Add custom pane to Outlook 2003 Sharanga Dayananda 5/16/2007 10:45:02 AM Hi I was wondering what the best method of displaying a custom pane in Outlook 2003 is? I need to display a custom directory tree and when one of these tree nodes is clicked on, I need to show a custom view. I found Microsoft's Project Elixir which does this. But it uses a web view on the folders and embeds an ActiveX control into the web page so that it can interact with the plugin. My problem is that since ActiveX controls can be disabled in IE, even if they're locally registered ActiveX controls they (ActiveX controls) cannot be guaranteed to execute in the folder view. Is there any way around this problem? Even if the ActiveX controls are signed it's still possible that ActiveX objects can be disabled. Is there any way around this problem or is there any other way to render a custom folder view in Outlook 2003? Thanks.

Re: Add custom pane to Outlook 2003 "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" <suemvp[ at ]outlookcode.com> 5/16/2007 11:31:47 AM Since Outlook has no native capability of showing a custom directory tree, a folder home page (which is the name of the feature that Elixir is using) is the ony approach. Not only is it possible for IE security to be changed, it's also possible to turn off the FHP. As I see it, these are things you have to live with as a developer, making clear to the client what the prerequisites of the application are. -- Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003 http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for Administrators, Power Users, and Developers http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx "Sharanga Dayananda" <SharangaDayananda[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:D8B8741A-AB56-43CE-B113-88D4DE9F2E69[ at ]microsoft.com... [Quoted Text] > Hi > > I was wondering what the best method of displaying a custom pane in Outlook > 2003 is? I need to display a custom directory tree and when one of these tree > nodes is clicked on, I need to show a custom view. > > I found Microsoft's Project Elixir which does this. But it uses a web view > on the folders and embeds an ActiveX control into the web page so that it can > interact with the plugin. My problem is that since ActiveX controls can be > disabled in IE, even if they're locally registered ActiveX controls they > (ActiveX controls) cannot be guaranteed to execute in the folder view. Is > there any way around this problem? Even if the ActiveX controls are signed > it's still possible that ActiveX objects can be disabled. > > Is there any way around this problem or is there any other way to render a > custom folder view in Outlook 2003? > > Thanks.

Re: Add custom pane to Outlook 2003 "Sharanga Dayananda" <sdayananda[ at ]mimecast.com> 5/16/2007 12:00:33 PM Hi Thanks for your reply. Would it be possible to stick a custom form view for a folder? There's a developer tool called Add In Express http://www.add-in-express.com/outlook-extension/ which seems to support custom views of existing folders (http://www.add-in-express.com/images/2007/outlook-form-region/index/form-regions.gif). I don't know how they do what they're doing, but if they can render custom GUI elements in there it must be possible to add custom GUI elements in there? Cheers Sharanga "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" <suemvp[ at ]outlookcode.com> wrote in message news:ekjCn66lHHA.1340[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... Since Outlook has no native capability of showing a custom directory tree, a folder home page (which is the name of the feature that Elixir is using) is the ony approach. Not only is it possible for IE security to be changed, it's also possible to turn off the FHP. As I see it, these are things you have to live with as a developer, making clear to the client what the prerequisites of the application are. -- Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003 http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for Administrators, Power Users, and Developers http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx "Sharanga Dayananda" <SharangaDayananda[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:D8B8741A-AB56-43CE-B113-88D4DE9F2E69[ at ]microsoft.com... [Quoted Text] > Hi > > I was wondering what the best method of displaying a custom pane in > Outlook > 2003 is? I need to display a custom directory tree and when one of these > tree > nodes is clicked on, I need to show a custom view. > > I found Microsoft's Project Elixir which does this. But it uses a web view > on the folders and embeds an ActiveX control into the web page so that it > can > interact with the plugin. My problem is that since ActiveX controls can be > disabled in IE, even if they're locally registered ActiveX controls they > (ActiveX controls) cannot be guaranteed to execute in the folder view. Is > there any way around this problem? Even if the ActiveX controls are signed > it's still possible that ActiveX objects can be disabled. > > Is there any way around this problem or is there any other way to render a > custom folder view in Outlook 2003? > > Thanks.

Re: Add custom pane to Outlook 2003 "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" <suemvp[ at ]outlookcode.com> 5/16/2007 12:15:52 PM Either they're using the same technique as Elixir, only in a more extensible fashion, or they've used low-level Windows API techniques to engineer an approach that allows for extensible panes that overlay Outlook's built-in panes. If you're handy with Windows API and have the time, you could in theory do something similar, but don't expect to find a ready-made project to get you started. All such solutions that I know about are highly proprietary. -- Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003 http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for Administrators, Power Users, and Developers http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx "Sharanga Dayananda" <sdayananda[ at ]mimecast.com> wrote in message news:evJpSH7lHHA.4876[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... [Quoted Text] > Hi > > Thanks for your reply. > > Would it be possible to stick a custom form view for a folder? > > There's a developer tool called Add In Express > > http://www.add-in-express.com/outlook-extension/ > > which seems to support custom views of existing folders > (http://www.add-in-express.com/images/2007/outlook-form-region/index/form-regions.gif). > > I don't know how they do what they're doing, but if they can render custom > GUI elements in there it must be possible to add custom GUI elements in > there? > > Cheers > Sharanga > > "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" <suemvp[ at ]outlookcode.com> wrote in message > news:ekjCn66lHHA.1340[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > Since Outlook has no native capability of showing a custom directory tree, a > folder home page (which is the name of the feature that Elixir is using) is > the ony approach. > > Not only is it possible for IE security to be changed, it's also possible to > turn off the FHP. As I see it, these are things you have to live with as a > developer, making clear to the client what the prerequisites of the > application are. > > "Sharanga Dayananda" <SharangaDayananda[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in > message news:D8B8741A-AB56-43CE-B113-88D4DE9F2E69[ at ]microsoft.com... >> Hi >> >> I was wondering what the best method of displaying a custom pane in >> Outlook >> 2003 is? I need to display a custom directory tree and when one of these >> tree >> nodes is clicked on, I need to show a custom view. >> >> I found Microsoft's Project Elixir which does this. But it uses a web view >> on the folders and embeds an ActiveX control into the web page so that it >> can >> interact with the plugin. My problem is that since ActiveX controls can be >> disabled in IE, even if they're locally registered ActiveX controls they >> (ActiveX controls) cannot be guaranteed to execute in the folder view. Is >> there any way around this problem? Even if the ActiveX controls are signed >> it's still possible that ActiveX objects can be disabled. >> >> Is there any way around this problem or is there any other way to render a >> custom folder view in Outlook 2003? >> >> Thanks. > >

Re: Add custom pane to Outlook 2003 "Sharanga Dayananda" <sdayananda[ at ]mimecast.com> 5/16/2007 12:55:12 PM Thanks. "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" <suemvp[ at ]outlookcode.com> wrote in message news:e5VbfQ7lHHA.4876[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... Either they're using the same technique as Elixir, only in a more extensible fashion, or they've used low-level Windows API techniques to engineer an approach that allows for extensible panes that overlay Outlook's built-in panes. If you're handy with Windows API and have the time, you could in theory do something similar, but don't expect to find a ready-made project to get you started. All such solutions that I know about are highly proprietary. -- Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003 http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for Administrators, Power Users, and Developers http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx "Sharanga Dayananda" <sdayananda[ at ]mimecast.com> wrote in message news:evJpSH7lHHA.4876[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... [Quoted Text] > Hi > > Thanks for your reply. > > Would it be possible to stick a custom form view for a folder? > > There's a developer tool called Add In Express > > http://www.add-in-express.com/outlook-extension/ > > which seems to support custom views of existing folders > (http://www.add-in-express.com/images/2007/outlook-form-region/index/form-regions.gif). > > I don't know how they do what they're doing, but if they can render custom > GUI elements in there it must be possible to add custom GUI elements in > there? > > Cheers > Sharanga > > "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" <suemvp[ at ]outlookcode.com> wrote in message > news:ekjCn66lHHA.1340[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > Since Outlook has no native capability of showing a custom directory tree, > a > folder home page (which is the name of the feature that Elixir is using) > is > the ony approach. > > Not only is it possible for IE security to be changed, it's also possible > to > turn off the FHP. As I see it, these are things you have to live with as a > developer, making clear to the client what the prerequisites of the > application are. > > "Sharanga Dayananda" <SharangaDayananda[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote > in > message news:D8B8741A-AB56-43CE-B113-88D4DE9F2E69[ at ]microsoft.com... >> Hi >> >> I was wondering what the best method of displaying a custom pane in >> Outlook >> 2003 is? I need to display a custom directory tree and when one of these >> tree >> nodes is clicked on, I need to show a custom view. >> >> I found Microsoft's Project Elixir which does this. But it uses a web >> view >> on the folders and embeds an ActiveX control into the web page so that it >> can >> interact with the plugin. My problem is that since ActiveX controls can >> be >> disabled in IE, even if they're locally registered ActiveX controls they >> (ActiveX controls) cannot be guaranteed to execute in the folder view. Is >> there any way around this problem? Even if the ActiveX controls are >> signed >> it's still possible that ActiveX objects can be disabled. >> >> Is there any way around this problem or is there any other way to render >> a >> custom folder view in Outlook 2003? >> >> Thanks. > >