Uuencode encoder
Useful for older mail and archive systems that still expect uuencode instead of Base64.
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Processing and privacy: The result is calculated inside your browser and your data is not sent to any server.
How to use it
- Enter text, file name and file mode (octal).
- The result appears straight away and updates as you edit.
- Copy the result, or copy a link that keeps the same values to share it.
How it is calculated
The text becomes UTF-8 and is cut into 45-byte lines. Each line starts with a length character (32 + byte count), then every 3 bytes become 4 characters of 6 bits each plus 32, with zero written as `.
Example
Inputs: File name = file.txt, File mode (octal) = 644. Result: Uuencoded text: begin 644 file.txt #0V%T ` end; Bytes: 3.
Cat
begin 644 file.txt #0V%T ` end
Limits and caveats
- Zero is written as ` rather than a space, as modern tools do; a few very old tools use the space.
- It encodes the text you type, not binary files.
Questions about this tool
How does uuencode differ from Base64?
Both turn 3 bytes into 4 characters, but uuencode adds a length character per line and uses symbols some mail gateways alter.
What does 644 in the first line mean?
It is the Unix file mode used when decoding: read and write for the owner, read for everyone else.
Why is there a line with just ` before end?
It is a zero-length line that marks the end of the data.