Exchange Client API Organization (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)
1/6/2010
The Exchange Client Catalog item provides its functionality through a set of COM interfaces, all of which are documented in the Exchange Client Reference section.
For a detailed step-by-step explanation that shows how to use these interfaces to retrieve information from an Exchange server, see Retrieving Information from an Exchange Server.
The central Exchange Client interface is IExchangeClient. You use IExchangeClient to do the following:
- Set general properties of a connection to an Exchange server; for example, like the URL where the Exchange server is available.
- Provide an application-defined callback object that implements the IExchangeClientRequestCallback interface.
The Exchange Client code calls methods of this interface to communicate status to the application using the Exchange Client.
After you configure the connection, you use methods like IExchangeClient::RequestContacts to initiate requests for information on the server.
Each request is represented by an instance of an object that implements the IExchangeClientRequest interface.
When a request completes processing, you retrieve the returned data using IExchangeClientRequest::GetDataItemArray.
Then you process the data using the IExchangeClientDataItemArray interface as well as interfaces like IExchangeClientContactInformation.
Interface Comparison
There are seven Exchange Client interfaces. Each interface falls into one of three conceptual categories:
- Control. The following interfaces control the operation of the Exchange Client, including configuration, submission, and control of requests:
- IExchangeClient
- IExchangeClientRequest
- Data. The following interfaces provide access to data returned by requests.
- IExchangeClientDataItemArray
- IExchangeClientContactInformation
- IExchangeClientGALSearchInformation
- IExchangeClientFreeBusyInformation
An IExchangeClientDataItemArray instance represents a set of returned data; for example, an instance might contain a set of contacts.
Depending on the type of data a request is made for, the contents of an IExchangeClientDataItemArray object could hold instances of one of the three specific data interfaces.
For example, a request for contact information returns an IExchangeClientDataItemArray instance that contains a set of IExchangeClientContactInformation objects.
- Callback. IExchangeClientRequestCallback provides methods called by the Exchange Client to communicate status information to the application using the Exchange Client.
In contrast to other interfaces, where the implementation is part of Windows Embedded CE, the application using the Exchange Client provides the implementation of IExchangeClientRequestCallback.