FORW(1) [mh.6] FORW(1)
NAME
forw - forward messages
SYNOPSIS
forw [+folder] [msgs] [-annotate] [-noannotate]
[-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg]
[-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit]
[-filter filterfile] [-form formfile] [-format]
[-noformat] [-inplace] [-noinplace]
[-whatnowproc program] [-nowhatnowproc] [-help]
forw [+folder] [msgs] [-digest list] [-issue number]
[-volume number] [other switches for forw] [-help]
DESCRIPTION
Forw may be used to prepare a message containing other
messages. It constructs the new message from the compo-
nents file or `-form formfile' (see comp ), 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 form contains the following elements:
To:
cc:
Subject:
--------
If the file named forwcomps exists in the user's MH direc-
tory, it will be used instead of this form. In either
case, the file specified by `-form formfile' will be used
if given.
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 dis-
play 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 mes-
sage 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 annota-
tions won't take place. The '-inplace' switch causes
annotation to be done in place in order to preserve links
to the annotated message.
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FORW(1) [mh.6] FORW(1)
See comp (1) for a description of the `-editor' and
`-noedit' switches.
Although forw uses the `-form formfile' switch to direct
it how to construct the beginning of the draft, the
`-filter filterfile', `-format', and `-noformat' switches
direct forw as to how each forwarded message should be
formatted in the body of the draft. If `-noformat' is
specified, then each forwarded message is output exactly
as it appears. If `-format' or `-filter filterfile' is
specified, then each forwarded message is filtered
(re-formatted) prior to being output to the body of the
draft. The filter file for forw should be a standard form
file for mhl, as forw will invoke mhl to format the for-
warded messages. The default message filter (what you get
with `-format') is:
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 the file named mhl.forward exists in the user's MH
directory, it will be used instead of this form. In
either case, the file specified by `-filter filterfile'
will be used if given. To summarize: `-noformat' will
reproduce each forwarded message exactly, `-format' will
use mhl and a default filterfile, mhl.forward, to format
each forwarded message, and `-filter filterfile' will use
the named filterfile to format each forwarded message with
mhl.
Each forwarded message is separated with an encapsulation
delimiter so that when received, the message is suitable
for bursting by burst (1).
For users of prompter (1), by specifying prompter's
`-prepend' switch in the .mh_profile file, any commentary
text is entered before the forwarded messages. (A major
win!)
The `-draftfolder +folder' and `-draftmessage msg'
switches invoke the MH draft folder facility. This is an
advanced (and highly useful) feature. Consult the
Advanced Features section of the MH manual for more infor-
mation.
Upon exiting from the editor, forw will invoke the whatnow
program. See whatnow (1) for a discussion of available
MH April 22, 1986 2
FORW(1) [mh.6] FORW(1)
options. The invocation 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 `-digest list', `-issue number', and `-volume number'
switches implement a digest facility for MH. See the MH
user's manual for more information.
FILES
/usr/contrib/mh/lib/forwcomps The message skeleton
or <mh-dir>/forwcomps Rather than the standard skeleton
/usr/contrib/mh/lib/digestcomps The message skeleton if `-digest' is given
or <mh-dir>/digestcomps Rather than the standard skeleton
/usr/contrib/mh/lib/mhl.forward The message filter
or <mh-dir>/mhl.forward Rather than the standard filter
$HOME/.mh_profile The user profile
<mh-dir>/draft The draft file
PROFILE COMPONENTS
Path: To determine the user's MH 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 ALSO
Proposed Standard for Message Encapsulation (aka RFC-934),
comp(1), dist(1), repl(1), send(1), whatnow(1)
DEFAULTS
`+folder' defaults to the current folder
`msgs' defaults to cur
`-noannotate'
`-nodraftfolder'
`-noformat'
`-noinplace'
CONTEXT
If a folder is given, it will become the current folder.
The first message forwarded will become the current mes-
sage.
BUGS
If whatnowproc is whatnow, then forw uses a built-in what-
now, 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
MH April 22, 1986 3
FORW(1) [mh.6] FORW(1)
doesn't actually annotate them until the draft is success-
fully 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.
MH April 22, 1986 4