CVC Internet's Help Guide - E-mail Attachments, Replying & Forwarding

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Attaching Files to E-mail

Many e-mail messages contain added attachments, usually files. (Some attachments can be URL's - Web pages in HTML form.)

You can attach either ASCII files or binary files, or both.

If binary files (such as data files from programs like Microsoft Word) are attached, the e-mail program will automatically encode them into one of the two major ASCII encoding schemes - MIME (Base64) encoding or UUencoding. Encoded files are often automatically decoded by the receiving e-mail program, though sometimes they are not.

Sometimes encoding and decoding doesn't work as it should. The most common problem is an encoding scheme that isn't understood by the receiving program. Keep in mind that browsers typically use MIME encoding for binary attachments.

Add Attachments to Your Netscape Mail

To add an attachment to an e-mail message:

Click either the Attach button on the Toolbar or the Attachment button in the message header of the Message Composition window.
In the Attachments window, click either Attach URL Location or Attach File. A dialog box will allow you to choose which URL or file to attach.
Choose to attach the file or URL either As Is or as Plain Text.

Select As Is to send binary files in ASCII-encoded form and URL's as full HTML source code.

Encoded binary files will be decoded back into binary form by the receiving e-mail program, if the encoding format is understood and if the e-mail program automatically decodes attachments.

HTML source code (ASCII text that contains HTMLcode) can be interpreted by a Web browser and displayed as a Web page.

Select Plain Text to extract the viewable text from the HTML coding in attached URL's. This turns a Web page into a plain text document for easy reading.

Click OK to confirm the attachment. Attachments will be sent in the form specified.

Add Attachments to Your Internet Mail

To add an attachment to an e-mail message:

Click the Attach button on the toolbar of the Message Composition window. Select the file, click Attach, or click File Attachment on the Insert menu, select the file you wish to attach and click the attach button.

In Internet Mail all files and file attachments are automatically sent in plain text format or MIME format unless otherwise specified.

To attach HTML formatted files such as Web pages:

Click the Attach button, select the file, click Attach, click Format, select HTML. This option formats the current outgoing message in HTML code.
The HTML option is not a default setting. Only the currently-selected outgoing message will be formatted in HTML code. All subsequent attachments will be saved and send in plain text format unless you reactivate the HTML code feature.
If the recipient's e-mail program cannot interpret HTML code, the file will be shown as an attached text file. The recipient can open the file attachment in any Web browser.

View and Save Attachments You Receive in Netscape Navigator

When you receive an attachment file or URL through Netscape Mail, the information is displayed in one of two ways.

If you have selected View, Attachments Inline, you see the attachment appended to the body of the message. If the attachment is HTML code, you will see a fully formatted Web page.
If you have selected View, Attachments as Links, you will see a link in the body of the message to the attachment. Clicking on this link allows you to specify a Save As location for the attachment.

Most browsers can decode both MIME encoded (Base64) and UUencoded messages.

View and Save Attachments You Receive with Internet Mail

When you receive a message with a file attachment, the message appears in your Inbox folder with an attachment icon. There are two ways to view the attachment:

Select the message from the message list, and click Open on the File menu (or double-click on the message) to open it. At the bottom of the window you will see the attachment file icon. Double-click on the icon to open the attachment file. Or from the message list, highlight the message with attachment. In the Preview pane, you will notice the Attachment icon in the upper right-hand corner. Click on the icon to see the file name, and then click on the file name to open the attached file.

You can save an attachment by opening the message, click File and selecting Save As Attachment.

Reply to Messages

Reply to Messages in Netscape Navigator

To reply to a message sent to you:

Select a message in the message list.
Click wither of these buttons:
- Re: Mail - to reply to everyone on the From line.
- Re:All - to reply to everyone on the From and CC lines.
A message composition window appears, with the original message in quote format (that is, with each line preceded by a special character like ">".)
Compose your reply just as you would a new message. You can edit header lines and type whatever body text you wish.
When you are done, click Send.

Reply to Messages In Internet Mail

To reply to a message sent to you:

Select the message in the message list.
Click either of these buttons on the Internet Mail Toolbar:
- Reply to Author - to everyone on the From line.
- Reply to All - to everyone on the From and CC lines.
The Message Composition window contains all the recipient address information as well as a subject heading. The old message will be included with your response.
Type your message as you would a new message. You can edit header lines and add addresses. Remember: Each addressee must be separated with a semi-colon.
When you are done, click the Send button.

Forward Mail

Forwarding Mail in Netscape Navigator

To forward a message you have received to another address:

Select a message in the message list.
Click the Forward button. A message composition window appears, with the original message included as an attachment.
Add an e-mail address to the To line and edit other header lines if you wish.
Add text to the message body, or leave the body empty, as you wish.
When you are done, click Send.

Forward Mail in Internet Mail

Select the message form the message list and click the Forward button.

Fill in the e-mail address information by either typing each name or selecting the recipients from your address book.

Type your message as you normally would and click the Send button, or if the message file is open, click the forward icon and follow the directions above.