Need ideas for imap, mime, and AOL

[lereu]

I am writing a browser-based mail application with the imap functions which has the capability of sending multiple attachments.

AOL users have difficulty receiving multiple email attachments. Multiple attachments arrive as a ZIP file in the AOL user inbox. They are then required to unzip and sometimes decode the attachments. When an AOL user receives attachments from my mail program as a ZIP file, all the files inside the ZIP file are of extension ".mim".

Is there a way to alter the outgoing email message to allow the files to arrive as a ZIP, but with the correct extensions?

I believe there must be a solution to this problem, because sending the same files via a program such as Outlook results in the AOL user getting a ZIP file with the multiple attachments with the correct extension.

Any ideas?
-laura

[Anon]

Hi Laura,

We've written a full fledged web based email client recently using the imap functions. This issue of converting multiple attachments into a single zip looks to be an internal process of AOL. I am not sure whether the AOL client does it or it is done at the server level. I presume that as long as you adhere to the RFC specs for the header, your extensions should come as they are.

One suggestion would be to have a look at the header of a message sent thru Outlook (if you have Eudora or Kmail or something, I think it will be better since Outlook complicates things). Then send it thru your client and check the header. I think you'll understand the problem immediately.

If you need any other help, email me at [e-mail]

Regards

Nilesh

[lereu]

Nilesh,

Thank you for your suggestions.

I have looked at a header sent via Outlook and compared it to the header we are composing. I didn't see any differences upon first inspection, but I will check again.

I have not looked at a header sent via Eudora or Kmail, yet. I'll give this a try to see if there is anything else I might be missing.

Also, do you think this would have anything to do with the encoding? My program sends the attachments with Base64.

-laura

[Anon]

Hi Laura,

From your mail, I assume the foll :
1. For non AOL users, the attachments reach perfectly (when they are not auto zipped).
2. For AOL users, the name of the files (when unzipped) gets corrupted. Content is ok.

If I assume the above is right, then somewhere along the way, while auto zipping is done, the utility doesn't get hold of the filenames correctly.

There are only two places in the header where filename is mentioned.
1. Content-type: image/jpg; name=logo.jpg
2. Content-disposition: attachment; filename=logo.jpg

If my knowledge goes right, most client take the filename from the "Content-disposition". So if your header contains the above correctly, then I think we really need to look at the problem more deeply.

Regards

Nilesh