Global Address Book for Outlook using C# with VSTO

• Download source - 8.7 MB
• Download ContactSharing4OLSetup-Build20160618 - 757.6 KB

Introduction

ContactSharing4OL is an Add-in for Outlook through file server shared contacts item of Outlook in office area. It is a VSTO project developed in Visual Studio using C#.

Background

It is a simple tool to attach contacts data (file base) between Outlook and file server that made it a Global address book for Outlook. Once add-in is ready with file server configured, click button 'Global Contacts' will pop up the dialog box which will allow you to select recipients.

How Add-in Works

Step 1

Using Visual Studio, create Outlook Add-in project and add new item of Ribbon (XML).

Step 2

Below, add custom button at Outlook inspector.

public string GetCustomUI(string ribbonID)
{
    switch (ribbonID)
    {
        case "Microsoft.Outlook.Mail.Compose":
                    return GetResourceText("ContactSharing4OL.MailComposeInspectorRibbon.xml");
        default:
                    return null;         
    }
}

Code of ContactSharing4OL.MailComposeInspectorRibbon.xml. My custom button is added in default ribbon group "TabNewMailMessage" before "GroupClipboard". So, button will position at top of left.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<customUI onLoad="Ribbon_Load" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/01/customui">
  <ribbon>
    <tabs>
      <tab idMso="TabNewMailMessage">
        <group id="group1" label="ContactSharing" insertBeforeMso="GroupClipboard">
          <button id="GlobalContactBtn" onAction="GlobalContactInspectorRibbonBtn_Click" 
           label="Global Contacts" size="large" getImage="GetGlobalImg"/>
        </group>
      </tab>
    </tabs>
  </ribbon>
</customUI>

Step 3

Once Outook startup add-in will synchronize changed contacts data from server, if local empty will copy all data from server.

private void ThisAddIn_Startup(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
    // ... call my synchronize function here to load data up
}

Points of Interest

Although Microsoft does not provide Address Book Provider API for C#, we can through other activities' API to call what to do in Outlook. Here, I successfully made Address book, it is good for users to achieve Address book functionality without Exchange, Lotus Notes email system.

History

• 30^th June, 2016: Initial release