VBScript in Outlook Development

Versions

• OL2002 General Information About Using VBScript with Outlook

Versions earlier than 2.0 do not support intrinsic VB constants or the Split() and Join() functions that make it extremely easy work with Outlook's Categories property. Older versions also do not support the FileSystemObject for accessing files and folders.

Documentation

• VBScript Language Reference  -- Very highly recommended
• Visual Basic for Applications Features not in VBScript

Scripting Runtime Library

• Scripting Run-Time Library Reference -- Details on how to use the FileSystemObject to access files and folders in VBScript
• Delete older emails with same subject line -- Uses a Dictionary object to hold the subject and sender name. Note that the For Each loop should be changed to a countdown loop.

Regular expressions

• Introduction to Regular Expressions
• Microsoft Beefs up Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) with Regular Expressions
• Regular Expression Library

Tutorials

• VBScript Primer
• VBScript User's Guide
• FileSystemObject Basics
• Dictionary Object
• VBScript in a Nutshell - Chapter 2: Program Structure

Tips

You can use the Microsoft Script Debugger to debug Outlook form scripts. For Outlook 2000, you'll need to download it; see Microsoft Windows Script Debugger. For Outlook 2002 and 2003, make sure you install the HTML Source Editing / Web Scripting / Web Debugging component listed under Office Tools when you do a custom setup or add components. One way to force a script to invoke the debugger is to put a Stop statement in the code. You can also open an item using a custom form, choose Tools | Forms | Script Debugger, and then set breakpoints.

Windows Script Host

• WSH Primer

If you have WSH installed, you can launch any other program with VBScript code like this: 

Set objWSHShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell") objWSHShell.Run("notepad.exe")

You can also access the registry with WSH, something VBScript cannot do by itself. See:

• Reading From and Writing to the Local Registry
• RegRead method
• Retrieve the default email address for Outlook -- applies only to IMO mode in Outlook 98 or 2000

Other handy WSH techniques:

• Popup - Display a message to the user and wait for a button press or a timeout

Samples

• To publish an Outlook 2000 calendar as a web page automatically
• To pop up the Select Names dialog and work with selected names
• Sync Outlook 98 With Exchange Server -- WSH script to force Outlook 98 to synchronize with Exchange Server. Useful at startup or with a scheduler. 
• Outlook form samples -- since forms always use VBScript

More Information

• Syntax for Microsoft Outlook property and control values and events
• Windows 2000- Script Heaven
• Scripting FAQ
• Make Your E-mail System Love Script -- Introduction to new scripting techniques for Exchange 2000.
• Constants Defined by Common COM Type Libraries

Scripting support sites

• Win32 Scripting.... Everything you need to get up and running
• Windows Scripting Host FAQ
• Windows Scripting Solutions newsletter -- Covers all Microsoft scripting technologies, including Outlook and Exchange Server VBScript.