Does Windows Mail have an external API or scripting?

The only thing I wished for in Outlook Express was the capability of
writing add-ins. Outlook Express preserves the original message
formatting. So a perfect add in would be a button 'Report spam' which
would post the entire message to Spamcop.

I believe there may well be - that's actually a good idea but you could
easily write something like that in Visual Studio without the necessary API
as it's only a toolbar button... I'll try and find the answer to this and
get back to you )

--
Zack Whittaker
» ZackNET Enterprises: www.zacknet.co.uk
» MSBlog on ResDev: www.msblog.org
» Vista Knowledge Base: www.vistabase.co.uk
» This mailing is provided "as is" with no warranties, and confers no
rights. All opinions expressed are those of myself unless stated so, and not
of my employer, best friend, Ghandi, my mother or my cat. Glad we cleared
that up!


--- Original message follows ---
"Jeffery Jones" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Does Windows Mail have an external API or scripting?
>
> The only thing I wished for in Outlook Express was the capability of
> writing add-ins. Outlook Express preserves the original message
> formatting. So a perfect add in would be a button 'Report spam' which
> would post the entire message to Spamcop.
>

I don't know about an add-in API, but the mail store file format is being
changed to individual RFC compliant .eml files per message. Between that and
perhaps using the Vista search APIs on your mail store I bet you could put
together an external app that does such things as what you describe.

Here's a C9 video on Windows Mail that talks about this.

http://channel9.msdn.com/showpost.aspx?postid=116711

I think all you would need in addition is a couple of hooks to let a user
manually run an external process in the context of a message or folder (say,
with a right-click). Or you could just write your program to poll a certain
mail folder for new messages.


"Jeffery Jones" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Does Windows Mail have an external API or scripting?
>
> The only thing I wished for in Outlook Express was the capability of
> writing add-ins. Outlook Express preserves the original message
> formatting. So a perfect add in would be a button 'Report spam' which
> would post the entire message to Spamcop.
>

The APIs for WinMail are the same as for OE with a few modifications.

See:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...e/oe_entry.asp

Its all in transition at the moment, and I don't think the documentation
will be updated until they are close to release.

steve



"Jeffery Jones" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Does Windows Mail have an external API or scripting?
>
> The only thing I wished for in Outlook Express was the capability of
> writing add-ins. Outlook Express preserves the original message
> formatting. So a perfect add in would be a button 'Report spam' which
> would post the entire message to Spamcop.
>

On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:42:20 -0500, "Steve Cochran"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>The APIs for WinMail are the same as for OE with a few modifications.

Cool! I'm glad the message store went to RFC-format text files
also. Watched the Channel-9 piece on Windows Mail so I think this
thing will be quite nice.

Hello Mr. Cochran,

--first foray into this/these newsgroup(s)--

I am tasked with adjusting my company's s/w that carries out email account
creation (and a few other processes) from the Outlook Express to the in Beta
Windows Vista Mail s/w.

What advice do you have re: this change over? Getting information from the
Vista Mail Dev Team? Joining the Vista Beta?

Of particular interest is the API which handles password cryptography. Any
thoughts about that? We take the uncoded password from the user, encrypt it,
then store it of Windows Mail to use later.

Any suggestions, explanations, experiences are warmly welcomed.

--
Thanks so much,

george

_________________________
George S. Lockwood
Lead Client Developer
peoplePC, an EarthLink company



"Steve Cochran" wrote:

> The APIs for WinMail are the same as for OE with a few modifications.
>
> See:
>
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...e/oe_entry.asp
>
> Its all in transition at the moment, and I don't think the documentation
> will be updated until they are close to release.
>
> steve
>
>
>
> "Jeffery Jones" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Does Windows Mail have an external API or scripting?
> >
> > The only thing I wished for in Outlook Express was the capability of
> > writing add-ins. Outlook Express preserves the original message
> > formatting. So a perfect add in would be a button 'Report spam' which
> > would post the entire message to Spamcop.
> >
>

Hi George,

I think its going to be difficult to migrate passwords over as the means by
which passwords are stored is changing. Previously OE used the Protected
Storage system
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...asp?frame=true),
but now they are moving to the cryptography APIs.

I don't know how they are implementing those exactly. What is going to
happen is the account information is no longer tied to the registry, but
rather is in acct files in the message store itself. Within those files is
the user information, including the password (encrypted). I don't know the
details on how they are encrypted and what they use as the encryption key,
and I don't expect them to reveal that information.

From what others have posted, the IAF export of accounts from OE and then
import into WinMail seems to work and include the passwords. I don't think
they have all this transfer information completely programmed yet.

cheers,

steve

"George" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:45AF3CE7-267C-43AE-8064-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello Mr. Cochran,
>
> --first foray into this/these newsgroup(s)--
>
> I am tasked with adjusting my company's s/w that carries out email account
> creation (and a few other processes) from the Outlook Express to the in
> Beta
> Windows Vista Mail s/w.
>
> What advice do you have re: this change over? Getting information from the
> Vista Mail Dev Team? Joining the Vista Beta?
>
> Of particular interest is the API which handles password cryptography.
> Any
> thoughts about that? We take the uncoded password from the user, encrypt
> it,
> then store it of Windows Mail to use later.
>
> Any suggestions, explanations, experiences are warmly welcomed.
>
> --
> Thanks so much,
>
> george
>
> _________________________
> George S. Lockwood
> Lead Client Developer
> peoplePC, an EarthLink company
>
>
>
> "Steve Cochran" wrote:
>
>> The APIs for WinMail are the same as for OE with a few modifications.
>>
>> See:
>>
>> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...e/oe_entry.asp
>>
>> Its all in transition at the moment, and I don't think the documentation
>> will be updated until they are close to release.
>>
>> steve
>>
>>
>>
>> "Jeffery Jones" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > Does Windows Mail have an external API or scripting?
>> >
>> > The only thing I wished for in Outlook Express was the capability of
>> > writing add-ins. Outlook Express preserves the original message
>> > formatting. So a perfect add in would be a button 'Report spam' which
>> > would post the entire message to Spamcop.
>> >
>>

Thank you Steve.

Your reply confirmed my suspicions.

a) Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a resource to describe the
Mail password mechanism. I believe/hope there will be a (crypto) API that
will simply take a string and replace it with or otherwise provide an
encrypted password. No knowledge of a key or anything else at our end
required. Rhetoric: How would that expose MS?

b) Yes, I've found the "oeaccount" files (containing an encrypted password).
So yes: away from registry and towards files. I'd like to know if MS has or
will provide a object/library to specifically handle read/writing to these
files. Or if it's up to us to write owr own XML DOM or SAX code to handle
it. Any thoughts on MS Mail acct XML?


Finally, A quick look at the other threads here shows me these are new
issues to the Windows Mail newsgroup so I'm thinking of starting up one or
two new threads regarding these areas...care to join in and class them up?

--
Thanks so much,

george

_________________________
George S. Lockwood
Lead Client Developer
peoplePC, an EarthLink company



"Steve Cochran" wrote:

> Hi George,
>
> I think its going to be difficult to migrate passwords over as the means by
> which passwords are stored is changing. Previously OE used the Protected
> Storage system
> (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...asp?frame=true),
> but now they are moving to the cryptography APIs.
>
> I don't know how they are implementing those exactly. What is going to
> happen is the account information is no longer tied to the registry, but
> rather is in acct files in the message store itself. Within those files is
> the user information, including the password (encrypted). I don't know the
> details on how they are encrypted and what they use as the encryption key,
> and I don't expect them to reveal that information.
>
> From what others have posted, the IAF export of accounts from OE and then
> import into WinMail seems to work and include the passwords. I don't think
> they have all this transfer information completely programmed yet.
>
> cheers,
>
> steve
>
> "George" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:45AF3CE7-267C-43AE-8064-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hello Mr. Cochran,
> >
> > --first foray into this/these newsgroup(s)--
> >
> > I am tasked with adjusting my company's s/w that carries out email account
> > creation (and a few other processes) from the Outlook Express to the in
> > Beta
> > Windows Vista Mail s/w.
> >
> > What advice do you have re: this change over? Getting information from the
> > Vista Mail Dev Team? Joining the Vista Beta?
> >
> > Of particular interest is the API which handles password cryptography.
> > Any
> > thoughts about that? We take the uncoded password from the user, encrypt
> > it,
> > then store it of Windows Mail to use later.
> >
> > Any suggestions, explanations, experiences are warmly welcomed.
> >
> > --
> > Thanks so much,
> >
> > george
> >
> > _________________________
> > George S. Lockwood
> > Lead Client Developer
> > peoplePC, an EarthLink company
> >
> >
> >
> > "Steve Cochran" wrote:
> >
> >> The APIs for WinMail are the same as for OE with a few modifications.
> >>
> >> See:
> >>
> >> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...e/oe_entry.asp
> >>
> >> Its all in transition at the moment, and I don't think the documentation
> >> will be updated until they are close to release.
> >>
> >> steve
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> "Jeffery Jones" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> >> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> > Does Windows Mail have an external API or scripting?
> >> >
> >> > The only thing I wished for in Outlook Express was the capability of
> >> > writing add-ins. Outlook Express preserves the original message
> >> > formatting. So a perfect add in would be a button 'Report spam' which
> >> > would post the entire message to Spamcop.
> >> >
> >>
>

Also, Steve, I am slightly aware of IAF exports. Where did you see the other
postings re: IAF.

It might have to be my solution in the end.

--
Thanks so much,

george

_________________________
George S. Lockwood
Lead Client Developer
peoplePC, an EarthLink company



"Steve Cochran" wrote:

> Hi George,
>
> I think its going to be difficult to migrate passwords over as the means by
> which passwords are stored is changing. Previously OE used the Protected
> Storage system
> (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...asp?frame=true),
> but now they are moving to the cryptography APIs.
>
> I don't know how they are implementing those exactly. What is going to
> happen is the account information is no longer tied to the registry, but
> rather is in acct files in the message store itself. Within those files is
> the user information, including the password (encrypted). I don't know the
> details on how they are encrypted and what they use as the encryption key,
> and I don't expect them to reveal that information.
>
> From what others have posted, the IAF export of accounts from OE and then
> import into WinMail seems to work and include the passwords. I don't think
> they have all this transfer information completely programmed yet.
>
> cheers,
>
> steve
>
> "George" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:45AF3CE7-267C-43AE-8064-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hello Mr. Cochran,
> >
> > --first foray into this/these newsgroup(s)--
> >
> > I am tasked with adjusting my company's s/w that carries out email account
> > creation (and a few other processes) from the Outlook Express to the in
> > Beta
> > Windows Vista Mail s/w.
> >
> > What advice do you have re: this change over? Getting information from the
> > Vista Mail Dev Team? Joining the Vista Beta?
> >
> > Of particular interest is the API which handles password cryptography.
> > Any
> > thoughts about that? We take the uncoded password from the user, encrypt
> > it,
> > then store it of Windows Mail to use later.
> >
> > Any suggestions, explanations, experiences are warmly welcomed.
> >
> > --
> > Thanks so much,
> >
> > george
> >
> > _________________________
> > George S. Lockwood
> > Lead Client Developer
> > peoplePC, an EarthLink company
> >
> >
> >
> > "Steve Cochran" wrote:
> >
> >> The APIs for WinMail are the same as for OE with a few modifications.
> >>
> >> See:
> >>
> >> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...e/oe_entry.asp
> >>
> >> Its all in transition at the moment, and I don't think the documentation
> >> will be updated until they are close to release.
> >>
> >> steve
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> "Jeffery Jones" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> >> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> > Does Windows Mail have an external API or scripting?
> >> >
> >> > The only thing I wished for in Outlook Express was the capability of
> >> > writing add-ins. Outlook Express preserves the original message
> >> > formatting. So a perfect add in would be a button 'Report spam' which
> >> > would post the entire message to Spamcop.
> >> >
> >>
>