1REPL(1) General Commands Manual REPL(1)
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6 repl - reply to an nmh message
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9 repl [-help] [-version] [+folder] [msg] [-annotate | -noannotate]
10 [-group | -nogroup] [-cc all/to/cc/me] [-nocc all/to/cc/me]
11 [-query | -noquery] [-form formfile] [-format | -noformat] [-fil‐
12 ter filterfile] [-inplace | -noinplace] [-mime | -nomime] [-fcc
13 +folder] [-width columns] [-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage
14 msg] [-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit] [-convertargs
15 type argstring] [-whatnowproc program] [-nowhatnowproc] [-atfile]
16 [-noatfile] [-fmtproc program] [-nofmtproc] [-build] [-file msg‐
17 file]
18
20 repl may be used to reply to a message.
21 In its simplest form (with no arguments), repl will set up a message-
23 form skeleton in reply to the current message in the current folder,
24 and invoke the whatnow shell.
25 repl uses a reply template to construct the draft of the reply. A re‐
27 ply template is simply an mhl format file (see mh-format(5) for de‐
28 tails).
29 If the switch -nogroup is given (it is on by default), then repl will
31 use the standard forms file “replcomps”. This will construct a draft
32 message that is intended to be sent only to the author of the message
33 to which you are replying. If a file named “replcomps” exists in the
34 user's nmh directory, it will be used instead of this default forms
35 file.
36 The default reply template “replcomps” will direct repl to construct
38 the reply message draft as follows:
39 To: <Mail-Reply-To> or <Reply-To> or <From>
41 cc: <To> and <cc> and <personal address>
42 Fcc: {fcc switch} or +outbox
43 Subject: Re: <Subject>
44 In-Reply-To: <Message-Id>
45 References: <Message-Id>
46 Comments: In-Reply-To <From> or <apparently from> or <Sender>
47 message dated <date>
48 --------
49 where field names enclosed in angle brackets (< >) indicate the con‐
51 tents of the named field from the message to which the reply is being
52 made.
53 By default, the “cc:” field is empty. You may selectively add ad‐
55 dresses to this default with the -cc type switch. This switch takes an
56 argument (all/to/cc/me) which specifies who gets added to the default
57 “cc:” list of the reply. You may give this switch multiple times (with
58 different arguments) if you wish to add multiple types of address.
59 If the switch -group is given, then repl will use the standard forms
61 file “replgroupcomps”. This will construct a draft message that is in‐
62 tended as a group or followup reply. If a file named “replgroupcomps”
63 exists in the user's nmh directory, it will be used instead of this de‐
64 fault forms file, unless you specify another forms file on the command
65 line or in your profile.
66 The default group reply template “replgroupcomps” will direct repl to
68 construct the reply message draft as follows:
69 To: <Mail-Followup-To>
71 Subject: Re: <Subject>
72 In-Reply-To: Message from <From> of <Date>.
73 <Message-Id>
74 --------
75 or if the field <Mail-Followup-To> is not available:
77 To: <Mail-Reply-To> or <Reply-To> or <From>
79 cc: <To> and <cc> and <personal address>
80 Subject: Re: <Subject>
81 In-Reply-To: Message from <From> of <Date>.
82 <Message-Id>
83 --------
84 By default, the “cc:” contains all the addresses shown. You may selec‐
86 tively remove addresses from this default with the -nocc type switch.
87 This switch takes an argument ( all/to/cc/me) which specifies who gets
88 removed from the default “cc:” list of the reply. You may give this
89 switch multiple times (with different arguments) if you wish to remove
90 multiple types of address.
91 In any case, you may specify an alternative forms file with the switch
93 -form formfile.
94 The -query switch modifies the action of -nocc type switch by interac‐
96 tively asking you if each address that normally would be placed in the
97 “To:” and “cc:” list should actually be sent a copy. This is useful
98 for special-purpose replies. Note that the position of the -cc and
99 -nocc switches, like all other switches which take a positive and nega‐
100 tive form, is important.
101 Lines beginning with the fields “To:”, “cc:”, and ”Bcc:” will be stan‐
103 dardized and have duplicate addresses removed. In addition, the -width
104 columns switch will guide repl's formatting of these fields.
105 If the draft already exists, repl will ask you as to the disposition of
107 the draft. A reply of quit will abort repl, leaving the draft intact;
108 replace will replace the existing draft with a blank skeleton; and list
109 will display the draft.
110 See comp(1) for a description of the -editor and -noedit switches.
112 Note that while in the editor, with -atfile and if the current direc‐
113 tory is writable, the message being replied to is available through a
114 link named “@” (assuming the default whatnowproc). In addition, the
115 actual pathname of the message is stored in the environment variable
116 $editalt, and the pathname of the folder containing the message is
117 stored in the environment variable $mhfolder. The creation of the “@”
118 file is controlled via the -atfile and -noatfile options.
119 The -convertargs switch directs repl to pass the arguments for type to
121 mhbuild. Both arguments are required; type must be non-empty while
122 argstring can be empty, e.g., '' in a shell command line. The -conver‐
123 targs switch can be used multiple times. See the Convert Interface
124 section of mhbuild(1) for a description of the convert mechanism, and
125 /usr/share/doc/nmh/contrib/replaliases for examples of its use.
126 Although repl uses a forms file to direct it how to construct the be‐
128 ginning of the draft, it uses a message filter file to direct it as to
129 how the message to which you are replying should be filtered (re-for‐
130 matted) in the body of the draft. The filter file for repl should be a
131 standard form file for mhl, as repl will invoke mhl to format the mes‐
132 sage to which you are replying.
133 The switches -noformat, -format, and -filter filterfile specify which
135 message filter file to use.
136 If the switch -noformat is given (it is the default) and the -filter
138 switch is not used, then the message to which you are replying is not
139 included in the body of the draft.
140 If the switch -format is given, then a default message filter file is
142 used. This default message filter should be adequate for most users.
143 This default filter “mhl.reply” is:
144 ; mhl.reply
146 ;
147 ; default message filter for `repl' (repl -format)
148 ;
149 from:nocomponent,formatfield="%(unquote(decode(friendly{text}))) writes:"
150 body:component="> ",overflowtext="> ",overflowoffset=0
151 which outputs each line of the body of the message prefaced with the
153 “>” character and a space.
154 If a file named “mhl.reply” exists in the user's nmh directory, it will
156 be used instead of this form. You may specify an alternate message
157 filter file with the switch -filter filterfile.
158 Other reply filters are commonly used, such as:
160 :
162 body:nocomponent,compwidth=9,offset=9
163 which says to output a blank line, and then the body of the message be‐
165 ing replied to, indented by one tab stop. Another popular format is:
166 message-id:nocomponent,nonewline,\
168 formatfield=“In message %{text}, ”
169 from:nocomponent,formatfield=“%(decode(friendly{text})) writes:”
170 body:component=“>”,overflowtext=“>”,overflowoffset=0
171 This message filter file cites the Message-ID and author of the message
173 being replied to, and then outputs each line of the body prefaced with
174 the “>” character.
175 You can also use an external format program to format the message body.
177 The format program is specified by the formatproc profile entry, and is
178 enabled by the “format” flag. A message filter using an external for‐
179 mat program would look like this:
180 body:component=“>”,nowrap,format
182 See the mhl(1) documentation for more information. The format program
184 can be changed by the -fmtproc program and -nofmtproc switches.
185 To use the MIME rules for encapsulation, specify the -mime switch.
187 This directs repl to generate an mhbuild composition file. Note that
188 nmh will not invoke mhbuild automatically; you must specifically give
189 the command
190 What now? mime
192 prior to sending the draft.
194 If the -annotate switch is given, the message being replied to will be
196 annotated with the lines
197 Replied: date Replied: addrs
199 where the address list contains one line for each addressee. The anno‐
201 tation will be done only if the message is sent directly from repl. If
202 the message is not sent immediately from repl, “comp -use” may be used
203 to re-edit and send the constructed message, but the annotations won't
204 take place. Normally annotations are done inplace in order to preserve
205 any links to the message. You may use the -noinplace switch to change
206 this.
207 Although the default template specifies that a copy of the reply will
209 be put in the folder `outbox', if the -fcc +folder switch is given it
210 will override the default value. More than one folder, each preceded
211 by -fcc can be named.
212 In addition to the standard mh-format(5) escapes, repl also recognizes
214 the following additional component escape:
215 Escape Returns Description
217 fcc string Any folders specified with `-fcc folder'
218 To avoid reiteration, repl strips any leading `Re: ' strings from the
220 subject component.
221 The -draftfolder +folder and -draftmessage msg switches invoke the nmh
223 draft folder facility. This is an advanced (and highly useful) fea‐
224 ture. Consult mh-draft(5) for more information.
225 Upon exiting from the editor, repl will invoke the whatnow program.
227 See whatnow(1) for a discussion of available options. The invocation
228 of this program can be inhibited by using the -nowhatnowproc switch.
229 (In fact, it is the whatnow program which starts the initial edit.
230 Hence, -nowhatnowproc will prevent any edit from occurring.)
231 The -build switch is intended to be used by the Emacs mh-e interface to
233 nmh. It implies -nowhatnowproc. It causes a file <mh-dir>/reply to be
234 created, containing the draft message that would normally be presented
235 to the user for editing. No mail is actually sent.
236 The -file msgfile switch specifies the message to be replied to as an
238 exact filename rather than as an nmh folder and message number. The
239 same caveats apply to this option as to the -build switch.
240
242 repl looks for all format, filter and template files in multiple loca‐
243 tions: absolute pathnames are accessed directly, tilde expansion is
244 done on usernames, and files are searched for in the user's Mail direc‐
245 tory as specified in their profile. If not found there, the directory
246 “/etc/nmh” is checked.
247 /etc/nmh/replcomps The standard reply template
249 or <mh-dir>/replcomps Rather than the standard template
250 /etc/nmh/replgroupcomps The standard `reply -group' template
251 or <mh-dir>/replgroupcomps Rather than the standard template
252 /etc/nmh/mhl.reply The standard message filter
253 or <mh-dir>/mhl.reply Rather than the standard filter
254 $HOME/.mh_profile The user profile
255 <mh-dir>/draft The draft file
256
258 Path: To determine the user's nmh directory
259 Alternate-Mailboxes: To determine the user's mailboxes
260 Current-Folder: To find the default current folder
261 Draft-Folder: To specify the default draftfolder
262 Editor: To override the default editor
263 Msg-Protect: To set mode when creating a new message (draft)
264 fileproc: Program to refile the message
265 mhlproc: Program to filter message being replied-to
266 whatnowproc: Program to ask the “What now?” questions
267
269 comp(1), forw(1), mh-draft(5), mh-format(5), mhbuild(1), send(1), what‐
270 now(1)
271 /usr/share/doc/nmh/contrib/replaliases
273
275 `+folder' defaults to the current folder
276 `msg' defaults to cur
277 `-nogroup'
278 `-nocc all' with `-nogroup', `-cc all' with `-group'
279 `-noannotate'
280 `-nodraftfolder'
281 `-noformat'
282 `-inplace'
283 `-nomime'
284 `-noquery'
285 `-noatfile'
286 `-width 72'
287
289 If a folder is given, it will become the current folder. The message
290 replied to will become the current message.
291
293 If any addresses occur in the reply template, addresses in the template
294 that do not contain hosts are defaulted incorrectly. Instead of using
295 the localhost for the default, repl uses the sender's host. Moral of
296 the story: if you're going to include addresses in a reply template,
297 include the host portion of the address.
298 The -width columns switch is only used to do address-folding; other
300 headers are not line-wrapped.
301 If whatnowproc is whatnow, then repl uses a built-in whatnow, it does
303 not actually run the whatnow program. Hence, if you define your own
304 whatnowproc, don't call it whatnow since repl won't run it.
305nmh-1.8 2022-12-22 REPL(1)