Microsoft Outlook with Eclipse

This example assumes you running an MS operating system and that you have a version of Outlook installed.

2.1. Create Project

Create a new project "de.vogella.microsoft.outlook". See Eclipse RCP for details. Use the "Hello RCP " as a template.

2.2. Create a command

Using extensions create the command "de.vogella.microsoft.outlook.sendEmail" and add it to the menu. Program the default handler "de.vogella.microsoft.outlook.handler.SendEmail"

The following coding will create and open the email for the user. It also assumes that you have a file c:\temp\test.txt which will be attached to the email.

				

package de.vogella.microsoft.outlook.handler;



import java.io.File;



import org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler;

import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionEvent;

import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionException;

import org.eclipse.jface.dialogs.MessageDialog;

import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;

import org.eclipse.swt.ole.win32.OLE;

import org.eclipse.swt.ole.win32.OleAutomation;

import org.eclipse.swt.ole.win32.OleClientSite;

import org.eclipse.swt.ole.win32.OleFrame;

import org.eclipse.swt.ole.win32.Variant;

import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;

import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Shell;



public class SendEmail extends AbstractHandler {



	@Override

	public Object execute(ExecutionEvent event) throws ExecutionException {

		Display display = Display.getCurrent();

		Shell shell = new Shell(display);

		OleFrame frame = new OleFrame(shell, SWT.NONE);

		// This should start outlook if it is not running yet

		OleClientSite site = new OleClientSite(frame, SWT.NONE, "OVCtl.OVCtl");

		site.doVerb(OLE.OLEIVERB_INPLACEACTIVATE);

		// Now get the outlook application

		OleClientSite site2 = new OleClientSite(frame, SWT.NONE,

				"Outlook.Application");

		OleAutomation outlook = new OleAutomation(site2);

		//

		OleAutomation mail = invoke(outlook, "CreateItem", 0 /* Mail item */)

				.getAutomation();

		setProperty(mail, "To", "test@gmail.com"); /*

													 * Empty but could also be

													 * predefined

													 */

		setProperty(mail, "Bcc", "test@gmail.com"); /*

													 * Empty but could also be

													 * predefined

													 */

		setProperty(mail, "BodyFormat", 2 /* HTML */);

		setProperty(mail, "Subject", "Top News for you");

		setProperty(mail, "HtmlBody",

				"Hello
, please find some infos here.");

		File file = new File("c:/temp/test.txt");

		if (file.exists()) {

			OleAutomation attachments = getProperty(mail, "Attachments");

			invoke(attachments, "Add", "c:/temp/test.txt");

		} else {

			MessageDialog

					.openInformation(shell, "Info",

							"Attachment File c:/temp/test.txt not found; will send email with attachment");

		}

		invoke(mail, "Display" /* or "Send" */);

		return null;

	}



	private static OleAutomation getProperty(OleAutomation auto, String name) {

		Variant varResult = auto.getProperty(property(auto, name));

		if (varResult != null && varResult.getType() != OLE.VT_EMPTY) {

			OleAutomation result = varResult.getAutomation();

			varResult.dispose();

			return result;

		}

		return null;

	}



	private static Variant invoke(OleAutomation auto, String command,

			String value) {

		return auto.invoke(property(auto, command),

				new Variant[] { new Variant(value) });

	}



	private static Variant invoke(OleAutomation auto, String command) {

		return auto.invoke(property(auto, command));

	}



	private static Variant invoke(OleAutomation auto, String command, int value) {

		return auto.invoke(property(auto, command),

				new Variant[] { new Variant(value) });

	}



	private static boolean setProperty(OleAutomation auto, String name,



			String value) {

		return auto.setProperty(property(auto, name), new Variant(value));

	}



	private static boolean setProperty(OleAutomation auto, String name,

			int value) {

		return auto.setProperty(property(auto, name), new Variant(value));

	}



	private static int property(OleAutomation auto, String name) {

		return auto.getIDsOfNames(new String[] { name })[0];

	}



}



			

If you now start the application and press the button an email should be prepared and shown to the user.