Export outlook address folder..3rd party tools

Hi- I'm trying to create a webmail app's front end. The client has asked if we can provide a service that will allow a user to easily upload their contacts list from outlook/outlook express as simply as possible, even if it is by downloading a small .exe to do it for them.

I am not a VB or ASP.NET developer, though apparently services like www.plaxo.com are made using VB and/or C#, and so I'd like to ask if this is possible using any flash third party tools, perhaps by processing .dbx files?

Any suggestions will be gratefully recieved!

Assuming you want to automate this and not just use the export facility built into Outlook or Outlook Express you will have to create a utility that reads the WAB format. I have written a utility that pulls just the email addresses out of a WAB file, but to get more data (without jumping through hoops) you should do it properly (i.e. use the APIs that Microsoft exposes).

In C:\Program Files\Common Files\system there should be a file called wab32.dll (Microsoft Address Book DLL). This DLL ships with IE 5.5 (and later), presumably as part of Outlook Express. It contains a function called WABOpen that returns an IAddrBook interface that supports access to the MAPI address book.

Thanks very very much!

I've been searching around for a method, and am way out of my depth in the world of VB and ActiveX etc etc... so its nice to hear a straight and simple pointer.

But thats why I like the flash community, even the most newbie questions are answered with patience.

I'll get onto it, though at the moment it looks like I cannot do the project, we'll have to outsource.