[h-e-w] mailcap file and filename/type associations for Windows 95

[Michael R. Wolf]

The following message is a courtesy copy of an article
that has been posted to gnu.emacs.gnus,gnu.emacs.help as well.


1) Could you please post your working ~/.mailcap file that
meets these requirements for presenting the incoming file
attachment in the appropriate viewer.

        display Word files in Word
        display Excel files in Word
        display images in Internet Explorer

2) Does this file also associate a file extension with a
default type applied to outgoing attachments, or does that
happen elsewhere?

        *.doc   appliation/msword
        *.xls   application/???
        *.bmp   image/???
        *.htm   ...a
        *.html  ...

I'd like the type to be correct when I attach a file.
currently, it sets type to application/octet-stream for a
*.doc file.  It works when I send it to a Windows reader
(Outlook Express), but I'm betting it's looking at the file
name extension, not the type.

3) It seems to me that there is a 3-tuple going on here.
        a - mml type
        b - viewer application
        c - file extension

AFAICS

 - the .mailcap file makes an a::b association for the
    "open" (or "view") event

 - the Windows system makes a b::c association for use in an
   "open" event (right mouse "open" or double-click)

4) Is there a *standard* set of associations that can work
   right out of the box so that I don't have to code the
   "obvious" associations into my ~/.mailcap file to make
   stuff work?  Perhaps it could refer to the existing file
   associations already set up on Windows 95?

-- 
Michael R. Wolf
    All mammals learn by playing!
       address@hidden