Outlook Add In - Hook into delete event without having to open the email.

Question

Is it possible to hook into the BeforeDelete command without having to open the email to fire the event. At present my code will hit the BeforeDelete event when the email is open and delete is selected, but it does not fire if deleting without opening
the email.

Answer 1

Below is the Property MailItem I have in a class called MailItemContainer:
/// <summary>/// Gets or sets the Mail Item property/// </summary>public Outlook.MailItem MailItem
            get
                returnthis.mailItem;
            set
                if (this.mailItem != null)
                    try
                        ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Forward -= new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_ForwardEventHandler(this.MailItem_Reply);
                        ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Open -= new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_OpenEventHandler(this.MailItem_Open);
                        ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).PropertyChange -= new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_PropertyChangeEventHandler(this.MailItem_PropertyChange);
                        ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Reply -= new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_ReplyEventHandler(this.MailItem_Reply);
                        ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).ReplyAll -= new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_ReplyAllEventHandler(this.MailItem_Reply);
                        ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Send -= new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_SendEventHandler(this.MailItem_Send);
                        ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Unload -= new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_UnloadEventHandler(this.MailItem_Unload);
                        ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).BeforeDelete -= new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_BeforeDeleteEventHandler(this.MailItem_Delete);
                    catch
                if (value != null && !value.Equals(this.mailItem))
                    this.mailItem = value;                    
                    ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Close += new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_CloseEventHandler(this.MailItem_Close);
                    ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Forward += new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_ForwardEventHandler(this.MailItem_Reply);
                    ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Open += new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_OpenEventHandler(this.MailItem_Open);
                    ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).PropertyChange += new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_PropertyChangeEventHandler(this.MailItem_PropertyChange);
                    ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Reply += new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_ReplyEventHandler(this.MailItem_Reply);
                    ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).ReplyAll += new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_ReplyAllEventHandler(this.MailItem_Reply);
                    ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Send += new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_SendEventHandler(this.MailItem_Send);
                    ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).Unload += new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_UnloadEventHandler(this.MailItem_Unload);
                    ((Outlook.ItemEvents_10_Event)this.mailItem).BeforeDelete += new Outlook.ItemEvents_10_BeforeDeleteEventHandler(this.MailItem_Delete);
        }I have an Outlook AddIn which code is below:/// <summary>
/// Mutex to control loading and new mails
/// </summary>
private System.Threading.Mutex mutexLoad = new System.Threading.Mutex();
/// <summary>
/// Gets or sets the mail item list
/// </summary>
internal List<MailItemContainer> MailItemList
    get;
    set;
/// <summary>
/// Checks the list to see if the item has already been registered.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="findItem">The <typeparamref name="Outlook.MailItem">MailItem</typeparamref> to find.</param>
/// <returns><c>True</c> if found, <c>False</c> if not</returns>
public bool ContainsMailItem(Outlook.MailItem findItem)
    var found = false;
    foreach (var item in this.MailItemList)
        found = item.MailItem != null && item.MailItem.Equals(findItem);
        try
            found = found || (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(item.MailItem.EntryID) && item.MailItem.EntryID.Equals(findItem.EntryID));
        catch
        if (found)
            break;
    return found;
/// <summary>
/// Finds the container for the mailitem in the list if the item has already been registered.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="findItem">The <typeparamref name="Outlook.MailItem">MailItem</typeparamref> to find.</param>
/// <returns>The MailItemContainer object that is used to extend the mail item</returns>
public MailItemContainer FindMailItem(Outlook.MailItem findItem)
    MailItemContainer mailContainer = null;
    foreach (var item in this.MailItemList)
        if (item.MailItem != null)
            if (item.MailItem.Equals(findItem))
                mailContainer = item;
            else
                try
                    if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(item.MailItem.EntryID) && item.MailItem.EntryID.Equals(findItem.EntryID))
                        mailContainer = item;
                catch
            if (mailContainer != null)
                break;
    return mailContainer;
/// <summary>
/// This will attempt to get the default values for the user and bind to the outlook events.
/// </summary>
private void InitialiseAddIn()
    var success = DA.SQLDataSource.IsDBConnectionValid();
    if (success)
        Utility.UserUpdated -= new EventHandler(this.Utility_UserUpdated);
        try
            Utility.User = DA.User.GetUserByUserId(Utility.UserId.GetValueOrDefault());
            success = Utility.User != null;
            if (success)
                Utility.Department = Utility.User.Department;
                success = Utility.Department != null;
                if (success)
                    this.MailItemList = new List<MailItemContainer>();
                    // Add a handler when an email item is opened
                    this.Application.ItemLoad += new Outlook.ApplicationEvents_11_ItemLoadEventHandler(this.ThisApplication_ItemLoad);
                    // Add a handler when an email item is new
                    this.Application.NewMailEx += new Outlook.ApplicationEvents_11_NewMailExEventHandler(this.ThisApplication_NewMailEx);
                    // Add a handler when the selection changes
                    this.Application.ActiveExplorer().SelectionChange += new Outlook.ExplorerEvents_10_SelectionChangeEventHandler(this.ThisAddIn_SelectionChange);
                else
                    MessageBox.Show("Your department has not been selected. Click on the \"Call Centre\" option on the menu and press the \"Settings\" button to select your department.", "PSP Call Centre Tracker");
            else
                MessageBox.Show("Your user profile has not been set up yet. Click on the \"Call Centre\" option on the menu and press the \"Settings\" button to select your department and create a profile.", "PSP Call Centre Tracker");
        catch
            MessageBox.Show("Call Centre Tracker was unable to communicate with active directory.\nTracking will not be enabled for this Outlook session.", "PSP Call Centre Tracker");
    else
        MessageBox.Show("Call Centre Tracker was unable to communicate with database.\nTracking will not be enabled for this Outlook session.", "PSP Call Centre Tracker");
    Utility.UserUpdated += new EventHandler(this.Utility_UserUpdated);
/// <summary>
/// The event that fires when the add-in is loaded
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender">The object that fired the event</param>
/// <param name="e">The evetn args</param>
private void TrackingAddIn_Startup(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
    this.InitialiseAddIn();
/// <summary>
/// This fires when the add-in is closed
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender">The ibject that fired the event</param>
/// <param name="e">The event args</param>
private void TrackingAddIn_Shutdown(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
    this.Application = null;
/// <summary>
/// Handles the event when the User has been changed.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender">The object that raised the event</param>
/// <param name="e">The default event arguments</param>
private void Utility_UserUpdated(object sender, EventArgs e)
    this.InitialiseAddIn();
/// <summary>
/// This is the application_ item load.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="item">The mail item.</param>
private void ThisApplication_ItemLoad(object item)
    if (item is Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.MailItem)
        Outlook.MailItem mailItem = item as Outlook.MailItem;
        try
            this.mutexLoad.WaitOne();
            if (mailItem != null && !this.ContainsMailItem(mailItem))
                this.MailItemList.Add(new MailItemContainer(mailItem, this));
        finally
            this.mutexLoad.ReleaseMutex();
/// <summary>
/// Thises the application_ new mail ex.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="entryIDCollection">The entry ID collection.</param>
private void ThisApplication_NewMailEx(string entryIDCollection)
    var idCollection = entryIDCollection.Split(',');
    var sentFolder = this.Application.Session.GetDefaultFolder(Outlook.OlDefaultFolders.olFolderSentMail);
    var inboxFolder = this.Application.Session.GetDefaultFolder(Outlook.OlDefaultFolders.olFolderInbox);
    foreach (var entryId in idCollection)
        var item = this.Application.Session.GetItemFromID(entryId);
        if (item is Outlook.MailItem)
            var mailItem = item as Outlook.MailItem;
            var parentFolder = Utility.GetTopLevelFolder(mailItem);
            if (parentFolder != null && parentFolder.EntryID == inboxFolder.EntryID)
                var referenceCode = Utility.MatchSubjectReference(mailItem.Subject);
                try
                    this.mutexLoad.WaitOne();
                    var containerItem = this.FindMailItem(mailItem);
                    if (!DA.TrackingItem.ExistsByReferenceCode(referenceCode, mailItem.ReceivedTime))
                        if (containerItem == null)
                            containerItem = new MailItemContainer(mailItem, this);
                            this.MailItemList.Add(containerItem);
                        containerItem.IsNewItem = true;
                        containerItem.TrackingItem = Utility.RegisterMailIncoming(item as Outlook.MailItem, this.Application);
                finally
                    this.mutexLoad.ReleaseMutex();
    ////Insert into Detail file and get the refence number
    ////MailInsert("Incoming");
/// <summary>
/// This action fires when the selection changes
/// </summary>
private void ThisAddIn_SelectionChange()
    var unread = this.MailItemList.Where(d => d.IsNewItem && d.MailItem.UnRead).ToList();
    foreach (var item in unread)
        item.DoUnReadCheck();