Windows mail client: Exchange

All of the MAPI controls direct commands from the VB application to the mail client installed on the user's computer. For Windows 3.11, this is the MS-Mail client and under Windows 95 the software is the Microsoft Exchange application. Exchange is a far more sophisticated version of the MS-Mail client that was included in Windows for Workgroups: it provides a single, central view of all your messages from different sources, including LAN, Internet, CompuServe and fax. Because MS-Mail and Exchange are driven by MAPI commands, you can develop a VB application that provides all the features of Exchange but from your own VB front end! If you have configured Exchange to support Internet mail or fax support, your VB MAPI-enabled application can also support these messaging systems.

The Exchange application that's included as part of Windows 95 is the client section there's an Exchange server product that you can buy separately. However, you can build an email service for your workgroup within the network using just the client software supplied.

Exchange, like all Microsoft messaging applications, uses the MAPI standard to exchange messages between systems. This means that it can send and receive mail with any Microsoft Mail client or server or any other third-party MAPI-compliant product. It can also use bolt-on drivers that let it exchange messages with other non-MAPI services supplied with Windows are drivers for CompuServe, Microsoft Network, and Microsoft Fax. If you want to exchange messages with any other software,...