Read from .ost file

The following example shows you how to open a Microsoft Outlook .ost file and read its folders and messages. The library uses the same API for both .pst and .ost files; only the file extension differs.

Note: when working with an .ost file always start from the Root folder (file.root()) and not from the mailbox root. The mailbox root folder ("Top of Personal Folders") does not exist in an .ost file, so use file.root() to enumerate the folder hierarchy. For .pst files you can start from either root() or mailbox_root().

C++ example

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
#include <vector>

#include "independentsoft/pst/pst_file.hpp"
#include "independentsoft/pst/folder.hpp"
#include "independentsoft/pst/item.hpp"
#include "independentsoft/pst/message_store.hpp"

using namespace independentsoft::pst;

static std::string toUtf8(const text& s)
{
    std::string result;
    for (char16_t c : s)
    {
        if (c < 0x80)
        {
            result += static_cast<char>(c);
        }
        else if (c < 0x800)
        {
            result += static_cast<char>(0xC0 | (c >> 6));
            result += static_cast<char>(0x80 | (c & 0x3F));
        }
        else
        {
            result += static_cast<char>(0xE0 | (c >> 12));
            result += static_cast<char>(0x80 | ((c >> 6) & 0x3F));
            result += static_cast<char>(0x80 | (c & 0x3F));
        }
    }
    return result;
}

int main()
{
    PstFile file("c:\\testfolder\\Outlook.ost");

    Folder* startFolder = file.root();

    std::cout << "Mailbox: " << toUtf8(file.message_store()->display_name()) << std::endl;

    std::vector<Folder> folders = startFolder->get_folders(true);

    for (size_t i = 0; i < folders.size(); i++)
    {
        Folder& folder = folders[i];

        std::cout << "Folder: " << toUtf8(folder.display_name()) << " (" << folder.item_count() << " items)" << std::endl;

        std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Item>> items = folder.get_items();

        for (size_t j = 0; j < items.size(); j++)
        {
            std::cout << "  Subject: " << toUtf8(items[j]->subject) << std::endl;
        }

        std::cout << "----------------------------------------------------------------" << std::endl;
    }

    file.close();
    return 0;
}

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