NAME

       mark - manipulate message sequences

SYNOPSIS

       mark [+folder] [msgs] [-sequence name ...]  [-add | -delete] [-list] [-public | -nopublic]
            [-zero | -nozero] [-Version] [-help]

DESCRIPTION

       The mark command manipulates message sequences by adding or deleting message numbers  from
       folder-specific message sequences, or by listing those sequences and messages.

       A  message  sequence  is a keyword, just like one of the `reserved' message names, such as
       `f' or `n' (see mh-sequence(7)).  Unlike the `reserved' message names, which have a  fixed
       semantics  on  a  per-folder  basis,  the  semantics of a message sequence may be defined,
       modified, and removed by the user.   Message  sequences  are  folder-specific,  e.g.,  the
       sequence  name  `seen'  in  the  context  of  folder  `+inbox'  need not have any relation
       whatsoever to the sequence of the same name in a folder of a different name.

       Three action  switches  direct  the  operation  of  mark.   These  switches  are  mutually
       exclusive:  the  last  occurrence  of any of them overrides any previous occurrence of the
       other two.

       The -add switch tells mark to add messages to sequences or to create a new sequence.   For
       each  sequence  named via the -sequence name argument (which must occur at least once) the
       messages named via msgs (which defaults to `c' if no msgs are given),  are  added  to  the
       sequence.   The  messages  to be added need not be absent from the sequence.  If the -zero
       switch is specified, the sequence will be emptied prior to adding  the  messages.   Hence,
       -add -zero means that each sequence should be initialized to the indicated messages, while
       -add -nozero means that each sequence should be appended to by the indicated messages.

       The -delete switch tells mark to delete messages from sequences, and is the dual of  -add.
       For  each of the named sequences, the named messages are removed from the sequence.  These
       messages need not be already present in the sequence.  If the -zero switch  is  specified,
       then all messages in the folder are added to the sequence (first creating the sequence, if
       necessary) before removing the messages.  Hence, -delete -zero means  that  each  sequence
       should  contain all messages except those indicated, while -delete -nozero means that only
       the indicated messages should be removed from each sequence.   As  expected,  the  command
       `mark -sequence foo -delete all' deletes the sequence `foo' from the current folder.

       When creating or modifying sequences, you can specify the switches -public or -nopublic to
       force the new or modified sequences to be  `public'  or  `private'.   The  switch  -public
       indicates  that  the  sequences  should  be  made  `public'.  These sequences will then be
       readable by all mmh users with permission to read the relevant folders.  In contrast,  the
       -nopublic  switch  indicates that the sequences should be made `private', and will only be
       accessible by you.  If neither of these switches is  specified,  then  existing  sequences
       will maintain their current status, and new sequences will default to `public' if you have
       write permission for the relevant folder.  Check the  mh-sequence(7)  man  page  for  more
       details about the difference between `public' and `private' sequences.

       The  -list  switch  tells  mark  to list both the sequences defined for the folder and the
       messages associated with those sequences.  Mark will list the name of each sequence  given
       by  -sequence  name  and  the  messages associated with that sequence.  If the sequence is
       private, this will also be indicated.  If  no  sequence  is  specified  by  the  -sequence
       switch,  then  all  sequences  for  this folder will be listed.  The -zero switch does not
       affect the operation of -list.

       The current restrictions on sequences are:

       • The name used to denote a message sequence  must  consist  of  an  alphabetic  character
         followed  by  zero  or more alphanumeric characters, and cannot be one of the (reserved)
         message names `c', `f', `l', `a', `n', `p', or `b'.

       • Only a certain number of sequences may be defined for a given folder.   This  number  is
         usually  limited  to  29  (13 on small systems). (The +internal implementation relies on
         bitmasks, with some bits set aside +for internal use.)

       • Message ranges with user-defined sequence names are restricted  to  the  form  `name:n',
         `name:+n',  or  `name:-n',  and  refer to the first or last `n' messages of the sequence
         `name', respectively.  Constructs of the  form  `name1-name2'  are  forbidden  for  user
         defined sequences.

FILES

       $HOME/.mmh/profile         The user profile

PROFILE COMPONENTS

       Path:                To determine the user's mail storage
       Current-Folder:      To find the default current folder

SEE ALSO

       flist(1), pick(1), mh-sequence(7)

DEFAULTS

       `+folder' defaults to the current folder
       `-add' if -sequence is specified, -list otherwise
       `msgs' defaults to `c' (or `a' if -list is specified)
       `-nozero'

CONTEXT

       If a folder is given, it will become the current folder.

HELPFUL HINTS

       Use  flist  to  find folders with a given sequence, and `pick sequence -list' to enumerate
       those messages in the sequence (such as for use by a shell script).