diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3bc6b6f..fbf1ddc 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -73,3 +73,4 @@ docs/_build/
 .python-version
 
 /tests/files/*
+.agentbridge
diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
index 7ff7f38..00c44fe 100644
--- a/build.rs
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ impl DeMangler {
                             return Err(Error::msg(format!(
                                 "conflicting mangled symbols for {} in {}: {}, {}",
                                 demangled,
-                                a_file.to_str().unwrap(),
+                                a_file.to_string_lossy(),
                                 existing_mangled,
                                 mangled
                             )));
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index ae60410..cca7e59 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -31,4 +31,8 @@ pub enum Error {
     UnknownDataType(i32),
     #[error("unknown pixel type: {0}")]
     UnknownPixelType(i32),
+    #[error("wrong attachment type: {0}")]
+    InvalidAttachmentType(String),
+    #[error("raw data is malformed")]
+    MalformedData,
 }
diff --git a/src/functions.rs b/src/functions.rs
index bcc4798..0066f43 100644
--- a/src/functions.rs
+++ b/src/functions.rs
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ impl SubBlock {
     ///
     /// \\returns    An error-code indicating success or failure of the operation.
     pub fn get_raw_data(&self, tp: RawDataType, size: i32) -> Result<(i32, Vec<u8>), Error> {
-        let mut data = Vec::<u8>::with_capacity(size as usize);
+        let mut data = vec![0u8; size as usize];
         let size = Box::into_raw(Box::new(size as c_ulong));
         lib_czi_error(unsafe {
             libCZI_SubBlockGetRawData(**self, tp as c_int, size, data.as_mut_ptr() as *mut c_void)
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ impl Attachment {
     ///
     /// \\returns    An error-code indicating success or failure of the operation.
     pub fn get_raw_data(&self, size: i32) -> Result<(i32, Vec<u8>), Error> {
-        let mut data = Vec::<u8>::with_capacity(size as usize);
+        let mut data = vec![0u8; size as usize];
         let size = Box::into_raw(Box::new(size as c_ulong));
         lib_czi_error(unsafe {
             libCZI_AttachmentGetRawData(**self, size, data.as_mut_ptr() as *mut c_void)
@@ -518,6 +518,17 @@ impl Attachment {
         Ok((unsafe { *Box::from_raw(size) as i32 }, data))
     }
 
+    /// convenience method that extracts some types of data
+    pub fn get_data(&self) -> Result<AttachmentData, Error> {
+        let (n, _) = self.get_raw_data(0)?;
+        let (_, data) = self.get_raw_data(n)?;
+        Ok(match self.get_info()?.get_content_file_type()?.as_str() {
+            "CZTIMS" | "CZFOC" => AttachmentData::from_float(data.as_slice())?,
+            "CZEXP" | "CZHWS" | "CZMVM" | "CZFBMX" => AttachmentData::from_xml(data.as_slice())?,
+            _ => AttachmentData::Unknown(data),
+        })
+    }
+
     /// Release the specified attachment object.
     ///
     /// \\param  attachment_object The attachment object to be released.
diff --git a/src/interop.rs b/src/interop.rs
index 5fe5b1c..91b3e2e 100644
--- a/src/interop.rs
+++ b/src/interop.rs
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ impl ExternalOutputStreamStruct {
     }
 }
 
-/// This structure gather the information needed to create a reader object.
+/// This structure gathers the information needed to create a reader object.
 impl ReaderOpenInfo {
     pub fn new(stream: &InputStream) -> Self {
         Self(ReaderOpenInfoInterop {
@@ -706,25 +706,27 @@ impl AttachmentInfo {
     pub fn get_guid(&self) -> [u8; 16] {
         self.0.guid
     }
-    pub fn get_content_file_type(&self) -> [u8; 9] {
-        self.0.content_file_type
-    }
+
     pub fn get_name(&self) -> Result<String, Error> {
-        Ok(
-            CStr::from_bytes_until_nul(&self.0.name.iter().map(|&i| i as u8).collect::<Vec<_>>())?
-                .to_str()?
-                .to_string(),
-        )
+        if self.0.name_overflow {
+            Ok(
+                unsafe { CString::from_raw(self.0.name_in_case_of_overflow as *mut c_char) }
+                    .to_string_lossy()
+                    .to_string(),
+            )
+        } else {
+            Ok(CStr::from_bytes_until_nul(
+                &self.0.name.iter().map(|&i| i as u8).collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+            )?
+            .to_string_lossy()
+            .to_string())
+        }
     }
-    pub fn get_name_overflow(&self) -> bool {
-        self.0.name_overflow
-    }
-    pub fn get_name_in_case_of_overflow(&self) -> Result<String, Error> {
-        Ok(
-            unsafe { CString::from_raw(self.0.name_in_case_of_overflow as *mut c_char) }
-                .to_str()?
-                .to_string(),
-        )
+
+    pub fn get_content_file_type(&self) -> Result<String, Error> {
+        Ok(CStr::from_bytes_until_nul(&self.0.content_file_type)?
+            .to_string_lossy()
+            .to_string())
     }
 }
 
@@ -1041,10 +1043,10 @@ impl AccessorOptions {
     pub fn get_use_visibility_check_optimization(&self) -> bool {
         self.0.use_visibility_check_optimization
     }
-    pub fn get_additional_parameters(&self) -> Result<String, Error> {
-        Ok(unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(self.0.additional_parameters) }
-            .to_str()?
-            .to_string())
+    pub fn get_additional_parameters(&self) -> String {
+        unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(self.0.additional_parameters) }
+            .to_string_lossy()
+            .to_string()
     }
     pub fn set_background_color_r(&mut self, back_ground_color_r: f32) {
         self.0.back_ground_color_r = back_ground_color_r
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index a23f09c..03bb908 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ pub mod sys;
 pub use functions::*;
 pub use handle::*;
 pub use interop::*;
-pub use misc::{Dimension, PixelType, RawDataType};
+pub use misc::{AttachmentData, Dimension, PixelType, RawDataType};
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
diff --git a/src/misc.rs b/src/misc.rs
index 87dd359..fa20490 100644
--- a/src/misc.rs
+++ b/src/misc.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::error::Error;
+use std::ffi::CStr;
 use std::mem::MaybeUninit;
 
 pub fn lib_czi_error(code: std::ffi::c_int) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -14,7 +15,71 @@ pub fn lib_czi_error(code: std::ffi::c_int) -> Result<(), Error> {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+/// container for some types of attachment data
+pub enum AttachmentData {
+    Float(Vec<f64>),
+    Xml(String),
+    Unknown(Vec<u8>),
+}
+
+impl AttachmentData {
+    pub fn attachment_type(&self) -> &str {
+        match self {
+            Self::Float(_) => "float",
+            Self::Xml(_) => "xml",
+            Self::Unknown(_) => "unknown",
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn from_float(raw: &[u8]) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        if raw.len() < 8 {
+            Err(Error::MalformedData)
+        } else {
+            let number = u32::from_le_bytes(raw[4..8].try_into().unwrap()) as usize;
+            if raw.len() < 8 * number + 8 {
+                Err(Error::MalformedData)
+            } else {
+                let mut data = Vec::with_capacity(number);
+                for i in 0..number {
+                    data.push(f64::from_le_bytes(
+                        raw[8 + 8 * i..16 + 8 * i].try_into().unwrap(),
+                    ));
+                }
+                Ok(Self::Float(data))
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn from_xml(raw: &[u8]) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        Ok(Self::Xml(
+            CStr::from_bytes_until_nul(raw)?
+                .to_string_lossy()
+                .to_string(),
+        ))
+    }
+
+    pub fn try_into_float(&self) -> Result<Vec<f64>, Error> {
+        if let AttachmentData::Float(data) = self {
+            Ok(data.clone())
+        } else {
+            Err(Error::InvalidAttachmentType(
+                self.attachment_type().to_string(),
+            ))
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn try_into_xml(&self) -> Result<String, Error> {
+        if let AttachmentData::Xml(data) = self {
+            Ok(data.clone())
+        } else {
+            Err(Error::InvalidAttachmentType(
+                self.attachment_type().to_string(),
+            ))
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Eq, PartialEq, Hash)]
 pub enum Dimension {
     /// The Z-dimension.
     Z = 1,
@@ -48,6 +113,10 @@ impl Dimension {
         }
         dimensions
     }
+
+    pub fn is_valid(&self, v: u32) -> bool {
+        v & (*self as u32).pow(2) > 0
+    }
 }
 
 impl TryFrom<i32> for Dimension {