X-Git-Url: https://diplodocus.org/git/nmh/blobdiff_plain/1b5a1bd2244d3e1c12b7c9e1f48e445de5ad2ea2..939dea68806ab22c29755091b16236b48876442f:/man/sortm.man

diff --git a/man/sortm.man b/man/sortm.man
index c9d99c5f..a74ef785 100644
--- a/man/sortm.man
+++ b/man/sortm.man
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
+.TH SORTM %manext1% "March 23, 2014" "%nmhversion%"
 .\"
 .\" %nmhwarning%
-.\" $Id$
 .\"
-.TH SORTM %manext1% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
 .SH NAME
 sortm \- sort messages
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .HP 5
 .na
 .B sortm
+.RB [ \-help ]
+.RB [ \-version ]
 .RI [ +folder ]
 .RI [ msgs ]
+.RB [ \-all " | " \-noall ]
 .RB [ \-datefield
 .IR field ]
 .RB [ \-textfield
@@ -19,15 +21,29 @@ sortm \- sort messages
 .RB [ \-limit
 .IR days ]
 .RB [ \-nolimit ]
+.RB [ \-check " | " \-nocheck ]
 .RB [ \-verbose " | " \-noverbose ]
-.RB [ \-version ]
-.RB [ \-help ]
 .ad
 .SH DESCRIPTION
-.B Sortm
+.B sortm
 sorts the specified messages in the named folder according
 to the chronological order of the \*(lqDate:\*(rq field of each message.
 .PP
+If no messages are specified, the default is all messages in the folder.
+However, if no messages are specified and the
+.B \-noall
+switch is enabled, then
+.B sortm
+reports that as an error and exits with non-zero status.
+.B \-noall
+is most useful in the user's profile, to avoid inadvertent sorting of
+an entire folder.  The
+.B \-all
+switch can then be used on the command line to disable it.  Of course,
+a message specification of
+.I all
+can be used in any case.
+.PP
 The
 .B \-verbose
 switch directs
@@ -54,11 +70,11 @@ The
 .I field
 switch causes
 .B sortm
-to sort messages
-by the specified text field.  If this field is \*(lqsubject\*(rq, any
-leading "re:" is stripped off.  In any case, all characters except
+to sort messages by the specified text field.  All characters except
 letters and numbers are stripped and the resulting strings are sorted
-datefield\-major, textfield\-minor, using a case insensitive comparison.
+datefield\-major, textfield\-minor, using a case insensitive
+comparison.  If this field is \*(lqsubject\*(rq, any leading "re:" is
+stripped off.
 .PP
 With
 .B \-textfield
@@ -67,28 +83,44 @@ if
 .B \-limit
 .I days
 is specified, messages
-with similar textfields that are dated within `days' of each other
+with the same textfields that are dated within `days' of each other
 appear together.  Specifying
 .B \-nolimit
 makes the limit infinity.
 With
 .B \-limit
 .IR 0 ,
-the sort is instead made textfield\-major, date\-minor.
+the sort is instead simply textfield\-major.
 .PP
-For example, to order a folder by date-major, subject-minor, use:
+For example, to order a folder by date-major, grouping messages with
+the same subject on the same date together, use:
 .PP
 .RS 5
 sortm -textfield subject +folder
 .RE
-
+.PP
+.B sortm
+always issues a warning for each message that is missing a
+\*(lqDate:\*(rq field, has a \*(lqDate:\*(rq field that cannot be
+parsed, or has a format error in any header field.  With the
+.B \-check
+switch,
+.B sortm
+inhibits all modifications to the folder if there are any such
+messages, and exits with non-zero status.  With the default of
+.BR \-nocheck ,
+.B sortm
+sorts messages with a missing or invalid
+\*(lqDate:\*(rq field using their file modification times.
+.PP
+When ordering messages based on their dates, if they have the same
+dates, their original message order is preserved.
 .SH FILES
 .fc ^ ~
 .nf
-.ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName  'u
+.ta \w'%nmhetcdir%/ExtraBigFileName  'u
 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
 .fi
-
 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
 .fc ^ ~
 .nf
@@ -97,53 +129,38 @@ sortm -textfield subject +folder
 ^Path:~^To determine the user's nmh directory
 ^Current\-Folder:~^To find the default current folder
 .fi
-
 .SH "SEE ALSO"
-folder(1)
-
+.IR folder (1)
 .SH DEFAULTS
 .nf
 .RB ` +folder "' defaults to the current folder"
-.RB ` msgs"' defaults to all"
+.RB ` msgs"' defaults to all without -noall, no default with -noall"
+.RB ` \-all '
 .RB ` \-datefield "' defaults to date"
 .RB ` \-notextfield '
 .RB ` \-noverbose '
 .RB ` \-nolimit '
+.RB ` \-nocheck '
 .fi
-
 .SH CONTEXT
 If a folder is given, it will become the current folder.  If the current
 message is moved,
 .B sortm
- will preserve its status as current.
-
+will preserve its status as current.
 .SH HISTORY
 Timezones used to be ignored when comparing dates: they aren't any more.
 .PP
 Messages which were in the folder, but not specified by `msgs', used to
 be moved to the end of the folder; now such messages are left untouched.
 .PP
-.B Sortm
+.B sortm
 sometimes did not preserve the message numbering in a folder
 (e.g., messages 1, 3, and 5, might have been renumbered to 1, 2, 3 after
 sorting).  This was a bug, and has been fixed.  To compress the message
 numbering in a folder, use
 .RB \*(lq "folder\ \-pack" \*(rq
 as always.
-
 .SH BUGS
-If
-.B sortm
-encounters a message without a date\-field, or if the
-message has a date\-field that
-.B sortm
-cannot parse, then
-.B sortm
-attempts to keep the message in the same relative position.  This does
-not always work.  For instance, if the first message encountered lacks
-a date which can be parsed, then it will usually be placed at the end
-of the messages being sorted.
-.PP
 When
 .B sortm
 complains about a message which it can't temporally