forw(1)forw(1)NAMEforw - Forwards messages (only available within the message handling
system, mh)
SYNOPSISforw [msgs] [+folder] [options]
OPTIONS
The -annotate option annotates the message you are forwarding. If you
do not specify this option or specify the -noannotate option, no anno‐
tation is done. The -annotate option adds the following lines to the
message that you are forwarding: Forwarded: date Forwarded: address(es)
The first line records the time at which the message was for‐
warded; the second records the addresses of the recipients of
the forwarded message.
The forw command annotates messages only when they are success‐
fully sent. If you do not send the message immediately and file
the unsent draft, it will not be annotated. It is also possible
to confuse forw by using the push command to send the message,
and renumbering the message before it is sent (for example, by
using folder -pack to reorder the folder). The -dashmunging
option represents default forw behavior, which adds an extra
dash (-) before any line that begins with a dash. This behavior
causes problems when forwarded messages contain PostScript files
because the extra characters prevent those files from being
printed.
Specify the -nodashmunging option when forwarding messages that
contain PostScript files. The -nodashmunging option works only
in combination with the -format or -filter filterfile option.
The -draftfolder option specifies the folder in which the draft
message is created. If you do not send the draft, the mail sys‐
tem will store it in this folder.
The draft folder is usually specified as an option in rather
than through the -draftfolder option on the command line. See
the mh_profile(4) reference page for more information.
If you specify a draft folder in can override it by using the
-nodraftfolder option on the command line. Specifies the file
in which the draft message is created. If no absolute pathname
is given, the file is assumed to be in your Mail directory, usu‐
ally $HOME/Mail. If you do not send the message, it is stored in
the named file until you delete it, or send it at a later date.
Specifies the editor that you want to use to edit your forwarded
message. You can supply the name of any approved editor. Refor‐
mats (filters) the forwarded messages prior to inclusion in the
draft message. If you do not specify -filter, the forwarded mes‐
sages are included in the draft exactly as they appear. This
option allows you to reformat them according to instructions in
a named filter file. This must be an mhl file; see the mh-for‐
mat(4) reference page for more information.
The -format option also reformats messages before encapsulating
them in the draft. However, -format always reformats according
to the instructions in the default mhl.forward file. The -fil‐
ter option allows you to use your own, named filter file to for‐
mat the messages. Specifies the message header to be used in
the draft message. If this option is present, forw takes the
header of the draft message from the named file. If this option
is not present, the header is taken from the forwcomps file in
your Mail directory, or failing that, from the mail system
default header. However, the -form option overrides both of
these defaults. The -format option reformats the messages to be
forwarded before enclosing them in the draft message. If this
option is not supplied or the -noformat option is used, the for‐
warded messages are included in the draft exactly as they
appear. With the -format option, the forwarded message is refor‐
matted according to the instructions in the mhl.forward file in
your Mail directory. If this file does not exist, the message is
formatted according to the system file /usr/lib/mh/mhl.forward.
The mhl.forward file is an mhl file; see the mh-format(4) refer‐
ence page for more information.
You can also use the -filter filterfile option to reformat mes‐
sages. The difference is that -format always takes its instruc‐
tions from the mhl.forward file. With -filter, you can specify
the name of the filter file you want to use. Prints a list of
the valid options for this command. These options apply only
when the -annotate option is also used.
The -inplace option causes annotation to be done in place, to
preserve links to the annotated message.
The -noinplace option specifies that annotation be done without
preserving links to the annotated message. Suppresses editing
of the draft message altogether. The -whatnowproc option speci‐
fies an alternative whatnow program. Normally, forw invokes the
default whatnow program. See the whatnow(1) reference page for a
discussion of available options. You can specify your own alter‐
native to the default program by using the -whatnowproc program
option. If you do specify your own program, you should not call
it whatnow.
You can suppress the whatnow program entirely by using the
-nowhatnowproc option. However, as the program normally starts
the initial edit, the -nowhatnowproc option prevents you from
editing the message.
OPERANDS
Specifies one or more numbers, or a range of numbers, to identify the
messages that you want to forward. By default, forw forwards the cur‐
rent message. Identifies the folder from which messages are to be for‐
warded. By default, forw forwards messages from the current folder.
DESCRIPTION
The forw command sends one or more messages on to recipients who were
not the original addressees. The command encapsulates all messages to
be forwarded and adds a message header. Forwarded messages appear to
originate from the forwarder and not the sender of the original mes‐
sage.
The command invokes an editor so that you can edit the forwarded mes‐
sage or add text before or after the encapsulated message. When you
exit from the editor, you receive a prompt asking what you want to do
with the completed draft. This prompt usually takes the form What now?.
See the whatnow(1) reference page for more information on the options
available.
If you forward a number of messages, each forwarded message is encapsu‐
lated separately. When received, the message is suitable for expanding
with the burst command (see the burst(1) reference page).
By default, the mail system uses a standard message header for for‐
warded messages. This is taken from the system file /usr/lib/mh/forw‐
comps. You can supply your own header by creating a file called forw‐
comps in your Mail directory. If this file exists, forw automatically
uses the header in it when creating draft messages.
If you do not have a draft folder set up, forw creates your new draft
in a file called draft in your Mail directory, usually $HOME/Mail. This
file must be empty before you can create a new draft, which means that
you can store only one draft at a time. If it is not empty, the mail
system will ask you what you want to do with the existing contents.
Your options are: To abort forw, leaving the draft intact To replace
the existing draft with the appropriate message form To display the
draft message To refile the existing draft message in a specified
folder.
This option provides a new message form for you to complete.
If you want to keep more than one draft (unsent) message available, you
can set up a draft folder in your folder allows you to keep as many
unsent drafts as space allows and still create new messages. To set up
a draft folder, make sure that the following line is in your file:
Draft-folder: +drafts
For more information on setting up folders, see the mh_profile(4) ref‐
erence page.
If you set up a draft folder, all draft messages are created in that
folder. If you decide not to send the draft, by typing quit at the What
now? prompt, the message is stored in the draft folder. You can then
re-edit the message, or send it at a later date, by using the -use
option with the comp command.
If you use prompter as your editor, you can specify the -prepend option
to prompter in the file. If you do this, any text you add is entered
before the forwarded messages. See the prompter(1) reference page for
details on other prompter options.
If you specify the forw command without any operands or options, the
following defaults apply: +folder defaults to the current folder. msgs
defaults to the current message. -dashmunging -noannotate If a draft
folder is specified in the $HOME/.mh_profile file, that draft folder is
used; otherwise, -nodraftfolder is the default. -noformat -noinplace
Profile Components
The following entries in $HOME/.mh_profile can affect operation of the
forw command. Refer to mh_profile(4) for a more complete description
of these entries. Determines your Mail directory. Finds the default
draft folder. Overrides the default editor. Sets the protection mode
when creating a new message (draft). Overrides the default mail inter‐
change code. Specifies a nondefault program for refiling messages.
Specifies a nondefault program for filtering the messages being for‐
warded. Specifies a nondefault program for asking the What now? ques‐
tions.
FILES
The default system template for forwarded messages The user-supplied
alternative to the default system template. The user-supplied alterna‐
tive to the system message template used with -digest The default mes‐
sage filter The user-supplied alternative to the default system message
filter The user profile The draft file
SEE ALSO
Commands: comp(1), dist(1), refile(1), repl(1), send(1), whatnow(1)
Files: mh-format(4), mh_profile(4)
Proposed Standard for Message Encapsulation (RFC 934)
forw(1)