Sending an IEEE message via e-mail

In the last two issues of THE INSTITUTE, we introduced a number of e-mail services that IEEE offers to its members. In this issue, we discuss how members can use e-mail for sending mail messages that contain more than just a simple message composed on-line.

There are two types of formats for such messages: simple ASCII text, and everything else -- such as technical papers or reports that contain graphics, charts, and printer enhancements. In preparing your e-mail message, you can use either a text editor or a word processor.

A word processor automatically embeds special control codes -- like indenting, underlining, bolding, and so on -- in between the text characters to enhance the printed output. These are non-printable characters and will cause havoc if they appear in an e-mail message. In preparing your messages with a word processor, use the DOS text out option to remove all these special codes.

A text editor does not automatically put such codes in. To incorporate text that has already been written using a text editor (or a word processor with DOS TEXT OUTPUT), you must upload the text from your PC to the computer that contains your mail box (your e-mail computer). Your communications software package (the one installed on your PC) will usually have options to do this. The reverse process is called downloading.

KERMIT.   You will also have to invoke a communications package on your e-mail computer. I use Kermit. I normally enter the command "kermit -r" when I want to upload, and "kermit -s" to download. Once your text has been uploaded, you can send it using the e-mail program.

To send anything other than simple text, first upload the item. Then on a UNIX machine, use a pair of UNIX commands: "uuencode" and "uudecode". You can send almost any kind of file; wordprocessor, spreadsheet, data base, graphics, and so on.

To send a file called "filename" to an address "xxx@yyy", you first decide what name you want the file to be called when it is finally decoded -- maybe "fname". Then enter the following command string "uuencode filename fname | mail xxx@yyy". The file is automatically encoded (so the special control codes don't create problems),and then sent to the recipient's address. Before you do this, however, send a short message warning the recipient that the next message from you contains an encoded file and not a long but readable message!

If you are the recipient of such a message, you have to (a) recognize that an encoded file is in your message list, (b) copy this message to your current directory on your e-mail computer and give it a name - say "mfile", (c) exit from the e-mail program, (d) decode the file, and (e) download the decoded file.

To decode the file, enter the command string "uudecode mfile". You will find that a new file now exists called "fname". To up- or down- load non-text files you may need to put your Kermit environment into binary mode; use "set file type binary", then "set file type text" to reset after you are finished.

With these features, I can exchange any kind of computer file with my collegues. I have found this to be very useful. If you know of other e-mail features that we should discuss in these pages, send me a message. -- Robert T.H. Alden