Ubuntu Manpage: forw - forward nmh messages

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.

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.