Provided by: nmh_1.7.1-11_amd64 bug

NAME

       forw - forward nmh messages

SYNOPSIS

       forw [-help] [-version] [+folder] [msgs] [-annotate | -noannotate] [-form formfile]
            [-format | -noformat] [-filter filterfile] [-inplace | -noinplace] [-mime | -nomime]
            [-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg] [-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor]
            [-noedit] [-width columns] [-from address] [-to address] [-cc address] [-fcc +folder]
            [-subject text] [-whatnowproc program] [-nowhatnowproc] [-dashstuffing |
            -nodashstuffing] [-build] [-file msgfile]

       forw [-help] [-version] [+folder] [msgs] [-digest list] [-issue number] [-volume number]
            [other switches for forw]

DESCRIPTION

       forw  constructs a new message from a forms (components) file, with a body composed of the
       message(s) to be forwarded.  An editor is invoked and, after editing is complete, the user
       is prompted before the message is sent.

       The default message template will direct forw to construct the draft as follows:

            From: {from switch} or <Local-Mailbox> or <username@hostname>
            To: {to switch} or blank
            Fcc: {fcc switch} or +outbox
            Subject: {subject switch} or "{original subject} (fwd)"
            --------

       If a file named “forwcomps” exists in the user's nmh directory, it will be used instead of
       this default form.  You may also specify an alternate forms file  with  the  switch  -form
       formfile.   Forms are processed via the nmh template system; see mh-format(5) for details.
       Components from the first forwarded message are available as standard component escapes in
       the forms file.

       In  addition  to  the standard mh-format escapes, the following component escapes are also
       supported:

            Escape         Returns   Description
            fcc            string    Any folders specified with `-fcc folder'
            nmh-from       string    Addresses specified with `-from address'
            nmh-to         string    Addresses specified with `-to address'
            nmh-cc         string    Addresses specified with `-cc address'
            nmh-subject    string    Any text specified with `-subject text'

       By default, the “To:” and “cc:” fields are empty.  You may add addresses to  these  fields
       with the -to address and -cc address switches.  You may give these switches multiple times
       to add multiple addresses.

       By default, the “From:” field contains either  the  value  of  the  Local-Mailbox  profile
       entry,  or  a  system  default email address.  This default can be overridden by using the
       -from address switch.  The default mailbox in the “Fcc:” field is +outbox.   This  can  be
       overridden by the -fcc switch.

       Any text given to the -subject switch will be placed in the “Subject:” field in the draft.

       If  the  draft  already  exists,  forw will ask you as to the disposition of the draft.  A
       reply of quit will abort forw, leaving the draft intact; replace will replace the existing
       draft with a blank skeleton; and list will display the draft.

       If  the -annotate switch is given, each message being forwarded will be annotated with the
       lines:

            Forwarded: date
            Forwarded: addrs

       where each address list contains as many lines as required.  This annotation will be  done
       only  if  the  message is sent directly from forw.  If the message is not sent immediately
       from forw, “comp -use” may be used to re-edit and send the constructed  message,  but  the
       annotations  won't  take  place.   Normally,  annotations  are  done  in place in order to
       preserve any links to the message.  You may change this by using the -noinplace switch.

       See comp(1) for a description of the -editor and -noedit switches.

       Although forw uses a forms (components) file to construct the  initial  draft,  a  message
       filter file is used to format each forwarded message in the body of the draft.  The filter
       file for forw should be a standard form file for mhl(1), as forw will invoke mhl to filter
       (re-format) the forwarded messages prior to being output to the body of the draft.

       The  switches -noformat, -format, and -filter filterfile specify which message filter file
       to use.  If -noformat is specified (this is the default), then each forwarded  message  is
       output  into  the  draft  exactly  as  it  appears,  with no mhl filtering.  If -format is
       specified, then the following default message filter file, “mhl.forward, which should  be
       adequate for most users, is used:

            ; mhl.forward
            ;
            ; default message filter for `forw' (forw -format)
            ;
            width=80,overflowtext=,overflowoffset=10
            leftadjust,compress,compwidth=9
            Date:formatfield="%<(nodate{text})%{text}%|%(tws{text})%>"
            From:
            To:
            cc:
            Subject:
            :
            body:nocomponent,overflowoffset=0,noleftadjust,nocompress

       If a file named “mhl.forward” exists in the user's nmh directory, it will be used instead.
       You may specify an alternate message filter file with the switch -filter filterfile.

       Each forwarded message is separated with an  encapsulation  delimiter.   By  default,  any
       dashes  in  the first column of the forwarded messages will be prepended with `- ' so that
       when received, the message is  suitable  for  bursting  by  burst(1).   This  follows  the
       guidelines  in  RFC  934.  You may use the -nodashstuffing switch to suppress this form of
       quoting.

       Users of prompter(1) can, by specifying prompter's  -prepend  switch  in  the  .mh_profile
       file, prepend any commentary text before the forwarded messages.

       To  use  the MIME rules for encapsulation, specify the -mime switch.  This directs forw to
       generate  an  mhbuild  composition  file.   Note  that  nmh  will   not   invoke   mhbuild
       automatically; you must specifically give the command

            What now? mime

       prior to sending the draft.

       The  -draftfolder  +folder  and  -draftmessage  msg  switches  invoke the nmh draft folder
       facility.  This is an advanced (and highly useful) feature.  Consult the  mh-draft(5)  man
       page for more information.

       The  -editor editor switch indicates the editor to use for the initial edit.  Upon exiting
       from the editor, comp will invoke the whatnow program.  See whatnow(1) for a discussion of
       available  options.   The  invocation  of  this  program  can  be  inhibited  by using the
       -nowhatnowproc switch.  (In fact, it is the whatnow program which starts the initial edit.
       Hence, -nowhatnowproc will prevent any edit from occurring.)

       The  -build  switch is intended to be used by the Emacs mh-e interface to nmh.  It implies
       -nowhatnowproc.  It causes a file <mh-dir>/draft  to  be  created,  containing  the  draft
       message  that  would  normally  be presented to the user for editing.  No mail is actually
       sent.

       The -file msgfile switch specifies the message to be forwarded as an exact filename rather
       than as an nmh folder and message number.  This switch implies -noannotate.  The forwarded
       message is simply copied verbatim into the draft; the processing implied by  the  -filter,
       -mime,  and  -digest  switches  is bypassed, and the usual leading and trailing 'Forwarded
       Message' delimiters are not added.  The same caveats apply to this option as to the -build
       switch.

       The  -digest  list, -issue number, and -volume number switches implement a digest facility
       for nmh.  Specifying these switches enables and/or overloads the following escapes:

            Type       Escape  Returns  Description
            component  digest  string   Argument to `-digest'
            function   cur     integer  Argument to `-volume'
            function   msg     integer  Argument to `-issue'

FILES

       forw looks for format and filter files  in  multiple  locations:  absolute  pathnames  are
       accessed directly, tilde expansion is done on usernames, and files are searched for in the
       user's Mail directory as specified in their profile.  If not found  there,  the  directory
       “/etc/nmh” is checked.

       /etc/nmh/forwcomps       The default message skeleton.
       <mh-dir>/forwcomps       The user's message skeleton.
       /etc/nmh/digestcomps     The default message skeleton if -digest is given.
       <mh-dir>/digestcomps     The user's -digest skeleton.
       ^/etc/nmh/mhl.forward    The default message filter.
       <mh-dir>/mhl.forward     The user's message filter.
       ^$HOME/.mh_profile       The user's profile.

PROFILE COMPONENTS

       Path:                    To determine the user's nmh directory.
       Current-Folder:          To find the default current folder.
       Draft-Folder:            To find the default draft-folder.
       Editor:                  To override the default editor.
       Msg-Protect:             To set mode when creating a new message (draft).
       fileproc:                Program to refile the message.
       mhlproc:                 Program to filter messages being forwarded.
       whatnowproc:             Program to ask the “What now?” questions.

SEE ALSO

       burst(1),   comp(1),  mh-format(5)  mhbuild(1),  mhl(1),  prompter(1),  repl(1),  send(1),
       whatnow(1),

       Proposed Standard for Message Encapsulation (RFC 934)

DEFAULTS

       +folder                  The current folder.
       msgs                     The current message.
       -noannotate
       -nodraftfolder
       -noformat
       -inplace
       -dashstuffing
       -nomime

CONTEXT

       If a folder is given, it will become the current folder.  The first message forwarded will
       become the current message.

BUGS

       If whatnowproc is whatnow, then forw uses a built-in whatnow, it does not actually run the
       whatnow program.  Hence, if you define your own whatnowproc, don't call it  whatnow  since
       forw won't run it.

       When  forw is told to annotate the messages it forwards, it doesn't actually annotate them
       until the draft is successfully sent.  If, from the whatnowproc, you push instead of send,
       it  is  possible  to  confuse  forw by re-ordering the file (e.g. by using “folder -pack”)
       before the message is successfully sent.  dist and repl don't have this problem.