How do I work with the MAPIEx VBO?

How do I work with the MAPIEx VBO? How is it installed? What functionality does it provide?

There is documentation available on the Blue Prism Portal entitled: Releases, Add-Ons, MAPIEx 1.1.15 area of the portal. This describes much of the general functionality of the Exchange Server API (MAPIEx) interfaces with regards to their use in Blue Prism development.

Installing MAPIEx

There are three main stages to ensure that the MAPIEx automation object is correctly referenced by Blue Prism.

1. Install the MAPIEx files onto the Blue Prism client (or on any machine that will use this functionality). The installer can be found on the Blue Prism portal under 'Releases' then by clicking the 'addons' link. The installer file is called 'BluePrismMapiEx1.1.15.msi'

The installation will include the following files:-

• BluePrismMAPIExAutomation.dll
• BluePrismMAPIExAutomation.tlb
• BPMAPIEx.chm
• MAPI32.dll
• MAPIEx.dll
• BPA Object - Blue Prism MAPIEx.xml (in the 'VBO' sub-folder)

These files will be installed into the “C:\Program Files (x86)\Blue Prism Limited\Blue Prism Automate” directory as part of the .MSI installation process

2. On 64-bit machines, Blue Prism will be installed in 'C:\Program Files', but MAPIEx gets installed into 'C:\Program Files (x86)' because it is a 32-bit program. If developing on a 64-bit machine, either modify the installation folder to match your Blue Prism installation, or copy the installed MAPIEx files into the Blue Prism installation folder after the installation has been done.

Remember: MAPIEx will not work with 64-bit Outlook.

3. The easiest way to use MAPIEx is to Import the BPA Object - Blue Prism MAPIEx.xml

If you wish to work programmatically with the object, edit the MAPIEx VBO from within Blue Prism's Object Studio. Select the 'Initialise' tab, and then double-click on the Business Objects Page Information stage (containing the properties for the page) to reveal the properties for this page. Select the 'Code Options' tab. Browse to the 'BluePrismMAPIExAutomation.dll' located in the correct installation directory, ensuring that the full path and filename is referenced in the 'External References' list.

e.g. 'C:\Program Files\Blue Prism Limited\Blue Prism Automate\BluePrismMAPIExAutomation.dll'

MAPIEx as an Internal and External Business Object

MAPIEx can be worked with an an "internal" or "external" Business Object. Internal objects are imported into the Blue Prism database, and so are available to all users who have access to the database. External Business Objects are specific to the machine on which they are installed and are not visible by other users. It is generally recommended that the Internal Business Object is used in preference ot the External object.

To add MAPIEX as an External Business Object:-

• Open the 'External Business Objects' tab in the Business Objects section of System Manager.
• Create a new object, using the class name 'BluePrism.WindowsAutomation.clsMAPIExAutomation' in the 'Add a new object' field.
• Click 'OK' to complete the process.
• A new Business Object named "Blue Prism MAPIEx Automation (2005)" will be added.

What can you do with MAPIEx?

The main functionality involved with MAPIEx is to obtain information about e-mails and to manipulate them (i.e. delete, move, or send them). The in-product Help contains information about how each of the functions and associated parameters provided by MAPIEx can be specified.

MAPIEx can be used to check for e-mail in specific Exchange Server mailboxes, and can then reply, forward or move e-mails in response to this.

Limitations

• MAPIEx in v4.2 cannot deal properly with attachments that make use of non-English character sets.
• It cannot currently use HTML or Rich Text e-mail formats, and deals only in plain text e-mails.
• MAPIEx will only work with the Outlook mail client as a 32-bit application. 64-bit Outlook is not supported.