This article describes what Binhex is and where to obtain it online.

Binhex is both a set of application utilities and storage protocols developed by Yves Lempereur in 1984 and 1985. You can find Binhex at the following ftp sites:

• ftp.bio.indiana.edu

  /util/mac/binhex.bin

  (F   binhex.bin     7k)

• ftp.cc.utexas.edu

  /depts/AI_ATTIC/HelpDownloading/MacCompactors/BinHex/binhex.bin

  (F   binhex.bin     7k)

Why Binhex?

• Many mail programs used on the Internet cannot handle binary transmissions. They were designed for use with text data. So, an application is "binhexed" and included as the text component of the message.
• Many mail systems and gateways have size limitations, often less than 50 kilobytes (K). It is sometimes necessary to use a text editor to split or combine such files. Since a binary representation of that data would make the editing of data very difficult, and since software that automatically joins these binary files is relatively rare, using Binhex allows common text editors to be used to join such files.

How Can You Tell if it is a Binhex File?

A Binhex file can be identified by the first line of the file:

(This file must be converted with Binhex 4.0)

This line is followed by one blank line, followed by the start of the data:

:%@0bBA0SG(0d,Qe`Cbdi0$Bi!%e348GY69"(!*!$",!!N!92!J!!!E-2!,35rrr

The data block begins and ends with a colon.

What are the Versions of Binhex?

What is a MacBinary Document?

If you are not sending a binary file through the Internet, or a mail system, you should consider using MacBinary instead. There are several reasons to consider using MacBinary over Binhex including file size, time, and additional effort converting the file.

Binhex files are usually larger than the equivalent Macintosh (binary) file. In addition, when you use Binhex, you have to encrypt and decrypt every file which can be time consuming, especially if you download a lot files. In order to avoid these things, you can upload the file as a MacBinary file. When you do these, the file is stored online as a standard binary file.

Once it is downloaded, if your communications software supports MacBinary, the file automatically reassembles into a Macintosh file or application. If your communications program does not support MacBinary transfers you end up with a binary file with Macintosh header information. Until this file is properly converted to a standard Macintosh file, you will not be able to use it. If you try to open the MacBinary encoded file SimpleText may try top open the file. If this happens nonsense is produced on the screen.

Binhex 5.0 addresses this issue by converting binary documents back into Macintosh applications or files. Since it does not translate Binhex 4.0 files, you should not use it unless you have MacBinary files which were not properly translated.

Since most online services and communications software will automatically perform MacBinary transmissions, or at least allow you to select MacBinary as an option, it is not generally not necessary to use Binhex 5.0.

UUencode and UUdecode

The Tech Info Library article "UUencode & UUdecode: Explained" gives additional details on using UUencode and UUdecode encryption methods. This article is available online and will appear in the next issue of the Information Alley.

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