rfc2047.el dependencies on mm-util.el (was: Sending attachments)

[Reiner Steib]

On Sat, Jul 18 2009, Richard Stallman wrote:

> rfc2047.el depends on some substantial code in mm-util.el:
> mm-charset-to-coding-system and mm-find-mime-charset-region.  I cannot
> understand that code, and I am not sure what it is trying to do.  I
> understand the doc strings, but they explain only in vague terms.

Please elaborate what is not clear...

,----[ <f1> f mm-find-mime-charset-region RET ]
| mm-find-mime-charset-region is a compiled Lisp function in `mm-util.el'.
| (mm-find-mime-charset-region B E &optional HACK-CHARSETS)
| 
| Return the MIME charsets needed to encode the region between B and E.
| nil means ASCII, a single-element list represents an appropriate MIME
| charset, and a longer list means no appropriate charset.
`----

,----[ <f1> f mm-charset-to-coding-system RET ]
| mm-charset-to-coding-system is a compiled Lisp function in `mm-util.el'.
| (mm-charset-to-coding-system CHARSET &optional LBT ALLOW-OVERRIDE SILENT)
| 
| Return coding-system corresponding to CHARSET.
| CHARSET is a symbol naming a MIME charset.  [...]
`----

MIME charsets are not the same as (Emacs) coding systems.  This
function does the mapping and also handles overrides (many MUAs
specify wrong charsets), invalid charsets, etc.

> Can you separate out that functionality into a file by itself, which
> does not depend on the rest of Gnus, and clean it up and/or add
> comments so that it is clear?

rfc2047.el implements (one of) the MIME standards.  mm-utils.el
contains utility functions for MIME.  I.e. they are closely related.
I'm not sure it is worth to separate out parts of it.

Bye, Reiner.
-- 
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