XCLN: Sending Messages In Rich-Text Format

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95
• Microsoft Exchange Internet Provider
• Microsoft Outlook 97

SUMMARY

The Microsoft Exchange Windows 95 client allows you to send messages through the Microsoft Exchange Internet Provider in rich-text format.

To view rich-text attributes, the recipient must also use Microsoft Exchange or another messaging system that displays rich-text formatting. Messaging systems that do not support rich-text formatting will display messages as plain text without special attributes or formatting.

Rich-text format attributes include:

   Font name
   Font size
   Character color
   Bold
   Italic
   Underline
   Strikethrough
   Bulleted lists

MORE INFORMATION

PROPERTIES CONCEPT

By default, when you send a rich-text message using the Microsoft Exchange Internet Mail Provider, a MIME-encoded description of the formatting is included with the message. You can also send messages without MIME; this will cause a special file to be attached called WINMAIL.DAT. WINMAIL.DAT is appended to the message in UUENCODED format. This encoding includes rich- text attributes and formatting details for the mail message.

When a rich-text format message is sent using MIME, an entry similar to the following is added to the header of the message:

   Mime-Version: 1.0
   Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----
    =_NextPart_000_01BA6275.348C1000"
   Status: RO
   X-Status:

   ------ =_NextPart_000_01BA6275.348C1000
   ------ =_NextPart_000_01BA6275.348C1000
   Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
   Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

   ------ =_NextPart_000_01BA6275.348C1000
   Content-Type: application/ms-tnef
   Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64

   eJ8+IisSAQaQCAAEAAAAAAABAAEAAQeQBgAIAAAA5AQAAAAAAADoAAENgAQAAgAAAAEAAQ
   ABBJAGAEgBAAABAAAADAAAAAMAADACAAAACwAPDgAAAAACAf8PAQAAAHQAAAAAAAAAtTvC
   wCx3EBqhvAgAKypWwhUAAAB2ZPLzl7rOEa5RAKoAQkrnpIAAAAAAAACBKx+kvqMQGZ1uAN
   0BD1QCAAAAAEdyZWcgS3VkYXN6IChhdCBjcmlzLmNvbSkAU01UUABna3VkYXN6QGNyaXMu
   Y29tAB4AAjABAAAABQAAAFNNVFAAAAAAHgADMAEAAAARAAAAZ2t1ZGFzekBjcmlzLmNvbQ
   AAAAADABUMAQAAAAMA/g8GAAAAHgABMAEAAAAcAAAAJ0dyZWcgS3VkYXN6IChhdCBjcmlz
   LmNvbSknAAIBCzABAAAAFgAAAFNNVFA6R0tV
   [. . .]

   begin 600 WINMAIL.DAT
   M>)\^(C<.`0:0" `$```````!``$``0>0!@`(````Y 0```````#H``$%@ ,`
   M#@```,L'" `$``<`)P`O``4`0 $!"8 !`"$````S,S5$,C,W,#%"0T-#13$Q
   M04,S,C4R-#$U,S0X,# P,0#8!@$@@ ,`#@```,L'" `$``<`)P`V``4`1P$!
   M"( '`!@```!)4$TN36EC<F]S;V9T($UA:6PN3F]T90`Q" $$@ $`& ```%MS
   M;71P.F=K=61A<WI 8W)I<RYC;VU=``T)`0V ! `"`````@`"``$#D 8```$`
   M``P```! `#D`X!.6)7ABN@$>`' ``0```!@```!;<VUT<#IG:W5D87-Z0&-R
   [. . .]

TOGGLING RICH-TEXT FORMAT

The following scenarios outline when a message sent though the Internet with Microsoft Exchange will be delivered in rich-text format.

New Address Book Entry

Rich text is a property that can be set per recipient with the Internet Mail Provider. You can set the rich-text option in the personal address book by choosing New Entry from the Address Book File menu, and selecting Internet Address. By default, rich-text formatting is off for new entries.

Adding Address Book Entry from Message

If you receive mail from a sender that is not in your personal address book, you can add that person by examining the details on that sender (double-click the sender's alias name in the From box), and clicking the Add To: Personal Address Book button. The new entry will have rich-text formatting off by default for the alias you are creating.

You can select (check) the Always Send To This Recipient In Microsoft Exchange Rich-Text Format check box to turn on rich-text formatting for the new alias. This setting will be used when you choose the name from the address book for both of the above examples.

NOTE: The above two examples are true for the Microsoft Exchange Internet Provider that ships with Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95. Other providers may have different defaults.

Entering Address in [smtp:user@domain.net] Format

Instead of choosing an alias from the personal address book, you can use one of two forms of "one-off addressing." One-off addressing allows you to enter an alias directly in the To box when you compose a message.

The first form of one-off addressing is to type the address enclosed in brackets with the SMTP address designator. Messages addressed in this format will be delivered in rich-text format.

Example:

   TO: [smtp:postmaster@company.com]

Entering Address in user@domain.net Format

The second form of one-off addressing is to enter the address without enclosing the address in brackets. Messages addressed in this format will NOT be delivered in rich-text format.

Example:

   TO: postmaster@company.com

1. Click the Check Names button on the toolbar or press CTRL+K.

2. Double-click the alias name in the To box.

3. Add or remove the check mark in the Always Send To This Recipient

       In Microsoft Exchange Rich-Text Format box.