(Delphi ActiveX) Create Binary MIME

Demonstrates how to create and save a multipart/mixed MIME document where the parts (a JPG and a PDF) are NOT base64 encoded, but are instead binary.

Note: This example requires Chilkat v9.5.0.62 or greater.

Chilkat for Delphi Downloads Chilkat ActiveX DLL for Delphi Chilkat non-ActiveX DLL for Delphi * The examples here use the ActiveX DLL.

uses
    Winapi.Windows, Winapi.Messages, System.SysUtils, System.Variants, System.Classes, Vcl.Graphics,
    Vcl.Controls, Vcl.Forms, Vcl.Dialogs, Vcl.StdCtrls, Chilkat_TLB;

...

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
mime: TChilkatMime;
success: Integer;
jpgPart: IChilkatMime;
pdfPart: IChilkatMime;
binData: TChilkatBinData;
email: TChilkatEmail;
sb: TChilkatStringBuilder;

begin
// This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
// See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

mime := TChilkatMime.Create(Self);

mime.SetBodyFromPlainText('This is the plain text body.');
mime.ConvertToMultipartMixed();
mime.AppendPartFromFile('qa_data/jpg/penguins.jpg');
mime.AppendPartFromFile('qa_data/pdf/fishing.pdf');

// At this point, when saved, the MIME bodies will be base64 encoded.
mime.SaveMime('qa_output/sample.txt');

// We now have the following MIME where everything is base64 encoded:
// The code that follows shows how to eliminate the base64 to make this binary MIME.

// 	Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------000207060703080505060404"
// 
// 	--------------000207060703080505060404
// 	Content-Type: text/plain
// 	Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
// 
// 	This is the plain text body.
// 	--------------000207060703080505060404
// 	Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="penguins.jpg"
// 	Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="penguins.jpg"
// 	Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
// 
// 	/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEAYABgAAD/7gAOQWRvYmUAZAAAAAAB/+ESCEV4aWYAAE1NACoAAAAIAAcB
// 	MgACAAAAFAAAAGIBOwACAAAABwAAAHZHRgADAAAAAQAEAABHSQADAAAAAQA/AACcnQABAAAADgAA
// 	...
// 	800a1MlLipJHlyU9en7sqVPkBK+gBj+o+1E91Ld7iJk0pJDO5PmDk4FOGOHy6S3JW120W1uCJ5M0
// 	PBa54edOFAc8ePX/2Q==
// 
// 	--------------000207060703080505060404
// 	Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="fishing.pdf"
// 	Content-Type: application/pdf; name="fishing.pdf"
// 	Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
// 
// 	JVBERi0xLjMKJcfsj6IKNSAwIG9iago8PC9MZW5ndGggNiAwIFIvRmlsdGVyIC9GbGF0ZURlY29k
// 	ZT4+CnN0cmVhbQp4nM1c288cNxVX09A0myq35tom7bSl8E1hp76P/YpASIiXlEg8tDwVKEJfilIe
// 	...
// 	MDRGMT48OTlENkRFQzExQjkzNjA0Mjc1RUFCNzIyMjI4RjA0RjE+XQo+PgpzdGFydHhyZWYKMjk0
// 	MzY5CiUlRU9GCg==
// 
// 	--------------000207060703080505060404--
// 

// To make it binary MIME (getting rid of the base64), set the Encoding property to "binary"
// for the JPG and PDF parts.
jpgPart := mime.GetPart(1);
jpgPart.Encoding := 'binary';

pdfPart := mime.GetPart(2);
pdfPart.Encoding := 'binary';

// Now save it.  If you try to view this MIME in a text editor,
// the JPG and PDF parts will be garbled and unintelligible. That's because
// the bytes do not represent characters.
mime.SaveMime('qa_output/sampleBinary.mim');

// The MIME now contains this:

// 	Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------000207060703080505060404"
// 
// 	--------------000207060703080505060404
// 	Content-Type: text/plain
// 	Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
// 
// 	This is the plain text body.
// 	--------------000207060703080505060404
// 	Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="penguins.jpg"
// 	Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="penguins.jpg"
// 	Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary
// 
// 	<Binary Data Here>
// 
// 	--------------000207060703080505060404
// 	Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="fishing.pdf"
// 	Content-Type: application/pdf; name="fishing.pdf"
// 	Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary
// 
// 	<Binary Data Here>
// 
// 	--------------000207060703080505060404--
// 

// Can we load this binary MIME into an Email object?
binData := TChilkatBinData.Create(Self);
// Write the binary MIME into binData;
mime.GetMimeBd(binData.ControlInterface);

email := TChilkatEmail.Create(Self);
// Load the email from the binData.
email.SetFromMimeBd(binData.ControlInterface);

// Note: Many email clients may not be able to correctly process emails
// using the binary encoding.  Thunderbird has trouble.  Windows Live Mail
// worked OK.
email.Subject := 'Binary MIME Email';
email.From := 'admin@chilkatsoft.com';
email.AddTo('Chilkat','support@chilkatsoft.com');
email.SaveEml('qa_output/binaryEmail.eml');

// Chilkat does not recommend trying to use binary MIME for email.
// Binary MIME is typically used in HTTP for uploads and downloads.
// 

// Also, binary MIME is not representable in a string.  
// If we try to get the MIME as a string, then it must be encoded
// using base64.

// Chilkat automatically changes binary encodings to base64
// when there's an attempt to get the MIME as a string.
sb := TChilkatStringBuilder.Create(Self);
email.GetMimeSb(sb.ControlInterface);
sb.WriteFile('qa_output/email_fromSb.eml','utf-8',0);

// Likewise, if we try to get the MIME as a string from the Mime object, 
// it cannot contain non-character data in a binary encoding.  The binary
// bytes MUST be in base64.  The act of trying to retrieve the MIME in string
// format will force Chilkat to convert binary encodings (for non-text parts)
// to base64.
mime.GetMimeSb(sb.ControlInterface);
sb.WriteFile('qa_output/mime_fromSb.eml','utf-8',0);

// However, the above use of base64 is just for the purpose of making the MIME
// string friendly.  If we save the MIME to a file, it's still binary:
mime.SaveMime('qa_output/mime_binary.mime');
end;