// open file:
   MXFFilePtr file = new MXFFile;
   if (! file->Open(strFileName, true))
   {
      return -1;   // cannot open file - doesn't exist?
   }

   // get the Random Index Pack (RIP):
   file->GetRIP();

   // iterate through all partitions:
   RIP::iterator it = file->FileRIP.begin();
   while (it != file->FileRIP.end())
   {
      // seek to the partition position in the file:
      file->Seek((*it).second->ByteOffset);
      PartitionPtr ThisPartition = file->ReadPartition();
      if (ThisPartition)
      {
         if (ThisPartition->ReadMetadata() != 0)
         {
            for (MDObjectList::iterator it2 = ThisPartition->AllMetadata.begin();
               it2 != ThisPartition->AllMetadata.end(); it2++)
            {
               if ((*it2)->Name() == "Sequence")
               {
                  Length duration = (*it2)->GetInt64("Duration");
                  return duration;
               }   // are we looking at a sequence node?
               it2++;
            }  // loop through meta data objects
            
         }   // if ReadMetadata() != 0
      }   // scan through RIP
      it++;
   }
   return -1;

   // open file:
   MXFFilePtr file = new MXFFile;
   if (! file->Open(strFileName, true))
   {
      return -1;   // cannot open file - doesn't exist?
   }

   // get the Random Index Pack (RIP):
   file->GetRIP();

   // Read the master partition:
   PartitionPtr MasterPartition = file->ReadMasterPartition();
   if(!MasterPartition)
   {
      return -1;   // Can't locate or read the master partition
   }

   // Parse the metadata into "high level" objects
   MetadataPtr HMeta = MasterPartition->ParseMetadata();

   // Locate the primary package
   PackagePtr PrimaryPackage = HMeta[PrimaryPackage_UL];

   // Follow the weak reference
   if(PrimaryPackage) PrimaryPackage = PrimaryPackage->GetLink();
   else
   {
      // TODO: Scan for a material package
   }

   // Locate the first track in that package
   // TODO: You may want to pick a particular track
   TrackPtr ThisTrack = PrimaryPackage->Tracks.front();

   // We use a trick to get the duration of the entire track
   // We recalculate all sub-lengths and receive the total
   Length TrackDuration = ThisTrack->UpdateDuration();

   return TrackDuration;

// Locate first Material Package
PackageList::iterator it = HMeta->Packages.begin();
while(it != HMeta.Packages.end())
{
   if((*it)->IsA(MaterialPackage_UL))
   {
      PrimaryPackage = *it;
      break;
   }
   it++;
}