from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
Messaging Application Programming Interface
Mail Application Programming Interface
MAPI
Messaging Applications Programming Interface
Microsoft Mail Application Program Interface
<messaging> (MAPI) A messaging architecture and a {client}
interface component for applications such as {electronic
mail}, scheduling, calendaring and document management. As a
messaging architecture, MAPI provides a consistent interface
for multiple {application programs} to interact with multiple
messaging systems across a variety of {hardware} {platforms}.
MAPI provides better performance and control than {Simple
MAPI}, {Common Messaging Calls} (CMC) or the {Active Messaging
Library}. It has a comprehensive, open, dual-purpose
interface, integrated with {Microsoft Windows}. MAPI can be
used by all levels and types of client application and
"service providers" - driver-like components that provide a
MAPI interface to a specific messaging system. For example, a
{word processor} can send documents and a {workgroup}
application can share and store different types of data using
MAPI.
MAPI separates the programming interfaces used by the client
applications and the service providers. Every component works
with a common, {Microsoft Windows}-based user interface. For
example, a single messaging client application can be used to
receive messages from {fax}, a {bulletin board} system, a
host-based messaging system and a {LAN}-based system.
Messages from all of these systems can be delivered to a
single "universal Inbox".
MAPI is aimed at the powerful, new market of workgroup
applications that communicate with such different messaging
systems as fax, {DEC} {All-In-1}, {voice mail} and public
communications services such as {AT&T} Easylink Services,
{CompuServe} and {MCI} MAIL. Because workgroup applications
demand more of their messaging systems, MAPI offers much more
than basic messaging in the programming interface and supports
more than {local area network} (LAN)-based messaging systems.
Applications can, for example, format text for a single
message with a variety of fonts and present to their users a
customised view of messages that have been filtered, sorted or
preprocessed.
MAPI is built into {Windows 95} and {Windows NT} and can be
used by 16-bit and 32-bit Windows applications. The
programming interface and subsystem contained in the MAPI
{DLL} provide objects which conform to the {Component Object
Model}. MAPI includes standard messaging client applications
that demonstrate different levels of messaging support.
MAPI provides cross platform support through such industry
standards as {SMTP}, {X.400} and Common Messaging Calls. MAPI
is the messaging component of {Windows Open Services
Architecture} (WOSA).
[Correct expansion? Relatonship with Microsoft?]
(1997-12-03)