> I am looking for some advice/guidance on developing a groupware
application
> using Outlook 2000.
> Let me first preface this with a bit of background...  I have never done
any
> sort of Outlook/Exchange server development, so I don't have a good feel
for
> what is and isn't a good candidate application. I have fairly extensive
> development experience using Visual Basic and MS Office development using
> VBA and VBScript. I also have quite a bit of experience with both Perl and
> Java.
> Now for the application idea...  I want to create an app that would
> facilitate the storage and retrieval of information pertaining to
> engineering trade studies. The app must be able to store files (i.e. text,
> Word, Excel, Powerpoint, e-mail messages, etc) along with a description of
> the trade study. Additionally, to facilitate categorization and retrieval,
> extra data must be included as well. Examples of this extra data would be
> author(s), model number(i.e. jeep, pick-up, SUV, etc.), functional
> applicability (i.e. chassis, transmission, etc.), date completed, and a
few
> others. The
> app must be easy to use and reasonbly quick to develop.
> Given these requirements, I envisioned an app based on Outlook. Everyone
(in
> the group of potential users here) has it and uses it everyday, so
training
> requirements should be minimal. I envision a modified form that would
> capture the required data, allow attachment of files, and then move the
> completed trade study (and attached files) to a group folder. Another form
> would be used for searching and retrieval of completed trade studies. It
> would allow searching based upon various criteria (i.e author(s), model
> applicability, etc.). The app would then allow perusal of studies meeting
> the search criteria and would move a copy of the study(s) along with the
> attached files to the user's
> in-box if requested for retrieval .
> Is this type of app a good candidate for being developed in Outlook? If it
> is, can anyone provide a relative measure of the degree of difficulty in
> development, distribution and support that may be involved? Would I need
to
> use a separate database to track the "extra data" or can additional fields
> be built into Outlook?
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks in advance,
> bbecker

> I am looking for some advice/guidance on developing a groupware
application
> using Outlook 2000.
> Let me first preface this with a bit of background...  I have never done
any
> sort of Outlook/Exchange server development, so I don't have a good feel
for
> what is and isn't a good candidate application. I have fairly extensive
> development experience using Visual Basic and MS Office development using
> VBA and VBScript. I also have quite a bit of experience with both Perl and
> Java.
> Now for the application idea...  I want to create an app that would
> facilitate the storage and retrieval of information pertaining to
> engineering trade studies. The app must be able to store files (i.e. text,
> Word, Excel, Powerpoint, e-mail messages, etc) along with a description of
> the trade study. Additionally, to facilitate categorization and retrieval,
> extra data must be included as well. Examples of this extra data would be
> author(s), model number(i.e. jeep, pick-up, SUV, etc.), functional
> applicability (i.e. chassis, transmission, etc.), date completed, and a
few
> others. The
> app must be easy to use and reasonbly quick to develop.
> Given these requirements, I envisioned an app based on Outlook. Everyone
(in
> the group of potential users here) has it and uses it everyday, so
training
> requirements should be minimal. I envision a modified form that would
> capture the required data, allow attachment of files, and then move the
> completed trade study (and attached files) to a group folder. Another form
> would be used for searching and retrieval of completed trade studies. It
> would allow searching based upon various criteria (i.e author(s), model
> applicability, etc.). The app would then allow perusal of studies meeting
> the search criteria and would move a copy of the study(s) along with the
> attached files to the user's
> in-box if requested for retrieval .
> Is this type of app a good candidate for being developed in Outlook? If it
> is, can anyone provide a relative measure of the degree of difficulty in
> development, distribution and support that may be involved? Would I need
to
> use a separate database to track the "extra data" or can additional fields
> be built into Outlook?
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks in advance,
> bbecker