Developing Web Applications With Microsoft Exchange

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Developing Web Applications With Microsoft
ExchangeTom Rizzo ? thomriz_at_microsoft.com
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Objectives

• Understand the tools available for collaborative
  development
• Understand the infrastructure requirements for
  web-based apps
• Learn how to build collaborative applications
  using Exchange/Outlook/IIS
• Demos, Demos, Demos, Code, Code, Code

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The three Ts

• Technologies
• OWA
• CDO/COM Components
• Outlook HTML Form Converter
• Routing/Workflow
• Directory Integration
• Tools
• Outlook
• VID/FrontPage
• Techniques

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Demo Some Web Apps

• Job Candidates
• Helpdesk
• Calendar of Events
• News
• Expense Reporting
• Project Management
• Directory Management

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Technologies OWA

• Outlook Web Access is your best tool
• Code examples, best practices
• Steal portions for your own applications
• Provides both anonymous and authenticated access

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Architecture
Browser
Exchange Server
Internet Information Server
Active Server Pages
CDO CDOHTML
Lang
Upload
OWAScripts
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Architecture

• Script Directory Structure

Global.asa
exchsrvr\webdata
USA
FRN
JPN
constant.inc
forms
finduser
calendar
contacts
inbox
help
images
lib
ipm
report
ipnrn
ipnnrn
ndr
dr
note
post
schedule
contact
document
Custom and converted forms
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Setup/Authentication

• Setting up Exchange for your Intranet is easy,
  depending on your authentication needs
• Two types of authentication
• Basic
• Clear text authentication
• Can use SSL for encryption
• All web browers support it
• NT Challenge/Response
• Encrypted
• Can use SSL for further encryption
• Requires IE

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Setup/Authentication

• Depending on authentication, machine
  configuration varies
• Basic
• Exchange Server and IIS can be on separate
  machines or same machine.
• NT Challenge/Response
• Exchange Server and IIS are required to be on the
  same machine. Windows 2000 will support separate
  machines.
• You may be wondering why this is necessary. . . .
  . .

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Anonymous Web pages
NT Server (separate or same machine)
Web Browser
IIS Server
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Browser connects to IIS by requesting a web page.
IIS automatically is logged on as
IUSR_MachineName account.
The IUSR_MachineName account is used to retrieve
web page.
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Basic Authentication
Web Browser
IIS Server
NT Server (separate or same machine)
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Browser connects to IIS by requesting a web page.
IIS automatically is logged on as
IUSR_MachineName account.
The NT Account specified is used to retrieve web
page.
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NTLM Authentication
Web Browser
IIS Server
NT Server (must be same machine)
You cannot proxy the authentication
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Browser connects to IIS by requesting a web page.
IIS automatically is logged on as
IUSR_MachineName account.
The NT Account specified is used to retrieve web
page.
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How authentication works

• For Basic or NTLM
• IIS is always initially logged in as
  IUSR_MACHINENAME
• This account has no permissions to your Exchange
  Server accounts by default
• If you do not change this authentication in your
  application, you will get either a Logon failed
  error or a FailOneProvider error

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Changing permissions

• In order for secure access, your application
  needs to check the server variables to see if the
  client is authenticated
• If not, your application needs to send back 401
  Unauthorized
• This will prompt the browser to force
  authentication
• For NTLM, no screen appears
• For Basic, username/password logon appears

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From Outlook Web Access
Public Function BAuthenticateUser On Error
Resume Next BAuthenticateUser False
bstrAT Request.ServerVariables("AUTH_TYPE")
If InStr(1, bstrAuthTypesAccepted, bstrAT,
vbTextCompare) lt 2 Then Response.Buffer
TRUE Response.Status ("401
Unauthorized") Response.End Else
BAuthenticateUser True End If End
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CDO Object Model
Session
Inbox
Address lists
Outbox
AddressEntries
InfoStores
Fields
RootFolder
AddressEntryFilter
Messages
Fields
MessageFilter
Fields
Fields
Folders
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CDO Rendering Objects
RenderingApplication
There are two classes of view objects -
TableView - CalendarView
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Code Walkthrough

• Lets a look at the code for all of them!

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Outlook HTML Form Conv.

• Provides conversion between Outlook Forms and
  ASP
• Shipped with SP1/SP2
• Works with Netscape and Internet Explorer

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Client System Requirements

• Outlook 8.03, Outlook 98/2000
• Used by the converter to obtain custom fields off
  the forms
• FM20.DLL
• Used to access form descriptions
• Windows 95 or Windows NT Workstation/Server
• You do not need to run the converter on the
  Exchange Server

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Server Requirements

• IIS 3.0 with ASP 1.0b or IIS 4.0
• Outlook Web Access installed
• Share out the webdata directory under the
  Exchange directory.
• Eg. C\exchsrv\webdata

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Whats Supported?

• Forms can be converted from a number of places
• Outlook template files (OFT files)
• Organizational Forms Registry
• Folder Forms Registry
• Personal Forms Registry
• Multiple forms can be converted at once

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How Do I Find The Form?

• Copied to the OWA directory structure

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Folder Names

• Netscape does not support folders that have
  spaces in the name
• Eg. IPM.Post.While you were out
• This will try to create a folder under the
  IPM/Post directory tree named While you were out
• The Form Converter automatically converts spaces
  to 20 so Netscape can access the forms

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Architecture Of Conversion

• Components
• Wizard
• OFT-HTML Converter
• Templates
• Template Processor
• Installshield setup

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Conversion Details

• Frmroot.asp
• Entry point into the form
• Includes script and HTML frameset that houses the
  rest of the components
• Three Frames
• Title.asp - Title page
• PageN.asp - swapped into frame by title.asp where
  N is the page
• commands.asp - hidden commands

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Movement Between Tabs

• Data is submitted to command.asp and copied into
  the cached message object on the IIS server
• Data is retrieved for the new page from the
  message object
• The new page is swapped into the frameset and
  sent to the browser

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Commands.asp

• Hidden form
• Detects custom and built-in field values when
  pages are submitted to the web server
• The on_send, on_reply, on_replyall, on_save,
  on_forward as well as custom action handlers are
  implemented here

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Form.ini

• Contains one section called Description
• Has friendly name of form and whether it is a
  hidden form
• OWA dynamically generates list of custom forms
  based on form.ini

Description DisplayNameProject Management
Application Hidden0
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Whats Supported?

• Certain types of forms are supported
• IPM.Note - Mail Message
• IPM.Post - Post Form
• IPM.Contact - Contact Form
• Task and Appointment forms are not supported
• Work around to get UI converted, copy controls to
  a supported form type
• Forms must have their own message class - cannot
  be named default Outlook forms - e.g.,
  IPM.Contact

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To-Dos

• To-dos are generated if the form encounters
  certain conditions
• To-dos are displayed at the end of the
  conversion and also saved with the form in its
  OWA folder

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Whats supported?

• Most Outlook controls are supported
• Label, textbox, combobox , listbox, checkbox,
  optionbutton, frame, commandbutton, multipage,
  and image control
• Some controls are limited in conversion due to
  HTML limitations
• Image controls are converted to gifs
• Initial values, required fields, datatype
  validation, separate read and compose forms,
  hidden controls and pages are all supported

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Advanced Services

• Routing/Workflow
• Directory integration and management
• Full-text Indexing and Search
• Look at my session from Sunday

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Routing/Workflow

• Exchange 5.5 included the Event Scripting Agent
• Exchange 5.5 SP1 included the Routing Objects
  technology
• Both technologies have object models that you can
  program against

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Architecture Overview
Visual Interdev 1.0 Visual Interdev 98
Outlook 97 8.03 Outlook 98
Event sinks
Intrinsic Objects EventDetails.Session EventDetai
ls.MessageID EventDetails.FolderID CDO Session
uses mailbox identity of last script author
Custom Handlers
Script agent (scripto.dll)
Java
Visual Basic/C
Script sink (ss.dll)
EVENTS.EXE
NT Service
Exchange Server store
Event source
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Event Architecture
Event service
Exchange store
Notify
Application folder
Change list
Docs
ICS
Event handler (agent)

• ICS (Incremental Change Synchronization)
• Events not missed, even if server is offline
• New, changed, deleted, scheduled event (timer)

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Exchange Routing Objects
RouteDetails
ProcInstance
Map
Row
Log
Participant
VoteTable
WorkItem
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Exchange Routing Engine

• Requires Exchange 5.5 SP1
• Implemented as Custom Handler on top of Event
  Service
• Uses OnMessage_Created event to create Process
  Instance
• Each Process Instance Message (PIM) executes its
  defined Map
• Process Map controls routing execution by
  invoking actions

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Creating A Process Instance
Folder
Agent Binding Message (Hidden)
Folder Script
New Item
Default Folder Map
Map
Item
Map
Map
Map
Item
Item
Item
New Process Instance
Existing Process Instances
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Process Definition Map

• Default map stored in folder
• Copied onto new process instance messages
• OnNew and OnTimer folder events update state

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Hub And Spoke Topology
Logical Route View
A
B
C
Startgt
Physical Route View
Hub sends item to A
A
who advances route by
User instantiates
replying to hub
process
Startgt
by submitting item to
hub folder
Hub containing
Process
Definition
Hub sends item to C
C completes process by
replying to hub
Hub sends item to B
B
C
who advances route by
replying to hub
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Some Demos. . .

• Custom Routing Applications
• Deployment Tools
• Lets look at the code!

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COM Components

• 3 New COM Components
• ACL
• Rule
• AcctCrt
• Wrap the most common requested features
• Part of the Platform SDK (PDC Version or posted
  to msdn.microsoft.com)

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Directory Integration And Management

• For Collab apps, the directory is a key
  component
• Find people, resources
• Dynamically resolve roles
• Store custom attributes
• Store organizational information
• ADSI is the key object model to use to access
  directory information in Exchange

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Some Demos. . .

• Directory management
• Querying the directory
• Lets look at the code!

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What Resources Are Available?

• Exchange Developers Forum
• http//www.microsoft.com/exchange/developers
• Exchange appfarm
• http//www.microsoft.com/exchange/appfarm
• Platform SDK (includes EDK)
• http//msdn.microsoft.com

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Resources

• CDO Community resources
• www.slipstick.com
• www.cdolive.com
• www.outlookexchange.com
• Exchange Listserver
• OWA Deployment / Troubleshooting
• New whitepaper and KB article Q125329
• support.microsoft.com/support/exchange/content/whi
  tepapers/owa_tshoot.asp

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Resources
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Tip 1Avoid the authentication trapFailed to
get inbox message

• Make sure to implement authentication correctly
• Remember NTLM means same machine
• When creating CDO apps, IIS is running under the
  context of IUSER_MACHINENAME, you need to force
  the browser to authenticate

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Tip 2Use early binding in Visual Basic

• Better compile time syntax checking
• Generates faster code
• Very simple to do

' Late bound Dim objSession As Object Dim
objNewsgroup As Object Dim objPostItem As Object
Early bound Dim objSession As MAPI.Session Dim
objNewsgroup As Folder Dim objPostItem As Message
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Tip 3Avoid the GetNext trap

• Temporary collection objects always point to
  first item
• Create intermediary objects

' error collection returns the same message both
times MsgBox("first message "
inboxObj.Messages.GetFirst.Subject) MsgBox("next
message " inboxObj.Messages.GetNext.Subject)
objMessages inboxObj.Messages MsgBox("first
message " objMessages.GetFirst.Subject)
MsgBox("next message " objMessages.GetNext.Sub
ject)
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Tip 4Use with statements

• Object creation is expensive
• Internal object created for each period that
  appears in the statement
• Reuse objects whenever possible

' warning do not code this way this is
inefficient MsgBox "Text "
objSession.Inbox.Messages.GetFirst.Text MsgBox
"Subj " objSession.Inbox.Messages.GetFirst.Subj
ect
With objSession.Inbox.Messages.GetFirst
MsgBox "Text " .Text MsgBox "Subj "
.Subject End With
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Tip 5Accessing the root public folder
Set objInfoStores objSession.InfoStores For i
1 To objInfoStores.Count If objInfoStores.Item(
i) "Public Folders" Then Set
objInfoStoreobjInfoStores.Item(i) Exit
For End If Next bstrPublicRootID
objInfoStore.Fields.Item( _ H66310102
).Value 'PR_IPM_PUBLIC_FOLDERS_ENTRYID Set
objTopFolder objSession.GetFolder _
(bstrPublicRootID,objInfoStore.ID)
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Tip 6Deferred sending and delivery

• Deferred sending
• Message waits in users outbox
• Property H3FEF0040
• Deferred delivery
• Message waits in MTA queue
• Property H000F0040

WITH objMessage.Fields .Add H3FEF0040,
CDate(6/1/98 30000 AM") .Add HF0040,
CDATE(6/1/98 120000 PM) END WITH
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Tip 7Checking Access Rights

• PR_ACCESS (H0FF40003)
• Applies to folders and messages

Dim folderAccess as Long Dim canReadItems,
canCreateItems, canDeleteFolder, _
canModifyFolder, canCreateFolders as
Boolean ... folderAccess objFolder.Fields
(H0FF40003) canReadItems folderAccess AND
H00000002 canCreateItems folderAccess AND
H00000010 canDeleteFolder folderAccess AND
H00000004 canModifyFolder folderAccess AND
H00000001 canCreateSubFolders folderAccess AND
H00000008
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Tip 8Making outlook views accessible to the Web

• Only applies to table views
• In Outlook, edit folder properties
• Set Automatically Generate Microsoft Exchange
  Views
• Refresh ContainerRenderer objects view collection

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Tip 9Filtering appointments by date

• CdoPR_START_DATE (H00600040)CdoPR_END_DATE
  (H00610040)

Set objCalendarFolder objSession.GetDefaultFolde
r _ (CdoDefaultFolderCalendar) Set
objAppointments objCalendarFolder.Messages Set
objAppointmentFilter objAppointments.Filter WITH
objMessageFilter.Fields .Add
CdoPR_START_DATE,CDate("12/18/98 50000 PM")
.Add CdoPR_END_DATE,CDate("12/18/98 90000
AM") END WITH
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Tip 10Retrieving a users proxy addresses
Set objRecip objMessage.Recipients(1) Debug.Prin
t "Display Name " objRecip.Name Debug.Print
"Default Address " objRecip.Address Set
objAddrEntry objRecip.AddressEntry Set objField
AddressEntry.Fields(H800F101E)
'PR_EMS_AB_PROXY_ADDRESSES For Each v In
objField.Value Debug.Print "Foreign System
Address " v Next v
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Tip 11Setting the from field on posted items

• Useful for anonymous postings

WITH objMessage.Fields .Add CdoPR_SENT_REPRESENTI
NG_NAME, John Doe) H0042001F .Add
CdoPR_SENT_REPRESENTING_ADDRTYPE,
SMTP) H0064001F .Add CdoPR_SENT_REPRESENTING
_EMAIL_ADDRESS, _ JDoe_at_company.com) H0065
001F END WITH
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Tip 12Accessing direct reports in the directory

• Reports stored in multi-valued string
• PR_EMS_AB_REPORTS_T (H800E101E)
• See org. chart example on App farm

Dim objManager, objPerson as MAPI.AddressEntry Dim
objDirectReports as OrgChart.Reports Set
objDirectReports CreateObject("OrgChart.Reports"
) Set objDirectReports.DataSource myManager For
idx 1 to objDirectReports.Count set
objPerson objSession.GetAddressEntry _
(objDirectReports.Item(idx)) Debug.Print
objPerson.Name Next
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Tip 14Setting reply-to

• Example only supports one recipient
• Reply-to names (H0050001E)
• Reply-to EntryIDs (H004F0102)

Function SetReplyTo (objMessage as MAPI.Message,
_ objReplyToMe As MAPI.AddressEntry) Di
m entryblob, lengthStr, flatEntry As
String lengthStr CStr(Hex(Len(objReplyToMe.ID)/
2)) flatEntry lengthStr "000000"
objReplyToMe.ID structLength Hex(Len(flatEntry)
/ 2) entryblob "01000000" structLength
"000000" flatEntry objMessage.Fields.Ad
d H0050001E, objReplyToMe.Name objMessage.Fields.
Add H004F0102, entryblob
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Questions?
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