Provided by: nmh_1.8-1_amd64 bug

NAME

       mark - manipulate nmh message sequences

SYNOPSIS

       mark [-help] [-version] [+folder] [msgs] [-sequence name ...]  [-add | -delete | -list]
            [-public | -nopublic] [-zero | -nozero] [-empty | -noempty] [-range | -norange]

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
       “first” or “next”.  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 “cur” 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 -empty switch does not affect the operation of -add.

       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” empties the sequence “foo”, and  therefore  removes  that
       sequence  from  the  current folder's list of sequences.  Sequence foo must exist or a “no
       such sequence” error results.  This can be avoided by adding -zero:  “mark  -sequence  foo
       -delete  -zero  all”  ensures  sequence  foo no longer exists.  The -empty switch does not
       affect the operation of -delete.

       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 nmh 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 mh-sequence(5) for more details about the
       difference between “public” and “private” sequences.

       The -list switch tells mark to list all sequences, and the messages associated with  them.
       The  output  can  be  limited  to  just certain sequences (with -sequence switches) and/or
       messages (with msgs arguments).  Normally, -list will show all sequences  associated  with
       the folder, or all sequences given with -sequence.  Using -noempty will suppress any which
       would show as empty, whether because they  actually  are  empty,  or  because  they  don't
       include  any of the given msgs, or because they've been specified with -sequence but don't
       exist.  (-empty is the default.)  With the  default  -range  switch,  mark  will  compress
       consecutive  runs  of  message numbers to save space.  That is, "3 4 5 6" will be shown as
       the range "3-6".  With -norange, lists will be fully enumerated.  The  -zero  switch  does
       not affect the operation of -list.

       The 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 “new”, “first”, “last”, “all”, “next”, or “prev”.

       • 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'.   If  `='  is  substituted  for  `:',  these  forms will instead refer to single
         messages positioned `n' away from one end or the other of the sequence.   Constructs  of
         the form “name1-name2” are forbidden for user defined sequences.

FILES

       $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.

SEE ALSO

       flist(1), pick(1), mh-sequence(5)

DEFAULTS

       +folder             The current folder.
       -add                If -sequence is specified, -list otherwise.
       msgs                The current message, or all 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).