Missing Outlook Object Library

[KerryC]

Hi all,

We have outlook deployed through Citrix at our site. In the analytical lab where I work we have a small application I wrote that uses a free SMTP email component to email lab reports to our internal customers. Currently we keep track of customer email addresses in our LIMS (Lab Information Management System) database, but it's a pain to keep up to date. I'd rather query email addresses, names and distribution groups from the company Outlook contacts list.

All the references I've found so far giving code examples to say pull back distribution groups seem to imply locally installed Outlook. They also start with adding a reference to the Microsoft Outlook 10.0 Object Library, but when I try to add a reference there is no such library listed. Is this something that would have been available if I had locally installed Outlook, or is it packaged with VS.NET and maybe just didn't get installed when I installed Visual Studio.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[RiverGuy]

Yes, you would get the library to reference if Outlook was installed on your local machine.

Are you running an Exchange server? If so, you might be able to query Exchange without going through Outlook. I've never done it, but it's worth checking into.

 

[Sorwen]

Someone may know something else, but till then here is an answer. To pull back distribution groups you need Outlook. I looked into trying this awhile back and you just can't. As far as I can tell (from a user perspective) is a distribution list is nothing more than a sort of email forwarding. It exists only in/on the Exchange Server (again like a forward).

Of course this information does exist and maybe there is some way of querying the ES for it, but if so I never found it. I don't know that you should give up, but I wouldn't hold my breath. If you do find out I would love to know.

-I hate Microsoft!
-Forever and always forward.
-My kingdom for a edit button!

 

[Sorwen]

Hehe, RiverGuy beat me to it.

-I hate Microsoft!
-Forever and always forward.
-My kingdom for a edit button!