Display custom form in Preview Pane? Alternatives? lex3001 12/30/2008 11:59:01 PM I am looking for a way to provide custom Outlook Form functionality (a custom form with data populated from a database which can be modified and saved again) in a custom Meeting Request. This has all been implemented and tested except that when other users receive the Meeting Request, they cannot view it in the Preview Pane. What are the alternatives? Is there a way to use a COM Add-In to accomplish the same functionality (an additional tab with fields and data in the form)? What are the other options we have? This is for Outlook 2003. I understand that Outlook Form Regions in 2007 and VSTO might not have this issue (is that true?).

Re: Display custom form in Preview Pane? Alternatives? "Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]" <kenslovak[ at ]mvps.org> 12/31/2008 2:20:07 PM Nothing for Outlook 2003. For Outlook 2007 you can use form regions to set up a replacement form region to completely replace an existing tab in an Outlook form or an adjacent form region that will show up in addition to the tab you add the region to. Either form region and its contents will be readable in the reading pane. For Outlook 2003 you'd need to do a real hack. You'd get the sub-window for the reading pane using Win32 API calls and get that window's location and size. Then you'd create your own window with the data you want, overlay it on the existing preview/reading pane window and make the new window a child window of the Outlook Explorer window. You'd also need to subclass a Windows message handler to handle messages to the existing preview pane window for things like resizing and closing/opening, so you would know when to resize, close/show your window, etc. Doable, but a hack. -- Ken Slovak [MVP - Outlook] http://www.slovaktech.com Author: Professional Programming Outlook 2007. Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options. http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm "lex3001" <lex3001[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:A1A21411-9777-44A9-8024-69167815AC65[ at ]microsoft.com... [Quoted Text] >I am looking for a way to provide custom Outlook Form functionality (a >custom > form with data populated from a database which can be modified and saved > again) in a custom Meeting Request. This has all been implemented and > tested > except that when other users receive the Meeting Request, they cannot view > it > in the Preview Pane. > > What are the alternatives? Is there a way to use a COM Add-In to > accomplish > the same functionality (an additional tab with fields and data in the > form)? > What are the other options we have? This is for Outlook 2003. I understand > that Outlook Form Regions in 2007 and VSTO might not have this issue (is > that > true?).

Re: Display custom form in Preview Pane? Alternatives? lex3001 12/31/2008 5:40:01 PM Thanks Ken - have you seen any examples posted on the Internet of the method you describe? Also, I read some links about creating a COM Add-In on the sender's machine that sets an undocumented property which tells the client to go ahead and render the the preview pane anyway. Have you heard about this? Any feedback on it? "Ken Slovak - [MVP - Outlook]" wrote: [Quoted Text] > Nothing for Outlook 2003. For Outlook 2007 you can use form regions to set > up a replacement form region to completely replace an existing tab in an > Outlook form or an adjacent form region that will show up in addition to the > tab you add the region to. Either form region and its contents will be > readable in the reading pane. > > For Outlook 2003 you'd need to do a real hack. You'd get the sub-window for > the reading pane using Win32 API calls and get that window's location and > size. Then you'd create your own window with the data you want, overlay it > on the existing preview/reading pane window and make the new window a child > window of the Outlook Explorer window. You'd also need to subclass a Windows > message handler to handle messages to the existing preview pane window for > things like resizing and closing/opening, so you would know when to resize, > close/show your window, etc. Doable, but a hack. > > -- > Ken Slovak > [MVP - Outlook] > http://www.slovaktech.com > Author: Professional Programming Outlook 2007. > Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options. > http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm > > > "lex3001" <lex3001[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:A1A21411-9777-44A9-8024-69167815AC65[ at ]microsoft.com... > >I am looking for a way to provide custom Outlook Form functionality (a > >custom > > form with data populated from a database which can be modified and saved > > again) in a custom Meeting Request. This has all been implemented and > > tested > > except that when other users receive the Meeting Request, they cannot view > > it > > in the Preview Pane. > > > > What are the alternatives? Is there a way to use a COM Add-In to > > accomplish > > the same functionality (an additional tab with fields and data in the > > form)? > > What are the other options we have? This is for Outlook 2003. I understand > > that Outlook Form Regions in 2007 and VSTO might not have this issue (is > > that > > true?). > >