uuencode(5)
NAME
uuencode - format of an encoded uuencode file
DESCRIPTION
- Files output by uuencode(1) consist of a header line, fol
- lowed by a number of body lines, and a trailer line. The uudecode(1) com
- mand will
ignore any lines preceding the header or following the - trailer. Lines
preceding a header must not, of course, look like a header. - The header line is distinguished by having the first 6 char
- acters
``begin '' (note the trailing space). The word begin is - followed by a
mode (in octal), and a string which names the remote file. - A space separates the three items in the header line.
- The body consists of a number of lines, each at most 62
- characters long
(including the trailing newline). These consist of a char - acter count,
followed by encoded characters, followed by a newline. The - character
count is a single printing character, and represents an in - teger, the number of bytes the rest of the line represents. Such integers
- are always
in the range from 1 to 45 or 64 and can be determined by - subtracting the
character space (octal 40) from the character. Character 64 - represents a
count of zero. - Groups of 3 bytes are stored in 4 characters, 6 bits per
- character. All
characters are always in range from 1 to 64 and are offset - by a space
(octal 40) to make the characters printing. Character 64 - represents a
count of zero. The last line may be shorter than the normal - 45 bytes.
If the size is not a multiple of 3, this fact can be deter - mined by the
value of the count on the last line. Extra null characters - will be
included to make the character count a multiple of 4. The - body is terminated by a line with a count of zero. This line consists of
- one ASCII
backquote (octal 140) character. - The trailer line consists of ``end'' on a line by itself.
SEE ALSO
mail(1), uucp(1), uudecode(1), uuencode(1)
HISTORY
- The uuencode file format appeared in 4.0BSD.
- BSD January 12, 1994