VB.NET

Outlook -- Create Map of Folder Paths to IDs

See more Outlook Examples

Recursively descends folders and creates a hashtable of folder paths to IDs. This can be done once at the start of your program (or even less if the map is persisted to a file or database).

The reason this is necessary is because folder ID's need to be passed to the Outlook API, and an application will typically be working with folder paths.

Note: This example requires Chilkat v9.5.0.67 or greater.

This example applies to: Exchange Online | Office 365 | Hotmail.com | Live.com | MSN.com | Outlook.com | Passport.com

VB.NET

Dim success As Boolean = False

' This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
' See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

Dim http As New Chilkat.Http

' Our folder path --> ID map will be stored in this hash table.
Dim folderMap As New Chilkat.Hashtable

' Use your previously obtained access token here:
' See the following examples for getting an access token:
'    Get Microsoft Graph OAuth2 Access Token (Azure AD v2.0 Endpoint).
'    Get Microsoft Graph OAuth2 Access Token (Azure AD Endpoint).
'    Refresh Access Token (Azure AD v2.0 Endpoint).
'    Refresh Access Token (Azure AD Endpoint).

http.AuthToken = "MICROSOFT_GRAPH_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Dim sbResponse As New Chilkat.StringBuilder

' Begin by getting the top-level folders.
http.ClearUrlVars()
http.SetUrlVar("userPrincipalName","chilkatsoft@outlook.com")
success = http.QuickGetSb("https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/{$userPrincipalName}/mailFolders",sbResponse)
If ((success <> True) And (http.LastStatus = 0)) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(http.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


Dim json As New Chilkat.JsonObject
json.LoadSb(sbResponse)
json.EmitCompact = False

Debug.WriteLine("Status code = " & http.LastStatus)
If (http.LastStatus <> 200) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(json.Emit())
    Debug.WriteLine("Failed.")
End If


' This is our queue/stack of unprocessed folder ID's
' The recursive nature of this example is that we get the 
' child folders for each folder ID in the idQueue, which may
' cause additional ID's to be added.  We continue  until the idQueue
' is empty.
Dim idQueue As New Chilkat.StringArray

Dim sbFolderPath As New Chilkat.StringBuilder
Dim sbQueueEntry As New Chilkat.StringBuilder
Dim folderName As String
Dim folderPath As String
Dim folderId As String

' Prime the map and idQueue with the top-level folders.
Dim i As Integer = 0
Dim numFolders As Integer = json.SizeOfArray("value")
While i < numFolders
    json.I = i
    folderName = json.StringOf("value[i].displayName")
    folderId = json.StringOf("value[i].id")
    sbFolderPath.SetString("/")
    sbFolderPath.Append(folderName)
    folderPath = sbFolderPath.GetAsString()
    folderMap.AddStr(folderPath,folderId)
    Debug.WriteLine(folderPath & " --> " & folderId)

    ' Push the folder path + id onto the idQueue.
    sbQueueEntry.Clear()
    sbQueueEntry.SetNth(0,folderPath,"|",False,False)
    sbQueueEntry.SetNth(1,folderId,"|",False,False)
    idQueue.Append(sbQueueEntry.GetAsString())
    i = i + 1
End While

' Initial output:
' /Archive --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAG8XunwAAAA=
' /Deleted Items --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgEKAAAA
' /Drafts --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgEPAAAA
' /Inbox --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgEMAAAA
' /Junk Email --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgEiAAAA
' /Outbox --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgELAAAA
' /Sent Items --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgEJAAAA
' 

' Process the idQueue until it becomes empty.  This is the recursive loop.
Dim parentFolderPath As String
Dim parentFolderId As String
While idQueue.Length > 0
    sbQueueEntry.SetString(idQueue.GetString(0))
    idQueue.RemoveAt(0)

    parentFolderPath = sbQueueEntry.GetNth(0,"|",False,False)
    parentFolderId = sbQueueEntry.GetNth(1,"|",False,False)

    http.SetUrlVar("id",parentFolderId)
    success = http.QuickGetSb("https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/{$userPrincipalName}/mailFolders/{$id}/childFolders",sbResponse)
    If ((success <> True) And (http.LastStatus = 0)) Then
        Debug.WriteLine(http.LastErrorText)
        Exit Sub
    End If


    json.LoadSb(sbResponse)
    If (http.LastStatus <> 200) Then
        Debug.WriteLine("Status code = " & http.LastStatus)
        Debug.WriteLine(json.Emit())
        Debug.WriteLine("Failed.")
    End If


    i = 0
    numFolders = json.SizeOfArray("value")
    While i < numFolders
        json.I = i
        folderName = json.StringOf("value[i].displayName")
        folderId = json.StringOf("value[i].id")
        sbFolderPath.SetString(parentFolderPath)
        sbFolderPath.Append("/")
        sbFolderPath.Append(folderName)
        folderPath = sbFolderPath.GetAsString()
        folderMap.AddStr(folderPath,folderId)
        Debug.WriteLine(folderPath & " --> " & folderId)

        ' Push the folder path + id onto the idQueue.
        sbQueueEntry.Clear()
        sbQueueEntry.SetNth(0,folderPath,"|",False,False)
        sbQueueEntry.SetNth(1,folderId,"|",False,False)
        idQueue.Append(sbQueueEntry.GetAsString())
        i = i + 1
    End While

End While

' The hash table of mail folder paths --> ID's can be persisted to XML and saved to a file or database (or anywhere..)
Dim sbFolderMapXml As New Chilkat.StringBuilder
folderMap.ToXmlSb(sbFolderMapXml)
sbFolderMapXml.WriteFile("qa_data/outlook/folderMap.xml","utf-8",False)

' The hash table can be restored from the serialized XML like this:
Dim ht2 As New Chilkat.Hashtable
Dim sb2 As New Chilkat.StringBuilder
sb2.LoadFile("qa_data/outlook/folderMap.xml","utf-8")
ht2.AddFromXmlSb(sb2)

' What's the ID for the folder "/Inbox/abc/subFolderA" ?
Debug.WriteLine("id for /Inbox/abc/subFolderA = " & ht2.LookupStr("/Inbox/abc/subFolderA"))

' Final output:

' /Archive --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAG8XunwAAAA=
' /Deleted Items --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgEKAAAA
' /Drafts --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgEPAAAA
' /Inbox --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgEMAAAA
' /Junk Email --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgEiAAAA
' /Outbox --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgELAAAA
' /Sent Items --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAgEJAAAA
' /Inbox/abc --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAL8huv8AAAA=
' /Inbox/xyz --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAL8huwEAAAA=
' /Inbox/abc/subFolderA --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAL8huwAAAQ==
' /Inbox/abc/subFolderB --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAL8huwMAAAA=
' /Inbox/abc/subFolderA/a --> AQMkADAwATM0MDAAMS1iNTcwLWI2NTEtMDACLTAwCgAuAAADsVyfxjDU406Ic4X7ill8xAEA5_vF7TKKdE6bGCRqXyl2PQAAAL8huwIAAAA=
' 

' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' This example applies to: Exchange Online | Office 365 | Hotmail.com | Live.com | MSN.com | Outlook.com | Passport.com
' 
' The Microsoft Graph Outlook Mail API lets you read, create, and send messages and attachments, 
' view and respond to event messages, and manage folders that are secured by Azure Active Directory 
' in Office 365. It also provides the same functionality in Microsoft accounts specifically 
' in these domains: Hotmail.com, Live.com, MSN.com, Outlook.com, and Passport.com.