"Software to LookOut For"
Contents
What's
Happening - Opening Comments
Other
Sites of Interest - Messaging, Exchange, & Outlook Links
OlGetM
- Outlook Get / Send Messages Extension
OlCat
- Outlook Categories; Easy Setup of Common Use Categories across
a network
OlRmnd
- Get Task, Appt, other reminders while Outlook is NOT running
OL
alpha projects - Possible future Outlook Extensions
About
Me - Info about the author
This weekend did not turn out as planned. My poor 4 gig is overloaded, so I've put on an 8.4 and doing a new reload of all my software. Running OL98 Beta with few complaints now. As a result, updates will be posted this coming weekend, 2/28. They may appear sooner; but I want to get on track. I'll have another util to try also, if OlTZ passes muster, it'll get posted this weekend too. I like playing with the new Adobe PageMill 3.0 trial. There is not as much complexity as FrontPage has been.
The new news is that I've taken some time off to work on OlGetM, OlRmnd, & OlCat lately. I'm trying to make sure that they will work ok with OL98. The particulars are mentioned at their respective blurbs.
It seems that I am always in the midst of revamping a number of projects that have been on the shelf for some time. Here you will find some tools that will help you specifically with Outlook. Over the next couple of weeks, OK OK - Months, you will find some free - some shareware utilities that augment Outlook's operation. Some of these will offer functions that will be included in the upcoming updates from Microsoft.
So, if you have any comments or suggestions (or need other solutions for your specific environment), then please e-mail me. Naturally, this page will be under construction as I try out different formats. I'm using MS Word 97's html to create this page; we'll see how it looks in real life. Comments on the web page appearance are also appreciated as I'm trying to find what tools work best where.
SlipStick
Systems - Excellent all around resource for Exchange &
Outlook happenings
USA
East - Excellent source site for programming examples
MS
Outlook - Microsoft's Outlook Resource
MS
Outlook Development - Another Microsoft Outlook Resource
Angry
Gray Cat - Ben Goetter's homepage, from whose book I first
learned MAPI
Inside
MAPI - by Cruz & Thaler is the second book I went through
MS
MAPI - Microsoft's MAPI documentation page
OlGetM - Outlook Get / Send Messages Extension
Version 1.2c1 - multithreaded now for polling, sending, & retrieving e-mail
This extension adds either 1 or 2 buttons to your main Outlook toolbar to send / retrieve your mail.
The software is provided as is. View the olgetm.txt file from the zip for limitations and features.
olgetm.zip - 25k; the extension
This version has minor improvements. The major one being improved cpu utilization.
Next version will be 2.0 and it will contain improvements for dialup networking usage, code cleanup for cpu utilization, button use options and install/uninstall procedures. Optimized for use with OL98. These all came from your suggestions.
OlCat - Outlook Categories Common Usage
Version 1.0
Institutes a means of using common categories across a network.
This utility is in alpha-beta at the moment. It is being posted for all those who have asked to test it NOW. It is running fine on several networks at the moment. I am probably being too cautious; but I have learned (especially with the public release of OlGetM) that many people do things many different ways. I have taken the hard-coded paths out and it can use the common data file from anywhere in the network. It allows a system admin to keep current and common categories for Outlook the same for everyone using OL in the system. The user is able to do a live refresh without shutting Outlook down. The user is also able to revert back to the original categories at the touch of a button. The admin has the option of either merging the new categories in with existing or replacing with the common standard.
The software is provided as is. View the olcat.txt file from the zip for limitations and features.
olcatb.zip - 25k; the extension
Disabled this for the moment as this is undergoing an update.
Updates to go into the program still are the ability to use persistant categories for notebook users who disconnect from the network, possibly an automatic refresh facility, help dialog box, and a lot of code cleanup.
Version 2.0 beta
This version is here for the couple of people that wanted to try this out now and as a way for a few beta testers. It runs but does not have all the 'bells & whistles' enabled yet. The biggest thing that it does not do is refresh Outlook with either new reminders or delete the fired reminders. Paging is also crippled in this version. Both of these deficiencies should be working in the next upload. They are working in my debug version, I just want to make sure that there is no corruption or lockups that go out in a public version. If you download this version, please let me know if you had any problems running it. It should give a full list of your reminders (up to the next 99 that will fire). I'm still adjusting the timing loops so give it a full minute if you're waiting for a reminder to fire.
Feature list will include:
Views reminders from tasks and calendar while Outlook is not running. Allows the addition of new 'Spot Reminders', allows absolute date/time reminder setting, updates Outlook upon OL startup, sits in system tray, spawn external programs (i.e. Mail check and download, backup routines, etc.), reminder will call your pager in an away mode, no need to have Outlook running for reminders, etc. I'll refine this list over the next month.
This utility takes little ram to run in and will notify you of reminders that you have set in Outlook without having Exchange running. On my systems there is an average savings of 10% in system resources. View the olrmb1.txt file from the zip for information.
If you download this and you haven't messaged me directly about this beta version, please email me a quick note as to how well it worked with OL on your system. This is a read only version from the OL mapi files so everything runs from it's own subdirectory.
These are projects that work in a limited fashion, but have proven that the ideas behind them work. They won't be released unless I'm sure that they're able to survive some public scrutiny. Besides, the ones that have been coded were done mainly to teach myself. A couple are still on my todo list. If you have an interest in seeing any of these developed further please e-mail me. Also, if MS releases theirs, it makes all this moot; just provides me with the challenge and uses up whatever spare time I did have J or do we call this continuing education?
OlTime - Overcomes a timezone change problem. Does a search through the MAPI file and adjusts all date/time fields by a set time. Hardcore way of doing this. Not entirely sure that it's the best way.
OlCat - This one has gone from an internal alpha to being specific on a couple of networks to a beta release. See above.
OlCal - view overlays of calendars. This fit in with OlShare below. An alpha version is working but is slow; however, it works across a Win95 peer network without needing MS Exchange
OlShare - As I'm not yet pleased with NetFolders, I'm trying to put a Schedule like interface to this one. It allows peer to peer Outlook conversations without the use of NetFolders, MS Mail, or MS Exchange. The conversations are not complete. I'm trying to modify the cal OlCal code I wrote earlier to work better and faster. Access is from the Main Menu as I can't put what I need into the folder view. However, it seems that I'm able to use custom message classes ok. Spring break I'll throw some real time into this one again.
OlSync - tested in limited fashion for contacts folder; needs a lot of detail work still in dealing with attachments and journaling. Some inquiries about this, just haven't had time.
OlData - making user defined fields easier to work with; kind of waiting on MS to release a similar routine to see if it's worth proceeding with this one; ActiveX MAPI data control from MS rumored to be in beta The ActiveX control has been released.
OlHol - manipulate holidays from within Outlook's menus; haven't done anything with this; just here for reference
OlJourn - haven't done anything with this either; just here for reference; the idea would be that a thread watches for any registered app to activiate and then logs the appropriate journal entries, may need to be a two part process - thread in Outlook and some type of communicating code in the registered app. There were some inquiries about this being able to overcome the posting to personal folders and going to a public folder, I'm investigating this.
OlDump - dumps ALL properties associated with a highlighted item to a window; use mainly for debugging purposes; not had much use for this since I get the same and more info from the Microsoft MDB Viewer test application; just here for reference
This area is still under construction / consideration. May disappear. I'm basically testing the waters to see if anything can grow from this. Also, making a declaration that anything is possible, just depends on how much and what you want to throw at it.
I am a freelancer who's been programming since 1968 (back in high school I had access to an IBM 1130 and an IBM 1410). Started with Fortran and then worked my way through a number of different languages; now, I work mainly with MS VC5 and Visual Basic. I am the off-site administrator / troubleshooter at a number of Novell (2.15 [yes, it's still out there], 3.x, 4.x) and Win95 / NT sites. My company work experience ranges from the Fortune 100 to home offices. I specialize in finding solutions for problems that have aggravated others. I've written software for a number of varied industries (i.e. cattle management programs, warehouse operations, ACAD interfaces, specialized communications / messaging applications, oilfield applications, accounting interfaces, reporting entities, etc.). More info is available on request.
If you have problems and can't get them resolved, I may be able to help you find a solution. Please call or e-mail me to discuss this further. I am willing to work both on and off site. Thanks!
Email: Andrejs
Snail Mail: Andrejs Mednis, PO Box 5133, Victoria, Texas, 77903
Phone: 512.578.1853
Last Revised: 24-Feb-98 at 12:00 PM
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