In Office.js, How do we use the Office.context.mailbox.item.saveAsync response (overcoming ErrorItemNotFound)?

Question

The DOC says:

Note: If your add-in calls saveAsync on an item in compose mode in order to get an item ID to use with EWS or the REST API, be aware that when Outlook is in cached mode, it may take some time before the item is actually synced to the server. Until the item is synced, using the itemId will return an error.

As best I can tell, that's the cause of my ErrorItemNotFound problems trying to use that ID? (It's a shame Microsoft did not specifically tell us what error to expect).

Since my code is invoked asynchronously - how exactly do I wait for the noted "some time"? Do we set a timer to re-try every second or something? When do we give up?? Is there something else I can do which will give me a call-back to continue when the item sync has completed? [FYI - even waiting 10 seconds after the save does not work for me]

Be aware that I expect my users may be composing mail with large attachments, so while most no-attachment messages should sync in less than 1 second, folks attaching large pdf/zip/etc files could easily cause more than 1 minute delays here...

Answer 1

The best what you could do is to start polling for an item appeared on the server side. For example, you may try an ugly solution when you use sub-sequential EWS query with Id you've got from saveAsync in the loop and wait for success.

For example, I've noticed the following example how developers try to handle such scenarious:

app.makeEwsRequestAsync = function (request, callback, countRepeatIfCrash, callbackIfCrash) {
        try {
            Office.context.mailbox.makeEwsRequestAsync(request, function (asyncResult) {
                
                try {
                    
                    if (asyncResult.status !== 'succeeded') {
                        app.showError(asyncResult.error.message);
                        return;
                    } else {
                        var $result = app.getResponseElementByName(asyncResult.value, 'm:ResponseCode');
                        
                        if ($result) {
                            var responseCOde = $result.text();
                            if (responseCOde !== 'NoError') {
                                if (countRepeatIfCrash > 0) {
                                    setTimeout(function () {
                                        app.makeEwsRequestAsync(request, callback, countRepeatIfCrash - 1);
                                    }, 500);
                                } else if (callbackIfCrash) {
                                    setTimeout(function() {
                                        callbackIfCrash();
                                    }, 500);
                                } else if (responseCOde === 'ErrorItemNotFound') {
                                    app.showError('EWS ' + responseCOde, function () {
                                        app.makeEwsRequestAsync(request, callback, 70);
                                    });
                                }
                                else {
                                    app.showError('EWS ' + responseCOde);
                                }
                                return;
                            }
                        }
                    }
                    
                    callback(asyncResult);

                } catch (e) {
                    app.showError(e);
                }
            });
        } catch (e) {
            app.showError(e);
        }        
    }

See App for Outlook: EWS request failed with item Id returned by item.saveAsync on compose new message for more information.

You may also can try using the simple GetItem request:

<GetItem xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages">
    <ItemShape>
        <t:BaseShape>IdOnly</t:BaseShape>
    </ItemShape>
    <ItemIds><t:ItemId Id="' + itemId + '"/></ItemIds>
</GetItem>

The request should return ChangeKey if item was created on exchange.