C#.NET start Outlook..?

Question

Can I make C#.NET start outlook in the code?

In VB6 we use object 'Outlook.Application' and write:'

Set oOutlook = CreateObject("Outlook.Application") 
Set oNameSpace = oOutlook.GetNamespace("MAPI") 
Set oInbox = oNameSpace.Folders(1) 
 'Set oInbox = oInbox.Folders("Inbox")
oInbox.Display 
 'oOutlook.Quit 'Close All Outlook copies

Copy/Paste from link: http://www.ozgrid.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73886

Answer 1

If you just want to start the outlook; using System.Diagnostics.Process would be the easiest way. :)

Answer 2

System.Diagnostics.Process will only start a process.

To do additional actions such choosing folders, you need to use Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO). And here is it's reference. For example:

var outlook = new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.ApplicationClass();
outlook.Quit();

Answer 3

You could use its ProgID to get the type and the activator

Type objectType = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("Outlook.Application");
object outlook = Activator.CreateInstance(objectType);

But using this in C# you will lose all type information (i.e. no IntelliSense) and you need to call some ugly method to invoke the operations with LateBinding (google for Type.Invoke)

Other option is add a reference to Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.ApplicationClass, so you have compile time type information and create an instance for Outlook in the usual way

using Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook;
Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.ApplicationClass outlook 
     = new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.ApplicationClass();

Or you could use my Late Binding Helper library and use it like this

Invoker outlook = BindingFactory.CreateAutomationBinding("Outlook.Application");
outlook.Method("Quit").Invoke();

No Intellisense with this one, but at least the library will save you from the ugly calls to Type.Invoke and give you a fluent interface instead.