MAPI and managed code experiences? [closed]

Answer 1

MAPISendDocuments is deprecated and might be removed. You should use MAPISendMail instead. See Simple MAPI

Answer 2

For someone experienced with MAPI, it would take them less time to crank out the code to do exactly what you want from unmanaged code (read: plain C++) than typing this post and reading the response (no offense).

You're lucky the functionality you need is limited. All you need is a simple C++ utility to take the params you need on the command-line and issue the right MAPI calls. Then, you all this utility from your managed code just as you'd to execute any other process.

HTH

Answer 3

The following code doesn't use MAPI as such, but it does open the "Compose Mail" window with arbitrary attachments.

(actually, it's entirely untested but I dug it up in an application that I believe to have worked)

using Microsoft.Office;
using Microsoft.Office.Core;

...

Outlook.Application outlook = new Outlook.Application();
Outlook.MailItem mail = (Outlook.MailItem) outlook.CreateItem(Outlook.OlItemType.olMailItem);

mail.BodyFormat = Outlook.OlBodyFormat.olFormatRichText;
mail.HTMLBody = "stuff";
mail.Subject = "more stuff";
string file = File.ReadAllBytes(...);
mail.Attachments.Add(file, Outlook.OlAttachmentType.olByValue, 1, file)

mail.Display(false);

Answer 4

Have a separate helper EXE that takes command-line params (or pipe to its StandardInput) that does what is required and call that from your main app. This keeps the MAPI stuff outside of your main app's process space. OK, you're still mixing MAPI and .NET but in a very short-lived process. The assumption is that MAPI and the CLR start causing issues with longer-running processes.

We use Dmitry Streblechenko's superb Redemption Data Objects library which allows us to write such "shim" code in JScript and invoke that, which keeps the CLR and MAPI worlds in separate processes, but in a supported fashion.

@Chris Fournier re. writing an unmanaged DLL. This won't work because the issue is mixing MAPI and managed code in the same process.

Answer 5

You could also use Outlook Redemption, which is supported from managed code; I'm not immediately sure if it has a simple MAPISendDocuments replacement, but Dmitry's helpful if you have questions.

As for "crashes and burns", here's another quote from an MS support guy, here

It's the sort of thing that'll mostly work. It'll work while you're writing it. Then it'll work while you're testing it. It'll work while your customer is evaluating it. Then as soon as the customer deploys it - BAM! That's when it'll decide to start having problems. And Microsoft ain't gonna help you with it, since we told you not to do it in the first place. :)

Answer 6

You should be able to make an unmanaged DLL that performs the operations you want using MAPI, and then invoke that DLL from your managed code. I wouldn't write a straight MAPI wrapper, but something that performs all of the functionality you require of MAPI contained in that unmanaged DLL. That would probably be the safest way to use MAPI from managed code.