NetCode Component

The NetCode control can be used to encode or decode files or strings. UUEncode, MIME's Base64 and Quoted-Printable, as well as URL encoding formats are currently supported. (NOTE: The following is a very short description. For more information, please consult the help files that come with the respective package.)

NetCode's operation is controlled by assigning a value to the Action property. The encoding format is specified by the Format property. The binary data, or the name of the file containing binary data, is specified by the DecodedData property and the encoded data or filename is specified by the EncodedData property. The FileName property may be used to override the default file names or to specify a directory during uuencoding. After uudecoding, the FileName property contains the fully specified file name of the decoded file.

Understanding Encoding/Decoding

Most of mail systems use only 7 bits to transmit messages. A binary file such as an archive or a non-plain text formatted file produced from a text processor should be first encoded in 7 bit code before email transfer.

Decoding is the inverse process: creation of the original file from the encoded data. Encoded data are often split over several files because of the size limit placed on the email message. Each message is preceded by information about splitting and also the mail header. NetCode supports this case in both directions:

- during encoding setting the MaxFileSize property to the maximum size of a message body instructs NetCode to split the encoded data over several files. Multiple filenames can be specified by using question marks "?".

- during decoding, the body messages can be saved in separate files named namexxx.ext where xxx is a numeral starting at 000 and ext is ".uue", ".b16", or ".q_p" according to Format. This multiple filename should be given to EncodedData. While uudecoding, if the IntelliCode property is set to True, NetCode tries to filter the data that don't belong to the pure uuencoded data (also the mail header).

PROPERTIES

Action. Controls the operation of NetCode.

DecodedData. Filename of the decoded data or the decoded data itself.

EncodedData. Filename of the encoded data or the encoded data itself.

FileCnt. Shows the number of encoded files the control has read from or written into.

FileName. The destination filename for the encoded data.

Format. Shows the type of encoding to be used.

IntelliCode. Controls whether NetCode should try to interpret several concatenated messages while uudecoding.

MaxFileSize. When decoding, controls whether encoded data should be split into several files and gives the maximum allowed size for these files.

Overwrite. Controls whether created file(s) should overwrite already existing file(s).

ProgressStep. Controls the granularity at which the Progress event is fired. Values 0-100.

EVENTS

Progress. Occurs when PercentDone of the input is read.