Issue Description
Currently, the Outlook Events Plugin only works on Windows machines due to its dependency on the Windows COM interface (win32com.client) to access Outlook data. This limits the plugin's usability for macOS users who also use Microsoft Outlook.
Current Limitations
- Python API Service: Uses win32com.client which is Windows-specific
- Outlook Access: Relies on Windows COM interface to read from Outlook OST files
- Platform Lock-in: Cannot be used by macOS users running Outlook for Mac
Proposed Solution
Implement cross-platform compatibility by creating a hybrid approach that detects the operating system at runtime and uses the appropriate local API:
- Windows: Continue using the existing COM interface (win32com.client)
- macOS: Implement AppleScript integration to interface with Outlook for Mac
- Single Codebase: Maintain one Python service that automatically chooses the correct method based on the detected platform
- Local-Only: Both implementations maintain local-only data access with no external API dependencies
##Technical Considerations
- Platform Detection: Use Python's platform module to detect OS at runtime
- Permissions: AppleScript might require additional macOS permissions for Outlook access
- Dependencies: Platform-specific requirements in requirements.txt (e.g., pyobjc for AppleScript on macOS)
- Error Handling: Graceful fallback when Outlook is not available or accessible on either platform
- Data Format: Ensure consistent event data structure across both Windows COM and macOS AppleScript implementations
- Code Organization: Separate platform-specific code into modules while maintaining a unified API interface
User Impact
- Enable macOS users to use the plugin with Outlook for Mac
- Maintain backward compatibility with existing Windows installations
- Keep all data processing local (no cloud dependencies)
- Seamless experience regardless of platform
Acceptance Criteria
Issue Description
Currently, the Outlook Events Plugin only works on Windows machines due to its dependency on the Windows COM interface (win32com.client) to access Outlook data. This limits the plugin's usability for macOS users who also use Microsoft Outlook.
Current Limitations
Proposed Solution
Implement cross-platform compatibility by creating a hybrid approach that detects the operating system at runtime and uses the appropriate local API:
##Technical Considerations
User Impact
Acceptance Criteria