Attaching a Word Processing Document

In this exercise, you will attach the file "test.doc", created by a word processor and containing formatting information, to a mail message.

To send mail to Fred Smith containing the word processor document "test.doc", complete the following steps:

1. Open Eudora.
2. From the Message menu, choose New Message.
3. Type the e-mail address of the intended recipient in the "To:" field.

           To:  Fred.Smith@vt.edu

4. Press TAB to move to the "Subject" field and type a subject.

           Subject:  Mail Message with Word Processor Attachment

5. Press TAB until the cursor is in the body of the message.
6. Type the message you would like to include with your attachment (optional).

             Fred, here is a first draft of our report:

7. From the Message menu, choose Attach Document. A directory dialog box will appear.
8. Locate the folder containing "test.doc".
9. Select "test.doc"
10. Choose Open. The document will now be attached to your mail message and its name will appear in the "Attachments:" field.
11. Click Send. The message, including the attachment, will be sent.

When you send a non-text file (e.g., a Macintosh document application, or graphics image file) as in this example, it is automatically converted to BinHex format to prevent possible corruption as the file is passed between network systems.

Examining a Mail Message Containing a Word Processor Document

1. Check your mail as usual.
2. A directory dialog box will appear indicating the folder and filename which will be used to store the attachment. If you wish to store the attachment in a different folder, choose the folder from the dialog box. You may wish to save to the Desktop. If you wish to change the name, type the new name in the "Save attachment:" field of this dialog box. Type "attach.doc" in this field to save this attachment under this name in the selected folder.
3. Choose Save.
4. To see the contents of the attachment, open "attach.doc". The text of this file will now display.
5. Close this window when you have finished examining the text.
6. Close the current mail message window.

The above procedure can be used for any attachment. Thus you can use this procedure to receive spreadsheet, data base, graphics image, and application program files which are included as attachments in mail files.

Note: We recommended that you avoid Cancel when you receive a mail message containing an attached Macintosh or binary file. Instead choose Save so that the file will be decoded and ready for use.

How Recipients Handle Attachments

Anyone should be able to receive a mail file containing text copied from a file and have the text display as part of the mail message.

You can send files in any format to anyone who is using Eudora as a mailer on a Macintosh. Files will be encoded prior to being sent across the network and decoded when the mail is opened. The attachment is saved as a file. Encoding is required since files may contain characters which will not necessarily transfer correctly across the network.

If you attach a file, you should be sure that the intended recipients have the software necessary to decode and use the information contained in the attached file. Prior to including attachments, it is important to consider these points:

1. Is the intended recipient using a Macintosh and if so, what version of the operating system is running?
2. Is your intended recipient using Eudora?
3. If you are sending a Macintosh word processing, spreadsheet, or database document, does the intended recipient have software which can make use of the document after it is decoded?
   • Convert to a file format which is compatible with the software available.
   • If legal, provide the recipient with software which can interpret the file in its current format.
   • Provide word processor, spreadsheet, and data base documents in text-only format. Although information is lost when files are converted to text-only format, this format can be read on virtually all operating systems and by most programs.
4. If you are sending a binary graphics image, does the intended recipient have a viewer which can display the image after the file has been decoded?

Prepared by Virginia Tech Information Systems