Accessing Microsoft Exchange Server Web Services (EWS) API in an iOS application

Question

With the introduction of EWS Managed API (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd633710(EXCHG.80).aspx), the task of talking to an Exchange Server was greatly simplified.

Is there a way to use this API in an app targeted for an iOS device? Has anyone tried the MonoTouch (http://monotouch.net/) approach? Is it technically possible to write a cross-platform .Net application that can access the Exchange Server 2007/2010 using tools like MonoTouch and MonoDroid?

If not, what would be the API of choice (with regard to Exchange Server 2007/2010) for an iOS app?

Thank you! I greatly appreciate any help or insight you can provide!

Answer 1

Since they do not publish the source code to the library, it is unlikely that it will run on MonoTouch out of the box. It depends at least on DirectoryServices that is not present on MonoTouch (but is present on standard Mono).

You could try disassembling with ildasm, changing the assembly dependencies from 3.5.0.0 to 2.1.0.0 and re-assembling the libraries to try it out and hope that the DirectoryServices code is not used if you are careful.

My suggestion is that you lobby Microsoft to open source the library, as that would allow it to run not only on .NET 3.5.0.0, but it would allow it to run on other environments like Silverlight, MonoTouch and Monodroid.

Answer 2

This one works on Monotouch: Exchange Web Services .NET

Even source code is available to recompile.