Quoted-Printable
Quoted-Printable is an encoding method used primarily in email and other text-based protocols to represent binary data or non-ASCII characters in a format that is safe for transmission through systems that only support 7-bit ASCII. It works by converting bytes that are not printable ASCII characters into a sequence of characters starting with an equals sign followed by two hexadecimal digits, while leaving most printable ASCII characters unchanged. This ensures compatibility with legacy systems while preserving the integrity of the original data.
Developers should learn and use Quoted-Printable when working with email protocols (e.g., SMTP, MIME), text-based data formats, or any scenario where data must be transmitted over channels that restrict characters to the 7-bit ASCII set, such as in email headers or body content with non-English text. It is essential for ensuring that messages with attachments, special characters, or international text are delivered correctly without corruption, particularly in environments with strict encoding requirements.