[Resolved] Using "save as" on webmail page

[amanuensis]

This is in reference to SC's webmail page:

I recently got an email that I needed to read on my Mac, in email format, not HTML.

I used the button, "save as" and the email downloaded to my desktop without any choice as to format.

The download is in Microsoft .eml format which requires Outlook or Outlook Express to open it.

My question is this:

Do I have any way to change the download format? Or is the format simply the same format that the email was sent in?

I usually pop my mail, once a day, on another computer, to keep all my email on one machine, but I was curious if I have any options in the "save as" format/mode of the SC webmail interface.

I suspect that it is a straight download of the sending client's format but asking never hurt.

[StevenUnderwood]

This is in reference to SC's webmail page:

I recently got an email that I needed to read on my Mac, in email format, not HTML.

I used the button, "save as" and the email downloaded to my desktop without any choice as to format.

The download is in Microsoft .eml format which requires Outlook or Outlook Express to open it.

My question is this:

Do I have any way to change the download format? Or is the format simply the same format that the email was sent in?

I usually pop my mail, once a day, on another computer, to keep all my email on one machine, but I was curious if I have any options in the "save as" format/mode of the SC webmail interface.

I suspect that it is a straight download of the sending client's format but asking never hurt.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "email format, not HTML".

You could always use the Message Source and save that as a text file. The .eml file is simply a text file anyways. Formatting is provided by the client using the pure text in the message.

You could always try to open that .eml file in whatever application you are trying to use.

[Wazoo]

I recently got an email that I needed to read on my Mac, in email format, not HTML.

Very unclear as to just what this might mean.

I used the button, "save as" and the email downloaded to my desktop without any choice as to format.

The download is in Microsoft .eml format which requires Outlook or Outlook Express to open it.

Al of this is based on the configuration of the system used to download this file ...

That your file was "saved to the desktop" with no intervention states that you have the file 'type' recognized, and 'defined' as "I know what I'm doing, don't bother me with silly questions" .... you have some default mode of "where to save downloaded files" set up to drop the stuff on your desktop.

Do I have any way to change the download format? Or is the format simply the same format that the email was sent in?

I don't allow things to happen "automatically" on my systems .. so, in the test just performed, the "Save As:" request acted like any other file download in my experience ... a pop-up that offers options such a 'open' or 'save' .... selecting and clicking on 'Save' gets me another pop-up offering a place to select "where" to download it to, what file name to save it as, what file type, etc.

I usually pop my mail, once a day, on another computer, to keep all my email on one machine, but I was curious if I have any options in the "save as" format/mode of the SC webmail interface.

I suspect that it is a straight download of the sending client's format but asking never hurt.

Still not sure of where the 'actual' problem might be, other than the file extension in use. Worst case, (and also noting that some system configuration may also come into play here) .... on a Windows machine, hold down the Shift key while you right-click on the file name (on your desktop) .. this should include an extra "Open with:" option on the fly-out ... select WordPad ... you'll see the plain-text version of the e-mail itself ... if you want save that to another file with a ".txt" extension (though easier to simply rename the existing file)

[amanuensis]

Very unclear as to just what this might mean.

Al of this is based on the configuration of the system used to download this file ...

That your file was "saved to the desktop" with no intervention states that you have the file 'type' recognized, and 'defined' as "I know what I'm doing, don't bother me with silly questions" .... you have some default mode of "where to save downloaded files" set up to drop the stuff on your desktop.

I don't allow things to happen "automatically" on my systems .. so, in the test just performed, the "Save As:" request acted like any other file download in my experience ... a pop-up that offers options such a 'open' or 'save' .... selecting and clicking on 'Save' gets me another pop-up offering a place to elect "where" to download it to, what file name to save it as, what file type, etc.

Still not sure of where the 'actual' problem might be, other than the file extension in use. Worst case, (and also noting that some system configuration may also come into play here) .... on a Windows machine, hold down the Shift key while you right-click on the file name (on your desktop) .. this should include an extra "Open with:" option on the fly-out ... select WordPad ... you'll see the plain-text version of the e-mail itself ... if you want save that to another file with a ".txt" extension (though easier to simply rename the existing file)

Let me make this very simple. When I use the "save as" button on your webmail interface, why is the format .eml? I have no software on my computer that even recognizes the .eml extension and you give me no choice as to the "save as" format.

Is that clear? Who is choosing the "save as" format? Certainly not me.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "email format, not HTML".

You could always use the Message Source and save that as a text file. The .eml file is simply a text file anyways. Formatting is provided by the client using the pure text in the message.

You could always try to open that .eml file in whatever application you are trying to use.

I am simply wondering why a "save as" button does *not* allow me to choose the format in which the file is saved. Isn't that what "save as" means? I never ecountered a button marked "save as" that did not give me a menu of options for the format. The "save as" on SC's webmail site immediatly causes the email file to be downloaded.

Am I the only who expects "save as" to mean I can save the file "as" something I want?

Basically the "save as" button is simply a "save" button. The format of the saved file was .eml in my case.

[turetzsr]

Hi, amanuensis!

<snip>

Let me make this very simple. When I use the "save as" button on your webmail interface

...Since I don't use it, I won't be able to help you with your problem. But I can help clear up a major misunderstanding you have: this is not "our" webmail interface -- it's JT's (see "SpamCop FAQ" entry labeled "SpamCop's System & Active Staff User Guide") and he has chosen to use IMP/Horde, which is a product of yet another party. "We" are simply SpamCop users, volunteers who try to help other users who, like you, have questions about the various features of SpamCop's services.

...Good luck finding an answer to your question.

[amanuensis]

Hi, amanuensis!...Since I don't use it, I won't be able to help you with your problem. But I can help clear up a major misunderstanding you have: this is not "our" webmail interface -- it's JT's (see "SpamCop FAQ" entry labeled "SpamCop's System & Active Staff User Guide") and he has chosen to use IMP/Horde, which is a product of yet another party. "We" are simply SpamCop users, volunteers who try to help other users who, like you, have questions about the various features of SpamCop's services.

...Good luck finding an answer to your question.

When I used "our" I was referring to those paying users like myself who take advantage of the webmail interface to preview and sort mail and report spam directly using the interface link to the reporting system. Maybe I am one of a very few who have ever used the "save as" button. It certainly seems so. Since I pay for its use, i consider it part mine and therefore "ours" for all those like me.

As a test, I used the webmail interface to send myself an email, so there is no third-party email software involved. When I received the email on the webmail interface and pressed, "save as" even this plain text email downloaded with a .eml extension.

Anyone of us could simply press the button and confirm or negate my assumption. It's not something to argue about, it was a question about software.

An "I don't know" like your answer would have been an acceptable answer. Only someone who uses the interface would know what I am talking about and be able to respond properly to my query.

[Wazoo]

Let me make this very simple. When I use the "save as" button on your webmail interface, why is the format .eml? I have no software on my computer that even recognizes the .eml extension and you give me no choice as to the "save as" format.

Is that clear? Who is choosing the "save as" format? Certainly not me.

I am simply wondering why a "save as" button does *not* allow me to choose the format in which the file is saved. Isn't that what "save as" means? I never ecountered a button marked "save as" that did not give me a menu of options for the format. The "save as" on SC's webmail site immediatly causes the email file to be downloaded.

Am I the only who expects "save as" to mean I can save the file "as" something I want?

Basically the "save as" button is simply a "save" button. The format of the saved file was .eml in my case.

I answered that as best as I can .. also based on the assumption that you were trying to use a Windows system to download the file orginally. The fact still remains that the resulting downloaded file is still based on the sequence of events that appears to be based on your "downloading" computer's configuration.

The ".eml" file/extension is "offered" by the Horde/IMP application .. but how you "receive" it is based on how you and your computer decide to "handle" it ..... as I described above, I have several intervening steps between hitting the Save As: button and the file actually being placed on my hard drive .... you have stated that everything on your system happens as soon as you hit the button .. thus my suggestion that the issue is the configuration of that computer as to how it handles downloading a file ....

[Wazoo]

When I used "our" I was referring to those paying users like myself who take advantage of the webmail interface to preview and sort mail and report spam directly using the interface link to the reporting system. Maybe I am one of a very few who have ever used the "save as" button. It certainly seems so. Since I pay for its use, i consider it part mine and therefore "ours" for all those like me.

The term "users" here includes those that also use the web-mail interface.

As a test, I used the webmail interface to send myself an email, so there is no third-party email software involved. When I received the email on the webmail interface and pressed, "save as" even this plain text email downloaded with a .eml extension.

Anyone of us could simply press the button and confirm or negate my assumption. It's not something to argue about, it was a question about software.

Read my previous .. I used the words "so, in the test just performed, the "Save As:" request acted like any other file download in my experience ....."

An "I don't know" like your answer would have been an acceptable answer. Only someone who uses the interface would know what I am talking about and be able to respond properly to my query.

Yet another "proper" response with details based on the data provided, local verification of the steps involved and the results seen, description of the issue and situation, 'problem' issue pointed out, suggestions offered (open and see the plain text should have been read as "open with any text editor" if [as now seems to be the issue that the "downloaded it to the desktop" scenario meant that it's the Mac as being the system in use .... not all clear to me in your first post])

The next level of work could involve simply setting up the Mac with an IMAP connection to that e-mail account, but there was the obvious assumption made that this was already ruled out for some reason ....

[amanuensis]

The term "users" here includes those that also use the web-mail interface.

Read my previous .. I used the words "so, in the test just performed, the "Save As:" request acted like any other file download in my experience ....."

Yet another "proper" response with details based on the data provided, local verification of the steps involved and the results seen, description of the issue and situation, 'problem' issue pointed out, suggestions offered (open and see the plain text should have been read as "open with any text editor" if [as now seems to be the issue that the "downloaded it to the desktop" scenario meant that it's the Mac as being the system in use .... not all clear to me in your first post])

The next level of work could involve simply setting up the Mac with an IMAP connection to that e-mail account, but there was the obvious assumption made that this was already ruled out for some reason ....

Thank you very much. I will figure it out myself. I am extremely sorry to have bothered you.

Just forget I ever posted anything. I have.

[StevenUnderwood]

Let me make this very simple. When I use the "save as" button on your webmail interface, why is the format .eml? I have no software on my computer that even recognizes the .eml extension and you give me no choice as to the "save as" format.

Is that clear? Who is choosing the "save as" format? Certainly not me.

.eml is NOT a format, it is an extension, which can easily be changed on most systems during the save function.

The format of that file is plain text ASCII. Tell your system to open .eml files with whatever application you wish.

The reason .eml is chosen would need to be answered by the Hoard IMP people, the people who wrote the software, but it presumably is because the majority of systems in the world (PC's) support .eml out of the box because it basically comes with Windows.

[StevenUnderwood]

Anyone of us could simply press the button and confirm or negate my assumption. It's not something to argue about, it was a question about software.

An "I don't know" like your answer would have been an acceptable answer. Only someone who uses the interface would know what I am talking about and be able to respond properly to my query.

I have used it to test this issue and it works for me as Wazoo explained, asking where to save it and what filename to use.

As I have stated, the file is in plain text format. Plain text is the ONLY format email is ever sent in. HTML email is usually only presenting a small part of the entire message because, by RFC, it also should be sent in plain text as well. Different email applications "interpret" portions of the data in that text message differently.

.eml is the extension for the most popular (numbers) email application in the world.

[amanuensis]

I have used it to test this issue and it works for me as Wazoo explained, asking where to save it and what filename to use.

As I have stated, the file is in plain text format. Plain text is the ONLY format email is ever sent in. HTML email is usually only presenting a small part of the entire message because, by RFC, it also should be sent in plain text as well. Different email applications "interpret" portions of the data in that text message differently.

.eml is the extension for the most popular (numbers) email application in the world.

Thanks. I just did some checking and viewing of the Horde webmail software that SC uses.

The default extension for "save as" is .eml and is an inherent part of the Horde software package.

That was all I wanted to know and I have answered my own question.

From a Horde instruction page:

"To save a message to your computer:

1. While reading the message, click on the Save As link at the top right or bottom right of the message.

2. Depending on you browser settings, your computer will automatically download the e-mail as a .eml file. ..."

Case closed.

Thanks one and all.

[Wazoo]

Thanks. I just did some checking and viewing of the Horde webmail software that SC uses.

The default extension for "save as" is .eml and is an inherent part of the Horde software package.

That was all I wanted to know and I have answered my own question.

Funny, I said that specifically in Linear post #7, described it the in previous posts .... too bad you had to get so excited in order to catch the drift. Guess I'll tag this one as Resolved ....