Building Applications W/Microsoft Outlook 98 (Indep. Programming) [Paperback]

Microsoft Press (Author), Microsoft Corporation Staff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1998 | Series: Indep. Programming

This title gives strategies and sample applications for building groupware applications in Microsoft Outlook 98.

Product Details

• Paperback: 550 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572317183
• ISBN-13: 978-1572317185
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,866,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Introductory Guide for those brand-new to Outlook, January 11, 2000

By 

Gregory P. Lamanna (Canyon Country, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building Applications W/Microsoft Outlook 98 (Indep. Programming) (Paperback)

I am a Visual Basic developer who is new to Outlook development. Yes, the book is basic in it's discussion of controls and development concepts. However, I found it a decent 'first-step' in 'breaking the ice' of the Outlook development architecture.

Yes, the previous reviews are correct in saying that this book is NOT for the experienced Outlook developer. (I am always leery of books that list NO AUTHORS, noting only an 'editor, et al' ... does no one wish to take credit [blame] for the book?)

But for those who have NO development/programming experience, this is for you. It speaks in basic, easy to absorb, step-by-step language, assuming nothing. As of this writing, I am half-way through the book and there has been no discussion of Exchange Server, serious Visual Basic coding, CDO concepts, nor have the topics wandered from the built-in, 'pre-selected' development interfaces in Outlook.

However, the organization is largely built around several pre-created applications (found in the accompanying CD). As the reader, in step-by-step fashion, reconstructs these applications, the purpose of the applications, as well as the Outlook environment, becomes evident. This allows the BEGINNER to learn by DOING. At times the repeating of concepts become tedious, but the upside is that the beginner is forced to 'rehash' (i.e., LEARN) the concepts in the 'creation' (or re-construction) of multiple applications.

For serious Outlook development, you will need to immediately proceed to a more in-depth book. This book serves ONLY as a 'whistle-wetter.'

However, if have NO applications development experience whatsoever and need to 'dive-in' to Outlook 98 applications creation, this book is the perfect first-step.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money - this is not a developer's guide, June 15, 1999

By 

"debrahh" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building Applications W/Microsoft Outlook 98 (Indep. Programming) (Paperback)

If you simply want to learn to use precreated forms - you may get some small value out of this book. If you want to be able to create templates using other objects such as spreadsheets - forget it. This book was a waste of money - especially since I still need to go out and get something that really does give instruction on creating an Outlook application :(

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Missing many essentials and not especially helpful to me., July 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Building Applications W/Microsoft Outlook 98 (Indep. Programming) (Paperback)

This book was generally a disappointment to me. For instance, the book never mentions the exceedingly critical fact that most of the Outlook workgroup functions are worth nothing unless you have purchased and installed Exchange Server for your workgroup. It blithely assumes that you have Exchange before you bought the book. And we are most concerned about how to make Outlook work with Access, but this is hardly mentioned, and I extracted no useful information on this topic. The author attempts to make the book relevant to the typical user by including a number of examples with code, but if you can't use these specific examples I'm not sure where you would turn next. The book lacks the comprehensive nature of a reference, and really is best at instructing beginning Outlook users in the fundamentals of form creation and task management. But that's the irony: anyone concerned with form creation and task management will already be an intermediate user! The book moves very ! slowly through the fundamentals as though afraid of scaring you off with too much technical content. If your needs are beyond this simple scope, and likely they are or shortly will be, you will find that this book is insufficient.

By the way, thanks to all of you who submit book reviews - they are really useful to me.