The Microsoft Outlook environment for collaboration applications includes a variety of features and tools. For application developers, the Microsoft Outlook application design environment provides advanced design features and tools. Some of these features include the following.
32-bit forms Because Microsoft Outlook forms are 32-bit and form definitions are usually less than 12 kilobytes, you can display and update forms quickly.
Instant switching between forms and run-time Designers can switch instantly between form design and run-time so they can quickly modify and test forms.
Advanced fields and views Fields of a Microsoft Outlook form or view can include calculated expressions, validation formulas, and number formatting.
Built-in forms modules Forms support all the features of the built-in Microsoft Outlook forms, including digital signatures and encryption. Using a custom form no longer implies sacrificing standard user interface design and features. Custom forms can be sent from outside the organization. Users can embed form definitions or layouts in a message so they can send them inside or outside their organization to other users who may not have the form definition installed.
Extendable forms Developers can extend forms with existing ActiveX or OLE controls and with the VBScript language.