Challenges and Solutions
Overcoming key technical and design hurdles to deliver a superior conversational AI experience.
01. Unsupported File Format on iOS
iOS does not natively support the Winmail.dat file format, making it impossible to open these files directly on iPhone or iPad.
Developed a custom C++ library to parse Winmail.dat files and integrated it with the native iOS application via Xcode, ensuring seamless handling of the file format.
02. Efficient File Parsing
Parsing Winmail.dat files can be complex due to their UUencoding and embedded email content, which can include attachments, rich text, and metadata.
Optimized the C++ parsing library for performance, handling various file components and ensuring accurate extraction of attachments, email body, and formatting.
03. Native iOS Performance
Ensuring that integrating the C++ library does not compromise native iOS app performance, responsiveness, or user experience.
Careful bridging of the C++ library with Swift/Objective-C in Xcode, with optimized memory management and asynchronous processing to keep the app responsive.
Objective
Winmail.dat is a UUencoded file that is sent from a Microsoft Outlook or Exchange email client. The clients desired to develop an application that would allow them to open and manage Winmail dat files on iOS devices.
iOS doesn't natively support this Winmail.dat file format, creating a need for a specialized solution to handle these files on Apple devices.
Our Approach
C++ Library Integration with iOS
iOS doesn't support this Winmail.dat file format. PlusInfosys created a library in C++ to parse the file and used that library from Xcode to use in an iOS application. This approach ensured efficient file parsing while maintaining native iOS performance and user experience.
Available on
Tech Stack Used
Result
An application that allows users to parse, open, and save Winmail files from their iOS device has been uploaded to the App Store. Users can now easily access and manage Winmail.dat files with a user-friendly interface designed specifically for iOS devices.
