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UUENCODE(5)		       File Formats Manual		     UUENCODE(5)

NAME
     uuencode -- format of an encoded uuencode file

DESCRIPTION
     Files  output by uuencode(1) consist of a header line, followed by a number
     of body lines, and a trailer line.  The uudecode(1) command 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 characters "begin "
     (note the trailing space).  The word begin is followed by a  mode	(in  oc-
     tal),  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 character count, fol-
     lowed by encoded characters, followed by a newline.  The character count is
     a single printing character, and represents an integer, 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 (oc-
     tal 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 determined 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.

FreeBSD ports 15.quarterly	January 12, 1994		     UUENCODE(5)

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