Provided by: notmuch_0.26-1ubuntu3_amd64 bug

NAME

       notmuch-search - search for messages matching the given search terms

SYNOPSIS

       notmuch search [option ...] <search-term> ...

DESCRIPTION

       Search  for  messages  matching the given search terms, and display as results the threads
       containing the matched messages.

       The output consists of one line per thread, giving a thread ID, the date of the newest (or
       oldest, depending on the sort option) matched message in the thread, the number of matched
       messages and total messages in the thread, the names of all participants  in  the  thread,
       and the subject of the newest (or oldest) message.

       See notmuch-search-terms(7) for details of the supported syntax for <search-terms>.

       Supported options for search include

          --format=(json|sexp|text|text0)
                 Presents  the results in either JSON, S-Expressions, newline character separated
                 plain-text (default), or null character separated  plain-text  (compatible  with
                 xargs(1) -0 option where available).

          --format-version=N
                 Use  the  specified  structured  output  format  version.  This  is intended for
                 programs that invoke notmuch(1) internally. If  omitted,  the  latest  supported
                 version will be used.

          --output=(summary|threads|messages|files|tags)

              summary
                     Output  a summary of each thread with any message matching the search terms.
                     The summary includes the thread ID, date, the  number  of  messages  in  the
                     thread  (both  the  number matched and the total number), the authors of the
                     thread and the subject. In the case where a thread contains  multiple  files
                     for  some messages, the total number of files is printed in parentheses (see
                     below for an example).

              threads
                     Output the thread IDs of all threads with any message  matching  the  search
                     terms,  either  one  per  line (--format=text), separated by null characters
                     (--format=text0), as a JSON array (--format=json), or an  S-Expression  list
                     (--format=sexp).

              messages
                     Output the message IDs of all messages matching the search terms, either one
                     per line (--format=text), separated by null characters (--format=text0),  as
                     a JSON array (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--format=sexp).

              files  Output  the  filenames of all messages matching the search terms, either one
                     per line (--format=text), separated by null characters (--format=text0),  as
                     a JSON array (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--format=sexp).

                     Note  that  each message may have multiple filenames associated with it. All
                     of them are included in the output (unless limited  with  the  --duplicate=N
                     option). This may be particularly confusing for folder: or path: searches in
                     a specified  directory,  as  the  messages  may  have  duplicates  in  other
                     directories  that  are  included  in  the output, although these files alone
                     would not match the search.

              tags   Output all tags that appear on any message matching the search terms, either
                     one per line (--format=text), separated by null characters (--format=text0),
                     as a JSON array (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--format=sexp).

          --sort=(newest-first|oldest-first)
                 This option can be  used  to  present  results  in  either  chronological  order
                 (oldest-first) or reverse chronological order (newest-first).

                 Note:  The thread order will be distinct between these two options (beyond being
                 simply reversed). When sorting by oldest-first the threads will be sorted by the
                 oldest message in each thread, but when sorting by newest-first the threads will
                 be sorted by the newest message in each thread.

                 By default, results will be displayed in reverse chronological order, (that  is,
                 the newest results will be displayed first).

          --offset=[-]N
                 Skip  displaying  the  first  N  results. With the leading '-', start at the Nth
                 result from the end.

          --limit=N
                 Limit the number of displayed results to N.

          --exclude=(true|false|all|flag)
                 A  message  is  called  "excluded"  if  it  matches  at   least   one   tag   in
                 search.tag_exclude  that  does  not  appear explicitly in the search terms. This
                 option specifies whether to omit excluded messages in the search process.

                 The default value, true, prevents excluded messages  from  matching  the  search
                 terms.

                 all additionally prevents excluded messages from appearing in displayed results,
                 in effect behaving as though the excluded messages do not exist.

                 false allows excluded messages to match search terms  and  appear  in  displayed
                 results. Excluded messages are still marked in the relevant outputs.

                 flag only has an effect when --output=summary. The output is almost identical to
                 false, but the "match count" is the number of matching non-excluded messages  in
                 the thread, rather than the number of matching messages.

          --duplicate=N
                 For  --output=files,  output  the  Nth  filename  associated  with  each message
                 matching the query (N is 1-based). If N is greater  than  the  number  of  files
                 associated with the message, don't print anything.

                 For  --output=messages,  only output message IDs of messages matching the search
                 terms that have at least N filenames associated with them.

                 Note that this option is orthogonal with the folder: search prefix.  The  prefix
                 matches  messages  based  on  filenames.  This  option  filters filenames of the
                 matching messages.

EXAMPLE

       The following shows an example of the summary  output  format,  with  one  message  having
       multiple filenames.

          % notmuch search date:today.. and tag:bad-news
          thread:0000000000063c10 Today [1/1] Some Persun; To the bone (inbox unread)
          thread:0000000000063c25 Today [1/1(2)] Ann Other; Bears (inbox unread)
          thread:0000000000063c00 Today [1/1] A Thurd; Bites, stings, sad feelings (inbox unread)

EXIT STATUS

       This command supports the following special exit status codes

       20     The requested format version is too old.

       21     The requested format version is too new.

SEE ALSO

       notmuch(1),   notmuch-config(1),   notmuch-count(1),   notmuch-dump(1),  notmuch-hooks(5),
       notmuch-insert(1),       notmuch-new(1),       notmuch-reply(1),       notmuch-restore(1),
       notmuch-search-terms(7), notmuch-show(1), notmuch-tag(1) notmuch-address(1)

AUTHOR

       Carl Worth and many others

COPYRIGHT

       2009-2018, Carl Worth and many others