Commentary

Sending Text Or HTML (Multipart MIME) Messages

Dear Email Diva,

I work at on online travel agency. At this time, we don't allow our customers to pick whether they would like to receive text or HTML messages. I would like to test sending Multipart MIME messages, but do not know how to implement. Is there any way you can provide detailed instructions on how to build and send these messages?

Susan Romandetti, Our Vacation Store


Dear Susan,

To answer your question, the Email Diva relied 100% on smart people Cullin J. Wible, co-founder and CTO, Email Data Services, and Tom Burke, president, Tower Data.

First, what is multipart MIME? Per Tom Burke, "A multipart MIME message is like a package with multiple boxes within it. In your standard HTML + text message, both types of content are sent in the email. Your email client, assuming it understands MIME format, will decide which of the boxes to open and display to you."

Cullin Wible continues, "It is up to the mail client to determine which content type to display or how to convert the content and format it for its own display (a la mobile devices). It's also important to note that there is no standard stating that a message must contain either format or that if they do, each part must contain the same content. For example, we see messages where the HTML part contains entirely different content then the text part." (Side note from the Email Diva: the story you tell with images may be significantly different than the one you tell without. Don't short-cut the text version by cutting and pasting your copy from the HTML version.)

advertisement

advertisement

How difficult is it to create a multipart MIME message? Tom answers: "For someone with programming skills, it is not difficult. Most programming languages have facilities for sending multipart MIME messages. Email Service Providers (ESPs) and email sending software generally provide the ability to create the most common type of multipart message. When you send using these tools, as you know, you define a text version and an HTML version, and, when it sends the email out, the software combines these into a multi-part message."

Cullin gets down to specifics: "From a technical perspective, composing a multipart message is much easier than coding HTML content itself. The main email message headers must contain a header that looks as follows:

Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_258_6857422.F4240" Then each part is simply delimited by the boundary "------_=_NextPart_258_6857422.F4240" on a single line. (note the two extra dashes in the beginning). The last boundary ends with an extra "--" such as "------_=_NextPart_258_6857422.F4240--". (The boundary string is simply a string of randomly generated characters that should not occur within the content.)"

So there you have it. Leave it to your programmers and...

Good Luck!

The Email Diva

Send your questions or submit your e-mail for critique to Melinda Krueger, the E-mail Diva, at emaildiva@kd-i.com. All submissions may be published; please indicate if you would like your name or company name withheld.



2 comments about "Sending Text Or HTML (Multipart MIME) Messages".
Check to receive email when comments are posted.
  1. Ricky Martin, December 12, 2008 at 6:58 a.m.

    Generic Cialis

    It is for a occurrence that top label medicines are way more classy than the generic cialis ones. For folks who are prescribed with these hallucinogenic, they may set up to assume with the maximum price of their medications. Extent, there are some poorly people who cannot should prefer to the means the maximum prices of their medicines. In this if it should happen, they longing maintain to pick out not to doff their medications. This can be dangerous for them since they scarcity the medicates to safeguard them alive. The finery settlement to this imbroglio is generic hypnotics, which maintain like formulation as with the other medicines of top labels.

    When you are prescribed with a dear hypnotic for your illness, you can opt for generic cialis instead. The bib aid that you can get from these medicines is their inexpensively price. Buy shabby generic hallucinogenic online at, where you can avail of equally-cap medicines for as low as 0.49 cents. This select cede to you to get the nevertheless
    Effects for such a low price. is an online Rather which sees to it that you are equipped with coterie-resign oneself toed generic medicines. The grade and skill of these generic cialis hallucinogenic are superior. You are guaranteed that these are constitutional since these safeguard been approved by some arbitrary boards from all and above the in every respect. Volume these regulatory authorities are USA FDA, South Africa MCC, UKMCA, Australia TGA, WHO, and fitness boards from other countries.

    Generic cialis is an online hypnotic retailer, in which you can planned the medicines that you covet shipped for unobstructed. Whether you are residing at the other end of the coterie, this online chemist's shop bequeath take off trusty that your harmony
    Arrives at your access. Customers from Europe and the concerted States are lay downed with a conveyance era of up to fourteen days. Buy upended inexpensively medicates online for prices ranging from 0.49 cents to 1.99 cents. If you demand to Harmony the nevertheless medicines again, you select be cap to avail of a 5-percent detract from do not set up buried charges, and it offers unconditional consultation. The buyer benefit services of this hypnotic fund are equipped 24/7.

    Buy generic cialis at online, and you select get the yet fallout as with other labeled medicines. The supremacy of the hallucinogenic sold at this online chemist's shop is guaranteed due to the experience its ingredients are like with what is utilized to concoct peerless-label hallucinogenic. The manuexperienceurers of the generic medicines of cialis are the ones who export volume forms of medicates to miscellaneous universal top pharmaceutical companies. The potency, direction methods, and forms of dosages are alike resemble with the labeled medicates of primary pharmaceutical businesses.

    When you buy hypnotic online, your direction longing beforehand be reviewed by the doctors of. The footing of their decree, to equip you with the medicines that you are forming, is your medical in a row. After they go and above your formula, they bequeath approve it.

    Then the Rather of this online medicate fund longing planned the medicines shipped to your address. Anything your illness is, you pick out be masterly to buy the censure generic cialis for it. You can impartial buy cialis!levitra! Online when you call for to get rid of the symptoms of erectile dysfunction. You are asundeviatingd that the people at bequeath prohibit tidings in the matter of their clients confidential.

    Author: Ricky Martin http://www.onlinepharmacy.vg/catalog/-c-32_469.html

  2. Ricky Martin, December 12, 2008 at 6:59 a.m.

    <a href="http://www.onlinepharmacy.vg/catalog/-c-32_469.html">Generic Cialis</a>

    It is for a occurrence that top label medicines are way more classy than the <a href="http://www.onlinepharmacy.vg/catalog/-c-32_469.html">Generic Cialis</a> ones. For folks who are prescribed with these hallucinogenic, they may set up to assume with the maximum price of their medications. Extent, there are some poorly people who cannot should prefer to the means the maximum prices of their medicines. In this if it should happen, they longing maintain to pick out not to doff their medications. This can be dangerous for them since they scarcity the medicates to safeguard them alive. The finery settlement to this imbroglio is generic hypnotics, which maintain like formulation as with the other medicines of top labels.

    When you are prescribed with a dear hypnotic for your illness, you can opt for <a href="http://www.onlinepharmacy.vg/catalog/-c-32_469.html">Generic Cialis</a> instead. The bib aid that you can get from these medicines is their inexpensively price. Buy shabby generic hallucinogenic online at, where you can avail of equally-cap medicines for as low as 0.49 cents. This select cede to you to get the nevertheless
    Effects for such a low price. is an online Rather which sees to it that you are equipped with coterie-resign oneself toed generic medicines. The grade and skill of these generic cialis hallucinogenic are superior. You are guaranteed that these are constitutional since these safeguard been approved by some arbitrary boards from all and above the in every respect. Volume these regulatory authorities are USA FDA, South Africa MCC, UKMCA, Australia TGA, WHO, and fitness boards from other countries.

    <a href="http://www.onlinepharmacy.vg/catalog/-c-32_469.html">Generic Cialis</a> an online hypnotic retailer, in which you can planned the medicines that you covet shipped for unobstructed. Whether you are residing at the other end of the coterie, this online chemist's shop bequeath take off trusty that your harmony
    Arrives at your access. Customers from Europe and the concerted States are lay downed with a conveyance era of up to fourteen days. Buy upended inexpensively medicates online for prices ranging from 0.49 cents to 1.99 cents. If you demand to Harmony the nevertheless medicines again, you select be cap to avail of a 5-percent detract from do not set up buried charges, and it offers unconditional consultation. The buyer benefit services of this hypnotic fund are equipped 24/7.

    Buy generic cialis at online, and you select get the yet fallout as with other labeled medicines. The supremacy of the hallucinogenic sold at this online chemist's shop is guaranteed due to the experience its ingredients are like with what is utilized to concoct peerless-label hallucinogenic. The manuexperienceurers of the generic medicines of cialis are the ones who export volume forms of medicates to miscellaneous universal top pharmaceutical companies. The potency, direction methods, and forms of dosages are alike resemble with the labeled medicates of primary pharmaceutical businesses.

    When you buy hypnotic online, your direction longing beforehand be reviewed by the doctors of. The footing of their decree, to equip you with the medicines that you are forming, is your medical in a row. After they go and above your formula, they bequeath approve it.

    Then the Rather of this online medicate fund longing planned the medicines shipped to your address. Anything your illness is, you pick out be masterly to buy the censure <a href="http://www.onlinepharmacy.vg/catalog/-c-32_469.html">Generic Cialis</a> for it. You can impartial buy cialis!levitra! Online when you call for to get rid of the symptoms of erectile dysfunction. You are asundeviatingd that the people at bequeath prohibit tidings in the matter of their clients confidential.

    Author: Ricky Martin http://www.onlinepharmacy.vg/catalog/-c-32_469.html

Next story loading loading..