Outlook like sidebar and display in Outlook

Question

I am using VS2008 and want to try Outlook style display for application. Kindly guide me how I can have outloook like sidebar and alike display ? Is it possible using existing controls ?

Please also mention if these are WPF controls.

thanks

Answer 1

Here are a couple examples from CodeProject:

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/menus/OutlookBar.aspx

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/menus/NaviPane.aspx

The above two links were for Winforms. Here is a link for a WPF project:

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/WPF/WPFOutlookNavi.aspx

If you wanted to make life easier and you didn't mind purchasing a great toolset, look at the Telerik tools:

http://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/dropdown-and-list.aspx

http://www.telerik.com/products/wpf.aspx

Answer 2

If you do not mind paying money, there are two commercial products available, which does the same thing.

CodeJock has an ActiveX control, which works nicely in Visual Studio. You have to put up with the ActiveX stuff, but it works and they also have the backstage introduced with Office 2010.

Another option, Winform based, is a solution from DevExpress. They are more expensive and have a different style, but that also works.

Maybe for historical reasons, but I like the interface with Codejock better, but sadly they opted against an .Net.

Hope this information helps.