Steffen Nurpmeso wrote:
Base64 is defined in RFC 2045 (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) Part One: Format of Internet Message Bodies).
Base64 is defined in RFC 4648, "The Base16, Base32, and Base64 Data Encodings." RFC 2045 defines a particular implementation of base64, specific to transporting Internet mail in a 7-bit environment.
RFC 4648 discusses many of the "higher-level protocol" topics that some people are focusing on, such as separating the base64-encoded output into lines of length 72 (or other), alternative target code unit sets or "alphabets," and padding characters. It would be helpful for everyone to read this particular RFC before concluding that these topics have not been considered, or that they compromise round-tripping or other characteristics of base64.
I had assumed that when Roger asked about "base64 encoding," he was asking about the basic definition of base64.
-- Doug Ewell | Thornton, CO, US | ewellic.org
