Click here to Skip to main content
15,868,088 members
Articles / Programming Languages / C#
Article

Simple MAPI.NET

Rate me:
Please Sign up or sign in to vote.
4.76/5 (57 votes)
30 Mar 2002Public Domain 436.6K   6K   80   87
Usage of the simple MAPI API.

Sample Image - simplemapidotnet.jpg

Abstract

As you know, .NET has SMTP email support built-in. For some special environments, the usage of e.g. the "Simple MAPI' API is prefered.

Details

This API can be called like most other Win32 APIs with 'PInvoke'. By reading the MSDN documentation: Platform SDK - Simple MAPI and some hints from the C++ include header file MAPI.h, we can declare the calls in C# like:

C#
[DllImport( "MAPI32.DLL", CharSet=CharSet.Ansi)]
private static extern int MAPIDeleteMail( IntPtr session, IntPtr winhandle,
                                      string id, int flags, int reserved );

For sending email with 'MAPISendMail', the structure 'MapiMessage' has to be filled with pointers to sub-structures like 'MapiRecipDesc'. For this, I used the System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal class:

C#
Marshal.SizeOf(), Marshal.AllocHGlobal(),
Marshal.StructureToPtr(), Marshal.PtrToStructure(),
Marshal.DestroyStructure(), Marshal.FreeHGlobal()

Most SimpleMAPI functions are 'wrapped' in a handy class (MapiApi.cs):

C#
public class Mapi
  {
  // Session
  public bool Logon( IntPtr winhandle )
  public void Reset()
  public void Logoff()

  // Sending
  public void AddRecip( string name, string address, bool cc )
  public void Attach( string filepath )
  public bool Send( string subject, string text )

  // Finding
  public bool Next( ref MailEnvelop env )

  // Reading
  public string Read( string id, out MailAttach[] aat )
  public bool Delete( string id )
  public bool SaveAttachm( string id, string filename, string savepath )

  // Addressing
  public bool SingleAddress( string label, out string name, out string addr )
  }

A small (e.g. console) client could do just this few steps:

C#
Mapi ma = new Mapi();
ma.Logon( IntPtr.Zero );
ma.AddRecip( "anybody@anywhere.org", null, false );
ma.Send( "Subject", "Mail text here" );
ma.Logoff();

Sample App

The source for a sample GUI (Windows Form) client and a console client are included in the download.

Limitations

All code was tested only on Windows XP with MS Outlook XP in the internet-mode. On this system, some security warnings show-up if accessing MAPI. Any feedback for other environments (especially Exchange) are very welcome!

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under A Public Domain dedication


Written By
Web Developer
Switzerland Switzerland
This member has not yet provided a Biography. Assume it's interesting and varied, and probably something to do with programming.

Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralRe: DllImport Pin
NETMaster23-Jan-03 14:25
NETMaster23-Jan-03 14:25 
GeneralRe: DllImport Pin
NETMaster26-Jan-03 12:21
NETMaster26-Jan-03 12:21 
GeneralMAPI Service Pin
fadi17-Dec-02 5:29
fadi17-Dec-02 5:29 
GeneralRe: MAPI Service Pin
NETMaster17-Dec-02 6:15
NETMaster17-Dec-02 6:15 
GeneralRe: MAPI Service Pin
ChainsawDon27-Feb-05 2:03
ChainsawDon27-Feb-05 2:03 
GeneralVery Cool Pin
Anonymous11-Nov-02 14:33
Anonymous11-Nov-02 14:33 
Questionhow about other folders? Pin
Anonymous19-Oct-02 10:02
Anonymous19-Oct-02 10:02 
AnswerRe: how about other folders? Pin
NETMaster20-Oct-02 22:50
NETMaster20-Oct-02 22:50 
Impossible with !SIMPLE! MAPI. (Read MSDN!)

GeneralExchange Pin
Anonymous26-Sep-02 14:03
Anonymous26-Sep-02 14:03 
GeneralGreat sample Pin
Anonymous2-Sep-02 1:24
Anonymous2-Sep-02 1:24 
GeneralBug with OE when saving attachment Pin
NETMaster31-Jul-02 6:45
NETMaster31-Jul-02 6:45 
GeneralSend e-mail from within service Pin
1-Jul-02 9:45
suss1-Jul-02 9:45 
GeneralExtended MAPI Pin
Mark Pitman29-Apr-02 11:53
Mark Pitman29-Apr-02 11:53 
GeneralRe: Extended MAPI Pin
NETMaster29-Apr-02 21:47
NETMaster29-Apr-02 21:47 
GeneralRe: Extended MAPI Pin
21-May-02 23:54
suss21-May-02 23:54 
GeneralRe: Extended MAPI Pin
Anonymous6-Aug-02 9:09
Anonymous6-Aug-02 9:09 
GeneralNice MAPI example Pin
Alex Mitchell1-Apr-02 1:10
Alex Mitchell1-Apr-02 1:10 
GeneralRe: Nice MAPI example Pin
Lasse Johansen21-Jan-03 4:28
Lasse Johansen21-Jan-03 4:28 

General General    News News    Suggestion Suggestion    Question Question    Bug Bug    Answer Answer    Joke Joke    Praise Praise    Rant Rant    Admin Admin   

Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages.