Outlook Solutions
Visual Studio provides project templates you can use to create application-level add-ins for Microsoft Office Outlook. You can use add-ins to automate Outlook, extend Outlook features, or customize the Outlook user interface (UI). For more information about application-level add-ins, see Architecture of Application-Level Add-Ins.
Applies to: The information in this topic applies to application-level projects for Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2010. For more information, see Features Available by Office Application and Project Type.
Create Outlook projects by using the Outlook Add-in project template in the New Project dialog box. This template includes required assembly references and project files.
For more information about how to create an add-in project, see How to: Create Office Projects in Visual Studio. For more information about the project templates, see Office Project Templates Overview.
When you create an Outlook add-in project, Visual Studio generates a class, called ThisAddIn, which is the foundation of your solution. This class provides a starting point for writing your code, and it also exposes the object model of Outlook to your add-in.
For more information about the ThisAddIn class and other features you can use in an add-in, see Programming Application-Level Add-Ins.
The Outlook object model exposes many types that you can use to automate Outlook. These types enable you to write code to accomplish common tasks:
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Programmatically create and send e-mail messages.
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Send new meeting requests.
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Search for items in Outlook folders.
For more information, see Outlook Object Model Overview.
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Task |
For more information |
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Add custom tabs to the Ribbon of an Outlook Inspector. |
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Add custom groups to a built-in tab in an Outlook Inspector. |
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Add a custom task pane that appears in an Outlook Inspector |
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Add a form region that extends or replaces existing Outlook forms. |
For more information about customizing the UI of Outlook and other Microsoft Office applications, see Office UI Customization.
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Title |
Description |
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Provides an overview of the objects that are provided by the Outlook object model. |
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Explains the tools provided by Visual Studio that make it easier for you to design, develop, and debug form regions. |
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Walkthrough: Creating Your First Application-Level Add-in for Outlook |
Shows you how to create an application-level add-in for Microsoft Office Outlook. |
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The area of the MSDN Library where you can find articles and reference documentation about developing Outlook solutions (not specific to Office development using Visual Studio). |