What storage should I use for a outlook plugin?

Question

What storage system should I use , If i'm going to deploy a outlook plugin with VSTO ?

Is it possible to use outlook's , which is for email ?

UPDATE

I thought about SQL Express , but I think I should use the same thing with what outlook uses , that would save troubles

Answer 1

There are numerous options for you to consider, below I've listed all the ones I've seen used in the past.

1. For Outlook-managed storage you could look into using StorageItem which is a hidden item inside a given folder (Inbox, etc.). Using the StorageItem you can add custom user properties and file attachments.

2. You can also create new Folder and mark it as hidden using the PR_ATTR_HIDDEN flag. Adding any mail items or journal items would only be visible to your add-in since you can access hidden folders via the API - but not via Outlook interface.

3. I've also seen users store information inside Outlook journal items serialized as XML (as is done by jello-dashboard).

4. You could create a custom store via AddStore to construct a local PST.

5. Alternately, you could store data external to the Outlook system for consumption by your addin. External stores could be local Environment paths, local/remote databases, or web service calls.