From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Message-ID: <021801c053ce$98a6a3c0$0ab9c6d4@cybercable.fr> From: "Boyd Roberts" To: <9fans@cse.psu.edu> References: <20001121144412.239EB199E1@mail.cse.psu.edu> Subject: Re: [9fans] problems with marshal MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2000 16:20:34 +0100 Topicbox-Message-UUID: 2e32a712-eac9-11e9-9e20-41e7f4b1d025 From: > > the other problem is that text attachments containing 8 bit utf don't > propagate the "Content-transfer-encoding: 8bit" into the main header. > fixing this would require reading all the attachments before spitting > out the principal header, which is not currently done. > i reckon that a lot of careful thought would be required before stepping into that mimefield [sic]. by the end of the 4th mime doc either the authors had totally lost it, you have totally lost it or a combination of both. at least with text messages from plan 9 they are obviously 8bit, 'cos it's UTF. but when you talk smtp you then have to decide on whether conversion is required depending on who you're talking to at the other end. it's a very ugly problem. attatchments complicate it no end. i agree with what Bill McLean, director of the AIM-9 sidewinder project said: it is easy to build something that is complicated but it is hard to build something so that it's simple that may not be exact. during the trials between the sidewinder and what was to become the AIM-54 phoenix, the phoenix team had a hanger full of test equipment. when asked for what sort of test equipment the sidewinder team required the reply was: oh, a flashlight and a screwdriver