X-Git-Url: https://diplodocus.org/git/nmh/blobdiff_plain/55c80a0ae8453ef6c3e0fcd0fac30644945d0ef2..91baa2e0868d9d2e5cf664d63f4fbba25c4470cf:/man/mh-alias.man

diff --git a/man/mh-alias.man b/man/mh-alias.man
index aa3c3f19..ca9e0a2c 100644
--- a/man/mh-alias.man
+++ b/man/mh-alias.man
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
+.TH MH-ALIAS %manext5% "Oct 14, 2012" "%nmhversion%"
 .\"
 .\" %nmhwarning%
-.\" $Id$
 .\"
-.TH MH-ALIAS %manext5% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
 .SH NAME
 mh-alias \- alias file for nmh message system
 .SH SYNOPSIS
@@ -45,6 +44,10 @@ or
 or
 .RS 5
 .B ;
+|
+.B :
+|
+.B #
 .I comment
 .RE
 .PP
@@ -64,7 +67,9 @@ where:
 .RE
 .PP
 Continuation lines in alias files end with `\\' followed by the newline
-character.
+character.  This applies to comment lines.  Thus, a line following a
+comment line that ends with a `\\' will be treated as a continuation of
+the comment.
 .PP
 .RI \*(lq  Alias\-file \*(rq
 and
@@ -123,17 +128,13 @@ appropriate.  (See example below.)
 .PP
 An approximation of the way aliases are resolved at posting time is
 (it's not really done this way):
-.PP
-.RS 2
-.IP 1) 3
+.IP 1)
 Build a list of all addresses from the message to be delivered,
 eliminating duplicate addresses.
-.PP
-.IP 2) 3
+.IP 2)
 If this draft originated on the local host, then for those addresses in
 the message that have no host specified, perform alias resolution.
-.PP
-.IP 3) 3
+.IP 3)
 For each line in the alias file, compare \*(lqalias\*(rq against all of
 the existing addresses.  If a match, remove the matched \*(lqalias\*(rq
 from the address list, and add each new address in the address\-group to
@@ -141,11 +142,13 @@ the address list if it is not already on the list.  The alias itself is
 not usually output, rather the address\-group that the alias maps to is
 output instead.  If \*(lqalias\*(rq is terminated with a `;' instead of
 a `:', then both the \*(lqalias\*(rq and the address are output in the
-correct format.  (This makes replies possible since
+correct format (with the alias quoted if necessary and the address
+wrapped in <>).
+.PP
+This makes replies possible since
 .B nmh
 aliases
-and personal aliases are unknown to the mail transport system.)
-.RE
+and personal aliases are unknown to the mail transport system.
 .PP
 Since the alias file is read line by line, forward references work, but
 backward references are not recognized, thus, there is no recursion.
@@ -156,7 +159,7 @@ Example Alias File:
 .nf
 <%etcdir%/BBoardAliases
 sgroup: fred, fear, freida
-b-people: Blind List: bill, betty;
+b-people: Blind List: bill, betty
 fred: frated@UCI
 UNIX\-committee: <unix.aliases
 staff: =staff
@@ -175,9 +178,14 @@ is defined as an alias for the three names \*(lqfrated@UCI\*(rq,
 \*(rqfear\*(rq, and \*(rqfreida\*(rq.
 .PP
 The alias \*(lqb-people\*(rq is a blind list which includes the addresses
-\*(lqbill\*(rq and \*(lqbetty\*(rq; the message will be delieved to those
-addresses, but the message header will  show only \*(lqBlind List: ;\*(rq
-(not the addresses).
+\*(lqbill\*(rq and \*(lqbetty\*(rq; the message will be delivered to those
+addresses, but the message header will show only \*(lqBlind List: ;\*(rq
+(not the addresses).  The alias must not be terminated with, or contain,
+a semicolon; see
+.B Helpful Hints
+below.  Note that blind lists are not supported with the
+.B sendmail/pipe
+mail transport method.
 .PP
 Next, the definition of \*(lqUNIX\-committee\*(rq is given by
 reading the file
@@ -202,72 +210,67 @@ greater than 200, and all aliases of the form
 The key thing to understand about aliasing in
 .B nmh
 is that aliases in
-/B nmh
-lias files are expanded into the headers of messages posted.
+.B nmh
+alias files are expanded into the headers of messages posted.
 This aliasing occurs first, at posting time, without the knowledge of the
 message transport system.  In contrast, once the message transport system
 is given a message to deliver to a list of addresses, for each address
 that appears to be local, a system\-wide alias file is consulted.  These
 aliases are
-.B NOT
+.B not
 expanded into the headers of messages delivered.
-
 .SH "HELPFUL HINTS"
 To use aliasing in
 .B nmh
 quickly, do the following:
-.PP
-.RS 2
-.IP 1) 3
+.IP 1)
 In your
 .IR \&.mh\(ruprofile ,
 choose a name for your alias file, say
 .RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq,
 and add the line:
-.PP
-.RS 5
-.nf
+.sp
 Aliasfile: aliases
 .\" ali: \-alias aliases
 .\" send: \-alias aliases
 .\" whom: \-alias aliases
-.fi
 .RE
-.PP
-.IP 2) 3
+.IP 2)
 Create the file
 .RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq
 in your
 .B nmh
 directory.
-.PP
-.IP 3) 3
+.IP 3)
 Start adding aliases to your
 .RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq
 file as appropriate.
 .RE
-
+.PP
+Earlier versions of this man page showed a semicolon at the end of the
+blind list example.  That caused the preceeding alias to not be
+expanded.  There must not be a semicolon at the end of, or within, the
+address group of a blind list.
+.B post
+will append the semicolon to the blind list name.
 .SH FILES
-.fc ^ ~
-.nf
-.ta \w'/usr/local/nmh/etc/ExtraBigFileName  'u
-^%etcdir%/MailAliases~^global nmh alias file
-.fi
-
+.TP 20
+%etcdir%/MailAliases
+global nmh alias file
 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
-.fc ^ ~
-.nf
-.ta 2.4i
-.ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName  'u
-^Aliasfile:~^For a default alias file
-.fi
-
+.TP 20
+Aliasfile:
+Default alias file
 .SH "SEE ALSO"
-ali(1), send(1), whom(1), group(5), passwd(5), conflict(8), post(8)
-
+.IR ali (1),
+.IR send (1),
+.IR whom (1),
+.IR group (5),
+.IR passwd (5),
+.IR conflict (8),
+.IR post (8)
 .SH CONTEXT
 None
-
 .SH BUGS
 Although the forward-referencing semantics of
 .B mh\-alias
@@ -277,5 +280,3 @@ command may defeat this.
 Since the number of file descriptors is finite (and very limited), such
 infinite recursion will terminate with a meaningless diagnostic when
 all the fds are used up.
-.PP
-Forward references do not work correctly inside blind lists.