There are several methods for turning a binary file into text for mailing; these methods
are somewhat tied to the operating system you??™re running. The historic Unix method is
called UUEncode/UUDecode (the UU standing for Unix-to-Unix), whereas Macintosh
users made BinHex files. Later on, the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME)
format came in for all operating systems. Nearly every mail client now produced, for
whatever OS, can read file attachments that use these formats, and they all can attach
files using at least one of these methods without user intervention. That is, you don??™t
have to decide how to encode your attachments.
One deficiency in this encoding and textifying of binary files is that the encoded files are
much bigger than the original binary file. Recently, a new format called yEnc has taken
the field, claiming to produce smaller, more compressed attachments. Client support for
this format is spotty at the time of this writing, but that may change.
CHAPTER 13 Using the Internet: Browsing the Web and Writing Email 284
In the event you find yourself needing to decode one of these files manually, this section
will help you with some pertinent details about each format.
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