# 12.6 `mimetools` -- Tools for parsing MIME messages

Deprecated since release 2.3. The `email` package should be used in preference to the `mimetools` module. This module is present only to maintain backward compatibility.

This module defines a subclass of the `rfc822` module's `Message` class and a number of utility functions that are useful for the manipulation for MIME multipart or encoded message.

It defines the following items:

class `Message`( | fp[, seekable])

  Return a new instance of the `Message` class. This is a subclass of the `rfc822.Message` class, with some additional methods (see below). The seekable argument has the same meaning as for `rfc822.Message`.

`choose_boundary`( | )

  Return a unique string that has a high likelihood of being usable as a part boundary. The string has the form `'hostipaddr.uid.pid.timestamp.random'`.

`decode`( | input, output, encoding)

  Read data encoded using the allowed MIME encoding from open file object input and write the decoded data to open file object output. Valid values for encoding include `'base64'`, `'quoted-printable'`, `'uuencode'`, `'x-uuencode'`, `'uue'`, `'x-uue'`, `'7bit'`, and `'8bit'`. Decoding messages encoded in `'7bit'` or `'8bit'` has no effect. The input is simply copied to the output.

`encode`( | input, output, encoding)

  Read data from open file object input and write it encoded using the allowed MIME encoding to open file object output. Valid values for encoding are the same as for `decode()`.

`copyliteral`( | input, output)

  Read lines from open file input until EOF and write them to open file output.

`copybinary`( | input, output)

  Read blocks until EOF from open file input and write them to open file output. The block size is currently fixed at 8192.

See Also:

Module `email`:
  Comprehensive email handling package; supercedes the `mimetools` module.

Module `rfc822`:
  Provides the base class for `mimetools.Message`.

Module `multifile`:
  Support for reading files which contain distinct parts, such as MIME data.

http://www.cs.uu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/mail/mime-faq/.html
  The MIME Frequently Asked Questions document. For an overview of MIME, see the answer to question 1.1 in Part 1 of this document.