NAME

       grephistory - display file names from Usenet history file

SYNOPSIS

       grephistory [ -f filename ] [ -e ] [ -n ] [ -q ] [ -l ] [ -t ] [ -i ] [ -s ] [ messageid ]

DESCRIPTION

       Grephistory  queries  the  dbz(3)  index  into the history(5) file for an article having a
       specified Message-ID.

       If messageid cannot be found in the database, the program prints ``Not found''  and  exits
       with  a non-zero status.  If messageid is in the database, the program prints the pathname
       and exits successfully.

OPTIONS

       -n     If no pathname exists, the program will print ``/dev/null'' and exit  successfully.
              This  can  happen when an article has been cancelled, or if it has been expired but
              its history is still retained.  This is default behaviour, which can be obtained by
              using the ``-n'' flag.

       -q     If  the  ``-q'' flag is used, then no message is displayed.  The program will still
              exit with the appropriate exit status.

       -t     If the ``-t'' flag is used, then only the offset into  the  history  text  file  is
              printed.

       -e     If  the  ``-e''  flag  is used, then grephistory will only print the filename of an
              existing article.

       -l     If the ``-l'' flag is used then the entire line  from  the  history  file  will  be
              displayed.

       -i     If  the  ``-i''  flag is used, then grephistory will read a list of Message-ID's on
              standard input, one per line.  Leading and trailing whitespace is ignored,  as  are
              any malformed lines.  It will print on standard output those Message-ID's which are
              not found in the history database.  This flag  is  used  in  processsing  ``ihave''
              control messages.

       -s     If  the  ``-s''  flag  is  used, then grephistory will read a similar list from its
              standard input.  It will print on standard output a  list  of  filenames  for  each
              article  that  is  still  available.   This  flag is used in processsing ``sendme''
              control messages.

       -f     To specify a different value for the history file  and  database,  use  the  ``-f''
              flag.

HISTORY

       Written  by  Rich $alz <rsalz@uunet.uu.net> for InterNetNews.  This is revision 1.7, dated
       1996/11/08.

SEE ALSO

       dbz(3), history(5).

                                                                                   GREPHISTORY(1)