1FORW(1) [nmh-1.3] FORW(1)
2
6 forw - forward messages
7
9 forw [+folder] [msgs] [-annotate | -noannotate] [-form formfile] [-for‐
10 mat | -noformat] [-filter filterfile] [-inplace | -noinplace]
11 [-mime | -nomime] [-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg]
12 [-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit] [-whatnowproc program]
13 [-nowhatnowproc] [-dashstuffing | -nodashstuffing] [-build] [-file
14 msgfile] [-version] [-help]
15 forw [+folder] [msgs] [-digest list] [-issue number] [-volume number]
17 [other switches for forw] [-version] [-help]
18
20 Forw may be used to prepare a message containing other messages.
21 It constructs the new message from a forms (components) file, with a
23 body composed of the message(s) to be forwarded. An editor is invoked
24 as in comp, and after editing is complete, the user is prompted before
25 the message is sent.
26 The default message form contains the following elements:
28 To:
30 cc:
31 Fcc: +outbox
32 Subject:
33 --------
34 If a file named “forwcomps” exists in the user's nmh directory, it will
36 be used instead of this default form. You may also specify an alter‐
37 nate forms file with the switch -form formfile.
38 If the draft already exists, forw will ask you as to the disposition of
40 the draft. A reply of quit will abort forw, leaving the draft intact;
41 replace will replace the existing draft with a blank skeleton; and list
42 will display the draft.
43 If the -annotate switch is given, each message being forwarded will be
45 annotated with the lines:
46 Forwarded: date
48 Forwarded: addrs
49 where each address list contains as many lines as required. This anno‐
51 tation will be done only if the message is sent directly from forw. If
52 the message is not sent immediately from forw, “comp -use” may be used
53 to re-edit and send the constructed message, but the annotations won't
54 take place. Normally annotations are done inplace in order to preserve
55 any links to the message. You may change this by using the -noinplace
56 switch.
57 See comp(1) for a description of the -editor and -noedit switches.
59 Although forw uses a forms (components) file to direct it how to con‐
61 struct the beginning of the draft, it uses a message filter file to
62 direct it as to how each forwarded message should be formatted in the
63 body of the draft. The filter file for forw should be a standard form
64 file for mhl, as forw will invoke mhl to filter (re-format) the for‐
65 warded messages prior to being output to the body of the draft.
66 The switches -noformat, -format, and -filter filterfile specify which
68 message filter file to use.
69 If -noformat is specified (this is the default), then each forwarded
71 message is output into the draft exactly as it appears with no mhl fil‐
72 tering.
73 If -format is specified, then a default message filter file is used.
75 This default message filter should be adequate for most users. This
76 default filter “mhl.forward” is:
77 ; mhl.forward
79 ;
80 ; default message filter for `forw' (forw -format)
81 ;
82 width=80,overflowtext=,overflowoffset=10
83 leftadjust,compress,compwidth=9
84 Date:formatfield="%<(nodate{text})%{text}%|%(tws{text})%>"
85 From:
86 To:
87 cc:
88 Subject:
89 :
90 body:nocomponent,overflowoffset=0,noleftadjust,nocompress
91 If a file named “mhl.forward” exists in the user's nmh directory, it
93 will be used instead of this form. You may specify an alternate mes‐
94 sage filter file with the switch -filter filterfile.
95 Each forwarded message is separated with an encapsulation delimiter.
97 By default, any dashes in the first column of the forwarded messages
98 will be prepended with `- ' so that when received, the message is suit‐
99 able for bursting by burst. This follows the Internet RFC-934 guide‐
100 lines. You may use the flag -nodashstuffing in order to suppress this
101 form of quoting to the forwarded messages.
102 For users of prompter, by specifying prompter's -prepend switch in the
104 .mh_profile file, any commentary text is entered before the forwarded
105 messages. (A major win!)
106 To use the MIME rules for encapsulation, specify the -mime switch. This
108 directs forw to generate an mhbuild composition file. Note that nmh
109 will not invoke mhbuild automatically, unless you add this line to your
110 .mh_profile file:
111 automimeproc: 1
113 Otherwise, you must specifically give the command
115 What now? mime
117 prior to sending the draft.
119 The -draftfolder +folder and -draftmessage msg switches invoke the nmh
121 draft folder facility. This is an advanced (and highly useful) fea‐
122 ture. Consult the mh-draft(5) man page for more information.
123 The -editor editor switch indicates the editor to use for the initial
125 edit. Upon exiting from the editor, comp will invoke the whatnow pro‐
126 gram. See whatnow(1) for a discussion of available options. The invo‐
127 cation of this program can be inhibited by using the -nowhatnowproc
128 switch. (In truth of fact, it is the whatnow program which starts the
129 initial edit. Hence, -nowhatnowproc will prevent any edit from occur‐
130 ring.)
131 The -build switch is intended to be used by the Emacs mh-e interface to
133 nmh, and is only present if nmh was compiled with support for mh-e. It
134 implies -nowhatnowproc. It causes a file <mh-dir>/draft to be created,
135 containing the draft message that would normally be presented to the
136 user for editing. No mail is actually sent. Note that this switch is
137 not guaranteed to be present or to have the same effects in future ver‐
138 sions of nmh: it is documented here only for completeness.
139 The -file msgfile switch specifies the message to be forwarded as an
141 exact filename rather than as an nmh folder and message number. It is
142 intended to be used by the msh interface to nmh. This switch implies
143 -noannotate. The forwarded message is simply copied verbatim into the
144 draft; the processing implied by the -filter, -mime, and -digest
145 switches is bypassed, and the usual leading and trailing The same
146 caveats apply to this option as to the -build switch.
147 The -digest list, -issue number, and -volume number switches implement
149 a digest facility for nmh. Specifying these switches enables and/or
150 overloads the following escapes:
151 Type Escape Returns Description
153 component digest string Argument to `-digest'
154 function cur integer Argument to `-volume'
155 function msg integer Argument to `-issue'
156 Consult the Advanced Features section of the nmh User's Manual for more
158 information on making digests.
159
162 /etc/nmh/forwcomps The standard message skeleton
163 or <mh-dir>/forwcomps Rather than the standard skeleton
164 /etc/nmh/digestcomps The message skeleton if `-digest' is given
165 or <mh-dir>/digestcomps Rather than the standard skeleton
166 /etc/nmh/mhl.forward The standard message filter
167 or <mh-dir>/mhl.forward Rather than the standard filter
168 $HOME/.mh_profile The user profile
169 <mh-dir>/draft The draft file
170
173 Path: To determine the user's nmh directory
174 Current-Folder: To find the default current folder
175 Draft-Folder: To find the default draft-folder
176 Editor: To override the default editor
177 Msg-Protect: To set mode when creating a new message (draft)
178 fileproc: Program to refile the message
179 mhlproc: Program to filter messages being forwarded
180 whatnowproc: Program to ask the “What now?” questions
181
184 mhbuild(1), comp(1), repl(1), send(1), whatnow(1), mh-format(5), Pro‐
185 posed Standard for Message Encapsulation (RFC-934)
186
189 `+folder' defaults to the current folder
190 `msgs' defaults to cur
191 `-noannotate'
192 `-nodraftfolder'
193 `-noformat'
194 `-inplace'
195 `-dashstuffing'
196 `-nomime'
197
200 If a folder is given, it will become the current folder. The first
201 message forwarded will become the current message.
202
205 If whatnowproc is whatnow, then forw uses a built-in whatnow, it does
206 not actually run the whatnow program. Hence, if you define your own
207 whatnowproc, don't call it whatnow since forw won't run it.
208 When forw is told to annotate the messages it forwards, it doesn't
210 actually annotate them until the draft is successfully sent. If from
211 the whatnowproc, you push instead of send, it's possible to confuse
212 forw by re-ordering the file (e.g. by using “folder -pack”) before the
213 message is successfully sent. Dist and repl don't have this problem.
214MH.6.8 1 June 2008 FORW(1)