outlook exchange-server outlook-addin exchangewebservices outlook-form

Exchange ItemID differs from GlobalAppointmentID for Outlook AddIn

The problem I'm having is that the GlobalAppointmentID of a Outlook Appointement created using a Outlook FormRegion differs from that of the ItemID when using EWS Managed API.

I'm creating an Outlook addIn that allows users to add customer and project information to a meeting. The addIn also stores the appointment ID and meeting data in a database and a service will periodically check the ID to update the appointment data.

Ok so here is how I use the AddIn:

Outlook.AppointmentItem appointement = (Outlook.AppointmentItem)this.OutlookItem;

appointement.Save();

string ExchangeID = appointement.GlobalAppointmentID;

Here the GlobalAppointmentID is: 040000008200E00074C5B7101A82E0080000000060CADC517255CE01000000000000000010000000847A9CD89052DC49BA28DC8AAFBBB4BA

But the EWS managed API expects something like: AAMkADViNTJlZTg5LTIwYWMtNGY3My1hOWZiLTZiOTM3OTk3Nzk1YQBGAAAAAAAEfbmEhAMsRZur9AvsphPMBwCysaa5HwPMRanSoWSnKrckAAAAXAL/AACysaa5HwPMRanSoWSnKrckAAAAXCxwAAA=

to Bind a AppointmentItem from the service. There is an option to solve this but only using auto-generated proxies and not the Managed API link to proxy solution

So is there a way to either from the EWS Managed API search for GlobalAppointementID or from an Outlook AddIn retrieve the ItemID?

Solution

The IDs can be represented different ways. Outlook uses the first form, EWS the second.

To convert, use the ConvertID method.

Here are example request/response calls in raw SOAP format (with these examples, you should be able to implement them with the API):
Outlook HexEntryID to Exchange EWSID

<soapenv:Envelope xmlns:soapenv="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:typ="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:mes="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages">
   <soapenv:Header>
      <typ:RequestServerVersion Version="Exchange2007_SP1"/>
      <typ:MailboxCulture>en-US</typ:MailboxCulture>
   </soapenv:Header>
   <soapenv:Body>
      <mes:ConvertId DestinationFormat="EwsId">
         <mes:SourceIds>
            <typ:AlternateId Format="HexEntryId" Id="0000000068C940C[snip]63136C3D0000" Mailbox="user@domain.com"/>
         </mes:SourceIds>
      </mes:ConvertId>
   </soapenv:Body>
</soapenv:Envelope>

<s:Envelope xmlns:s="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <s:Header>
      <h:ServerVersionInfo MajorVersion="14" MinorVersion="0" MajorBuildNumber="722" MinorBuildNumber="0" Version="Exchange2010" xmlns:h="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"/>
   </s:Header>
   <s:Body xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
      <m:ConvertIdResponse xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:t="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types">
         <m:ResponseMessages>
            <m:ConvertIdResponseMessage ResponseClass="Success">
               <m:ResponseCode>NoError</m:ResponseCode>
               <m:AlternateId xsi:type="t:AlternateIdType" Format="EwsId" Id="AQMkADkyZTQxNjUzL[snip]YxNsPQAAAA==" Mailbox="user@domain.com"/>
            </m:ConvertIdResponseMessage>
         </m:ResponseMessages>
      </m:ConvertIdResponse>
   </s:Body>
</s:Envelope>

Exchange EWSID to Outlook HexEntryID:

<soapenv:Envelope xmlns:soapenv="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:typ="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:mes="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages">
   <soapenv:Header>
      <typ:RequestServerVersion Version="Exchange2007_SP1"/>
   </soapenv:Header>
   <soapenv:Body>
      <mes:ConvertId DestinationFormat="HexEntryId">
         <mes:SourceIds>
            <typ:AlternateId Format="EwsId" Id="AQMkADkyZTQxNjUzLTcwZTQtNGRlNS04M2VmLWMxYmIBNWJi[snip]YxNsPQAAAA==" Mailbox="user@domain.com"/>
         </mes:SourceIds>
      </mes:ConvertId>
   </soapenv:Body>
</soapenv:Envelope>

<s:Envelope xmlns:s="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <s:Header>
      <h:ServerVersionInfo MajorVersion="14" MinorVersion="0" MajorBuildNumber="722" MinorBuildNumber="0" Version="Exchange2010" xmlns:h="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"/>
   </s:Header>
   <s:Body xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
      <m:ConvertIdResponse xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:t="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types">
         <m:ResponseMessages>
            <m:ConvertIdResponseMessage ResponseClass="Success">
               <m:ResponseCode>NoError</m:ResponseCode>
               <m:AlternateId xsi:type="t:AlternateIdType" Format="HexEntryId" Id="0000000068C940[snip]136C3D0000" Mailbox="user@domain.com"/>
            </m:ConvertIdResponseMessage>
         </m:ResponseMessages>
      </m:ConvertIdResponse>
   </s:Body>
</s:Envelope>

Note that there is a difference in using these two types of ID's when using recurring appointments and occurrences:
Where EWS IDs differ for every single occurrence, the Outlook hex entry ID are identical for all:

FindItem response for a recurring event with one exception - note the different ItemIDs:

<s:Envelope xmlns:s="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <s:Header>
      <h:ServerVersionInfo MajorVersion="14" MinorVersion="0" MajorBuildNumber="722" MinorBuildNumber="0" Version="Exchange2010" xmlns:h="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"/>
   </s:Header>
   <s:Body xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
      <m:FindItemResponse xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:t="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types">
         <m:ResponseMessages>
            <m:FindItemResponseMessage ResponseClass="Success">
               <m:ResponseCode>NoError</m:ResponseCode>
               <m:RootFolder TotalItemsInView="10" IncludesLastItemInRange="true">
                  <t:Items>
                     <t:CalendarItem>
                        <t:ItemId Id="AAMkADkyZTQxNjUzLTcwZTQtNGRlNS04M2VmLWMxYmJiNWJiNTBlNgFRAAgI0B8WRv2AAEYAAAAAgq3iY5OVdkmtnHS/lxCbwgcAhKYXWHH/akCFAFNVQGZiCgAAAAAAIQAAhKYXWHH/akCFAFNVQGZiCgACKa9YrQAAEA==" ChangeKey="DwAAABYAAACEphdYcf9qQIUAU1VAZmIKAAIpr2i3"/>
                        <t:ItemClass>IPM.Appointment.Occurrence</t:ItemClass>
                        <t:Subject>Recurring appointment with one exception</t:Subject>
                        <t:Sensitivity>Normal</t:Sensitivity>
                        <t:DateTimeCreated>2013-05-22T06:51:26Z</t:DateTimeCreated>
                        <t:LastModifiedTime>2013-05-22T06:52:20Z</t:LastModifiedTime>
                        <t:Start>2013-05-15T10:30:00Z</t:Start>
                        <t:End>2013-05-15T11:00:00Z</t:End>
                        <t:IsRecurring>true</t:IsRecurring>
                        <t:CalendarItemType>Occurrence</t:CalendarItemType>
                     </t:CalendarItem>
                     <t:CalendarItem>
                        <t:ItemId Id="AAMkADkyZTQxNjUzLTcwZTQtNGRlNS04M2VmLWMxYmJiNWJiNTBlNgFRAAgI0B/fcWdAAEYAAAAAgq3iY5OVdkmtnHS/lxCbwgcAhKYXWHH/akCFAFNVQGZiCgAAAAAAIQAAhKYXWHH/akCFAFNVQGZiCgACKa9YrQAAEA==" ChangeKey="DwAAABYAAACEphdYcf9qQIUAU1VAZmIKAAIpr2i3"/>
                        <t:ItemClass>IPM.OLE.CLASS.{00061055-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}</t:ItemClass>
                        <t:Subject>The exception</t:Subject>
                        <t:Sensitivity>Normal</t:Sensitivity>
                        <t:DateTimeCreated>2013-05-22T06:51:58Z</t:DateTimeCreated>
                        <t:LastModifiedTime>2013-05-22T06:52:20Z</t:LastModifiedTime>
                        <t:Start>2013-05-16T12:00:00Z</t:Start>
                        <t:End>2013-05-16T12:30:00Z</t:End>
                        <t:IsRecurring>true</t:IsRecurring>
                        <t:CalendarItemType>Exception</t:CalendarItemType>
                     </t:CalendarItem>
                     [snip]
                     Other occurrences removed
                     [snip]
                  </t:Items>
               </m:RootFolder>
            </m:FindItemResponseMessage>
         </m:ResponseMessages>
      </m:FindItemResponse>
   </s:Body>
</s:Envelope>

Conversion for EWSID to HexEntryID for both these ItemIDs results in

<s:Envelope xmlns:s="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <s:Header>
      <h:ServerVersionInfo MajorVersion="14" MinorVersion="0" MajorBuildNumber="722" MinorBuildNumber="0" Version="Exchange2010" xmlns:h="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"/>
   </s:Header>
   <s:Body xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
      <m:ConvertIdResponse xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:t="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types">
         <m:ResponseMessages>
            <m:ConvertIdResponseMessage ResponseClass="Success">
               <m:ResponseCode>NoError</m:ResponseCode>
               <m:AlternateId xsi:type="t:AlternateIdType" Format="HexEntryId" Id="0000000082ADE26393957649AD9C74BF97109BC2070084A6175871FF6A40850053554066620A000000000021000084A6175871FF6A40850053554066620A000229AF58AD0000" Mailbox="user@domain.com"/>
            </m:ConvertIdResponseMessage>
         </m:ResponseMessages>
      </m:ConvertIdResponse>
   </s:Body>
</s:Envelope>

<s:Envelope xmlns:s="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
   <s:Header>
      <h:ServerVersionInfo MajorVersion="14" MinorVersion="0" MajorBuildNumber="722" MinorBuildNumber="0" Version="Exchange2010" xmlns:h="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"/>
   </s:Header>
   <s:Body xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
      <m:ConvertIdResponse xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:t="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types">
         <m:ResponseMessages>
            <m:ConvertIdResponseMessage ResponseClass="Success">
               <m:ResponseCode>NoError</m:ResponseCode>
               <m:AlternateId xsi:type="t:AlternateIdType" Format="HexEntryId" Id="0000000082ADE26393957649AD9C74BF97109BC2070084A6175871FF6A40850053554066620A000000000021000084A6175871FF6A40850053554066620A000229AF58AD0000" Mailbox="user@domain.com"/>
            </m:ConvertIdResponseMessage>
         </m:ResponseMessages>
      </m:ConvertIdResponse>
   </s:Body>
</s:Envelope>