I'm trying to figure out why ActiveExplorer is returning NULL when the user is a new user login (logged into windows for the first time) and then start outlook for the first time, ActiveExplorer return NULL and we cannot display our command bar and menu bar.

If the user exit Outlook and then start Outlook again, ActiveExplorer return a pointer to ExplorerPtr and then we can display our command bar and menu bar.

Is there something else we can get ExplorerPtr when a user run Outlook for the first time for a new windows user that login for the first time?.
Submitted using http://www.outlookforums.com

When are you testing for ActiveExplorer? It should not be in OnConnection()
but in or after OnStartupComplete(). You don't mention the type of code or
Outlook version, so it's hard to be specific without adequate information.

It also may work better if you check the Explorers.Count and if there is at
least one Explorer access Explorers[1] to get a handle to that Explorer.

--
Ken Slovak
[MVP - Outlook]
http://www.slovaktech.com
Author: Professional Programming Outlook 2007.
Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options.
http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm


"Shawn" <swalker[at]bynari[dot]net> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm trying to figure out why ActiveExplorer is returning NULL when the
> user is a new user login (logged into windows for the first time) and then
> start outlook for the first time, ActiveExplorer return NULL and we cannot
> display our command bar and menu bar.
>
> If the user exit Outlook and then start Outlook again, ActiveExplorer
> return a pointer to ExplorerPtr and then we can display our command bar
> and menu bar.
>
> Is there something else we can get ExplorerPtr when a user run Outlook for
> the first time for a new windows user that login for the first time?.
> Submitted using http://www.outlookforums.com

Also note that there won't be any explorers if Outlook is launched
programmatically withour diaplysing any UI or if, for example, mailto link
opens an inspector t oedit a new e-mail (no explorers).

--
Dmitry Streblechenko (MVP)
http://www.dimastr.com/
OutlookSpy - Outlook, CDO
and MAPI Developer Tool
-
"Shawn" <swalker[at]bynari[dot]net> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm trying to figure out why ActiveExplorer is returning NULL when the
> user is a new user login (logged into windows for the first time) and then
> start outlook for the first time, ActiveExplorer return NULL and we cannot
> display our command bar and menu bar.
>
> If the user exit Outlook and then start Outlook again, ActiveExplorer
> return a pointer to ExplorerPtr and then we can display our command bar
> and menu bar.
>
> Is there something else we can get ExplorerPtr when a user run Outlook for
> the first time for a new windows user that login for the first time?.
> Submitted using http://www.outlookforums.com

We get the pointer to IOutlookExtCallback and IID_IDispatch from Install on EECONTEXT_TASK. When we get back into Install on EECONTEXT_VIEWER is when we try to create the menu/toolbar which is where IOutlookExtCallback::ActiveExplorer() is returning NULL.

We are not using IDTExtensibility2 OnConnection/OnStartupComplete which I was not aware of that until now. I'll take a look at that.

kenslovak wrote on Wed, 14 April 2010 14:3
> When are you testing for ActiveExplorer? It should not be in OnConnection()
> but in or after OnStartupComplete(). You don't mention the type of code or
> Outlook version, so it's hard to be specific without adequate information.
>
> It also may work better if you check the Explorers.Count and if there is at
> least one Explorer access Explorers[1] to get a handle to that Explorer.
>
> --
> Ken Slovak
> [MVP - Outlook]
> http://www.slovaktech.com
> Author: Professional Programming Outlook 2007.
> Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options.
> http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm
>
>
> "Shawn" <swalker[at]bynari[dot]net> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > I'm trying to figure out why ActiveExplorer is returning NULL when the
> > user is a new user login (logged into windows for the first time) and then
> > start outlook for the first time, ActiveExplorer return NULL and we cannot
> > display our command bar and menu bar.
> >
> > If the user exit Outlook and then start Outlook again, ActiveExplorer
> > return a pointer to ExplorerPtr and then we can display our command bar
> > and menu bar.
> >
> > Is there something else we can get ExplorerPtr when a user run Outlook for
> > the first time for a new windows user that login for the first time?.
> > Submitted using http://www.outlookforums.co

Those events are for COM addins, if you aren't writing a COM addin the
events won't be available.

--
Ken Slovak
[MVP - Outlook]
http://www.slovaktech.com
Author: Professional Programming Outlook 2007.
Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options.
http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm


"Shawn" <swalker[at]bynari[dot]net> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> We get the pointer to IOutlookExtCallback and IID_IDispatch from Install
> on EECONTEXT_TASK. When we get back into Install on EECONTEXT_VIEWER is
> when we try to create the menu/toolbar which is where
> IOutlookExtCallback::ActiveExplorer() is returning NULL.
>
> We are not using IDTExtensibility2 OnConnection/OnStartupComplete which I
> was not aware of that until now. I'll take a look at that.
>

Okay, I'm back to working on this. This DLL is a COM addin. We do get events from Outlook when a user click on a message and such. But, it is using the Exchange Client Extension which has been deprecated and from my understanding, 2010 is no longer supporting Exchange Client Extension.

So now, we need to convert the code from using Exchange Client Extension to IDTExtensibility2.

kenslovak wrote on Thu, 15 April 2010 16:1
> Those events are for COM addins, if you aren't writing a COM addin the
> events won't be available.
>
> --
> Ken Slova

OK, if it is an Exchange client extension it is not a COM addin. It is an
Outlook addin but not a COM addin. And yes, Exchange client extensions are
deprecated in Outlook 2010 and won't work there.

--
Ken Slovak
[MVP - Outlook]
http://www.slovaktech.com
Author: Professional Programming Outlook 2007.
Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options.
http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm


"Shawn" <swalker[at]bynari[dot]net> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Okay, I'm back to working on this. This DLL is a COM addin. We do get
> events from Outlook when a user click on a message and such. But, it is
> using the Exchange Client Extension which has been deprecated and from my
> understanding, 2010 is no longer supporting Exchange Client Extension.
>
> So now, we need to convert the code from using Exchange Client Extension
> to IDTExtensibility2.

Another question, do we need to use CDO.dll or that is just an option to use MAPI in the COM addin? We don't care about the messages, we just care about the folder.

kenslovak wrote on Thu, 22 April 2010 13:2
> OK, if it is an Exchange client extension it is not a COM addin. It is an
> Outlook addin but not a COM addin. And yes, Exchange client extensions are
> deprecated in Outlook 2010 and won't work there.
>
> --
> Ken Slovak
> [MVP - Outlook

No one ever has to use CDO. What API's you use depend on what you need to do
and what versions of Outlook you are programming for. It also depends on
whether or not you are using other API's such as Redemption
(www.dimastr.com/redemption). Since I have no idea why you would need CDO or
not I have no way of answering that question other than to say that in
general CDO has pretty much been deprecated or because of its security has
become less important.

--
Ken Slovak
[MVP - Outlook]
http://www.slovaktech.com
Author: Professional Programming Outlook 2007.
Reminder Manager, Extended Reminders, Attachment Options.
http://www.slovaktech.com/products.htm


"Shawn" <swalker[at]bynari[dot]net> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Another question, do we need to use CDO.dll or that is just an option to
> use MAPI in the COM addin? We don't care about the messages, we just care
> about the folder.
>

Thanks for the answer. We are not currently using CDO or Redemption. The only thing we used is the MAPI folder (IMAPIFolder interface).

kenslovak wrote on Fri, 23 April 2010 09:3
> No one ever has to use CDO. What API's you use depend on what you need to do
> and what versions of Outlook you are programming for. It also depends on
> whether or not you are using other API's such as Redemption
> (www.dimastr.com/redemption). Since I have no idea why you would need CDO or
> not I have no way of answering that question other than to say that in
> general CDO has pretty much been deprecated or because of its security has
> become less important.
>
> --
> Ken Slovak
> [MVP - Outlook