Mail mode vs Message mode

Mail mode vs Message mode

[BP25]

Hello!

I'm choosing which mail composition method to use betweem mailmode
(sendmail.el) and messagemode (message.el). I wish there were a
comprehensive compare and contrast on the Emacs manual!

I gather the main difference is that one provides MIME-support (whatever
this means). Are they being developped "in parallel"? Do they have
overlapping functionalities which are implemented differently? Why not
just merge them into one single MIME-compliant mode which is compatible
with both: this will spare so much confusion to newbies!

Please let me know! (and please CC: my email address because I'm not
subscribed to this list)

Re: Mail mode vs Message mode

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: BP25 <bp25@riseup.net>
> Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2024 18:24:14 +0000
> 
> I'm choosing which mail composition method to use betweem mailmode
> (sendmail.el) and messagemode (message.el). I wish there were a
> comprehensive compare and contrast on the Emacs manual!
> 
> I gather the main difference is that one provides MIME-support (whatever
> this means).

No, they both support MIME.

message.el is the preferred (and more modern) mode, which is why it is
the default.  So unless you have good reasons to use sendmail.el (for
example, some elaborate setup specific to sendmail.el), our
recommendation is to use message.el, per the default.