How to open contact list with VBA

Question

How can I use VBA to do the same thing as Ctrl+Shift+B, Tools, Options, Custom and set a specific contact list as number one?

Possible duplicate of [Change Outlook TO button behaviour](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/49061455/change-outlook-to-button-behaviour) ***(Same O.P.)*** — ashleedawg, Mar 02 '18 at 15:58

Dmitry Streblechenko · Accepted Answer · 2022-04-02T18:07:01.540

2

You cannot do that in VBA - Outlook Object Model does not expose that functionality.

In Extended MAPI (C++ or Delphi), use IAddrBook.SetDefaultDir and set the PR_AB_CHOOSE_DIRECTORY_AUTOMATICALLY property appropriately.

If using Redemption (any language - I am its author) is an option, you can use the RDOAddressBook.DefaultAddressList property:

set Session = CreateObject("Redemption.RDOSession")
Session.MAPIOBJECT = Application.Session.MAPIOBJECT
set AddrList = Session.AddressBook.AddressLists.Item("Contacts")
Session.AddressBook.DefaultAddressList = AddrList

edited Apr 02 '22 at 18:07

answered Feb 28 '18 at 20:29

Dmitry Streblechenko

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I only have access to Outlook and VBA. I have no admin privileges to install any "extras". Appreciate anyway. – Duarte Botelho Feb 28 '18 at 21:46
You don't need admin privileges to install Redemption - it can install itself in HKCU when you register the dll with regsvr32.exe. – Dmitry Streblechenko Feb 28 '18 at 21:56
Ok. Didn't know that. Nevertheless it's not free right ? – Duarte Botelho Mar 01 '18 at 21:29
The free version shows a nag screen. The distributable version does not. – Dmitry Streblechenko Mar 01 '18 at 21:33
And still need admin privileges to register de DLL right ? :-( – Duarte Botelho Mar 01 '18 at 21:44
No, regsvr32 "full_path_to\redemption.dll" will be happy to install the dll in HKCU. – Dmitry Streblechenko Mar 01 '18 at 21:50
Ok. Thanks. I'll give it a try :-) – Duarte Botelho Mar 02 '18 at 01:14

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 01 '18 at 00:04

2

Is this what your trying to do?

Option Explicit
Public Sub Example()
    Dim olDialog As SelectNamesDialog
    Dim AL As AddressList

    Set olDialog = Application.Session.GetSelectNamesDialog
    Set AL = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI").AddressLists("Contacts")

    Debug.Print AL.GetContactsFolder

    With olDialog
        .InitialAddressList = AL
        .ShowOnlyInitialAddressList = True
        .Display
    End With
End Sub

answered Mar 01 '18 at 00:04

0m3r

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Well ... Not yet but I'm excited with the possibilities.. I want to do that but only when I'm creating an email And I press the button "TO". Does the "TO" Button have an event ? How can I use that function to replace that event ? – Duarte Botelho Mar 01 '18 at 21:26
No, there is no way to modify the address book dialog shown when you click the To button. Namespace.GetSelectNamesDialog only works if it is your code showing the dialog. – Dmitry Streblechenko Mar 01 '18 at 21:39

How to open contact list with VBA

2 Answers2