diplodocus.org Git - nmh/blob - man/repl.man

   1 .TH REPL %manext1% "April 9, 2013" "%nmhversion%"
   2 .\"
   3 .\" %nmhwarning%
   4 .\"
   5 .SH NAME
   6 repl \- reply to a message
   7 .SH SYNOPSIS
   8 .HP 5
   9 .na
  10 .B repl
  11 .RI [ +folder ]
  12 .RI [ msgs ]
  13 .RB [ \-annotate " | " \-noannotate ]
  14 .RB [ \-group " | " \-nogroup ]
  15 .RB [ \-cc
  16 all/to/cc/me]
  17 .RB [ \-nocc
  18 all/to/cc/me]
  19 .RB [ \-query " | " \-noquery ]
  20 .RB [ \-form
  21 .IR formfile ]
  22 .RB [ \-format " | " \-noformat ]
  23 .RB [ \-filter
  24 .IR filterfile ]
  25 .RB [ \-inplace " | " \-noinplace ]
  26 .RB [ \-mime " | " \-nomime ]
  27 .RB [ \-fcc
  28 .IR +folder ]
  29 .RB [ \-width
  30 .IR columns ]
  31 .RB [ \-draftfolder
  32 .IR +folder ]
  33 .RB [ \-draftmessage
  34 .IR msg ]
  35 .RB [ \-nodraftfolder ]
  36 .RB [ \-editor
  37 .IR editor ]
  38 .RB [ \-noedit ]
  39 .RB [ \-whatnowproc
  40 .IR program ]
  41 .RB [ \-nowhatnowproc ]
  42 .RB [ \-atfile ]
  43 .RB [ \-noatfile ]
  44 .RB [ \-fmtproc
  45 .IR program ]
  46 .RB [ \-nofmtproc ]
  47 .RB [ \-build ]
  48 .RB [ \-file
  49 .IR msgfile ]
  50 .RB [ \-version ]
  51 .RB [ \-help ]
  52 .ad
  53 .SH DESCRIPTION
  54 .B Repl
  55 may be used to produce a reply to an existing message.
  56 .PP
  57 In its simplest form (with no arguments),
  58 .B repl
  59 will set up a
  60 message\-form skeleton in reply to the current message in the current
  61 folder, and invoke the whatnow shell.
  62 .PP
  63 In order to construct the message draft of the reply,
  64 .B repl
  65 uses
  66 a reply template to guide its actions.  A reply template is simply a
  67 .B mhl
  68 format file (see
  69 .IR mh\-format (5)
  70 for details).
  71 .PP
  72 If the switch
  73 .B \-nogroup
  74 is given (it is on by default), then
  75 .B repl
  76 will use the standard forms file \*(lqreplcomps\*(rq.  This will construct
  77 a draft message that is intended to be sent only to the author of the
  78 message to which you are replying.  If a file named \*(lqreplcomps\*(rq
  79 exists in the user's
  80 .B nmh
  81 directory, it will be used instead of this
  82 default forms file.
  83 .PP
  84 The default reply template \*(lqreplcomps\*(rq will direct
  85 .B repl
  86 to construct the reply message draft as follows:
  87 .PP
  88 .RS 5
  89 .nf
  90 To: <Mail\-Reply\-To> or <Reply\-To> or <From>
  91 cc: <To> and <cc> and <personal address>
  92 Fcc: {fcc switch} or +outbox
  93 Subject: Re: <Subject>
  94 In\-Reply\-To: <Message\-Id>
  95 References: <Message\-Id>
  96 Comments: In\-Reply\-To <From> or <apparently from> or <Sender>
  97 .ti +3
  98 message dated <date>
  99 --------
 100 .fi
 101 .RE
 102 .PP
 103 where field names enclosed in angle brackets (<\ >) indicate the
 104 contents of the named field from the message to which the reply is
 105 being made.
 106 .PP
 107 By default, the \*(lqcc:\*(rq field is empty.  You may selectively add
 108 addresses to this default with the
 109 .B \-cc
 110 .I type
 111 switch.  This switch takes an
 112 argument
 113 .RI ( all / to / cc / me )
 114 which specifies who gets added to the default
 115 \*(lqcc:\*(rq list of the reply.  You may give this switch multiple times (with
 116 different arguments) if you wish to add multiple types of addresses.
 117 .PP
 118 If the switch
 119 .B \-group
 120 is given, then
 121 .B repl
 122 will use the
 123 standard forms file \*(lqreplgroupcomps\*(rq.  This will construct a
 124 draft message that is intended as a group or followup reply.  If a file
 125 named \*(lqreplgroupcomps\*(rq exists in the user's nmh directory, it
 126 will be used instead of this default forms file, unless you specify
 127 another forms file on the command line or in your profile.
 128 .PP
 129 The default group reply template \*(lqreplgroupcomps\*(rq will direct
 130 .B repl
 131 to construct the reply message draft as follows:
 132 .PP
 133 .RS 5
 134 .nf
 135 To: <Mail\-Followup\-To>
 136 Subject: Re: <Subject>
 137 In\-Reply\-To: Message from <From> of <Date>.
 138 .ti +\w'In\-Reply\-To: 'u
 139 <Message\-Id>
 140 --------
 141 .fi
 142 .RE
 143 .PP
 144 or if the field <Mail\-Followup\-To> is not available:
 145 .PP
 146 .RS 5
 147 .nf
 148 To: <Mail\-Reply\-To> or <Reply\-To> or <From>
 149 cc: <To> and <cc> and <personal address>
 150 Subject: Re: <Subject>
 151 In\-Reply\-To: Message from <From> of <Date>.
 152 .ti +\w'In\-Reply\-To: 'u
 153 <Message\-Id>
 154 --------
 155 .fi
 156 .RE
 157 .PP
 158 By default, the \*(lqcc:\*(rq contains all the addresses shown.  You may
 159 selectively remove addresses from this default with the
 160 .B \-nocc
 161 .I type
 162 switch.
 163 This switch takes an argument (
 164 .IR all / to / cc / me )
 165 which specifies who gets removed
 166 from the default \*(lqcc:\*(rq list of the reply.  You may give this switch
 167 multiple times (with different arguments) if you wish to remove multiple types
 168 of addresses.
 169 .PP
 170 In any case, you may specify an alternate forms file with the switch
 171 .B \-form
 172 .IR formfile .
 173 .PP
 174 The
 175 .B \-query
 176 switch modifies the action of
 177 .B \-nocc
 178 .I type
 179 switch by
 180 interactively asking you if each address that normally would be placed in
 181 the \*(lqTo:\*(rq and \*(lqcc:\*(rq list should actually be sent a copy.
 182 This is useful for special\-purpose replies.  Note that the position of
 183 the
 184 .B \-cc
 185 and
 186 .B \-nocc
 187 switches, like all other switches which take a
 188 positive and negative form, is important.
 189 .PP
 190 Lines beginning with the fields \*(lqTo:\*(rq, \*(lqcc:\*(rq, and
 191 \*(rqBcc:\*(rq will be standardized and have duplicate addresses removed.
 192 In addition, the
 193 .B \-width
 194 .I columns
 195 switch will guide
 196 .BR repl 's
 197 formatting of these fields.
 198 .PP
 199 If the draft already exists,
 200 .B repl
 201 will ask you as to the disposition
 202 of the draft.  A reply of
 203 .B quit
 204 will abort
 205 .BR repl ,
 206 leaving the
 207 draft intact;
 208 .B replace
 209 will replace the existing draft with a blank
 210 skeleton; and
 211 .B list
 212 will display the draft.
 213 .PP
 214 See
 215 .IR comp (1)
 216 for a description of the
 217 .B \-editor
 218 and
 219 .B \-noedit
 220 switches.  Note that while in the editor, with
 221 .B \-atfile
 222 and if the current directory is writable, the message being replied
 223 to is available through a link named \*(lq@\*(rq (assuming the default
 224 .IR whatnowproc ).
 225 In addition, the actual pathname of the message is
 226 stored in the environment variable
 227 .BR $editalt ,
 228 and the pathname of
 229 the folder containing the message is stored in the environment variable
 230 .BR $mhfolder .
 231 The creation of the \*(lq@\*(rq file is controlled via the
 232 .B \-atfile
 233 and
 234 .B \-noatfile
 235 options.
 236 .PP
 237 Although
 238 .B repl
 239 uses a forms file to direct it how to construct
 240 the beginning of the draft, it uses a message filter file to direct
 241 it as to how the message to which you are replying should be filtered
 242 (re\-formatted) in the body of the draft.  The filter file for
 243 .B repl
 244 should be a standard form file for
 245 .BR mhl ,
 246 as
 247 .B repl
 248 will invoke
 249 .B mhl
 250 to format the message to which you are replying.
 251 .PP
 252 The switches
 253 .BR \-noformat ,
 254 .BR \-format ,
 255 and
 256 .B \-filter
 257 .I filterfile
 258 specify
 259 which message filter file to use.
 260 .PP
 261 If the switch
 262 .B \-noformat
 263 is given (it is the default), then the message
 264 to which you are replying is not included in the body of the draft.
 265 .PP
 266 If the switch
 267 .B \-format
 268 is given, then a default message filter file
 269 is used.  This default message filter should be adequate for most users.
 270 This default filter
 271 .RI \*(lq mhl.reply \*(rq
 272 is:
 273 .PP
 274 .RS 5
 275 .nf
 276 %mhl_reply%
 277 .fi
 278 .RE
 279 .PP
 280 which outputs each line of the body of the message prefaced with the
 281 \*(lq>\*(rq character and a space.
 282 .PP
 283 If a file named
 284 .RI \*(lq mhl.reply \*(rq
 285 exists in the user's
 286 .B nmh
 287 directory,
 288 it will be used instead of this form.  You may specify an alternate
 289 message filter file with the switch
 290 .B \-filter
 291 .IR filterfile .
 292 .PP
 293 Other reply filters are commonly used, such as:
 294 .PP
 295 .RS 5
 296 .nf
 297 :
 298 body:nocomponent,compwidth=9,offset=9
 299 .fi
 300 .RE
 301 .PP
 302 which says to output a blank line and then the body of the message
 303 being replied\-to, indented by one tab\-stop.  Another popular format
 304 is:
 305 .PP
 306 .RS 5
 307 .nf
 308 message-id:nocomponent,\|nonewline,\\
 309 formatfield=\*(lqIn message %{text},\ \*(rq
 310 from:nocomponent,\|formatfield=\*(lq%(decode(friendly{text})) writes:\*(rq
 311 body:component=\*(lq>\*(rq,\|overflowtext=\*(lq>\*(rq,\|overflowoffset=0
 312 .fi
 313 .RE
 314 .PP
 315 This message filter file cites the Message-ID and author of the message
 316 being replied\-to, and then outputs each line of the body prefaced with
 317 the \*(lq>\*(rq character.
 318 .PP
 319 You can also use an external format program to format the message body.
 320 The format program is specified by the
 321 .IR formatproc
 322 profile entry, and is enabled by the \*(lqformat\*(rq flag.  A message
 323 filter using an external format program would look like this:
 324 .PP
 325 .RS 5
 326 .nf
 327 body:component=\*(lq>\*(rq,\|nowrap,\|format
 328 .fi
 329 .RE
 330 .PP
 331 See the
 332 .IR mhl(1)
 333 documentation for more information.  The format program can be changed by
 334 the
 335 .B \-fmtproc
 336 .I program
 337 and
 338 .B \-nofmtproc
 339 switches.
 340 .PP
 341 To use the MIME rules for encapsulation, specify the
 342 .B \-mime
 343 switch.
 344 This directs
 345 .B repl
 346 to generate an
 347 .B mhbuild
 348 composition file.
 349 Note that
 350 .B nmh
 351 will not invoke
 352 .B mhbuild
 353 automatically; you must specifically give the command
 354 .PP
 355 .RS 5
 356 What now? mime
 357 .RE
 358 .PP
 359 prior to sending the draft.
 360 .PP
 361 If the
 362 .B \-annotate
 363 switch is given, the message being replied\-to will
 364 be annotated with the lines
 365 .PP
 366 .RS 5
 367 Replied:\ date
 368 Replied:\ addrs
 369 .RE
 370 .PP
 371 where the address list contains one line for each addressee.
 372 The annotation will be done only if the message is sent directly from
 373 .BR repl .
 374 If the message is not sent immediately from
 375 .BR repl ,
 376 .RB \*(lq "comp\ \-use" \*(rq
 377 may be used to re\-edit and send the constructed
 378 message, but the annotations won't take place.  Normally annotations are
 379 done inplace in order to preserve any links to the message.  You may use
 380 the
 381 .B \-noinplace
 382 switch to change this.
 383 .PP
 384 Although the default template specifies that a copy of the reply will be
 385 put in
 386 the folder 'outbox',
 387 if the
 388 .B \-fcc
 389 .I +folder
 390 switch is given it will override the default value.
 391 More than one folder, each preceded by
 392 .B \-fcc
 393 can
 394 be named.
 395 .PP
 396 In addition to the standard
 397 .IR mh\-format (5)
 398 escapes,
 399 .B repl
 400 also recognizes the following additional
 401 .I component
 402 escape:
 403 .PP
 404 .RS 5
 405 .nf
 406 .ta \w'Escape  'u +\w'Returns  'u
 407 .I "Escape      Returns Description"
 408 fcc     string  Any folders specified with `\-fcc\ folder'
 409 .fi
 410 .RE
 411 .PP
 412 To avoid reiteration,
 413 .B repl
 414 strips any leading `Re: ' strings from
 415 the
 416 .I subject
 417 component.
 418 .PP
 419 The
 420 .B \-draftfolder
 421 .I +folder
 422 and
 423 .B \-draftmessage
 424 .I msg
 425 switches invoke
 426 the
 427 .B nmh
 428 draft folder facility.  This is an advanced (and highly
 429 useful) feature.  Consult the
 430 .IR mh-draft (5)
 431 man page for more
 432 information.
 433 .PP
 434 Upon exiting from the editor,
 435 .B repl
 436 will invoke the
 437 .B whatnow
 438 program.  See
 439 .IR whatnow (1)
 440 for a discussion of available
 441 options.  The invocation of this program can be inhibited by using the
 442 .B \-nowhatnowproc
 443 switch.  (In truth of fact, it is the
 444 .B whatnow
 445 program which starts the initial edit.  Hence,
 446 .B \-nowhatnowproc
 447 will
 448 prevent any edit from occurring.)
 449 .PP
 450 The
 451 .B \-build
 452 switch is intended to be used by the Emacs mh-e interface
 453 to
 454 .BR nmh .
 455 It implies
 456 .BR \-nowhatnowproc .
 457 It causes a file
 458 .I <mh\-dir>/reply
 459 to be created, containing the draft message that would normally be presented
 460 to the user for editing.
 461 No mail is actually sent.
 462 .PP
 463 The
 464 .B \-file
 465 .I msgfile
 466 switch specifies the message to be replied to as an
 467 exact filename rather than as an
 468 .B nmh
 469 folder and message number. It is
 470 intended to be used by the
 471 .B msh
 472 interface to
 473 .BR nmh .
 474 The same caveats apply to this option as to the
 475 .B \-build
 476 switch.
 477 .SH FILES
 478 .B repl
 479 looks for all format, filter and template files in multiple locations:
 480 absolute pathnames are accessed directly, tilde expansion is done on
 481 usernames, and files are searched for in the user's
 482 .I Mail
 483 directory as specified in their profile.  If not found there, the directory
 484 .RI \*(lq %etcdir% \*(rq
 485 is checked.
 486 .PP
 487 .fc ^ ~
 488 .nf
 489 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName  'u
 490 ^%etcdir%/replcomps~^The standard reply template
 491 ^or <mh\-dir>/replcomps~^Rather than the standard template
 492 ^%etcdir%/replgroupcomps~^The standard `reply -group' template
 493 ^or <mh\-dir>/replgroupcomps~^Rather than the standard template
 494 ^%etcdir%/mhl.reply~^The standard message filter
 495 ^or <mh\-dir>/mhl.reply~^Rather than the standard filter
 496 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
 497 ^<mh\-dir>/draft~^The draft file
 498 .fi
 499 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
 500 .fc ^ ~
 501 .nf
 502 .ta 2.4i
 503 .ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName  'u
 504 ^Path:~^To determine the user's nmh directory
 505 ^Alternate\-Mailboxes:~^To determine the user's mailboxes
 506 ^Current\-Folder:~^To find the default current folder
 507 ^Draft\-Folder:~^To find the default draft\-folder
 508 ^Editor:~^To override the default editor
 509 ^Msg\-Protect:~^To set mode when creating a new message (draft)
 510 ^fileproc:~^Program to refile the message
 511 ^mhlproc:~^Program to filter message being replied\-to
 512 ^whatnowproc:~^Program to ask the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq questions
 513 .fi
 514 .SH "SEE ALSO"
 515 .IR comp (1),
 516 .IR forw (1),
 517 .IR mhbuild (1),
 518 .IR send (1),
 519 .IR whatnow (1),
 520 .IR mh\-format (5)
 521 .SH DEFAULTS
 522 .nf
 523 .RB ` +folder "' defaults to the current folder"
 524 .RB ` msg "' defaults to cur"
 525 .RB ` \-nogroup '
 526 .RB ` "\-nocc\ all" "' with `\-nogroup', `\-cc\ all' with `\-group'"
 527 .RB ` \-noannotate '
 528 .RB ` \-nodraftfolder '
 529 .RB ` \-noformat '
 530 .RB ` \-inplace '
 531 .RB ` \-nomime '
 532 .RB ` \-noquery '
 533 .RB ` \-noatfile '
 534 .RB ` "\-width\ 72" '
 535 .fi
 536 .SH CONTEXT
 537 If a folder is given, it will become the current folder.  The message
 538 replied\-to will become the current message.
 539 .SH BUGS
 540 If any addresses occur in the reply template, addresses in the template
 541 that do not contain hosts are defaulted incorrectly.  Instead of using
 542 the localhost for the default,
 543 .B repl
 544 uses the sender's host.
 545 Moral of the story: if you're going to include addresses in a reply
 546 template, include the host portion of the address.
 547 .PP
 548 The
 549 .B \-width
 550 .I columns
 551 switch is only used to do address-folding; other
 552 headers are not line\-wrapped.
 553 .PP
 554 If
 555 .I whatnowproc
 556 is
 557 .BR whatnow ,
 558 then
 559 .B repl
 560 uses a built\-in
 561 .BR whatnow ,
 562 it does not actually run the
 563 .B whatnow
 564 program.
 565 Hence, if you define your own
 566 .IR whatnowproc ,
 567 don't call it
 568 .B whatnow
 569 since
 570 .B repl
 571 won't run it.