G
gxdata
This is a very strange bug which occurs when a .MAP file belonging to
MapInfo Professional GIS file is sent by / to Outlook 2003.
Althought the file contents are intact (as determined by a checksum), the
actual filename is corrupted to high-order ASCII characters ('boxes', and
such-like) and when the attachment is saved, it needs to be with another,
normal file name.
(a .MAP file is part of 4 or more files that need to be available for this
well-known GIS application to work)
This has been reported by several people on the MapInfo-L list (a
well-established forum). I have tested that it occurs with the binary
MapInfo .MAP files, but *not* with other binary files that are
'artificially' given this file extension (ie, renamed), nor with other .MAP
files (eg, from another GIS product - Manfold GIS) which is a very different
/ distinct binary file format. Nor with ASCII files that are simple renamed
to something.MAP
My test system doesn't have either GIS installed, norr does it have a
programming / development IDE that defines a .MAP file type and how to
handle it. I'm asumeing that the atatchment encoding done by Outlook
actually finds something it "doesn't like", within the MapInfo >MAP files
only (ie, other binary files don't worry it).
I have sent such files to myself, to determined that this was not an
artifact of some other email client or server. However, I can't eliminate my
ISP or various anti-spam / anti-virus products that they use.
I'm using fully-patched etc Win XP SP2 and Outlook 2003 SP2, and locally
have AVG Free anti-virus which scans all emails and attachments.
Any clues?
MapInfo Professional GIS file is sent by / to Outlook 2003.
Althought the file contents are intact (as determined by a checksum), the
actual filename is corrupted to high-order ASCII characters ('boxes', and
such-like) and when the attachment is saved, it needs to be with another,
normal file name.
(a .MAP file is part of 4 or more files that need to be available for this
well-known GIS application to work)
This has been reported by several people on the MapInfo-L list (a
well-established forum). I have tested that it occurs with the binary
MapInfo .MAP files, but *not* with other binary files that are
'artificially' given this file extension (ie, renamed), nor with other .MAP
files (eg, from another GIS product - Manfold GIS) which is a very different
/ distinct binary file format. Nor with ASCII files that are simple renamed
to something.MAP
My test system doesn't have either GIS installed, norr does it have a
programming / development IDE that defines a .MAP file type and how to
handle it. I'm asumeing that the atatchment encoding done by Outlook
actually finds something it "doesn't like", within the MapInfo >MAP files
only (ie, other binary files don't worry it).
I have sent such files to myself, to determined that this was not an
artifact of some other email client or server. However, I can't eliminate my
ISP or various anti-spam / anti-virus products that they use.
I'm using fully-patched etc Win XP SP2 and Outlook 2003 SP2, and locally
have AVG Free anti-virus which scans all emails and attachments.
Any clues?