MIME$HELP.HLB  —  Overview
    Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME)

    The MIME utility is a standalone, user-mode, nonprivileged utility
    that provides MIME interpretation and composition editing.
    Messages in the VMSMAIL MAIL files can be extracted into text files
    and then be read and interpreted using MIME.  MIME formatted text
    files can be composed using MIME, and then sent using VMSMAIL to
    OpenVMS and other systems that have a MIME utility or MIME capable
    MAIL application.

1  –  Getting Started

    The MIME utility is a tool for reading MIME-formatted messages that
    are delivered in VMSMAIL messages. SMTP/MIME based mail systems,
    such as the TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS mail system, deposit
    incoming MIME-formatted messages into the VMSMAIL message store.

    To read and extract binary attachments in such messages, use
    VMSMAIL to extract the message into a text file; then run the
    MIME utility to interpret its contents.

    This approach would allow MIME to be easily backported and used
    on previous versions of OpenVMS, without changing the existing
    VMSMAIL environment.

1.1  –  Invoking MIME

    A foreign symbol is used to invoke MIME, for example,

    	$ MIME :== $SYS$SYSTEM:MIME.EXE

    Note that a file name can be provided as a parameter to MIME, but
    MIME opens that file for READ access only. No file modifications
    will be allowed.

    See Composing_Messages for more information.

2  –  Composing Messages

    MIME provides basic composition commands that allow you to create a
    text file in MIME compliant format: NEW, OPEN/DRAFT, ADD, EDIT.

    Use the NEW command, which runs the editor specified in the VMSMAIL
    user profile, or specify the editor to use to create a text message.
    You are prompted for a filename if one is not specified.

 	MIME> NEW [/edit="edit/teco"] [filename]

    Or you can use the OPEN/DRAFT command to continue editing a previous
    MIME message that was composed and saved.

         MIME> OPEN/DRAFT [filename]

    Then use the ADD and REMOVE commands to add attachments (or parts)
    to the message or to remove them. Attachments are such as binary
    image files, sound files, and compound documents, and also text.

         MIME> ADD filename /CONTENT_TYPE="image/gif" /ENCODING=base64

 	MIME> REMOVE n

    Where "n" is the attachment number. Use the LIST command to list
    attachments and their characteristics.

    Use the EDIT command to edit the text attachment.

 	MIME> EDIT n [/EDIT="edit/tpu"]

    Where "n" is the attachment number. Use the LIST command to list
    attachments and their characteristics. The editor can be specified
    with the /EDIT qualifier or /NOEDIT to avoid the edit session.

    Lastly, execute the SAVE command to write the composed outgoing
    MIME text file.

 	MIME> SAVE

    Note that the MIME command SHOW FILE_TYPES lists the file types
    and their default settings for the  ADD command. Other optional
    file types: the file extension, its Content-Type/subtype, and the
    encoding to use,  are defined in MIME$FILETYPES.DAT file.

    For more help, see the ADD command and SHOW FILE_TYPES
    MIME$FILETYPES.DAT command.

3  –  Extracting Attachments

    A message is opened for read access in one of the following ways:

 	$ MIME filename.xxx

 	MIME> OPEN filename.xxx

    MIME decodes the attachments (or parts) of the MIME encoded mail
    message when opened, storing them as temporary files in your defined
    MAIL directory.

    If the file is opened with the OPEN command, MIME automatically lists
    the attachments of the MIME encoded mail message. You can also list
    the attachments and their characteristics (content-type/subtype,
    encoding scheme, file name ...) with the following command:

 	MIME> LIST

    Attachments, such as binary .JPG images, documents, spreadsheet
    files, audio, DECsound, and text attachments, can be extracted into
    their native file format using the following MIME command:

 	MIME> EXTRACT /ATTACHMENT=n [filename]

    Where "n" is the attachment number listed with the MIME LIST command.
    In a single part message, no attachment number is displayed. For this
    case specify attachment number one.

    The filename is optional, unless MIME cannot determine the file name
    from the attachment information. In that case, MIME will prompt you
    for a file name. The attachment is stored as a file in the default
    directory.

    See HELP EXTRACT for more information.

4  –  Mailing MIME Messages

    Whenever OpenVMS MAIL is used to send a MIME encoded file, if the
    address in not a TCP/IP mail address, MAIL will add an extra blank
    line between it's mail headers and the message. This is standard
    for OpenVMS MAIL to separate its mail headers from the message.
    Consequently, this blank line may pose a problem to most MIME
    capable applications because it separates the MIME headers as well.

    However, if a TCP/IP mail address is used, the TCP/IP for OpenVMS
    SMTP service will send the MIME encoded mail with the properly
    formatted (RFC822) mail message and MIME headers. A blank line
    will properly separate the mail/MIME headers from the message body.

    An alternative is to use the DCL command line to send the mail, (e.g.):

    $ MAIL/NOSELF MimeFile.TXT smtp%"user@domain.com" /subject="Sending MIME"

    Note that using SMTP for MIME mail requires TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS
    5.0A + an SMTP patch or a later version.

    There are other problems with SMTP HEADER position that can affect
    MIME mail, please see Restrictions section for further information.

4.1  –  Restrictions

    On some SMTP/MIME mail systems, the message headers can be moved
    from the beginning of the message, where they would normally
    appear, to the end of the  message, as a convenience  to the
    reader. Unfortunately, this makes it impossible for MIME
    interpreters such as  the MIME utility to interpret the contents
    of the message. If SMTP  messages are reformatted in this
    manner, see the system administrator  about disabling this
    feature so that SMTP headers appear in their  original position
    at the beginning of the message. For TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS,
    you can disable this feature using the command:

 	SET CONFIGURATION SMTP/OPTIONS=TOP

    The MIME utility does not fully integrate with the VMSMAIL
    user interface to send MIME messages over the internet. You can
    use VMSMAIL to send MIME messages created and saved with the MIME
    utility. Those messages can then be interpreted using MIME at the
    destination OpenVMS host or with a MIME capable reader on another
    system platform.

    As of TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS version V5.0A, a known problem
    exists where an extra NEWLINE character corrupts the MIME message
    sent with SMTP. MIME messages sent with TCP/IP V5.0A and prior may
    not be interpreted correctly by MIME programs other than the
    OpenVMS MIME Utility. This problem was corrected in later versions
    of TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS or with a patch to V5.0A.

    SFF could be used as an alternative on systems prior to TCPIP
    V5.0A and the SMTP Patch.

        $ r TCPIP$SYSTEM:TCPIP$SMTP_SFF.EXE
        Usage: SMTP_SFF infile_name [-log logfile_name] [-loglevel log_level]
        infile_name     : Name of text input file containing SMTP mail to send.
        logfile_name    : Name of text log file to log diagnostics to.
    			 (Default SYS$OUTPUT).
        log_level       : Debug log level. 1 or 0 at this time. (Default 0)

    See the TCP/IP Service release notes and documentation for more
    information.

5  –  MIME Procedures and BATCH

    MIME will work properly with command procedures and in BATCH mode
    provided the following guidelines are utilized.

    When a foreign symbol is used to invoke MIME, for example,

    	$ MIME :== $SYS$SYSTEM:MIME.EXE

    a file name can be provided as a parameter to MIME. But, MIME will
    OPEN that file for READ access only. No file modifications will be
    allowed.

    The NEW command creates a MIME message and by default, opens
    a text editor for editing or composing that MIME message. MIME
    invokes the editor defined in the user's MAIL profile by the MAIL
    SET EDIT command.

    The /[NO]EDIT="edit/teco" qualifier allows manipulating this
    default behavior. Use NEW/NOEDIT to disable starting the editor.
    Use /EDIT="edit/edt" to override the editor specified by the MAIL
    profile. Please see the NEW and EDIT command for more information.

    An alternative is the OPEN/DRAFT command. This allows modifying a
    previously processed MIME text file that was saved with MIME and
    includes the MIME headers. This file can be blank or contain text
    and possibly originated with the NEW command. Now other attachments
    (or message parts) can be added to the basic MIME message structure
    with ADD command.

6  –  Viewing Messages

    MIME operates as a standalone utility  to interpret MIME-formatted
    messages received by VMSMAIL. Use the VMSMAIL command EXTRACT/NOHEADER
    to extract a MIME-formatted message received by VMSMAIL into a text
    file.

 	MAIL> EXTRACT/NOHEADER filename

    A message is opened for read access in one of the following ways:

 	$ MIME filename.xxx

 	MIME> OPEN filename.xxx

    The OPEN command opens and decodes the message file, in preparation
    for file viewing.

    Use the MIME READ command to display the file.

 	MIME> READ

6.1  –  Notes on Content-types

    Not all attachments (content-type/subtypes, such as .DOC and .XLS),
    can be displayed with the OpenVMS MIME utility. OpenVMS MIME
    displays only the attachments that have been defined and have a
    native OpenVMS viewer application installed and associated with
    that defined content-type/subtype.

    Example OpenVMS native viewer applications include NETSCAPE to
    display .HTML and .HTM attachments, and Freeware X-VIEW application
    to display image types .JPG, .GIF, and .JPEG subtypes.

    Also note that foreign commands must be defined for invoking these
    native viewer application images. This is so OpenVMS MIME can pass
    a filename (string) representing the attachment to the viewer
    application, for example:

 	NETSCAPE :== $ SYS$MANAGER:NETSCAPE-EXPORT-ALPHA-V303C4R-JAVA-GOLD.EXE

 	XV == "$ SYS$LIBRARY:XV.EXE"

    Content-types/subtypes are defined internally by OpenVMS MIME and
    in optional MIME$MAILCAP.DAT files.

    The MIME command SHOW CONTENT lists the content types of files
    that can be displayed with the READ command. Other optional types
    are defined in MIME$MAILCAP.DAT file.

 	MIME> SHOW CONTENT_TYPE

    See the READ command and SHOW CONTENT MIME$MAILCAP.DAT command for
    more information and its security implications.
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