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EWS generated object models for Exchange

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Applies to: Exchange Online | Exchange Server 2013 | Office 365

The Exchange Web Services (EWS) object model generated by wsdl.exe initially provided a convenient object model for working with Exchange 2007. However, when the EWS Managed API became available, it introduced a number of advantages for developers who are working with managed code.

The EWS Managed API:

  • Provides a more intuitive object model.

  • Contains client-side business logic and data validation.

  • Is fully supported and updated regularly.

  • Contains an Autodiscover client.

  • Implements client features such as logging, cookie management, and diagnostic reporting back to Exchange.

The EWS wsdl.exe-based managed reference documentation has been retired because the EWS Managed API replaces most of the functionality provided by generated object models. At the same time, we know that the EWS managed API is not for everyone. Most of the time, it’s the best way to create EWS clients for .NET, but there are some exceptions; for example:

If you can't use the EWS Managed API to develop your application, you can:

  • Use a third-party EWS client API.

  • Create your own EWS client object model.

  • Use an object model generator. You can expect to find object model generators to support most major platform and languages.

If you plan to use an object model generator, you can use the XML reference to help you understand the generated object model. The object model is generated from the XML structures that are described in the schema. Typically, the classes created by object model generators map to the complex types in the schema. Properties typically map to the XML elements.

View the ExchangeWebServices Namespace.

See also