About EDK

EDK stands for Exchange Development Kit. It is an API to Microsoft Exchange Server. It is built on top of Win32 API and MAPI. Although it is possible to use raw MAPI programming to communicate with Exchange, EDK functions and interfaces may simplify some tasks. For example, where 10 or more steps are necessary when using raw MAPI, you could achieve the same result with more realistic number of steps such as 5-7.

EDK is not easy. Using EDK assumes knowledge of MAPI. If you know how to use MAPI then you will most likely benefit from using EDK when trying to write programs for Microsoft Exchange Server. It makes Exchange developer's life a little bit easier, that's all.

EDK is a large collection of functions, interfaces and sample code. Most of the functions have the Hr prefix, such as HrEnumSites. Interfaces are usually prefixed by IExchange, for example IExchangeFolderACLs.

MSDN library covers EDK in the following section:
SDK Documentation/Platform SDK/Database and Messaging Services/Microsoft Exchange Server.

As you can see, it is considered separate from MAPI. Messaging API (MAPI) section follows Microsoft Exchange Server section. This is good for the reason that MAPI is an overwhelming collection of things. If someone wanted to get familiar with MAPI he or she should be prepared to spend many months just learning about it. Even after that it is easy to get lost doing simple things. The collection of MAPI interfaces is large, its coverage is unprecedented. MAPI is generic and universal and comes with a price of nobody being able to understand it completely.

EDK should help you to handle MAPI programming in a more organized way. It only applies to programming for Microsoft Exchange Server. But if this the environment that you wish to have programmatic control over, you should get familiar with EDK.

The Microsoft Exchange Server section has three parts:

Microsoft Exchange Server Programmer's Reference, describing functions and COM interfaces of EDK.
Gateway Programmer's Reference, describing programming issues of Microsoft Exchange Server gateways or connectors to other messaging systems.
Microsoft Schedule+ Programmer's Reference, describing automation interfaces of Microsoft Schedule+.

In this book we will only be dealing with the first two. The Microsoft Exchange Server Programmer's Reference is the place to learn about how to write C++ programs for Microsoft Exchange Server. The Gateway's Programmer's Reference gives more details for gateway developers.
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