The Interactive Glossary: Defining the Net

UNIX
Upgrade
Uploading
URL
Usenet
User Name
UUCP
UUencode

UUencode /
UUdecode

UUencode/UUdecode is a software utility that converts a binary file (often a photo or a graphic) to an ASCII (text) file so that it can be sent as an attachment to an e-mail message. Since e-mail messages must be text, not binary information, UUencode disguises non-text files as text so that they can be included in a mail message. When the message is received, the recipient, or their e-mail program, runs UUdecode to convert it to the original file.