It's been more than three years since I first tried to explain how to program Microsoft Outlook in "Teach Yourself Microsoft Outlook 2000 Programming in 24 Hours" (Sams) in a way that would appeal to a wide range of Outlook users. I wanted potential power users to learn how to turn Outlook into a more productive desktop tool. I hoped to help administrators build forms that would enhance collaboration in their organizations and small personal tools to automate repetitive administrative tasks. To experienced developers, I aimed to explain the many quirks that can make programming Outlook difficult.

Since that time, of course, Outlook 2002 has been released, adding new programming features, but also new challenges. In the wake of LoveLetter and dozens of other viruses that targeted Outlook, Microsoft dramatically changed the functionality that makes it possible to work with email addresses and send messages programmatically. One of the goals of this book is to explain the new security features thoroughly and lay out your options, including a third-party library, Redemption. I also wanted to explain more of the architecture, especially the elements that tend to be stumbling blocks for new Outlook developers.

I've seen increasing interest in using Outlook forms in non-Exchange environments and expect this trend to continue, especially with recent third-party enhancements for Outlook that allow data sharing without Exchange. At the same time, Microsoft's .NET initiative has made XML Web services an incredibly easy-to-use development strategy for Outlook 2002, bringing new functionality to Outlook with just...