-.TH MHLIST %manext1% "August 20, 2014" "%nmhversion%"
-.\"
+.TH MHLIST %manext1% 2015-02-06 "%nmhversion%"
+.
.\" %nmhwarning%
-.\"
+.
.SH NAME
-mhlist \- list information about MIME messages
+mhlist \- list information about nmh MIME messages
.SH SYNOPSIS
.HP 5
.na
.B mhlist
+.RB [ \-help ]
+.RB [ \-version ]
.RI [ +folder ]
.RI [ msgs ]
.RB [ \-file
.RB [ \-type
.IR content ]
\&...
+.RB [ \-prefer
+.IR content ]
+\&...
+.RB [ \-noprefer ]
.RB [ \-headers " | " \-noheaders ]
.RB [ \-realsize " | " \-norealsize ]
.RB [ \-rcache
.RB [ \-changecur " | " \-nochangecur ]
.RB [ \-verbose " | " \-noverbose ]
.RB [ \-disposition " | " \-nodisposition ]
-.RB [ \-version ]
-.RB [ \-help ]
.ad
.SH DESCRIPTION
The
.B mhlist
-command allows you to list information (essentially
-a table of contents) about the various parts of a collection of
-MIME (multi-media) messages.
+command allows you to list information (a table of contents, essentially)
+about the various parts of a collection of MIME (multi-media) messages.
.PP
.B mhlist
-manipulates MIME (multi-media messages) as specified
-in RFC 2045 to RFC 2049 (See
+manipulates MIME messages as specified in RFC 2045 to RFC 2049 (See
.IR mhbuild (1)).
.PP
The
.B \-headers
-switch indicates that a one-line banner should be
-displayed above the listing.
+switch indicates that a one-line banner should be displayed above the
+listing (the default).
.PP
The
.B \-realsize
switch tells
.B mhlist
-to evaluate the
-\*(lqnative\*(rq (decoded) format of each content prior to listing.
-This provides an accurate count at the expense of a small delay.
+to evaluate the \*(lqnative\*(rq (decoded) format of each content prior
+to listing. This provides an accurate count at the expense of a small delay.
In either case, sizes will be expressed using SI prefix abbreviations
(K/M/G/T), which are based on factors of 1000.
.PP
If the
.B \-verbose
-switch is present, then the listing will show
-any \*(lqextra\*(rq information that is present in the message,
-such as comments in the \*(lqContent-Type\*(rq header.
+switch is present, then the listing will show any \*(lqextra\*(rq
+information that is present in the message, such as comments in the
+\*(lqContent-Type\*(rq header.
.PP
If the
.B \-disposition
.I file
directs
.B mhlist
-to use the specified
-file as the source message, rather than a message from a folder.
-If you specify this file as \*(lq-\*(rq, then
+to use the specified file as the source message, rather than a message
+from a folder. If you specify this file as \*(lq-\*(rq, then
.B mhlist
-will
-accept the source message on the standard input. Note that the
+will accept the source message on the standard input. Note that the
file, or input from standard input should be a validly formatted
message, just like any other
.B nmh
message. It should
-.B NOT
-be in mail drop format (to convert a file in mail drop format to
-a folder of
+.I not
+be in mail drop format (to convert a file in
+mail drop format to a folder of
.B nmh
messages, see
.IR inc (1)).
.PP
By default,
.B mhlist
-will list information about the entire
-message (all of its parts). By using the
-.B \-part
+will list information about the entire message (all of its parts).
+By using the
+.BR \-part ,
+.BR \-type ,
and
-.B \-type
-switches, you may limit the scope of this command to particular
-subparts (of a multipart content) and/or particular content types.
-.PP
-A part specification consists of a series of numbers separated by dots.
-For example, in a multipart content containing three parts, these
-would be named as 1, 2, and 3, respectively. If part 2 was also a
-multipart content containing two parts, these would be named as 2.1 and
-2.2, respectively. Note that the
+.B \-prefer
+switches, you may limit and reorder the set of parts to be listed,
+based on part number and/or content type.
+.PP
+A part specification consists of a series of numbers separated by
+dots. For example, in a multipart content containing three parts,
+these would be named as 1, 2, and 3, respectively. If part 2 was also
+a multipart content containing two parts, these would be named as 2.1
+and 2.2, respectively. Note that the
.B \-part
-switch is effective for only
-messages containing a multipart content. If a message has some other
-kind of content, or if the part is itself another multipart content, the
+switch is effective only for messages containing a multipart content.
+If a message has some other kind of content, or if the part is itself
+another multipart content, the
.B \-part
switch will not prevent the content from being acted upon.
.PP
+The
+.B \-type
+switch can also be used to restrict (or, when used in conjunction with
+.BR \-part ,
+to further restrict) the selection of parts according to content type.
+One or more
+.B \-type
+switches part will only select the first match from a multipart/alternative,
+even if there is more than one subpart that matches (one of) the given
+content type(s).
+.PP
+Using either
+.B \-part
+or
+.B -type
+switches alone will cause either to select the part(s) they match.
+Using them together will select only the part(s) matched by both
+(sets of) switches. In other words, the result is the intersection,
+and not the union, of their separate match results.
+.PP
A content specification consists of a content type and a subtype.
The initial list of \*(lqstandard\*(rq content types and subtypes can
be found in RFC 2046.
subtype, separate the two with a slash, e.g., \*(lqaudio/basic\*(rq.
Note that regardless of the values given to the
.B \-type
-switch, a
-multipart content (of any subtype listed above) is always acted upon.
-Further note that if the
+switch, a multipart content (of any subtype listed above) is always
+acted upon. Further note that if the
.B \-type
-switch is used, and it is desirable to
-act on a message/external-body content, then the
+switch is used, and it is desirable to act on a message/external-body
+content, then the
.B \-type
-switch must
-be used twice: once for message/external-body and once for the content
-externally referenced.
+switch must be used twice: once for message/external-body and once
+for the content externally referenced.
.PP
-The parts of a multipart/alternative part are listed in the reverse
-order of their placement in the message. The listing therefore is
-in decreasing order of preference, as defined in RFC 2046.
+By default, the parts of a multipart/alternative part are listed in
+the reverse order of their placement in the message. The listing,
+therefore, is in decreasing order of preference, as defined in RFC
+2046. The
+.B \-prefer
+switch can be used (one or more times, in order of ascending
+preference) to let MH know which content types from a
+multipart/alternative MIME part are preferred by the user, in order to
+override the default preference order. Thus, when viewed by
+.BR mhlist ,
+the ordering of multipart/alternative parts will appear to change when
+invoked with or without various
+.B \-prefer
+switches.
+The
+.B \-noprefer
+switch will cancel any previous
+.B \-prefer
+switches.
+The
+.B \-prefer
+and
+.B \-noprefer
+switches are functionally most important for
+.BR mhshow ,
+but are also implemented in
+.B mhlist
+and
+.B mhstore
+to make common part numbering possible across all three programs.
.SS "Checking the Contents"
The
.B \-check
switch tells
.B mhlist
-to check each content for an
-integrity checksum. If a content has such a checksum (specified as a
-Content-MD5 header field), then
+to check each content for an integrity checksum. If a content has
+such a checksum (specified as a Content-MD5 header field), then
.B mhlist
-will attempt to verify the
-integrity of the content.
+will attempt to verify the integrity of the content.
.SH FILES
.fc ^ ~
.nf
.ta \w'%nmhetcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
-^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
+^$HOME/.mh_profile~^The user profile
.fi
.SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
.fc ^ ~
projects / nmh / blobdiff