Sending Files With Pine

When you send a Pine email message, there are two ways to include a file: insert it or attach it (see the following article for instructions). Which method to use depends on the type of file you want to send, the email program used by your correspondent, and whether or not the document is a finished product.

WHAT KIND OF FILE DO YOU WANT TO SEND?

Before you send a file via Pine, you need to know whether it is a plain text file or a non-text file. Then, you need to decide whether you want to include the file as part of the text you compose, or as an attachment to your message. Only plain text files can be included in your composition, but any kind of file may be sent as an attachment.

PLAIN TEXT FILES

Plain text (also called ASCII) files are created by text editors such as Pico, vi, emacs, and H19. You can also save a word processing document as a plain text file. This leaves the document in its basic page layout, but removes most other formatting from the document. For example, to save a Microsoft Word document as a plain text file, save it as " Text Only with Line breaks." To save a WordPerfect document as a plain text file, use the command <Control>F5.

NON-TEXT FILES

Non-text files, in contrast, include word processing documents in their normal format, spreadsheets, audio files, visual images, and executable binary programs.

WHAT KIND OF EMAIL PROGRAM IS YOUR CORRESPONDENT USING?

Once you know what kind of file you want to send, you need to find out what kind of email program your correspondent is using.

Most email programs can understand and display plain text files. Some mail programs use a non-standard method for sending non-text files. With the advent of MIME, there is now hope that a standard method will soon be widely available.

Email is a good way to exchange non-text files here on campus because everyone has access to Pine via the Uniform Access computers. However, non-text file transfer can be a problem for colleagues elsewhere who do not yet have a MIME-compatible email program. The best way to find out if your correspondent's email program is MIME-compatible is to ask them.

PRESERVING THE FORMAT

Using MIME attachments is a good way to send a final version of a document (either plain text or non-text). This is because the method of inserting files into email messages can introduce stray characters into the document. For instance, if a line beginning with the word "From" is inserted into an email message, certain Unix mail delivery programs add a > symbol, so that the line would start, ">From..." Although this is a minor alteration, attaching files rather than inserting them guarantees that their formats remain unchanged.

INSERTING FILES

To insert a plain text file into an email message, use the Read File command. The file is included in the text area of your message. When your email message is received, the inserted file appears as part of the message.

ATTACHING FILES

To attach a file to an email message, use the Attachments command while composing the message header. When the email message is received, Pine indicates the presence of an attachment. Your correspondent saves the attached file and then opens it with the appropriate application. For example, if you send a Microsoft Word file, your correspondent needs Word to open the file.

Attaching files is a good way to include more than one file in an email message. Depending on the size of the files, you can attach multiple files to an email message. Your recipient can save each attachment as a separate file.

WHAT METHOD SHOULD I USE TO SEND A FILE VIA PINE?

The table below compares the two methods (inserting and attaching) for the two types of files (plain text and non-text).

-------------------------------------------------------------------
        Plain Text Files              Non-Text Files
-------------------------------------------------------------------
	|  Any email program can   |  Non-text files cannot be
	|  accept embedded plain   |  inserted in mail messages
	|  text files              | 
Insert  |                          |
	|  Can introduce errors    |  Sometimes a non-text file 
	|  into text               |  (e.g., a word processing
        |                          |  document) can be con-
	|  Appropriate during the  |  verted to plain text first
	|  draft process           |  and then inserted
        |                          |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
	| Useful for sending       |  Useful for sending more 
	| more than one file       |  than one file
	|                          |    
	| Errors will not be       |  File can be sent in
	| introduced in text;      |  existing format
	| good for documents in    |
Attach  | final format             |  Only MIME-compatible
	|                          |  email programs can
	| Only MIME-compatible     |  handle attached files
	| email programs can       |
	| handle attached files    |  Alternative representations 
        |                          |  can be sent
	| Good for large files
	|                          |  Related attachments
	|                          |  (e.g., image and audio)
	|                          |  can be sent
--------------------------------------------------------------------

University of Washington Computing & Communications
Windows on Computing, No. 13, May 1993
newsltr@cac.washington.edu