---
name: "extcompose"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "metamail"
version: "2.7-54"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/extcompose"
---

# extcompose(1)

Compose a reference to external data for inclusion in a mail message

## NAME

extcompose - Compose a reference to external data for inclusion in a mail message

## SYNOPSIS

**extcompose**  file-name\

## DESCRIPTION

The *extcompose* program will allow a user on a properly-equipped workstation to enter the appropriate data to enable a mail message he is sending to make reference to "external" data, that is, data that is not included in the mail message itself  but is otherwise available on the network via a suitable mechanism.

The user will be prompted for all necessary information.  External data may be referenced as local or AFS files, as files available for FTP (anonymous or authenticated), or as data available via a mailserver mechanism.  The user will be asked to provide a MIME content-type value to describe the type of data being referenced, and to specify whether or not the data has been encoded with one of the algorithms for encoding data for email.  (Such encoding is not necessary, and is in fact inefficient and silly when used with externally referenced data.)

This program is intended primarily to be called from mailcap files by programs like [mailto(1)](/mailto/1.md).

## SEE ALSO

[showexternal(1)](/showexternal/1.md), [mailto(1)](/mailto/1.md), [metamail(1)](/metamail/1.md)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 1992 Bell Communications Research, Inc. (Bellcore)

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this material  for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided  that the above copyright notice and this permission notice  appear in all copies, and that the name of Bellcore not be  used in advertising or publicity pertaining to this  material without the specific, prior written permission  of an authorized representative of Bellcore.  BELLCORE  MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE ACCURACY OR SUITABILITY  OF THIS MATERIAL FOR ANY PURPOSE.  IT IS PROVIDED "AS IS",  WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES.

## AUTHOR

Nathaniel S. Borenstein, Bellcore