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A better example of Automation with Outlook


Visual Basic 6, or VB Classic

This *<*improved*>* demonstration program gives examples of how you can control Outlook using AUTOMATION to create mail, contacts, folders and appointments.
It shows how to create contacts in a specific group of your choosing which serves as a good example of folder manipulation in Outlook.
You can adapt this code to create the other outlook items.
Don't forget that you can find out more by reading the Outlook VBA documents or by pressing F1 in front of options you don't understand.

Original Author: John Edward Colman

API Declarations

Perform the following menu operations:
Project > References
Put a check Next to:
"Microsoft Outlook 8.0 Object Library" or equivalent
You'll need to create a form with a command button to execute my example.

Code

Option Explicit
'Create an object to refererence the Outlook App.
'This is simular to a pointer and is declared in this way...
'...to allow early binding, making the code more efficient.
Private o1 As Outlook.Application
Private Function CreateContactsFolder(Name As String) As Outlook.MAPIFolder
  
  On Error Resume Next
  'You can use a similar syntax to create folders in any part of outlook.
  ' (MAPI is the only valid string)
  Set CreateContactsFolder = o1.GetNamespace("MAPI").GetDefaultFolder(olFolderContacts).Folders.Add(Name)
  
  'Note: To create further sub folders:
  'Set CreateContactsFolder = o1.GetNamespace("MAPI").GetDefaultFolder(olFolderContacts).Folders("parent folder").Add(Name)
  
End Function
Private Sub Form_Load()
  
  'Create an instance of Outlook
  Set o1 = New Outlook.Application
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Terminate()
  
  'Comment out this line if you don't want to close Outlook
  o1.Quit
  
  'The next line frees up the memory used
  Set o1 = Nothing
  
End Sub

Private Sub CreateEmail(Recipient As String, Subject As String, Body As String, Attach As String)
  
  'Create a reference to a mail item
  Dim e1 As Outlook.MailItem
  
  'Create a new mail item
  Set e1 = o1.CreateItem(olMailItem)
  
  'Set a few of the many possible message parameters.
  e1.To = Recipient
  e1.Subject = Subject
  e1.Body = Body
  
  'This is how you add attatchments
  If Attach <> vbNullString Then
    e1.Attachments.Add Path
  End If
  
  'Commit the message
  e1.Send
  'Free up the space
  Set e1 = Nothing
  
End Sub
'This routine improved:
'  -  Now there is an option to create the contact in a particular folder.
'  -  Returns a reference to the contact item
Private Function CreateContact(Name As String, Nick As String, Email As String, Optional Folder As Outlook.MAPIFolder = Nothing) As Outlook.ContactItem
  
  'Create a new contact item
  If Folder Is Nothing Then
    Set CreateContact = o1.CreateItem(olContactItem)
  Else
    Set CreateContact = Folder.Items.Add(olContactItem)
  End If
  
  'Set a few of the many possible contact parameters.
  CreateContact.FullName = Name
  CreateContact.NickName = Nick
  CreateContact.Email1Address = Email
    
  'Commit the contact
  CreateContact.Save
    
End Function
Private Sub CreateAppointment(StartTime As Date, Endtime As Date, Subject As String, Location As String)
  
  'Create a reference to a Appointment item
  Dim e1 As Outlook.AppointmentItem
  
  'Create a new appointment item
  Set e1 = o1.CreateItem(olAppointmentItem)
  
  'Set a few of the many possible appointment parameters.
  e1.Start = StartTime
  e1.End = Endtime
  e1.Subject = Subject
  e1.Location = Location
  
  'If you want to set a list of recipients, do it like this
  'e1.Recipients.Add Name
  
  'Commit the appointment
  e1.Send
  'Free up the space
  Set e1 = Nothing
  
End Sub
Private Sub Command1_Click()
  'This variable holds a reference to a folder
  Dim f1 As Outlook.MAPIFolder
  Dim e1 As Outlook.ContactItem
  Dim e2 As Outlook.ContactItem
  
  'Use one of the following methods to create a folder and put contacts in it
  Set f1 = CreateContactsFolder("My Friends")
  CreateContact "john", "johnzinho", "j@k", f1
  
          ' Or....
  
  CreateContactsFolder ("My Family")
  CreateContact "Dad", "My dad", "d@k", o1.GetNamespace("MAPI").GetDefaultFolder(olFolderContacts).Folders("My Family")
  
          ' Or....
  
  Set f1 = CreateContactsFolder("Business Contacts")
  Set e1 = CreateContact("John", "Big John", "jc@hot.com")
  
  'Make a copy to put in a different list
  Set e2 = e1.Copy
  e2.Move f1
  
  'The following line opens the folder for a user
  f1.Display
  
End Sub

About this post

Posted: 2002-06-01
By: ArchiveBot
Viewed: 129 times

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Visual Basic 6

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