By exposing COM objects to VBScript or VBA, developers can create custom Outlook forms and applications. Naturally, the text shows off this programming approach with a full tour of how to get up and running with the development environment, how to create custom forms, and then how to deploy (or publish) them. In addition to providing clear examples, the book points out gotchas (and even known bugs) you'll encounter.
The book doesn't stop there. You'll find out how to make Outlook work with other Microsoft Office tools (like Word, Excel, and Access) using OLE Automation and data sharing with ADO. Other sections demonstrate the use of Collaborative Data Objects (CDO), a simple set of COM objects for enabling e-mail within custom applications.
The best part of Professional Outlook 2000 Programming has to be its meaty case studies--which include an asset-tracking application that uses e-mail forms to track computer hardware for an organization, plus a nicely functional billing application. A third case study--for a customer-service application--reveals how to combine CDO with basic Active Server Pages (ASPs). After reading this book, Outlook programmers will be able to take their skills to the Web. Microsoft has added new options to Outlook 2000, and this text will help you keep up with current listings of all classes and methods. --Richard Dragan
Topics Covered: <table cellspacing="7" border="0"> <ul><ol> <tr><td> <li>Basic development in Outlook <li>VBScript vs. VBA <li>The Outlook Object Model <li>Outlook 2000 Forms <li>Standard and custom forms <li>Debugging and publishing forms <li>Outlook macros <li>Using class modules within Outlook <li>Collaborative Data Objects (CDO) <td>
<td> <li>Outlook 2000 OLE Automation with Word, Excel, Access, and Visual Basic <li>Building custom COM add-ins with VB <li>External data in Outlook with Word <li>Excel, Access, and ADO/SQL Server <li>Sample applications for asset tracking, billing, and customer service <li>Using Outlook within ASP Web pages <li>Reference for Outlook and CDO objects and methods