82:). Most competing encodings represent binary files by converting them into printable ASCII characters, because the range of printable ASCII characters is supported by most operating systems. However, since this reduces the available character set considerably, there is significant overhead (wasted bandwidth) over 8bit-byte networks. For example, in uuencode and Base64, three bytes of data are encoded into four printable ASCII characters, which equals four bytes, a 33% overhead (not including the overhead from headers). yEnc uses one character (one byte) to represent one byte of the file, with a few exceptions.
190:(which addressed the same flaws in uuencode). For example, yEnc requires the strings "=ybegin" and "=yend" to be placed around the encoded file in the message body. Although this is an improvement over uuencode's "begin" and "end", which occur more frequently in normal text, message readers can still encounter the strings outside of attachments (most frequently in discussions about yEnc itself). yEnc
106:
messages still require that carriage returns and line feeds have special meaning in a mail message. = is the escape character, so it itself is escaped. NUL is also escaped because of problems handling null characters in common code, although as an optimization yEnc adds 42 to every source byte so
202:
The yEncode draft proposal document was made available on 31 July 2001. A reference encoder and decoder was included in the MyNews 1.9 freeware version in
November that year. yDec, a freeware win32 decoder came on 14 November 2001. On 21 March 2002,
538:
Version 1.92 of Forté's Usenet newsreader adds a trash folder, improves some existing features, and takes care of various bugs; but more important than the fixes and enhancements is the application's added support for the YEnc binary encoding
85:
yEnc assumes that binary data mostly can be transmitted through Usenet and email. Therefore, 252 of the 256 possible bytes are passed through unencoded as a single byte, whether that result is a printable ASCII character or not. Only
54:. yEnc was initially developed by Jürgen Helbing, and its first release was early 2001. By 2003 yEnc became the de facto standard encoding system for binary files on Usenet. The name yEncode is a wordplay on
46:
encoding method. yEnc's overhead is often (if each byte value appears approximately with the same frequency on average) as little as 1–2%, compared to 33–40% overhead for 6-bit encoding methods like
207:
supported yEnc with version 1.91. Due to feedback of
Juergen Helbing, the release was postponed by one week. A couple of days after the release Jürgen Helbing wrote that Forté implemented yEnc
186:
Many programmers and news admins have outlined the weaknesses of yEnc. It suffers from many of the same flaws as uuencode does, a number of which had already been solved years before by
935:
916:
704:
321:
820:
456:
357:
528:
Spanbauer, Scott (August 2002). "Revision control - Latest
Software Tweaks (Listen to a world of radio stations on the Internet)".
140:
294:
Kim, Juhoon; Schneider, Fabian; Ager, Bernhard; Feldmann, Anja (2010). "Today's Usenet Usage: NNTP Traffic
Characterization".
772:
722:
418:
437:
895:
675:
697:
58:, since the idea is to only encode characters if it is absolutely required to adhere to the message format standard.
403:
194:
also attempt to reassemble files split into multiple messages by using the subject line, which is unreliable.
23:
735:
690:
299:
35:
810:
364:
While there are no official standards for yEnc, it is widely used for posting binary files on newsgroups
346:
111:
304:
750:
175:
171:
760:
327:
569:
217:
added yEnc support with version 8.0 in 2003. PowerArchiver 9.2 added yEnc support in May 2005.
353:
317:
273:
167:
879:
551:
460:
309:
265:
129:
121:
99:
75:
67:
940:
730:
507:
159:
95:
516:
Agent 1.91 provides full support for yEnc, a new Usenet encoding algorithm for binaries.
945:
854:
755:
643:
603:
204:
87:
929:
884:
874:
767:
713:
331:
178:
will decode single-part yEnc files, but is not able to combine multi-part binaries.
441:
163:
148:
As with uuencoding, despite its flaws, yEnc remains active and effective on Usenet.
107:
that, not uncommon, long stretches of zero bytes do not require a lot of escaping.
313:
869:
864:
827:
802:
422:
133:
125:
79:
66:
Usenet and email message bodies were intended to contain only ASCII characters (
376:
269:
71:
900:
489:
277:
155:
91:
670:
256:
Fellows, G. (2006). "Newsgroups reborn – The binary posting renaissance".
114:
or other standards document describing yEnc. The yEnc homepage contains a
665:
608:
235:
103:
47:
682:
740:
474:
214:
889:
847:
837:
832:
51:
31:
27:
395:
170:
do not provide yEnc support for either news or mail, but there are
815:
777:
43:
39:
296:
2010 INFOCOM IEEE Conference on
Computer Communications Workshops
859:
842:
792:
782:
745:
588:
187:
686:
787:
604:"StuffIt Deluxe 8.0 gets new plug-ins, performance boost"
152:
all major newsreaders have been extended to yEnc support
660:
348:
High
Definition: An A to Z Guide to Personal Technology
623:
Breen, Christopher (July 2004). "Stufflt Deluxe 8.0".
102:. LF and CR are escaped because the RFCs that define
671:"The story of B-News and his younger brother, yEnc."
26:
scheme for transferring binary files in messages on
801:
721:
570:"Juergen Helbing's feedback on yEnc and Agent 1.91"
236:"yEncode - A quick and dirty encoding for binaries"
345:
289:
287:
698:
8:
139:although neither has been submitted to the
705:
691:
683:
303:
917:Comparison of data-serialization formats
226:
644:"File Compression: PowerArchiver 9.2"
602:Sellers, Dennis (22 September 2003).
381:org.mozilla.lists.support-thunderbird
234:Helbing, Juergen (28 February 2002).
7:
406:from the original on 28 August 2013.
42:-based encoding methods by using an
14:
587:Helbing, Jürgen (22 March 2002).
436:Welch, Curt (19 September 2002).
642:Richard V. Dragan (4 May 2005).
589:"Forte Agent 1.91 supports yEnc"
552:"Agent 1.91 needs one more week"
488:Juergen "The Archiver" Helbing.
394:Helbing, Jürgen (10 June 2002).
936:Binary-to-text encoding formats
417:Nixon, Jeremy (17 March 2002).
150:The yEnc homepage states that "
141:Internet Engineering Task Force
455:Färber, Claus (4 March 2002).
377:"Yenc support in Thunderbird?"
1:
676:"Why yEnc is Good for Usenet"
475:"The original draft yEnc 1.0"
16:File transfer encoding scheme
419:"Why yEnc is bad for Usenet"
383:(Mailing list). 18 May 2006.
314:10.1109/INFCOMW.2010.5466665
118:specification and a grammar
962:
270:10.1016/j.diin.2006.04.006
209:in the best way imaginable
914:
457:"yEnc considered harmful"
438:"What's wrong with yEnc?"
508:"Agent 1.91 is Released"
666:yEnc specification text
24:binary-to-text encoding
490:"New features in 1.9"
352:. 2006. p. 353.
258:Digital Investigation
396:"Opponents to yEnc"
176:Mozilla Thunderbird
444:on 11 August 2013.
425:on 29 August 2013.
120:(which contradict
923:
922:
323:978-1-4244-6739-6
168:Windows Live Mail
34:. It reduces the
953:
880:Protocol Buffers
707:
700:
693:
684:
648:
647:
639:
633:
632:
620:
614:
613:
599:
593:
592:
584:
578:
577:
576:. 17 March 2002.
566:
560:
559:
558:. 15 March 2002.
548:
542:
541:
525:
519:
518:
504:
498:
497:
485:
479:
478:
471:
465:
464:
459:. Archived from
452:
446:
445:
440:. Archived from
433:
427:
426:
421:. Archived from
414:
408:
407:
391:
385:
384:
373:
367:
366:
351:
342:
336:
335:
307:
298:. pp. 1–6.
291:
282:
281:
253:
247:
246:
244:
242:
231:
198:yEncode adoption
193:
149:
144:
137:
117:
961:
960:
956:
955:
954:
952:
951:
950:
926:
925:
924:
919:
910:
797:
717:
711:
657:
652:
651:
641:
640:
636:
622:
621:
617:
601:
600:
596:
586:
585:
581:
568:
567:
563:
550:
549:
545:
527:
526:
522:
506:
505:
501:
487:
486:
482:
477:. 31 July 2001.
473:
472:
468:
463:on 1 June 2009.
454:
453:
449:
435:
434:
430:
416:
415:
411:
393:
392:
388:
375:
374:
370:
360:
344:
343:
339:
324:
305:10.1.1.679.6023
293:
292:
285:
255:
254:
250:
240:
238:
233:
232:
228:
223:
200:
191:
184:
160:Outlook Express
147:
138:
119:
115:
64:
17:
12:
11:
5:
959:
957:
949:
948:
943:
938:
928:
927:
921:
920:
915:
912:
911:
909:
908:
903:
898:
893:
887:
882:
877:
872:
867:
862:
857:
852:
851:
850:
840:
835:
830:
825:
824:
823:
813:
807:
805:
799:
798:
796:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
765:
764:
763:
758:
753:
751:Web Encryption
743:
738:
733:
727:
725:
723:Human readable
719:
718:
712:
710:
709:
702:
695:
687:
679:
678:
673:
668:
663:
656:
655:External links
653:
650:
649:
634:
615:
594:
579:
561:
543:
536:(8): 138–139.
520:
499:
480:
466:
447:
428:
409:
386:
368:
359:978-0618714896
358:
337:
322:
283:
248:
225:
224:
222:
219:
215:Stuffit Deluxe
199:
196:
183:
180:
116:draft informal
63:
62:How yEnc works
60:
38:over previous
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
958:
947:
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
933:
931:
918:
913:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
891:
888:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
875:Property list
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
856:
853:
849:
846:
845:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
829:
826:
822:
819:
818:
817:
814:
812:
809:
808:
806:
804:
800:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
768:Property list
766:
762:
761:Web Signature
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
748:
747:
744:
742:
739:
737:
734:
732:
729:
728:
726:
724:
720:
715:
714:Data exchange
708:
703:
701:
696:
694:
689:
688:
685:
681:
677:
674:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
661:yEnc homepage
659:
658:
654:
645:
638:
635:
630:
626:
619:
616:
611:
610:
605:
598:
595:
590:
583:
580:
575:
571:
565:
562:
557:
553:
547:
544:
540:
535:
531:
524:
521:
517:
513:
509:
503:
500:
495:
491:
484:
481:
476:
470:
467:
462:
458:
451:
448:
443:
439:
432:
429:
424:
420:
413:
410:
405:
401:
397:
390:
387:
382:
378:
372:
369:
365:
361:
355:
350:
349:
341:
338:
333:
329:
325:
319:
315:
311:
306:
301:
297:
290:
288:
284:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
259:
252:
249:
237:
230:
227:
220:
218:
216:
212:
210:
206:
197:
195:
189:
181:
179:
177:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
145:
142:
135:
131:
127:
123:
113:
108:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
83:
81:
77:
73:
69:
61:
59:
57:
56:"Why encode?"
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
25:
21:
905:
680:
637:
628:
624:
618:
607:
597:
582:
573:
564:
555:
546:
537:
533:
529:
523:
515:
512:forteinc.com
511:
502:
493:
483:
469:
461:the original
450:
442:the original
431:
423:the original
412:
399:
389:
380:
371:
363:
347:
340:
295:
264:(2): 73–78.
261:
257:
251:
239:. Retrieved
229:
213:
208:
201:
192:and uuencode
185:
164:Windows Mail
151:
146:
110:There is no
109:
98:, and = are
84:
65:
55:
19:
18:
870:MessagePack
865:FlatBuffers
855:Cap'n Proto
174:available.
930:Categories
539:algorithm.
494:winews.net
221:References
756:Web Token
300:CiteSeerX
278:1742-2876
156:Microsoft
901:uuencode
631:(7): 40.
625:Macworld
609:Macworld
530:PC World
404:Archived
400:yenc.org
332:18282467
182:Problems
172:plug-ins
104:Internet
48:uuencode
40:US-ASCII
36:overhead
741:EDIFACT
716:formats
241:26 July
100:escaped
30:or via
941:Usenet
890:Cyphal
885:Thrift
848:UBJSON
838:Base64
833:Base32
803:Binary
356:
330:
320:
302:
276:
132:
124:
78:
70:
52:Base64
32:e-mail
28:Usenet
946:Email
816:ASN.1
778:Rebol
574:Forté
556:Forté
328:S2CID
205:Agent
44:8-bit
22:is a
906:yEnc
892:DSDL
860:CBOR
843:BSON
828:Avro
793:YAML
783:TOML
746:JSON
731:Atom
354:ISBN
318:ISBN
274:ISSN
243:2014
188:MIME
166:and
134:2045
128:and
126:2822
80:2822
50:and
20:yEnc
896:XDR
821:SMI
811:AMF
788:XML
773:RDF
736:CSV
310:doi
266:doi
158:'s
154:".
130:RFC
122:RFC
112:RFC
88:NUL
76:RFC
74:or
72:822
68:RFC
932::
629:21
627:.
606:.
572:.
554:.
534:20
532:.
514:.
510:.
492:.
402:.
398:.
379:.
362:.
326:.
316:.
308:.
286:^
272:.
260:.
211:.
162:,
136:),
96:CR
94:,
92:LF
90:,
706:e
699:t
692:v
646:.
612:.
591:.
496:.
334:.
312::
280:.
268::
262:3
245:.
143:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.