARIANT_TRUE);
   spCmdButton->PutTooltipText(OLESTR("Tooltip for MyButton")); 
   spCmdButton->PutTag(OLESTR("Tag for MyButton")); 
   
   //put into picture the New CommandBarControl too
   spNewCmdBar->PutVisible(VARIANT_TRUE); 
   
   m_spButton = spCmdButton;
   
   return E_NOTIMPL;
   }

8. Save and compile the Project.

That's it!!!!...... You have successfully added a new Toolbar with a new Button placed in it!!!!!

Congrats....your first step in Add-in tutorial is over!!!!!!!!

How To See My Add-in???

--->Open Outlook Express. Since in Registry Settings, for Load Behavior we have specified 00000016, this loads our add-in at startup of Outlook Express each time. The other load behaviors are as follows:

• 00000008 - Load By Demand.
• 00000003 - Load at Startup only once.

--->I request all the users to use 00000016 because it can relieve confusion of how to load an add-in.

If Add-in not loaded...then how to load???

--->The work is simple....Open Outlook Express... choose Tools....Options.... you will get a tab, choose 'other' options from the tab... and then choose 'Advanced Options'... and then 'COM Add-ins'...you will now see your registered add-ins list... choose your add-in and press OK.

So your first task of adding a Button is over...soon you will have the code for responding to the Button Click produced to you.....

Please feel free to send your reviews to chakkaradeepcc@yahoo.com.

Credits:

1. This tutorial was based on the idea of Amit Dey in his tutorial, Building an Office2K COM add-in with VC++/ATL.

   So all my thanks goes to Mr.Amit Dey who was 'the guru' for me to Add-ins.

2. And I mention Igor Tandek of Microsoft Corporation for his great help in making me understand the Inner Concepts of Add-ins along with ATL COM.

A small request to Amit Dey....any contact number or address or mail-id?