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(python2.1-lib.info)base64

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Encode and decode MIME base64 data
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Encode and decode files using the MIME base64 data.

This module performs base64 encoding and decoding of arbitrary binary
strings into text strings that can be safely emailed or posted.  The
encoding scheme is defined in RFC 1521 (_MIME (Multipurpose Internet
Mail Extensions) Part One: Mechanisms for Specifying and Describing the
Format of Internet Message Bodies_, section 5.2, "Base64
Content-Transfer-Encoding") and is used for MIME email and various
other Internet-related applications; it is not the same as the output
produced by the `uuencode' program.  For example, the string
`'www.python.org'' is encoded as the string `'d3d3LnB5dGhvbi5vcmc=\n''.

`decode(input, output)'
     Decode the contents of the INPUT file and write the resulting
     binary data to the OUTPUT file.  INPUT and OUTPUT must either be
     file objects or objects that mimic the file object interface.
     INPUT will be read until `INPUT.read()' returns an empty string.

`decodestring(s)'
     Decode the string S, which must contain one or more lines of
     base64 encoded data, and return a string containing the resulting
     binary data.

`encode(input, output)'
     Encode the contents of the INPUT file and write the resulting
     base64 encoded data to the OUTPUT file.  INPUT and OUTPUT must
     either be file objects or objects that mimic the file object
     interface. INPUT will be read until `INPUT.read()' returns an
     empty string.

`encodestring(s)'
     Encode the string S, which can contain arbitrary binary data, and
     return a string containing one or more lines of base64 encoded
     data.

See also:
     Note: binascii Support module containing ASCII-to-binary and
     binary-to-ASCII conversions.

    *RFC1521 MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) Part One: Mechanisms for Specifying and Describing the Format of Internet Message Bodies*
          Section 5.2, "Base64 Content-Transfer-Encoding," provides the
          definition of the base64 encoding.