NAME

       whatnow - prompting front-end for sending messages

SYNOPSIS

       whatnow [-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg] [-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor]
            [-noedit] [-prompt string] [file] [-version] [-help]

DESCRIPTION

       Whatnow is the default program that queries the user about the disposition of  a  composed
       draft.   It is normally automatically invoked by one of the nmh commands comp, dist, forw,
       or repl after the initial edit.

       When started, the editor is started on the draft (unless -noedit is given, in  which  case
       the  initial  edit is suppressed).  Then, whatnow repetitively prompts the user with “What
       now?”  and awaits a response.  The valid responses are:

            edit             re-edit using the same editor that was used on the  preceding  round
                             unless  a  profile  entry  “<lasteditor>-next:  <editor>”  names  an
                             alternate editor

            edit <editor>    invoke <editor> for further editing

            refile +folder   refile the draft into the given folder

            mime             process the draft as MIME composition file using  the  buildmimeproc
                             command (mhbuild by default)

            display          list the message being distributed/replied-to on the terminal

            list             list the draft on the terminal

            send             send the message

            send -watch      send the message and monitor the delivery process

            push             send the message in the background

            whom             list the addresses that the message will go to

            whom -check      list  the  addresses  and  verify  that  they  are acceptable to the
                             transport service

            quit             preserve the draft and exit

            quit -delete     delete the draft and exit

            delete           delete the draft and exit

            cd directory     use the directory when interpreting attachment file names

            pwd              print the working directory for attachment files

            ls [ls-options]  list files in the attachment working directory using the ls command

            attach [-v] files
                             add the named files to the message as MIME attachments; -v  displays
                             the mhbuild directive that send(1) will use

            alist [-ln]      list the MIME attachments, either short, long [-l] or numbered [-n]

            detach [-n] files-or-numbers
                             remove MIME attachments, either by file name or by number with -n

       When entering your response, you need only type enough characters to uniquely identify the
       response.

       For the edit response, any valid switch to the editor is valid.

       For the send and push responses, any valid switch to send(1)  is  valid  (as  push  merely
       invokes send with the -push option).

       For the whom response, any valid switch to whom(1) is valid.

       For the refile response, any valid switch to the fileproc is valid.

       For  the  display  and  list  responses, any valid argument to the lproc is valid.  If any
       non-switch arguments are present, then the pathname of the draft will be excluded from the
       argument list given to the lproc (this is useful for listing another nmh message).

       See  mh-profile(5)  for  further  information  about how editors are used by nmh.  It also
       discusses how environment variables can be used to direct  whatnow's  actions  in  complex
       ways.

       The -prompt string switch sets the prompting string for whatnow.

       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.

       If  your  nmh  was  configured  with  readline  enabled,  you'll  be  able to use filename
       completion and other readline features at the prompt.  These are particularly useful  with
       the cd, ls, attach, and detach commands for managing MIME attachments.

FILES

       $HOME/.mh_profile          The user profile
       <mh-dir>/draft             The draft file

PROFILE COMPONENTS

       Path:                To determine the user's nmh directory
       Draft-Folder:        To find the default draft-folder
       Editor:              To override the default editor
       <lasteditor>-next:   To name an editor to be used after exit
                            from <lasteditor>
       buildmimeproc:       Program to translate MIME composition files
       fileproc:            Program to refile the message
       lproc:               Program to list the contents of a message
       sendproc:            Program to use to send the message
       whomproc:            Program to determine who a message would go to

SEE ALSO

       send(1), whom(1)

DEFAULTS

       `-prompt' defaults to “What Now? ”

BUGS

       If  the  initial  edit  fails,  whatnow  deletes  your  draft (by renaming it with a site-
       dependent prefix (usually a comma); failure of a later edit preserves the draft.

       If the buildmimeproc fails (returns a nonzero status), whatnow simply prints a “What now?”
       prompt.  whatnow depends on the buildmimeproc to tell the user that something went wrong.

       If  whatnowproc is whatnow, then comp, dist, forw, and repl use a built-in whatnow, and do
       not actually run the whatnow program.  Hence, if you define your  own  whatnowproc,  don't
       call it whatnow since it won't be run.

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