Outlook Developer Roadmap

See Selecting an API or Technology for Developing Outlook Solutions to learn about the different development technologies for Outlook and choose the one appropriate for your purposes.

• Developing Outlook 2010 Solutions for 32-Bit and 64-Bit Systems
• Developer Issues When Upgrading Solutions to Outlook 2010

Use the Outlook object model or primary interop assembly (PIA) to develop unmanaged or managed solutions that extend Outlook's capabilities and provide data or functional integration with Outlook. See also the section for the Outlook PIA for developing solutions using managed code.

• Getting Started with VBA in Outlook 2010
• What's New for Developers in Outlook 2010
• What's New in XML Schemas for Outlook 2010

Code Samples

• How Do I… in Outlook

Visual How Tos

• Adding Solution-Specific Folders to the Solutions Module in Outlook 2010
• Manipulating Multiple Exchange Accounts in Outlook 2010
• More... Visual How Tos

Concepts

• Concepts

Reference

• Outlook Object Model Reference
• Outlook 2010 XML Schema Reference

Technical Articles

• Building a C++ Add-in for Outlook 2010
• What's New in XML Schemas for Outlook 2010
• More…Technical Articles

Forms

• Customizing Form Pages and Form Regions
• Getting Started with Creating Form Regions
• Getting Started with Customizing Form Pages
• Creating Outlook Form Regions
• More... Forms Topics

Explorer and Inspector Ribbons, Menus, Contextual Tabs, Backstage View

• Office Fluent User Interface Extensibility for Outlook
• Overview of Customizing the Ribbon
• Extending the User Interface in Outlook 2010
• Outlook 2010 Sample: Extending the User Interface
• More... Outlook Fluent UI Extensibility Topics
• Deploying a Customized Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar in Office 2010
• Customizing Context Menus in Office 2010
• Introduction to the Office 2010 Backstage View for Developers
• Customizing the Office 2010 Backstage View for Developers
• Targeting User Interface Solutions to the 2007 and 2010 Releases of Microsoft Office

Navigation Pane and Navigation Modules

• Customizing the Navigation Pane
• More... Navigation Topics

Solutions Module

• Programming the Outlook 2010 Solutions Module

Outlook View Control

• Outlook View Control Reference

Outlook Items

• Outlook Item Objects

Accounts

• Using Multiple Accounts for the Same Profile on Outlook
• More... Accounts Topics

Address Books and Address Lists

• Display Names from the Address Book
• Access Exchange User or Distribution List Information from the Address Book
• More... Address Book Topics

Attachments

• How to: Attach a File to a Mail Item

Categories

• Categorize Your Outlook Items

Conversations

• Managing Outlook Items as Conversations
• How to: Obtain and Enumerate Selected Conversations

Electronic Business Cards

• Customize and Share Business Cards
• How to: Share Contact Information Including the Business Card

Folders and Stores

• Items, Folders, and Stores

Properties

• Properties Overview
• Efficiently Getting and Setting Custom Properties in a Contact Folder in Outlook 2010
• More... Properties Topics

Rules

• Managing Rules in the Outlook Object Model
• More... Rules Topics

Sessions

• How to: Obtain and Log On to an Instance of Outlook

Solution Storage

• Storing Data for Solutions
• More... Solution Storage Topics

Tables

• Default Properties Displayed in a Table Object
• Enumerating, Searching, and Filtering Items in a Folder
• Efficiently Filtering Contact Items in a Contact Folder in Outlook 2010
• More... Table Topics

Views

• Outlook Views
• More… View Topics

Rules

• How to: Create a Rule to Move Specific E-mails to a Folder
• More... Rules Topics

Search, Sort, Filter

• Enumerating, Searching, and Filtering Items in a Folder
• Sorting Items in a Folder
• More... Search and Filter Topics

Security

• Security Behavior of the Outlook Object Model
• Shutdown Changes for Outlook 2010
• More... Security Topics

Sharing

• Sharing Online Calendars, RSS Feeds, Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Folders, and Exchange Folders
• More... Sharing Topics

Use the Outlook PIA to develop managed solutions that integrate with Outlook. For more information about extending Outlook by using the object model, see the section for the Outlook object model.

• Setting Up to Use the Outlook PIA
• Architecture of the Outlook PIA
• Getting Started Programming Application-Level Add-Ins
• Outlook Solutions

Code Samples

• How Do I… in Outlook
• Working with Calendar Items
• Working with Contact Items
• Working with Folders
• Working with Mail Items
• Office Development Samples for Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2

Videos

• Videos for Outlook Solutions

Concepts

• Developing Managed Outlook Add-ins Using the Outlook PIA

Reference

• Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook Namespace

Technical Articles

• Developing an Inspector Wrapper for Outlook 2010
• Enforcing Business Rules in Outlook 2010
• More... Technical Articles

Use MAPI to develop unmanaged solutions that access items and folders in public and private stores, and properties stored with each item.

• Outlook 2010 MAPI Reference Overview
• What's New in This Edition
• MAPI Feature Overview
• MAPI Architecture Overview
• MAPI Client Application Overview
• MAPI Service Provider Overview

Code Samples

• MAPI Samples
• Creating Outlook Items by Using MAPI

Code Downloads

• MFCMAPI
• Outlook 2010 Messaging API (MAPI) Code Samples

Concepts

• MAPI Concepts

Reference

• MAPI Reference

Use auxiliary APIs to develop unmanaged or managed solutions, to extend Outlook further than supported by the object model and MAPI. For example, manage account information and changes, configure Outlook, and provide free/busy and other calendar support.

• Getting Started (Outlook 2010 Auxiliary Reference)
• What's New in This Edition (Outlook 2010 Auxiliary Reference)

Code Samples

• Sample Tasks

Concepts

• Concepts (Outlook 2010 Auxiliary Reference)

Reference

• Reference (Outlook 2010 Auxiliary Reference)

Technical Articles

• Verifying If an Outlook Item Has Been Modified But Not Saved

Use OSC provider extensibility to develop a managed or unmanaged social network provider that allows Outlook users to view an aggregation of social information updates from the social network site.

• Getting Started with Developing an Outlook Social Connector Provider

Code Samples

• OSC Sample Provider and Templates

Visual How Tos

• Overview: Developing a Real Outlook Social Connector Provider
• Developing a Real Outlook Social Connector Provider by Using a Wrapper Library (Part 1 of 4)
• Getting Friends Information by Using the Wrapper Library for Outlook Social Connector Provider Extensibility (Part 2 of 4)
• Getting Activities Information by Using the Wrapper Library for Outlook Social Connector Provider Extensibility (Part 3 of 4)
• Building an Installation Package for a Real Outlook Social Connector Provider (Part 4 of 4)

Downloads

• Outlook Sample: Outlook Social Connector Provider
• Developing a Real Outlook Social Connector Provider

Concepts

• OSC Typical Calling Sequences
• Developing a Provider with the OSC XML Schema
• Debugging a Provider
• Deploying a Provider
• Getting Ready to Release an OSC Provider

Reference

• Outlook Social Connector Provider Reference

Use the Office Mobile Service APIs to develop web services to integrate the mobile capabilities of Outlook and SharePoint with their mobile devices.

Technical Articles

• Office 2010 Mobile Service Guidelines (Part 1 of 3)
• Office 2010 Mobile Service Guidelines (Part 2 of 3)
• Office 2010 Mobile Service Guidelines (Part 3 of 3)
• What's New in XML Schemas for Outlook 2010

Reference

• Outlook 2010: XML Schema Reference