REPL(1) [mh.6] REPL(1)
NAME
repl - reply to a message
SYNOPSIS
repl [+folder] [msg] [-annotate] [-noannotate]
[-cc all/to/cc/me] [-nocc all/to/cc/me]
[-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg]
[-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit]
[-fcc +folder] [-filter filterfile] [-form formfile]
[-format] [-noformat] [-inplace] [-noinplace]
[-query] [-noquery] [-width columns]
[-whatnowproc program] [-nowhatnowproc] [-help]
DESCRIPTION
Repl aids a user in producing a reply to an existing mes-
sage. Repl uses a reply template to guide its actions
when constructing the message draft of the reply. In its
simplest form (with no arguments), it will set up a mes-
sage-form skeleton in reply to the current message in the
current folder, and invoke the whatnow shell. The default
reply template will direct repl to construct the composed
message as follows:
To: <Reply-To> or <From>
cc: <cc>, <To>, and yourself
Subject: Re: <Subject>
In-reply-to: Your message of <Date>.
<Message-Id>
where field names enclosed in angle brackets (< >) indicate
the contents of the named field from the message to which
the reply is being made. The `-cc type' switch takes an
argument which specifies who gets placed on the cc: list of
the reply. The `-query' switch modifies the action of
`-cc type' switch by interactively asking you if each
address that normally would be placed in the To: and cc:
list should actually be sent a copy. (This is useful for
special-purpose replies.) Note that the position of the
`-cc' and `-nocc' switches, like all other switches which
take a positive and negative form, is important.
If the file named replcomps exists in the user's MH direc-
tory, it will be used instead of the default form. In
either case, the file specified by `-form formfile' will be
used if given.
If the draft already exists, repl will ask you as to the
disposition of the draft. A reply of quit will abort repl,
leaving the draft intact; replace will replace the existing
draft with a blank skeleton; and list will display the
draft.
See comp (1) for a description of the `-editor' and
`-noedit' switches. Note that while in the editor, the
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REPL(1) [mh.6] REPL(1)
message being replied to is available through a link named @
(assuming the default whatnowproc ). In addition, the
actual pathname of the message is stored in the envariable
$editalt, and the pathname of the folder containing the mes-
sage is stored in the envariable $mhfolder.
Although repl uses the `-form formfile' switch to direct it
how to construct the beginning of the draft, the
`-filter filterfile' switch directs repl as to how the mes-
sage being replied-to should be formatted in the body of the
draft. If `-filter' is not specified, then the message
being replied-to is not included in the body of the draft.
If `-filter filterfile' is specified, then the message being
replied-to is filtered (re-formatted) prior to being output
to the body of the draft. The filter file for repl should
be a standard form file for mhl, as repl will invoke mhl to
format the message being replied-to. There is no default
message filter (`-filter' must be followed by a file name).
A filter file that is commonly used is:
:
body:nocomponent,compwidth=9,offset=9
which says to output a blank line and then the body of the
message being replied-to, indented by one tab-stop.
If the `-annotate' switch is given, the message being
replied-to will be annotated with the lines
Replied: date
Replied: addrs
where the address list contains one line for each addressee.
The annotation will be done only if the message is sent
directly from repl. If the message is not sent immediately
from repl, comp -use may be used to re-edit and send the
constructed message, but the annotations won't take place.
The `-inplace' switch causes annotation to be done in place
in order to preserve links to the annotated message.
With the `-format' switch one can indicate if Internet-style
formatting should be used (or not be used with `-noformat').
If present (the default), then lines beginning with the
fields To:, cc:, and Bcc: will be standardized and have
duplicate addresses removed. In addition, the
`-width columns' switch will guide repl's formatting of
these fields.
The `-fcc +folder' switch can be used to automatically spec-
ify a folder to receive Fcc:s. More than one folder, each
preceeded by `-fcc' can be named.
A reply template is simply a format file. See mh-format (5)
for the details.
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REPL(1) [mh.6] REPL(1)
In addition to the standard escapes, repl also recognizes
the following additional escape:
escape substitution
fcc any `-fcc folder' switches
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 information.
Upon exiting from the editor, repl 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 truth of fact, it is
the whatnow program which starts the initial edit. Hence,
`-nowhatnowproc' will prevent any edit from occurring.)
FILES
/usr/contrib/mh/lib/replcomps The reply template
or <mh-dir>/replcomps Rather than the standard template
$HOME/.mh_profile The user profile
<mh-dir>/draft The draft file
PROFILE COMPONENTS
Path: To determine the user's MH directory
Alternate-Mailboxes: To determine the user's mailboxes
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 message being replied-to
whatnowproc: Program to ask the What now? questions
SEE ALSO
comp(1), dist(1), forw(1), send(1), whatnow(1),
mh-format(5)
DEFAULTS
`+folder' defaults to the current folder
`msg' defaults to cur
`-nocc all' at ATHENA sites, `-cc all' otherwise
`-format'
`-noannotate'
`-nodraftfolder'
`-noinplace'
`-noquery'
`-width 72'
CONTEXT
If a folder is given, it will become the current folder.
The message replied-to will become the current message.
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REPL(1) [mh.6] REPL(1)
BUGS
If any addresses occur in the reply template, addresses in
the template that do not contain hosts are defaulted
incorrectly. Instead of using the localhost for the
default, repl uses the sender's host. Moral of the story:
if you're going to include addresses in a reply template,
include the host portion of the address.
If whatnowproc is whatnow, then repl 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 repl won't run it.
If your current working directory is not writable, the
link named @ is not available.
MH April 22, 1986 4