Outlook 2033 - detect if Exchange is available

  • Thread starter Thread starter gxdata
  • Start date Start date
G

gxdata

I can't locate any objects that will let me know whether Exchange is / can
be connected to Outlook 2003.
I want to deal only with a single-user (ie, not / never connected to
Exchange), so that I know to use local Contacts folders and not to use
offline or other Exchange-type addresslists etc.
I'm using VB.NET but anything that points me to a solution in VBA or .NET
would be much appreciated.
 
A crude way would be to just to look for the registry key -
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\Exchange Provider

- if the default is null, then it's not available I guess?

I'd like a more elegant way, if it's available.
 
On the Extended MAPI level, you can look at the PR_MDB_PROVIDER propperty. I
am not sure I unxdderstand why you want to make a distinction - for all
practical purposes, caches Exchange mode is not at all different from PST.

Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/
OutlookSpy - Outlook, CDO
and MAPI Developer Tool
 
Dmitry, thank you for your reply.
At present, I want to limit my small application to non-Exchange
environments. Also, I probably need to detect Outlook version (2000/XP/2003
would be the versions). I have great troubles with finding and understanding
the documentation of Outlook, compared with other Office products. I will
have to check out your website.
I'm finding some problems distinguishing properties for (for example)
AddressBook that are Exchange-only vs single-user (not Exchange-connected),
such as Outlook.AddressEntry.Manager
Right now, my crude way to see if the user's Outlook is NOT
Exchange-connected is to check the registry using a simple .NET routine
based on System.Diagnostics and Microsoft.Win32
ReadRegistry(Registry.LocalMachine, "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\Exchange
Provider", "(Default)", Value)
and just check the value it returns.
--
Ian Thomas

Dmitry Streblechenko said:
On the Extended MAPI level, you can look at the PR_MDB_PROVIDER propperty.
I am not sure I unxdderstand why you want to make a distinction - for all
practical purposes, caches Exchange mode is not at all different from PST.

Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/
OutlookSpy - Outlook, CDO
and MAPI Developer Tool
Click to expand...
 
I still wouldn't limit my app's market because of that - e.g. a couple of my
address book providers return AddressEntry.Manager just fine even though my
own address book is used, not GAL. In this case EX gives you more, not less,
so there is absolutely no reason to introduce an artificial limitation.

Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/
OutlookSpy - Outlook, CDO
and MAPI Developer Tool

gxdata said:
Dmitry, thank you for your reply.
At present, I want to limit my small application to non-Exchange
environments. Also, I probably need to detect Outlook version
(2000/XP/2003 would be the versions). I have great troubles with finding
and understanding the documentation of Outlook, compared with other Office
products. I will have to check out your website.
I'm finding some problems distinguishing properties for (for example)
AddressBook that are Exchange-only vs single-user (not
Exchange-connected), such as Outlook.AddressEntry.Manager
Right now, my crude way to see if the user's Outlook is NOT
Exchange-connected is to check the registry using a simple .NET routine
based on System.Diagnostics and Microsoft.Win32
ReadRegistry(Registry.LocalMachine, "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\Exchange
Provider", "(Default)", Value)
and just check the value it returns.
Click to expand...
 
Dmitry
OK, point taken. I guess that means getting the CDOEX redistributable.
I see that it's installed on my system (I assume that Microsoft CDO for
Exchange 2000 Library (cdosys.dll) at ' %windir%\system32\cdosys.dll ,
v6.2.2.0 - 2,067,968 bytes - is the thing). I don't have Exchange
installed, so I assume it was placed there by Office 2003 installation - is
that right?
Although i'm convinced I'm better off using VSTO and .NET 2.0 and I assume
that the Office 2003 PIAs includes CDOEX, if I were to code in say VB6 where
would I get the CDOEX redistributable?

I had a quick look at your website and yu've certainly extended and made
easier some of the arcane Outlook / Exchange object models.
 
Dmitry - I'm struggling here!

How can I use the PR_MDB_PROVIDER property?

(see ' *********************** below)

For testing, I'm playing around using VB.NET, .NET 2.0 - I have something
like this -

Imports Outlook = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook
' For registry keys
Imports System.Diagnostics
Imports Microsoft.Win32
' Just experimenting
Imports MAPI.CdoPropTags
'
Module Module1

Function isExchangeInstalled() As Boolean
Dim Value As Object = ""
ReadRegistry(Registry.LocalMachine, _
"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\Exchange Provider",
"(Default)", Value)
Dim sMsg As String = ""
If Value = "" Then
sMsg = "(NULL)"
isExchangeInstalled = False
Console.WriteLine("Exchange is NOT installed on this machine")
Else
sMsg = Value.ToString
isExchangeInstalled = True
End If
End Function

Sub Main()
' We don't want the hassles of running this on a machine connected (or
even offline) to an Exchange Server
If isExchangeInstalled() = True Then
Exit Sub
End If

' Create Outlook application
Dim oApp As Outlook.Application = New Outlook.Application()
' Get Mapi NameSpace and Logon
Dim oNS As Outlook.NameSpace = oApp.GetNamespace("MAPI")
oNS.Logon(Missing.Value, Missing.Value, True, True)

' I have no idea how to use this, and the following snippet crashes of
course
' ***********************************************************
' PR_MDB_PROVIDER ' MAPI.CdoPropTags
Dim prv As MAPI.InfoStore ' = Nothing
If prv.ProviderName.ToString = CdoPR_MDB_PROVIDER Then ' compiler doesn't
like this
MsgBox("provider")
End If

' ***********************************************************

..... etc ....
(all the rest just looks at Contacts, DistLists, enumerates the members,
etc)

End Sub ' Main

End Module
 
PR_MDB_PROVIDER is only accessible using Extended MAPI (C++ or Delphi), CDO
1.21 or Redemption. Outlook Object Model won't help since it does not
provide access to the arbitrary MAPI properties.
Have a look at stores/folders/messages with MFCMAPI or OutlookSpy
<plug>Redemption explicitly exposes RDOStore.StoreKind enum property
(http://www.dimastr.com/redemption/rdo/rdostore.htm)</plug>

Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/
OutlookSpy - Outlook, CDO
and MAPI Developer Tool
 
Yes, in what is presented below I am using CDO 1.21 - as the "Imports
MAPI.CdoPropTags" line shows.
' .NET Assemblies showing as MAPI: Microsoft CDO 1.21 Library
' .NET Assemblies showing as CDO: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000 Library
(I haven't attempted to set a refernce to the latter)

C++ is too foreign for me.
 
OK, my last post was at cross-purposes.
I really mean that I think I would need to distribute CDO v1.21 - yes? And
does not Redemption use CDO v1.21 too? Or am I misinformed? Is CDO v1.21
automaticlly installed with Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003 - or not?
(Sorry to be so dumb about all this)
 
You cannot redistribute CDO 1.21 for the legal reasons.
No, Redemption does not use CDO 1.21 at all - Redemption, just like CDO
1.21, is a COM wrapper built on top of Extended MAPI; which is the only
thing it relies on.
CDO 1.21 is not automatically installed by Outlook as of Outlook 2002, you
need to select "Custom Install" and make sure "Collaboration Data Objects"
is checked. Also note that Outlook 2007 never installs CDO 1.21, not even as
an optional component.

Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/
OutlookSpy - Outlook, CDO
and MAPI Developer Tool
 
Dmitry - again, thanks for clarification. I have rad online docs for
Redemption v4.1 and now realise most of what you said.
By the way, I will start another thread.
 
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