How to Update the Outlook Global Address Distribution List in VB

Global Address Distribution Lists help companies keep track of large email lists.

Companies sending mass emails to large groups of people may find it helpful to keep updated records of their distribution lists. Microsoft Outlook includes this feature as the Global Address Distribution List. You can update such a list several ways, but one of the easiest is through Visual Basic, or VB. Because VB runs off individual commands rather than back-and-forth interactivity, updating the list requires writing a new list over the old.

Instructions

1. Open VB.

2. Select "New" from the File menu. Click "Project" in the window that appears.

3. Check the boxes marked "Visual Basic Projects" and "Console Application," then click "OK." This creates the window that allows you to enter the distribution list code.

4. Select "Add Reference" from the Project menu at the top of the screen.

5. Click the "COM" tab.

6. Double-click "Microsoft Outlook XX Object Library." The "XX" will say your version of Outlook (i.e., 10.0, 9.1). Click "OK."

7. Click anywhere in the project window that has appeared and press "Ctrl"+"A" to select all of the text. Press the "Delete" key. You will be replacing this generic code to open Outlook with the distribution list code.

8. Copy and paste the following into the window. Do not press "Enter."

   Imports System.Reflection

   Module Module1

   Sub Main()

   ' Create Outlook application.

   Dim oApp As Outlook.Application = New Outlook.Application()

   ' Get Mapi NameSpace and Logon.

   Dim oNS As Outlook.NameSpace = oApp.GetNamespace("mapi")

   oNS.Logon("YourValidProfile", Missing.Value, False, True) ' [TO DO]:

   ' Get Global Address List.

   Dim oDLs As Outlook.AddressLists = oNS.AddressLists

   Dim oGal As Outlook.AddressList = oDLs.Item("Global Address List")

   Console.WriteLine(oGal.Name)

   ' Get a specific distribution list.

   ' [TO DO]

   Dim sDL As String = "TestDL"

   Dim oEntries As Outlook.AddressEntries = oGal.AddressEntries

   ' No filter available to AddressEntries

   Dim oDL As Outlook.AddressEntry = oEntries.Item(sDL)

   Console.WriteLine(oDL.Name)

   Console.WriteLine(oDL.Address)

   Console.WriteLine(oDL.Manager)

   ' Get all of the members of the distribution list.

   oEntries = oDL.Members

   Dim oEntry As Outlook.AddressEntry

   Dim i As Integer

   For i = 1 To oEntries.Count

   oEntry = oEntries.Item(i)

   Console.WriteLine(oEntry.Name)

   ' Display the Details dialog box.

   'oDL.Details(Missing.Value)

   Next

   ' Log off.

   oNS.Logoff()

   ' Clean up.

   oApp = Nothing

   oNS = Nothing

   oDLs = Nothing

   oGal = Nothing

   oEntries = Nothing

   oEntry = Nothing

   End Sub

   End Module

9. Replace the first "[TO DO]" with your Outlook password.

10. Replace the second "[TO DO]" with the location to save the list. To save to the Desktop, for instance, type "C:\Desktop" (no quotes).

11. Press "Enter" to create an updated version of the list.

References

• Microsoft Support: HOW TO: List Members of a Distribution List in Visual Basic .NET