FORW(1)FORW(1)NAMEforw - forward messages
SYNOPSISforw [+folder] [msgs] [-annotate | -noannotate] [-form formfile] [-for‐
mat | -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 alter‐
nate 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 compo‐
nent 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 “Sub‐
ject:” 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 anno‐
tation 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 con‐
struct 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 for‐
warded 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 fil‐
tering.
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 mes‐
sage 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 suit‐
able for bursting by burst. This follows the Internet RFC 934 guide‐
lines. 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; 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) fea‐
ture. 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 pro‐
gram. See whatnow(1) for a discussion of available options. The invo‐
cation 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 occur‐
ring.)
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.
FILESforw 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 “/usr/local/etc/nmh”
is checked.
/usr/local/etc/nmh/forwcomps
The standard message skeleton.
<mh-dir>/forwcomps Rather than the standard skeleton.
/usr/local/etc/nmh/digestcomps
The message skeleton if -digest is given.
<mh-dir>/digestcomps Rather than the standard skeleton.
^/usr/local/etc/nmh/mhl.forward
The standard message filter.
<mh-dir>/mhl.forward Rather than the standard 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.
SEE ALSOcomp(1), mhbuild(1), repl(1), send(1), whatnow(1), mh-format(5)
Proposed Standard for Message Encapsulation (RFC 934)
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'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.
nmh-1.6 March 21, 2013 FORW(1)
