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   1 .TH MHPATH %manext1% 2012-02-18 "%nmhversion%"
   2 .
   3 .\" %nmhwarning%
   4 .
   5 .SH NAME
   6 mhpath \- print full pathnames of nmh messages and folders
   7 .SH SYNOPSIS
   8 .HP 5
   9 .na
  10 .B mhpath
  11 .RB [ \-help ]
  12 .RB [ \-version ]
  13 .RI [ +folder ]
  14 .RI [ msgs ]
  15 .ad
  16 .SH DESCRIPTION
  17 .B mhpath
  18 expands and sorts the message list `msgs' and writes the full
  19 pathnames of the messages to the standard output, separated by newlines.
  20 If no `msgs' are specified,
  21 .B mhpath
  22 outputs the current mail folder's pathname instead.
  23 If the only argument is `+', your
  24 .B nmh
  25 \*(lqPath\*(rq is output; this can be useful in shell scripts.
  26 .PP
  27 In contrast with other
  28 .B nmh
  29 commands, a message argument to
  30 .B mhpath
  31 may often be intended for writing.  Because of this:
  32 .IP 1) 4
  33 the name \*(lqnew\*(rq has been added to
  34 .BR mhpath 's
  35 list of reserved message names (the others are \*(lqfirst\*(rq,
  36 \*(lqlast\*(rq, \*(lqprev\*(rq, \*(lqnext\*(rq, \*(lqcur\*(rq,
  37 and \*(lqall\*(rq).
  38 The new message is equivalent to the message after the last message
  39 in a folder (and equivalent to 1 in a folder without messages).
  40 The \*(lqnew\*(rq message may not be used as part of a message range.
  41 .IP 2) 4
  42 Within a message list, the following designations may refer to messages
  43 that do not exist: a single numeric message name, the single message name
  44 \*(lqcur\*(rq, and (obviously) the single message name \*(lqnew\*(rq.
  45 All other message designations must refer to at least one existing
  46 message, if the folder contains messages.
  47 .IP 3) 4
  48 An empty folder is not, in itself, an error.
  49 .PP
  50 A message number less than that of the smallest existing message in a
  51 folder is treated as if the message already exists.  A message number
  52 greater than that of the highest existing message in a folder causes
  53 an \*(lqout of range\*(rq error message to be displayed.
  54 .PP
  55 As part of a range designation that contains messages that do exist,
  56 message numbers less than the smallest, or greater than the highest,
  57 existing message in a folder are ignored.
  58 .PP
  59 Examples: The current folder foo contains messages 3 5 6.
  60 Cur is 4.
  61 .PP
  62 .RS 5
  63 .nf
  64 $ mhpath
  65 /r/phyl/Mail/foo
  66
  67 $ mhpath all
  68 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/3
  69 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/5
  70 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/6
  71
  72 $ mhpath 2001
  73 mhpath: message 2001 out of range 1-6
  74
  75 $ mhpath 1\-2001
  76 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/3
  77 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/5
  78 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/6
  79
  80 $ mhpath new
  81 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/7
  82
  83 $ mhpath last new
  84 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/6
  85 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/7
  86
  87 $ mhpath last\-new
  88 mhpath: bad message list last\-new
  89
  90 $ mhpath cur
  91 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/4
  92
  93 $ mhpath 1\-2
  94 mhpath: no messages in range 1\-2
  95
  96 $ mhpath first:2
  97 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/3
  98 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/5
  99
 100 $ mhpath 1 2
 101 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/1
 102 /r/phyl/Mail/foo/2
 103 .fi
 104 .RE
 105 .PP
 106 .B mhpath
 107 is also useful in backquoted operations:
 108 .PP
 109 .RS 5
 110 .nf
 111 $ cd \`mhpath +inbox\`
 112
 113 $ echo \`mhpath +\`
 114 /r/phyl/Mail
 115 .fi
 116 .RE
 117 .PP
 118 Because
 119 .B mhpath
 120 expands and sorts
 121 .RI [ msgs ].
 122 the command
 123 .PP
 124 .RS 5
 125 .nf
 126 mv \`mhpath 501 500\`
 127 .fi
 128 .RE
 129 .PP
 130 to will not move 501 to 500; quite the reverse.  But
 131 .PP
 132 .RS 5
 133 .nf
 134 mv \`mhpath 501\` \`mhpath 500\`
 135 .fi
 136 .RE
 137 .PP
 138 will do the trick.
 139 .PP
 140 Out-of-range message 0 produces a different error message than large
 141 out-of-range message numbers.  But both cause
 142 .B mhpath
 143 to exit with non-zero status.
 144 .SH FILES
 145 .fc ^ ~
 146 .nf
 147 .ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName  'u
 148 ^$HOME/.mh_profile~^The user profile
 149 .fi
 150 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
 151 .fc ^ ~
 152 .nf
 153 .ta 2.4i
 154 .ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName  'u
 155 ^Path:~^To determine the user's nmh directory
 156 ^Current\-Folder:~^To find the default current folder
 157 .fi
 158 .SH "SEE ALSO"
 159 .IR folder (1)
 160 .SH DEFAULTS
 161 .nf
 162 .RB ` +folder "' defaults to the current folder"
 163 .RB ` msgs "' defaults to none"
 164 .fi
 165 .SH CONTEXT
 166 None