How to use Microsoft Exchange WebServices (EWS) with vb.net
If you use Microsoft Exchange 2007 SP1 or later you use Microsoft Exchange WebServices (aka EWS) to access users data, e.g. all appointments from Calendar. If the user is already logged in using Windows Credentials and these are passed in the browser, no additionall login is required. That’s convenient for the user, compared to e.g. IMAP where you always have to supply your windows password.
So here are some details which might help you if you want to use Microsofts Exchange Webservices:
Prerequisites:
1. Install Microsoft Exchange Web Services Managed API 2.0 on your developer client, available at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35371
2. Add reference to Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.dll file within your project as described at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd633626%28v=exchg.80%29.aspx
Get Access to the service:
The following Function establishes the connection to the service. If the user is not connected to Exchange SP1 or later, nothing is returned.
''' <summary>
''' Email Address for which the Appointments should be retrieved
''' </summary>
''' <param name="emailAddress">Valid email address, e.g. Test@nullexample.com</param>
''' <returns>Service, otherwise nothing</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Friend Shared Function GetService(emailAddress As String) As Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ExchangeService
Dim Service As Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ExchangeService = Nothing
Try
Service = New Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ExchangeService(Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.ExchangeVersion.Exchange2007_SP1)
' Microsoft recommends to use AutoDiscoverUrl to ensure that always the best endpoint for the given user is used.
Service.AutodiscoverUrl(emailAddress)
Service.UseDefaultCredentials = True
Catch ex As Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data.AutodiscoverLocalException
'Seems that user does not work on Exchange 2007 SP1 or later?
End Try
Return Service
End Function
Note: To get the email address of current user you might use System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement.UserPrincipal.Current.EmailAddress.
Create DataTable with all Appointments
The following function creates a table with all existing appointments of current user within the defined timerange. In Appointments-Datatable I have the structure already defined. As you see I use some basic data from the appointments, e.g. Start, End, Subject etc. If you want more properties don’t forget to add these to the service.LoadPropertiesForItems, otherwise they are not accessible.
Imports Microsoft.Exchange.WebServices.Data ''' <summary> ''' Retrieve a table with all appointments found in given mailbox in given folder ''' </summary> ''' <param name="appointments">Datatable containing all appointments from current user which are already retrieved before</param> ''' <returns>Datatable with appointments if appointments are found in given folder. Otherwise nothing.</returns> ''' <remarks></remarks> Private Overloads Function GetAllAppointmentsFromMailbox(service As ExchangeService, retrievalDays As Integer, appointments as DataTable) As DataTable Dim cFolder As Folder Dim cView As CalendarView Dim findResults As FindItemsResults(Of Appointment) Dim count As Integer Dim CutOffDate As DateTime Dim CutOffDateFuture As DateTime CutOffDate = Now.AddDays((-1) * retrievalDays) CutOffDateFuture = Now.AddDays(retrievalDays) cFolder = Folder.Bind(service, WellKnownFolderName.Calendar) cView = New CalendarView(CutOffDate, CutOffDateFuture) findResults = service.FindAppointments(cFolder.Id, cView) count = findResults.Count If count > 0 Then service.LoadPropertiesForItems(findResults.Items, New PropertySet(AppointmentSchema.Subject, AppointmentSchema.Location, AppointmentSchema.Body, _ AppointmentSchema.Start, AppointmentSchema.End, AppointmentSchema.IsAllDayEvent, _ AppointmentSchema.Body, AppointmentSchema.IsRecurring, AppointmentSchema.Recurrence, _ AppointmentSchema.Id, AppointmentSchema.ICalUid, AppointmentSchema.OptionalAttendees, _ AppointmentSchema.RequiredAttendees, AppointmentSchema.Organizer, AppointmentSchema.MyResponseType)) Dim CategoryIDForNewAppointments As Integer = CInt(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("CategoryIDForNewAppointments")) Dim i As Integer Dim Row As DataRow Dim Participant As Attendee Dim Participants As String For i = 0 To findResults.TotalCount - 1 With findResults.Items(i) If Appointments.Rows.Find(.ICalUid) Is Nothing Then Row = Appointments.NewRow Row("UID") = .ICalUid Row("StartDate") = .Start Row("EndDate") = .End Row("Subject") = .Subject Row("Description") = .Body Row("Location") = .Location Row("Organizer") = .Organizer.Name Participants = String.Empty For Each Participant In .RequiredAttendees If String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(Participants) Then Participants = Participant.Name Else Participants &= "; " & Participant.Name End If Next For Each Participant In .OptionalAttendees If String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(Participants) Then Participants = Participant.Name Else Participants &= "; " & Participant.Name End If Next Row("Participants") = Participants Row("Status") = .MyResponseType.ToString Appointments.Rows.Add(Row) End If End With Next GetAllAppointmentsFromMailbox = Appointments Else GetAllAppointmentsFromMailbox = Nothing End If End Function
Using EWS on a Webserver
If you want to use EWS within an ASP.net application on your IIS you need to activate “Trust computer for delegation”. As the description says: “This security-sensitive option means that services running as localsystem on this computer can request services from other servers.” If it’s deactivated you won’t be able to access any mailboxes on your exchange servers using EWS. So go to your active directory, open the computer account of your IIS application server and tick the checkbox. See also MSDN Blog entry EWS from a Web Application using Windows Authentication and Impersonation.