Ubuntu Manpage: forw - forward nmh messages

NAME

       forw - forward nmh messages

SYNOPSIS


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

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

DESCRIPTION

forw constructs a new message from a forms (components) file, with a body composed of the message(s) to
be forwarded. An editor is invoked 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 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 contains either the value of the Local-Mailbox profile entry, or 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 given 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 in place 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 construct the initial draft, a message filter file is
used to format each forwarded message in the body of the draft. The filter file for forw should be a
standard form file for mhl(1), 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 the following default
message filter file, “mhl.forward”, which should be adequate for most users, is used:

; 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. 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(1). This follows the guidelines in RFC 934. You may use the
-nodashstuffing switch to suppress this form of quoting.

Users of prompter(1) can, by specifying prompter's -prepend switch in the .mh_profile file, prepend any
commentary text before the forwarded messages.

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) feature. Consult mh-draft(5) 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 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. 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'

FILES

       forw 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 “/etc/nmh” is checked.

       /etc/nmh/forwcomps       The default message skeleton.
       <mh-dir>/forwcomps       The user's message skeleton.
       /etc/nmh/digestcomps     The default message skeleton if -digest is given.
       <mh-dir>/digestcomps     The user's -digest skeleton.
       ^/etc/nmh/mhl.forward    The default message filter.
       <mh-dir>/mhl.forward     The user's message 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 specify the default draftfolder.
       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.

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 is 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-1.8                                            2022-12-22                                          FORW(1mh)