ENT2001: How to Use Encoding Options in Entourage (268320)

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Overview of Encoding

To send files that are attached to e-mail messages, package them as a part of the message itself. When users are using the same computer environment, hardware, and operating system, sending attachments is generally not complex.

When users send and receive messages from diverse computer environments through various types of network protocols, including the Internet, transfers are encoded as ASCII text so that the binary attributes are preserved.

Messages that are received in this way are decoded by the receiving e-mail client. This process involves repositioning the data to its original state, which allows the recipient to open and view the document.

Common Encoding Standards

The following list describes the common encoding standards that are used by Entourage:

• UUENCODE: This older method was developed originally for use with UNIX mail transfers. Most mail clients, including Entourage, are capable of encoding as UUENCODE.
• MIME (Base64): This Multipart Internet Messaging Extension (MIME) method has emerged as the newer standard in all computer environments. The Base64 implementation successfully encodes a wide variety of files without increasing the size of the message stream.
• AppleDouble: This method, developed by Apple Computer, Inc., is a packaging standard that allows files that are sent from a Macintosh computer to be received and opened in other computer environments and with other operating systems. If files that are packaged in this manner are sent by using the Internet, they are encoded by one of the other methods.
• BinHex: This is a combination, packaging and encoding method for making files available to a Macintosh user. Although you can use this method to send attachments, the method is more commonly used to store files to be downloaded on non-Macintosh File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Web servers. The BinHex method increases the size of the attachment and, consequently, the size of the message to which it is attached.

How to Set Encoding Options in Entourage Messages

To set the encoding options for an Entourage message:

1. On the File menu, click New, and then click Mail Message.
2. Address the message and close the address window.
3. In Attachments, click Encode for any computer. Note that AppleDouble is selected as the default.
4. Click to select the encoding option that you want to use.
5. Press RETURN, and then send the message.

Other Message Options

In the window that you used in the "How to Set Encoding Options in Entourage Messages" section, there are other choices that you can use to add flexibility to the attachments that you send. The following sections outline these options.

Compatibility and Efficiency

• Append Windows extensions to file names
• Send attachments to Cc and Bcc recipients

The Append Windows Extensions to file names option adds the appropriate three character extensions to Microsoft Office files. For example, if you click this option for a Microsoft Word file named "MyFile" (without quotation marks), the file is sent as MyFile.doc. This option allows the Microsoft Windows user to open the Word file without manipulation.

Compression

• None
• Macintosh (Stuffit)

Aladdin Systems Stuffit is the compression standard that is widely employed by Macintosh users.

Other Resources

For more information about message encoding standards on the Macintosh, view the following Apple Computer Technical Information Library Web site: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.