Calendar Integration Plan - Feedback requested

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   All, great forum.  Looking for a good reality check before I get started.

I am preparing to integrate the calendar control into my app and would really like to get some feedback on my plan to put this thing in place.  I have an idea in mind on how I want to integrate it, but want to make sure my idea will work before trying to put it into place.

I am programming in VB 6.0 against an Access database.  The Access DB will be the main, default database.  My users may or may not have Outlook installed on their machines.  If they do, I want to allow them to optionally synchronize with Outlook using the calendar's built-in MAPI data provider.  The plan is as follows,

Access will be my default database via a custom data provider.
If MS Outlook is installed, it will be connected to a 2nd hidden calendar via the MAPI interface.  This assumes MS Outlook is the default data provider.
Adds, Updates, Deletes on the default, visible calendar will be trapped using the DoCreateEvent, DoUpdateEvent, DoDeleteEvent will be updated programmatically in the Access DB and updated programmatically on the hidden calendar so that they show up on the Outlook calendar.  
Additions/Updates/Deletes made in Outlook will automatically show up on the hidden calendar.  By trapping the EventAddedEx, EventUpdatedEx, and EventDeletedEx these will be added programmatically to the Access database.

Does anybody see any problem with what I am trying to accomplish?  Is there a better way to do what I am trying to do?  

In closing, there is no substitute for great code other than great planning.  The calendar is very powerful with lots of options and I do not want to leverage the wrong facilities only to find out later that I had it all wrong.  Any feedback you might be able to share would be very much appreciated.  Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

John P. Coffey

     Product: Xtreme SuitePro (ActiveX) version 13.0.0 
     Platform: Windows XP (32bit) - SP 3 
     Language: Visual Basic 6.0 

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jpcoffeyXXX Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 16 August 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 31	Post Options Post Reply Quote jpcoffeyXXX Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Calendar Integration Plan - Feedback requested Posted: 02 May 2009 at 10:32am
	All, great forum. Looking for a good reality check before I get started. I am preparing to integrate the calendar control into my app and would really like to get some feedback on my plan to put this thing in place. I have an idea in mind on how I want to integrate it, but want to make sure my idea will work before trying to put it into place. I am programming in VB 6.0 against an Access database. The Access DB will be the main, default database. My users may or may not have Outlook installed on their machines. If they do, I want to allow them to optionally synchronize with Outlook using the calendar's built-in MAPI data provider. The plan is as follows, Access will be my default database via a custom data provider. If MS Outlook is installed, it will be connected to a 2nd hidden calendar via the MAPI interface. This assumes MS Outlook is the default data provider. Adds, Updates, Deletes on the default, visible calendar will be trapped using the DoCreateEvent, DoUpdateEvent, DoDeleteEvent will be updated programmatically in the Access DB and updated programmatically on the hidden calendar so that they show up on the Outlook calendar. Additions/Updates/Deletes made in Outlook will automatically show up on the hidden calendar. By trapping the EventAddedEx, EventUpdatedEx, and EventDeletedEx these will be added programmatically to the Access database. Does anybody see any problem with what I am trying to accomplish? Is there a better way to do what I am trying to do? In closing, there is no substitute for great code other than great planning. The calendar is very powerful with lots of options and I do not want to leverage the wrong facilities only to find out later that I had it all wrong. Any feedback you might be able to share would be very much appreciated. Thank you very much. Sincerely, John P. Coffey Product: Xtreme SuitePro (ActiveX) version 13.0.0 Platform: Windows XP (32bit) - SP 3 Language: Visual Basic 6.0

pitronot Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 May 2009 Location: Israel Status: Offline Points: 6	Post Options Post Reply Quote pitronot Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 May 2009 at 4:00pm
	Disclaimer: ---first off I wish to say, I am currently contemplating how to add this Calendar object to my app to. So take that into consideration when reading my reply. The hidden CalendarControl will slow you down why not MANUALLY run the MAPI dataProvider by yourself in your code. connect to MAPI, and then in your customDataProvider have it reference the MAPI (if connected ofc) and add events. have it retrieve new events from the MailServer - just need to run a Thread every so often that checks if new appointments were created in MAPI. That's what you're invisible CalendarControl will do but be much more resource intensive.
	Mickey Perlstein Development Manager

jpcoffeyXXX Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 16 August 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 31	Post Options Post Reply Quote jpcoffeyXXX Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 30 May 2009 at 3:40pm
	pitronot, thanks for your feedback. I have put more thought into it and have decided to go with the built-in Access data provider. I typically don't go with built-in anything, but I am so new to the calendar that I feel a lot safer in doing so. Once I get more experience I may decide to opt-in for more customization. I will state that so far, the integration has been very smooth and without mishaps. It is all moving so fast that I doubt I will deviate from the delivered functionality. I appreciate your input on the MAPI as well, but I am still going to go with the built-in MAPI and the hidden calendar. It is a snap in solution that will work with as little customization as possible. I plan on adding a field to the Access DB indicating that the event is from Outlook. If the user wants to clear all of the Outlook events, it can be done if I run a query against the DB and then the user is back to normal. Cheers, John