HTML e-mail

HTML e-mail

An e-mail message formatted with the same HTML codes used in Web pages (Web pages are HTML documents). This is the approach taken today, but the original Internet e-mail standard supported only unformatted text. However, in order to use different fonts, font sizes and attributes such as bold and italic, as well as embed images, HTML support was added. It also enables e-mail messages to display elaborate advertising.

To perform the actual screen rendering, the HTML e-mail program calls functions in the Web browser.

A Security Problem
HTML-based e-mail can be susceptible to viruses, because HTML supports JavaScript, and JavaScript is a language that activates functions. Normally, JavaScript is disabled, although minimal JavaScript functionality may be allowed. If JavaScript is enabled, the user can also disable it. Contrast with text e-mail. See HTML-Lite, Nimda, BubbleBoy virus and e-mail interfaces.

Copyright © 1981-2025 by The Computer Language Company Inc. All Rights reserved. THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher.