-.\"
+.TH PICK %manext1% 2016-03-12 "%nmhversion%"
+.
.\" %nmhwarning%
-.\"
-.TH PICK %manext1% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
+.
.SH NAME
-pick \- search for messages by content
+pick \- search nmh messages
.SH SYNOPSIS
.HP 5
.na
.B pick
+.RB [ \-help ]
+.RB [ \-version ]
.RI [ +folder ]
.RI [ msgs ]
+.RB [ \-reverse
+\&...]
.RB [ \-and
\&...]
.RB [ \-or
.RB [ \-sequence
.I name
\&...]
+.RB [ \-nosequence ]
.RB [ \-public " | " \-nopublic ]
.RB [ \-zero " | " \-nozero ]
-.RB [ \-list " | " \-nolist ]
-.RB [ \-version ]
-.RB [ \-help ]
+.RB [ \-list " | " \-nolist ]
+.RB [ \-debug ]
.PP
typical usage:
.PP
.RE
.ad
.SH DESCRIPTION
-.B Pick
+.B pick
searches within a folder for messages with the specified
contents, and then identifies those messages. Two types of search
primitives are available: pattern matching and date constraint
operations.
.PP
A modified
-.BR grep (1)
-is used to perform the matching, so the
-full regular expression (see
-.BR ed (1))
-facility is available
-within
+.IR grep (1)
+is used to perform the matching, so the full regular expression (see
+.IR ed (1))
+facility is available within
.IR pattern .
With
.BR \-search ,
is used directly, and with the others, the grep pattern constructed is:
.PP
.RS 5
-`component[ \\t]*:\&.*pattern'
+`component[ \\t]*:.*pattern'
.RE
.PP
This means that the pattern specified for a
.B \-search
-will be found
-everywhere in the message, including the header and the body, while
-the other pattern matching requests are limited to the single specified
+will be found everywhere in the message, including the header and the body,
+while the other pattern matching requests are limited to the single specified
component. The expression
.PP
.RS 5
is a shorthand for specifying
.PP
.RS 5
-`\-search \*(lqcomponent[ \\t]*:\&.*pattern\*(rq\ '
+`\-search \*(lqcomponent[ \\t]*:.*pattern\*(rq\ '
.RE
.PP
It is used to pick a component which is not one of \*(lqTo:\*(rq,
An example is
.RB \*(lq "pick\0\-\|\-reply\-to\0pooh" \*(rq.
.PP
-Pattern matching is performed on a per\-line basis. Within the header
+Pattern matching is performed on a per-line basis. Within the header
of the message, each component is treated as one long line, but in the
-body, each line is separate. Lower\-case letters in the search pattern
+body, each line is separate. Lower-case letters in the search pattern
will match either lower or upper case in the message, while upper case
will match only upper case.
.PP
Note that since the
.B \-date
-switch is a pattern matching operation (as
-described above), to find messages sent on a certain date the pattern
-string must match the text of the \*(lqDate:\*(rq field of the message.
+switch is a pattern matching operation (as described above),
+to find messages sent on a certain date the pattern string must match
+the text of the \*(lqDate:\*(rq field of the message.
.PP
Independent of any pattern matching operations requested, the switches
.B \-after
or
.B \-before
.I date
-may also be used to introduce date/time
-constraints on all of the messages. By default, the \*(lqDate:\*(rq
-field is consulted, but if another date yielding field (such as
-\*(lqBB\-Posted:\*(rq or \*(lqDelivery\-Date:\*(rq) should be used, the
+may also be used to introduce date/time constraints on all of the messages.
+By default, the \*(lqDate:\*(rq field is consulted, but if another
+date-yielding field (such as \*(lqBB\-Posted:\*(rq or
+\*(lqDelivery\-Date:\*(rq) should be used, the
.B \-datefield
.I field
switch may be used.
and
.BR \-after ,
.B pick
-will actually parse the date
-fields in each of the messages specified in `msgs' and compare them
-to the date/time specified. If
+will actually parse the date fields in each of the messages specified in
+`msgs' and compare them to the date/time specified. If
.B \-after
-is given, then only those
-messages whose \*(lqDate:\*(rq field value is chronologically after the
-date specified will be considered. The
+is given, then only those messages whose \*(lqDate:\*(rq field value is
+chronologically after the date specified will be considered. The
.B \-before
-switch specifies the
-complimentary action.
+switch specifies the complementary action.
.PP
Both the
.B \-after
and
.B \-before
-switches take legal 822\-style date
-specifications as arguments.
-.B Pick
-will default certain missing
-fields so that the entire date need not be specified. These fields
-are (in order of defaulting): timezone, time and timezone, date, date
-and timezone. All defaults are taken from the current date, time,
-and timezone.
-.PP
-In addition to 822\-style dates,
+switches take legal RFC 822-style date specifications as arguments.
+.B pick
+will default certain missing fields so that the entire date need not
+be specified. These fields are (in order of defaulting): timezone,
+time and timezone, date, date and timezone.
+All defaults are taken from the current date, time, and timezone.
+.PP
+In addition to RFC 822-style dates,
.B pick
-will also recognize any of
-the days of the week (\*(lqsunday\*(rq, \*(lqmonday\*(rq, and so on),
-and the special dates \*(lqtoday\*(rq, \*(lqyesterday\*(rq (24 hours
-ago), and \*(lqtomorrow\*(rq (24 hours from now). All days of the
-week are judged to refer to a day in the past (e.g., telling \fIpick\fR
-\*(lqsaturday\*(rq on a \*(lqtuesday\*(rq means \*(lqlast\ saturday\*(rq
-not \*(lqthis\ saturday\*(rq).
+will also recognize any of the days of the week (\*(lqsunday\*(rq,
+\*(lqmonday\*(rq, and so on), and the special dates \*(lqtoday\*(rq,
+\*(lqyesterday\*(rq (24 hours ago), and \*(lqtomorrow\*(rq
+(24 hours from now).
+All days of the week are judged to refer to a day in the past
+(e.g., telling \fIpick\fR \*(lqsaturday\*(rq on a \*(lqtuesday\*(rq
+means \*(lqlast\ saturday\*(rq not \*(lqthis\ saturday\*(rq).
.PP
Finally, in addition to these special specifications,
.B pick
-will
-also honor a specification of the form \*(lq\-dd\*(rq, which means
+will also honor a specification of the form \*(lq\-dd\*(rq, which means
\*(lqdd days ago\*(rq.
.PP
-.B Pick
-supports complex boolean operations on the searching primitives
-with the
+Use the
+.BR \-reverse
+switch to make
+.B pick
+find matching messages in reverse order, working from the highest message
+number down to the lowest. This can be useful in searching for recent
+messages in large folders, for example,
+.PP
+.RS 5
+.nf
+pick\0\-reverse\0\-from\0frated\0|\0xargs\0\-n1\0scan
+.fi
+.RE
+.PP
+.B pick
+supports complex boolean operations on the searching primitives with the
.BR \-and ,
.BR \-or ,
.BR \-not ,
.B \-not
switch, which in turn takes precedence over
.B \-and
-which in turn takes precedence
-over
+which in turn takes precedence over
.BR \-or .
To override the default precedence, the
.B \-lbrace
.PP
Once the search has been performed, if the
.B \-list
-switch is given, the
-message numbers of the selected messages are written to the standard
-output separated by newlines. This is
-.B extremely
-useful for
-quickly generating arguments for other
+switch is given, the message numbers of the selected messages are
+written to the standard output separated by newlines. This is
+.I extremely
+useful for quickly generating arguments for other
.B nmh
-programs by using the
-\*(lqbackquoting\*(rq syntax of the shell. For example, the command
+programs by using the \*(lqbackquoting\*(rq syntax of the shell.
+For example, the command
.PP
.RS 5
scan\0`pick\0+todo\0\-after\0\*(lq31 Mar 83 0123 PST\*(rq`
.PP
says to
.B scan
-those messages in the indicated folder which meet the
-appropriate criterion. Note that since
+those messages in the indicated folder which meet the appropriate
+criterion. Note that since
.BR pick 's
-context changes
-are written out prior to
+context changes are written out prior to
.BR scan 's
-invocation, you need not give
-the folder argument to
+invocation, you need not give the folder argument to
.B scan
as well.
.PP
defines a new message sequence for the current folder called
\*(lqfred\*(rq which contains exactly those messages that were selected.
.PP
+The
+.B \-nosequence
+switch will disable all previously named sequences, allowing
+those established by a profile component to be overridden.
+.PP
By default,
.B pick
-will zero the sequence before adding it. This
-action can be disabled with the
+will zero a sequence before adding it. This action can be disabled with the
.B \-nozero
-switch, which means that the
-messages selected by
+switch, which means that the messages selected by
.B pick
-will be added to the sequence, if it
-already exists, and any messages already a part of that sequence will
-remain so.
+will be added to the sequence, if it already exists, and any messages
+already a part of that sequence will remain so.
.PP
The
.B \-public
.B \-nopublic
switches are used by
.B pick
-in the
-same way
+in the same way
.B mark
uses them.
-
+.PP
+The
+.B \-debug
+switch causes pick to output a representation of the search pattern.
+.SS "Output when no messages are matched"
+If
+.B pick
+is used in a backquoted operation, such as
+.PP
+.RS 5
+scan\0`pick\0\-from\0jones`
+.RE
+.PP
+and
+.B pick
+selects no messages (e.g., no messages are from \*(lqjones\*(rq),
+then the shell will still run the outer command (e.g.,
+.BR scan ).
+Since no messages were matched,
+.B pick
+produced no output, and the argument given to the outer command as a
+result of backquoting
+.B pick
+is empty. In the case of
+.B nmh
+programs, the outer command now acts as if the default `msg' or `msgs'
+should be used (e.g., \*(lqall\*(rq in the case of
+.BR scan ).
+To prevent this unexpected behavior, if
+.B \-list
+was given, and if its standard output is not a tty, then
+.B pick
+outputs the illegal message number \*(lq0\*(rq when it fails.
+This lets the outer command fail gracefully as well.
.SH FILES
.fc ^ ~
.nf
-.ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
-^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
+.ta \w'%nmhetcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
+^$HOME/.mh_profile~^The user profile
.fi
-
.SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
.fc ^ ~
.nf
^Path:~^To determine the user's nmh directory
^Current\-Folder:~^To find the default current folder
.fi
-
.SH "SEE ALSO"
-mark(1)
-
+.IR mark (1)
.SH DEFAULTS
.nf
.RB ` +folder "' defaults to the current folder"
.RB ` \-zero '
.RB ` \-list "' is the default if no `\-sequence', `\-nolist' otherwise"
.fi
-
.SH CONTEXT
If a folder is given, it will become the current folder.
-
.SH HISTORY
In previous versions of
.BR MH ,
or
.B refile
the selected messages. This was rather
-\*(lqinverted logic\*(rq from the UNIX point of view, so
+\*(lqinverted logic\*(rq from the Unix point of view, so
.B pick
was changed to define sequences and output those sequences. Hence,
.B pick
.PP
Finally, timezones used to be ignored when comparing dates: they aren't
any more.
-
.SH "HELPFUL HINTS"
Use
.RB \*(lq "pick sequence \-list" \*(rq
to enumerate the messages in a sequence
(such as for use by a shell script).
-
.SH BUGS
-The argument to the
-.B \-after
-and
-.B \-before
-switches must be interpreted
-as a single token by the shell that invokes
-.BR pick .
-Therefore, one
-must usually place the argument to this switch inside double\-quotes.
-Furthermore, any occurrence of
+Any occurrence of
.B \-datefield
must occur prior to the
.B \-after
.B \-before
switch it applies to.
.PP
-If
-.B pick
-is used in a back\-quoted operation, such as
-.PP
-.RS 5
-scan\0`pick\0\-from\0jones`
-.RE
-.PP
-and
-.B pick
-selects no messages (e.g., no messages are from
-\*(lqjones\*(rq), then the shell will still run the outer command (e.g.,
-.BR scan ).
-Since no messages were matched,
-.B pick
-produced
-no output, and the argument given to the outer command as a result of
-backquoting
-.B pick
-is empty. In the case of
-.B nmh
-programs,
-the outer command now acts as if the default `msg' or `msgs' should be
-used (e.g., \*(lqall\*(rq in the case of
-.BR scan ).
-To prevent this
-unexpected behavior, if
-.B \-list
-was given, and if its standard output is not a tty, then
-.B pick
-outputs the illegal message number \*(lq0\*(rq
-when it fails. This lets the outer command fail gracefully as well.
-.PP
The pattern syntax \*(lq[l-r]\*(rq is not supported; each letter to be
matched must be included within the square brackets.
projects / nmh / blobdiff