mc717990

Brian: Yep - I'm trying to access the contents outside of Outlook. This is mostly to access archived emails, attachments, or other data in a PST file. For Exchange, I can use the concept others have used and access the webdav server if I need programatic access to calendars or online information. This is just for PST files on the local system. I wish Outlook was moving to an XML file format.... Thanks! Jason

Brian: What about Outlook access? If there's ANYTHING I could use, it's access to the Outlook file. I can get by with txt translations into word, but it's near impossible to do anything with Outlook right now. For any of our Java apps, that makes life absolutely miserable. Thanks! Jason

Hmm, I'd argue that it's not that hard to append to an XML file or do similar techniques. Access, perhaps it's not as easy, although there, I'd almost say make use of the OS X style system where you have a directory as the file, then in that directory subfolders for things like tables, code, views, reports, etc. It makes it far more flexible, allows easy searching, catalogging, etc. Further, you could then zip the directory up, and call it mdbx. As for speed - XML isn't fast at all. Straight text is generally much quicker, but neither case is slow, particularly if you're using indexes properly in a database. SO, having a PSTX or MDBX file format shouldn't be all that slow. Further, with regards to removing data, outlook pst files themselves have that problem already, where removing emails/deleting things doesn't necessarily compact down a PST file - it's an issue I've seen quite a bit. An XML file format would work FAR better, in my view, and make interoperability far easier. Yes, SQL Server or some other system might be ok for it's main interface, but I'd almost argue at that point to make an ODBC database connection to whatever it's going to use instead, and that doesn't necessarily help with large storage, easy access, etc. XML PST file? Please? Or, a PST to XML converter??? I could live with that, although not happily - a native XML file format I could use and then script calendar additions into would ROCK.

Here's a BIG question for me - the PST file format in Outlook. Is there any way that that'll move to PSTX? It'd be REALLY nice to be able to work with that from my applications which run on a webserver or J2EE process. Right now, it's a ROYAL pain to open up and work with such files. (i.e. impossible). Or, if not, is there any way to get access to the NON encrypted file format?