Provided by: nmh_1.5-release-5_amd64 bug

NAME

       forw - forward messages

SYNOPSIS

       forw [+folder] [msgs] [-annotate | -noannotate] [-form formfile] [-format | -noformat]
            [-filter filterfile] [-inplace | -noinplace] [-mime | -nomime] [-draftfolder +folder]
            [-draftmessage msg] [-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit] [-width colums]
            [-from address] [-to address] [-cc address] [-fcc +folder] [-subject text]
            [-whatnowproc program] [-nowhatnowproc] [-dashstuffing | -nodashstuffing] [-build]
            [-file msgfile] [-version] [-help]

       forw [+folder] [msgs] [-digest list] [-issue number] [-volume number] [other switches for
            forw] [-version] [-help]

DESCRIPTION

       Forw may be used to prepare a message containing other messages.

       It  constructs the new message from a forms (components) file, with a body composed of the
       message(s) to be forwarded.  An editor is  invoked  as  in  comp,  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(5) 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 has either the value of the  Local-Mailbox  profile  entry  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  you  give  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 inplace 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 direct it how to construct the beginning
       of the draft, it uses a message filter file to direct it as to how each forwarded  message
       should  be  formatted  in  the  body  of  the draft.  The filter file for forw should be a
       standard form file for mhl, 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 a default message filter file is used.  This default message
       filter should be adequate for most users.  This default filter “mhl.forward” is:

            ; 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
       of  this  form.   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.  This follows  the  Internet
       RFC-934  guidelines.   You may use the flag -nodashstuffing in order to suppress this form
       of quoting to the forwarded messages.

       For users of prompter, by specifying prompter's -prepend switch in the  .mh_profile  file,
       any commentary text is entered before the forwarded messages.  (A major win!)

       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,
       unless you add this line to your .mh_profile file:

            automimeproc: 1

       Otherwise, 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 truth of 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. It is intended to be used by the msh interface
       to nmh.  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'

       Consult the Advanced Features section of the nmh User's Manual  for  more  information  on
       making digests.

FILES

       /etc/nmh/forwcomps         The standard message skeleton
       or <mh-dir>/forwcomps      Rather than the standard skeleton
       /etc/nmh/digestcomps       The message skeleton if `-digest' is given
       or <mh-dir>/digestcomps    Rather than the standard skeleton
       /etc/nmh/mhl.forward       The standard message filter
       or <mh-dir>/mhl.forward    Rather than the standard filter
       $HOME/.mh_profile          The user profile
       <mh-dir>/draft             The draft file

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

SEE ALSO

       mhbuild(1),  comp(1),  repl(1),  send(1),  whatnow(1), mh-format(5), Proposed Standard for
       Message Encapsulation (RFC-934)

DEFAULTS

       `+folder' defaults to the current folder
       `msgs' defaults to cur
       `-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's  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.