+@example
+(mail-header-parse-content-type
+ "image/gif; name=\"b980912.gif\"")
+@result{} ("image/gif" (name . "b980912.gif"))
+@end example
+
+@item mail-header-parse-content-disposition
+@findex mail-header-parse-content-disposition
+Parse a @code{Content-Disposition} header and return a list on the same
+format as the function above.
+
+@item mail-content-type-get
+@findex mail-content-type-get
+Takes two parameters---a list on the format above, and an attribute.
+Returns the value of the attribute.
+
+@example
+(mail-content-type-get
+ '("image/gif" (name . "b980912.gif")) 'name)
+@result{} "b980912.gif"
+@end example
+
+@item mail-header-encode-parameter
+@findex mail-header-encode-parameter
+Takes a parameter string and returns an encoded version of the string.
+This is used for parameters in headers like @code{Content-Type} and
+@code{Content-Disposition}.
+
+@item mail-header-remove-comments
+@findex mail-header-remove-comments
+Return a comment-free version of a header.
+
+@example
+(mail-header-remove-comments
+ "Gnus/5.070027 (Pterodactyl Gnus v0.27) (Finnish Landrace)")
+@result{} "Gnus/5.070027 "
+@end example
+
+@item mail-header-remove-whitespace
+@findex mail-header-remove-whitespace
+Remove linear white space from a header. Space inside quoted strings
+and comments is preserved.
+
+@example
+(mail-header-remove-whitespace
+ "image/gif; name=\"Name with spaces\"")
+@result{} "image/gif;name=\"Name with spaces\""
+@end example
+
+@item mail-header-get-comment
+@findex mail-header-get-comment
+Return the last comment in a header.
+
+@example
+(mail-header-get-comment
+ "Gnus/5.070027 (Pterodactyl Gnus v0.27) (Finnish Landrace)")
+@result{} "Finnish Landrace"
+@end example
+
+@item mail-header-parse-address
+@findex mail-header-parse-address
+Parse an address and return a list containing the mailbox and the
+plaintext name.
+
+@example
+(mail-header-parse-address
+ "Hrvoje Niksic <hniksic@@srce.hr>")
+@result{} ("hniksic@@srce.hr" . "Hrvoje Niksic")
+@end example
+
+@item mail-header-parse-addresses
+@findex mail-header-parse-addresses
+Parse a string with list of addresses and return a list of elements like
+the one described above.
+
+@example
+(mail-header-parse-addresses
+ "Hrvoje Niksic <hniksic@@srce.hr>, Steinar Bang <sb@@metis.no>")
+@result{} (("hniksic@@srce.hr" . "Hrvoje Niksic")
+ ("sb@@metis.no" . "Steinar Bang"))
+@end example
+
+@item mail-header-parse-date
+@findex mail-header-parse-date
+Parse a date string and return an Emacs time structure.
+
+@item mail-narrow-to-head
+@findex mail-narrow-to-head
+Narrow the buffer to the header section of the buffer. Point is placed
+at the beginning of the narrowed buffer.
+
+@item mail-header-narrow-to-field
+@findex mail-header-narrow-to-field
+Narrow the buffer to the header under point. Understands continuation
+headers.
+
+@item mail-header-fold-field
+@findex mail-header-fold-field
+Fold the header under point.
+
+@item mail-header-unfold-field
+@findex mail-header-unfold-field
+Unfold the header under point.
+
+@item mail-header-field-value
+@findex mail-header-field-value
+Return the value of the field under point.
+
+@item mail-encode-encoded-word-region
+@findex mail-encode-encoded-word-region
+Encode the non-@acronym{ASCII} words in the region. For instance,
+@samp{Naïve} is encoded as @samp{=?iso-8859-1?q?Na=EFve?=}.
+
+@item mail-encode-encoded-word-buffer
+@findex mail-encode-encoded-word-buffer
+Encode the non-@acronym{ASCII} words in the current buffer. This function is
+meant to be called narrowed to the headers of a message.
+
+@item mail-encode-encoded-word-string
+@findex mail-encode-encoded-word-string
+Encode the words that need encoding in a string, and return the result.
+
+@example
+(mail-encode-encoded-word-string
+ "This is naïve, baby")
+@result{} "This is =?iso-8859-1?q?na=EFve,?= baby"
+@end example
+
+@item mail-decode-encoded-word-region
+@findex mail-decode-encoded-word-region
+Decode the encoded words in the region.
+
+@item mail-decode-encoded-word-string
+@findex mail-decode-encoded-word-string
+Decode the encoded words in the string and return the result.
+
+@example
+(mail-decode-encoded-word-string
+ "This is =?iso-8859-1?q?na=EFve,?= baby")
+@result{} "This is naïve, baby"
+@end example
+
+@end table
+
+Currently, @code{mail-parse} is an abstraction over @code{ietf-drums},
+@code{rfc2047}, @code{rfc2045} and @code{rfc2231}. These are documented
+in the subsequent sections.
+
+
+
+@node Basic Functions
+@chapter Basic Functions
+
+This chapter describes the basic, ground-level functions for parsing and
+handling. Covered here is parsing @code{From} lines, removing comments
+from header lines, decoding encoded words, parsing date headers and so
+on. High-level functionality is dealt with in the next chapter
+(@pxref{Decoding and Viewing}).
+
+@menu
+* rfc2045:: Encoding @code{Content-Type} headers.
+* rfc2231:: Parsing @code{Content-Type} headers.
+* ietf-drums:: Handling mail headers defined by RFC822bis.
+* rfc2047:: En/decoding encoded words in headers.
+* time-date:: Functions for parsing dates and manipulating time.
+* qp:: Quoted-Printable en/decoding.
+* base64:: Base64 en/decoding.
+* binhex:: Binhex decoding.
+* uudecode:: Uuencode decoding.
+* yenc:: Yenc decoding.
+* rfc1843:: Decoding HZ-encoded text.
+* mailcap:: How parts are displayed is specified by the @file{.mailcap} file
+@end menu
+
+
+@node rfc2045
+@section rfc2045
+
+RFC2045 is the ``main'' @acronym{MIME} document, and as such, one would
+imagine that there would be a lot to implement. But there isn't, since
+most of the implementation details are delegated to the subsequent
+RFCs.
+
+So @file{rfc2045.el} has only a single function:
+
+@table @code
+@item rfc2045-encode-string
+@findex rfc2045-encode-string
+Takes a parameter and a value and returns a @samp{PARAM=VALUE} string.
+@var{value} will be quoted if there are non-safe characters in it.
+@end table
+
+
+@node rfc2231
+@section rfc2231
+
+RFC2231 defines a syntax for the @code{Content-Type} and
+@code{Content-Disposition} headers. Its snappy name is @dfn{MIME
+Parameter Value and Encoded Word Extensions: Character Sets, Languages,
+and Continuations}.
+
+In short, these headers look something like this:
+
+@example
+Content-Type: application/x-stuff;
+ title*0*=us-ascii'en'This%20is%20even%20more%20;
+ title*1*=%2A%2A%2Afun%2A%2A%2A%20;
+ title*2="isn't it!"
+@end example
+
+They usually aren't this bad, though.
+
+The following functions are defined by this library:
+
+@table @code
+@item rfc2231-parse-string
+@findex rfc2231-parse-string
+Parse a @code{Content-Type} header and return a list describing its
+elements.
+
+@example
+(rfc2231-parse-string
+ "application/x-stuff;
+ title*0*=us-ascii'en'This%20is%20even%20more%20;
+ title*1*=%2A%2A%2Afun%2A%2A%2A%20;
+ title*2=\"isn't it!\"")
+@result{} ("application/x-stuff"
+ (title . "This is even more ***fun*** isn't it!"))
+@end example
+
+@item rfc2231-get-value
+@findex rfc2231-get-value
+Takes one of the lists on the format above and returns
+the value of the specified attribute.
+
+@item rfc2231-encode-string
+@findex rfc2231-encode-string
+Encode a parameter in headers likes @code{Content-Type} and
+@code{Content-Disposition}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node ietf-drums
+@section ietf-drums
+
+@dfn{drums} is an IETF working group that is working on the replacement
+for RFC822.
+
+The functions provided by this library include:
+
+@table @code
+@item ietf-drums-remove-comments
+@findex ietf-drums-remove-comments
+Remove the comments from the argument and return the results.
+
+@item ietf-drums-remove-whitespace
+@findex ietf-drums-remove-whitespace
+Remove linear white space from the string and return the results.
+Spaces inside quoted strings and comments are left untouched.