Parse MIME to get Binary Data (such as GIF, JPG, or any binary file)

Demonstrates how to parse a MIME to get binary data. This example extracts the image data for a GIF image to an in-memory byte array, and also to a file.

This example uses a MIME test file located at http://www.chilkatsoft.com/testData/sampleMime2.txt. It contains the following MIME:

Content-Type: multipart/mixed;
 boundary="------------080707010302060306060800"

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

--------------080707010302060306060800
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

This is the plain-text body.
--------------080707010302060306060800
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="starfish.gif"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Type: image/gif; name="starfish.gif"

R0lGODlhIAAgAPcAAP///+/v7/f39+/n5/fv7//39/fn597OzufW1tbGxs69vffe3u/W1salpZQQ
EIQYEJwQCJQYCJwYCM6clL2Ee5wpGIwhEK0YANatpdalnHMYCKUhCJQYAKUYAM6Ec5QhCJwhCPfW
zu/Oxta1rb17a6UhAK0hAPe9rb2Ec7V7a71rUpwpCL0xCJwhAOfOxta9tcatpdallM6cjMaUhK1C
IZwxELU5EK0xCLUxCN61pcacjK1rUrVaOaVKKZxCIZwxCKUxCL05CLUxAM6llO+1nMZzUr1rSrVS
KaVCGK1CGLVCEJQxCK05CLU5CIwpAKUxAK0xAM69tffWxrVrSrVaMbVKGMZKEL1CCLU5AP/v597O
xufGtcallNaljLWEa96ce9aUc717Wq1aMcZjMbVaKbVSIa1KGL1SGJw5CK1CCLVCCMZKCM5KCMZC
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P/0Q1tJRgYOZV71UL5LEK1KiV68yVf+xgaOKmAZICd5bmA8FEyZQlMjRRAhQGQv4QQSJL8ZLFHwP
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ugSTCRA/ILFDCjTckUkrpYiCAEluYCMLJCsoMQUM9gjQRSSL7CLJJjmQxMw3kQChxA78IFULHIK0
MgonXyR5UAHWVBKIEmEcUJAIYxgSSSF94AZRPrgsQgUF0RmUgWpy/LFmRYdMkACAANwrWA8cbAhi
RZ8cjRWro0QEEsQVGTiKkLAM5QNGFWrAQFNLBIzABQPLRktQQAA7

--------------080707010302060306060800--

Download Chilkat FileAccess ActiveX (freeware)

Download Chilkat MIME ActiveX

Dim mime As New ChilkatMime

Dim success As Long
success = mime.UnlockComponent("Anything for 30-day trial.")
If (success = 0) Then
    Text1.Text = Text1.Text & mime.LastErrorText & vbCrLf
    Exit Sub
End If

'  Load the sampleMime2.txt file into the MIME object.
'  (This file is available at http://www.chilkatsoft.com/testData/sampleMime2.txt )

success = mime.LoadMimeFile("sampleMime2.txt")
If (success = 0) Then
    Text1.Text = Text1.Text & mime.LastErrorText & vbCrLf
    Exit Sub
End If

'  The GIF image is the 2nd sub-part located directly under the
'  top-level MIME node.  Indexing begins at 0, therefore the 2nd
'  sub-part is at index 1.
Dim part2 As ChilkatMime
Set part2 = mime.GetPart(1)

Dim binaryData() As Byte

'  The GetBodyBinary method returns the binary bytes
'  of the part's body, automatically decoded from whatever
'  content-transfer-encoding might be used (such as base64).
binaryData = part2.GetBodyBinary()

'  We now have the binary bytes of the GIF image in binaryData.
'  Save it to a file.
Dim fac As New CkFileAccess
Dim facSuccess As Long
facSuccess = fac.WriteEntireFile("out1.gif", binaryData)
If (facSuccess = 0) Then
    MsgBox fac.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

'  An easier way to save the body content to a file,
'  assuming your application does not need to access
'  the binary data in-memory, is to call SaveBody
success = part2.SaveBody("out2.gif")
If (success = 0) Then
    Text1.Text = Text1.Text & part2.LastErrorText & vbCrLf
    Exit Sub
End If

MsgBox "Finished."