uuencode/uudecode Online Tool
Convert between binary files and text format using the Unix-to-Unix encoding method. This tool allows you to uuencode binary data to text and uudecode text back to its original binary form.
About uuencode/uudecode
uuencode (Unix-to-Unix encoding) is a form of binary-to-text encoding that originated in the Unix environment. It was historically used to send binary files over transmission mediums that did not support other than simple ASCII data.
How to Use This Tool
To uuencode a file:
- Click the "uuencode" tab if not already selected
- Select a file to encode using the file picker
- Optionally specify a filename for the encoded output
- Click "uuencode File" to convert the binary file to text
- Copy the encoded text or download it as a text file
To uudecode text:
- Click the "uudecode" tab
- Paste your uuencoded text into the text area or select a file containing uuencoded text
- Click "uudecode Text" to convert back to the original binary format
- Download the decoded file
Technical Details
The uuencode format begins with a header line of the form:
begin <mode> <filename>
followed by the encoded data, and ends with a line containing just the word "end".
The encoding process converts 3 bytes of binary data into 4 printable ASCII characters (6 bits per character). Each encoded line is typically 61 characters long (45 input bytes) plus a length character at the beginning.
Common Uses
- Email attachments in older email systems
- Usenet binary postings
- Embedding binary data in shell scripts
- Transferring files between systems with limited character set support
Frequently Asked Questions
While both are binary-to-text encoding schemes, uuencode includes file metadata (name, permissions) in its output and uses a different encoding table. Base64 is more compact and standardized, making it more common in modern applications.
While largely replaced by more modern encoding methods like Base64, uuencode is still occasionally used in legacy systems, Unix environments, and for compatibility with older software.
uuencode uses characters from the ASCII range 32 (space) to 95 (underscore), with character 32 representing zero and 95 representing 63.
This tool processes one file at a time. For multiple files, you would need to encode each file separately or create an archive first.
Yes, all encoding/decoding happens in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to any server, ensuring complete privacy and security.