Planning the next phase - centralised email

[AlastairP]

I am starting to plan the next phase of my application.
This will be part of an "Issue tracker" module.

The goal is to capture emails both incoming and outgoing, from mutiple users/email accounts, for the purpose of tracking issues, assigning the corespondance to an issue or customer.

Currently, in the VFP app, our users send some email via outlook automation. (Reports, PDF's etc)

The server system is set up as follows:
Windows Server 2008 with MS Exchange Server
Local workstations access the server via remote desktop
Users have their own email address and use MS Outlook when logged into the server.
I use ClickYes to overcome the security patch

I have tried searching for info on automating MS exchange, but can't seem to find anything about it.

I am in favour of some kind of interfacing with outlook, so even if my VFP app is not running, perhaps a small monitoring app runs all the time and is called when outlook starts?
Maybe something like a dialog box that pops up when users select new or unread mail, which then prompts the user to assign to a customer?

Any thoughts?

 

[TamarGranor]

I worked on an app years ago where everything the users did in Office needed to be logged in the SQL Server database that the VFP app managed. I handled Word/Excel/PowerPoint, and used add-ins as described in

http://tomorrowssolutionsllc.com/Materials/Advanced_Automation.htm.

Ted Roche handled the Outlook piece, which did require a somewhat different approach. (But I never saw his code. Someone else was in charge of the overall project.) However, I think it was also an add-in or some sort. So check out Outlook add-ins to see if you can figure out how to hook into the Outlook object model appropriately.

Tamar

 

[AlastairP]

Thanks Tamar,
I will report back on the progress of the project

I greatly appreciate any help in this. Just point me in the right direction and I will do the rest!

 

[Olaf Doschke]

AlastarP,

Tamar already gave that pointer you demand.

Please reread after "different approach.", perhaps from "However, I think ..."

Your initial idea to automate Exchange actually sounds more plausible for monitoring email conversations centrally.

An entry point for developer documentation about Exchange is here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa579216(EXCHG.140).aspx

Bye, Olaf.

 

[AlastairP]

Hi Olaf,
Thanks for the help, I will look into this.

The last line of my post was not worded exactly how it intended to be,:
"Thanks for the help so far, pointing me in the right direction is all I need and greatly appreciated"

On behalf of myself and probably for many of the other amature/wannabe programmers who post their questions on this (and other) forums:

The MVPs who take the time to help out the new people, who probably post very similar and repetative questions, should be thanked a thousand fold for their continual support and help on this forum.

The help I have received so far has been fantastic.
1.5 years ago I was a total beginner to VFP, with only a few hours generic training DIP level.

Without you and your fellow expert help, I could not have acheived what I have so far.

I say again - thanks very much

Alastair Porritt