.TH MIMENCODE 1 "Release 1" "Bellcore Prototype"
.SH NAME
mimencode - Translate to and from mail-oriented encoding formats

(Same program also installed as "mmencode".)
.SH SYNOPSIS
.ta 8n
\fBmimencode\fP	[-u] [-b] [-q] [-p] [file name] [-o outputfile]
.br
.SH DESCRIPTION
The
.I mimencode
program simply converts a byte stream into (or out of) one of the standard
mail encoding formats defined by MIME, the proposed standard for internet
multimedia mail formats.  Such an encoding is necessary because binary data
cannot be sent through the mai l. The encodings understood by mimencode are
preferable to the use of the uuencode/uudecode programs, for use in mail, in
several respects that were important to the authors of MIME.

By default, mimencode reads standard input, and sends a "base64" encoded
version of the input to standard output.

The (really not necessary) "-b" option tells mimencode to use the "base64"
encoding.

The "-q" option tells mimencode to use the "quoted-printable" encoding
instead of base64.

The "-u" option tells mimencode to
.I
decode the standard input rather than encode it.

The "-p" option tells mimencode to translate decoded CRLF sequences into the
local newline convention during decoding and to do the reverse during
encoding.  This option is only meaningful when -b (base64 encoding) is in
effect.

If a file name argument is given, input is read from that file rather than
from standard input.

The "-o" option, which must be followed by a file name, sends output to the
named file rather than to standard output.
.SH RATIONALE
.I
Mimencode is intended to be a replacement for
.I
uuencode for mail and news use.  The reason is simple:  uuencode doesn't
work very well in a number of circumstances and ways.  In particular,
uuencode uses characters that don't translate well across all mail gateways
(particularly ASCII <-> EBCDIC gateways).  Al so, uuencode is not standard
-- there are several variants floating around, encoding and decoding things
in different and incompatible ways, with no "standard" on which to base an
implementation.  Finally, uuencode does not generally work well in a pipe,
although some variants have been modified to do so.  Mimencode implements
the encodings which were defined for MIME as uuencode replacements, and
should be considerably more robust for email use.
.SH SEE ALSO
metamail(1), mailto(1)
.SH BUGS
This program was originally distributed as "mmencode".  That name turns out
to conflict with a program of the same name that is part of the Slate
software from BBN, but totally changing the name to mimencode would create
other problems (notably with porta bility to systems where the left half of
file names is limited to 8 characters).  Currently, it is being distributed
with links under BOTH names.  The programs in the distribution that call the
program all call it as "mimencode", so the "mmencode" version may be deleted
at sites where it causes a problem.  (The source files are still named
"mmencode" rather than "mimencode".)
.SH COPYRIGHT
Copyright (c) 1991 Bell Communications Research, Inc.  (Bellcore)

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this material for any
purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright
notice and this permission notice appear in all copies, and that the name of
Bellcore not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to this material
without the specific, prior written permission of an authorized
representative of Bellcore.  BELLCORE MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE
ACCURACY OR SUITABILITY OF THIS MATERIAL FOR ANY PURPOSE.  IT IS PROVIDED
"AS IS", WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES.
.SH AUTHOR
Nathaniel S. Borenstein
