[kdepim-users] Attaching binary files

[bill purvis]

On Thursday 17 December 2009, Ingo Klöcker wrote:
> On Thursday 17 December 2009, bill purvis wrote:
> > On Wednesday 16 December 2009, Ingo Klöcker wrote:
> > > On Wednesday 16 December 2009, bill purvis wrote:
> > > > I've recently upgraded to 1.12.2 and today needed to email a
> > > > couple of binary files to someone. When the selection window pops
> > > > up I noticed that it now has an item to define the character
> > > > encoding, but there is no entry for 'binary'. Is there a good
> > > > reason for this? Does it actually have any significant effect?
> > > > What is the recommendation for shipping binary files as
> > > > attachements?
> > >
> > > The character encoding is meaningless for binary data. It is only
> > > relevant for plain text files because text files usually do not
> > > contain information about the encoding used in the text file.
> >
> > Exactly! Which is why I want to know why there is no 'binary' option
> > in list of encodings. I don't want my binary file to be 'mapped' into
> > some other meaningless encoding. If nothing is going to happen what
> > is the point of providing this option?
> 
> I suppose you are referring to the file selection dialog. The option is
> provided in case you select a text file as attachment. If you attach a
> binary file then the selected encoding is ignored.
> 
> 
> Regards,
> Ingo
> 
I'm sorry - I have to point out that there is no such distinction. A file
is a file. It's only when you come to make use of the file that the
distinction has any meaning. Some of my 'binary' files are actually
text files, but in an obsolete 5-bit encoding used by 1960-vintage
computers. This discussion is getting a bit deep, and I have been
told that my binary files got there OK, so it's also academic, but
I'd like to know under what circumstances is this encoding used?

I still think it would be helpful if there was a 'binary' option in the
list of encodings just to reassure awkward people like me....

Many thanks
Bill
-- 
+---------------------------------------+
| Bill Purvis, Model Engineer           |
|  email: bill at billp.org                |
+---------------------------------------+
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