Python Standard Library

The MimeWriter Module

The MimeWriter module (shown in Example 6-4) can be used to write “multipart” messages, as defined by the MIME mail standard.

Example 6-4. Using the MimeWriter Module

File: mimewriter-example-1.py

import MimeWriter

# data encoders
import quopri
import base64
import StringIO

import sys

TEXT = """
here comes the image you asked for.  hope
it's what you expected.

</F>"""

FILE = "samples/sample.jpg"

file = sys.stdout

#
# create a mime multipart writer instance

mime = MimeWriter.MimeWriter(file)
mime.addheader("Mime-Version", "1.0")

mime.startmultipartbody("mixed")

# add a text message

part = mime.nextpart()
part.addheader("Content-Transfer-Encoding", "quoted-printable")
part.startbody("text/plain")

quopri.encode(StringIO.StringIO(TEXT), file, 0)

# add an image

part = mime.nextpart()
part.addheader("Content-Transfer-Encoding", "base64")
part.startbody("image/jpeg")

base64.encode(open(FILE, "rb"), file)

mime.lastpart()

The output looks something like:

Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary='host.1.-852461.936831373.130.24813' --host.1.-852461.936831373.130.24813 Content-Type: text/plain Context-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable here comes the image you asked for. hope it's what you expected. </F> --host.1.-852461.936831373.130.24813 Content-Type: image/jpeg Context-Transfer-Encoding: base64 /9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wBDAAgGBgcGBQgHBwcJCQgKDBQNDAsLDBkSEw8UHRof HBwgJC4nICIsIxwcKDcpLDAxNDQ0Hyc5PTgyPC4zNDL/2wBDAQkJCQwLDBgNDRgyIRwhMjIy ... 1e5vLrSYbJnEVpEgjCLx5mPU0qsVK0UaxjdNlS+1U6pfzTR8IzEhj2HrVG6m8m18xc8cIKSC ...