Ken Lassesen
Microsoft Developer Network Technology Group
December 18, 1995
Click here for a diagram of the Schedule+ 7.0 Object Library in various graphics formats.
This article presents a graphic map of the Microsoft® Schedule+ 7.0 Object Library (SPL), showing its properties, methods, and child objects. This type library manipulates the Schedule+ OLE Automation server. Any Microsoft Visual Basic®-based language (Access Basic, Visual Basic, and Visual Basic for Applications) and Visual C++® can access the SPL server.
The Microsoft® Schedule+ 95 Object Library (SPL) allows the developer to manipulate the Schedule+ OLE Automation server. This server can be viewed in three different ways. The view described by the type library is outlined in this article; the other views are described in the other two mapping articles listed in the bibliography.
The SPL assumes that the Microsoft Exchange Server Beta 2 or later version of Schedule+ is installed. The SPL will not bind with the earlier versions of Schedule+ (including the version shipped with Microsoft Office 95). Whatever version of Schedule+ you are using, you should include the SPL because it provides constants for Schedule+ OLE Automation and templates for methods and properties in the Object Browser.
The SPL does not show Schedule+ tables such as Contacts, Appointments, Tasks, or Events. You can get these tables through the Schedule object's Properties method. Note that you cannot use the SPL as the sole source of information (as can be done with other type libraries); you must refer to the Schedule+ Software Development Kit (SDK) documentation and other sources. My other extended mapping articles on the Schedule+ server, listed in the bibliography, are a good starting point. For a general introduction to OLE Automation, see "Using Microsoft OLE Automation Servers to Develop Solutions." For an introduction to Schedule+ OLE Automation, see "Schedule+ OLE Automation" in the Microsoft Developer Network News and "An Extended Introduction to Schedule+ OLE Automation Programming."
Figure 1 shows the relationship between objects as described by the Object Browser in Microsoft Visual Basic®. A map is a good learning aid and a quick reference when developing an application. After producing a map, I found that it was easy to work with the objects: I just post the three appropriate extended maps for Schedule+ on my wall for quick reference, which is a lot faster than clicking objects in a Help file one by one to discover their properties and methods.
Because the figure is difficult to read online, I have included the two most common graphics formats—encapsulated PostScript™ (.EPS) and Windows® metafile (.WMF)—as well as a copy of the original Shapeware® Visio™ version 4.0 file (.VSD). The first two formats can be opened and the figure printed across multiple pages using Microsoft Excel or a commercial graphics application such as Adobe™ PageMaker™, CorelDRAW®, or Microsoft Publisher. The original Visio file is included for those who wish to modify the diagram easily.
Figure 1. The Microsoft Schedule+ 7.0 Object Library
Following are some of the characteristics of Schedule+ OLE Automation that are different from other OLE Automation servers.
Dim SPlusApplication as Object
On Error Resume Next
Set SPlusApplication = CreateObject("SchedulePlus.Application")
Debug.Print SPlusApplication.UserName 'Not logged on
Debug.Print Err.Number,Err.Description
'Reports: -2147219351 OLE Automation error
SPlusApplication.Logon
Debug.Print SPlusApplication.UserName 'Logged on
'Reports KenL
The following routine illustrates the use of Table, Item, and Property objects. An Item object (or Schedule object) is passed to the routine, which then enumerates the Property objects, Table objects, and the first Item object of each Table object. This process is done by recursion to each Item object found. Three tables (Appointments, Events, and Tasks) are merged Table objects that require special handling. A merged Table object requires the object to be set to a range before all of the properties of the Table object are valid.
Sub DebugItem(AnItem As Object, Optional indent)
Dim i%, j%, ind%
If IsMissing(indent) Then
ind% = 0
Else
ind% = Val(indent)
End If
If ind < 1 Then ind = 1
If TypeName(AnItem) <> "Item" Then Debug.Print "Not an 'Item'": Exit Sub
For i% = 0 To AnItem.Properties - 1
Debug.Print Space(ind); AnItem.Properties(i%).Name
If TypeName(AnItem.Properties(i%)) = "Table" Then
If AnItem.Properties(i%).Name = "Appointments" _
Or AnItem.Properties(i%).Name = "Events" _
Or AnItem.Properties(i%).Name = "Tasks" Then
AnItem.Properties(i%).SetRange Now - 365, Now + 365
End If
On Error Resume Next
AnItem.Reset
Debug.Print Space(ind); "Table with "; _
AnItem.Properties(i%).Rows; " rows"
If AnItem.Properties(i%).Rows = 0 Then
Else
On Error GoTo 0
Debug.Print Space(ind); String(20, "-")
DebugItem AnItem.Properties(i%).Item, (ind% + 2)
End If
On Error GoTo 0
Else
If AnItem.Properties(i%).Count = 1 Then
Debug.Print Space(ind); _
"="; AnItem.Properties(i%).Value
Else
For j% = 0 To AnItem.Properties(i%).Count - 1
Debug.Print Space(ind); "="; _
AnItem.Properties(i%).Value(j%)
Next j%
End If
End If
Next i%
End Sub
Value is the default property of the Property object. The properties shown in Figure 1 are data members on the objects and not Property objects. When you use SPL, Property objects may be obtained only by using the Properties method. The TypeName function can be used to illustrate this confusion, as shown in the examples in Table 1.
Table 1. Examples of the Confusion Possible with the Properties Property
| Command | Reports |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The objects in Figure 1 are defined in Table 2. The objects are listed in the same sequence as they appear on the map.
Table 2. Object Definitions
| Object | Definition |
| Application object | Reports information about the SDI application. |
| Schedule object | Represents one schedule in the Application object. This is also an Item object. |
| Table object | Represents a table of Item records storing information. It is not a collection. |
| Item object | Represents an object that may be a Property or a Table. |
| Property object | Represents information about a characteristic of an object. Multiple values may be stored in one Property object (see Count to determine number). |
Lassesen, Ken. "An Extended Introduction to Schedule+ OLE Automation Programming." (MSDN Library, Technical Articles)
Lassesen, Ken. "Mapping the Schedule+ OLE Automation Server: Internal Objects." (MSDN Library, Technical Articles)
Lassesen, Ken. "Mapping the Schedule+ OLE Automation Server: Programming Model." (MSDN Library, Technical Articles)
Lassesen, Ken. "Schedule+ OLE Automation." Developer Network News 5 (January/February 1996) (MSDN Library, Periodicals, Microsoft Developer Network News, 1996 Volume 5)
Lassesen, Ken. "Using Microsoft OLE Automation Servers to Develop Solutions." (MSDN Library, Technical Articles)
Microsoft Exchange Server SDK. Microsoft Schedule+ Programmer's Reference. (MSDN Library, Platform, SDK, and DDK Documentation)