sortm(1) — Commands
NAME
sortm − sort messages (only available within the message handling system, mh)
SYNOPSIS
sortm [msgs] [+folder] [options]
OPTIONS
−datefield field
Specifies the name of the header field to use when making the date comparison. If you have a special field in each message, such as Delivery−Date:, then the −datefield switch can be used to tell sortm which field to examine. If you do not give this option, the default is to use the Date: header field.
−help
Prints a list of all the valid options to this command.
−verbose
−noverbose
Displays the general actions that it is taking to place the folder in sorted order. The −noverbose option performs these actions silently. The default is −noverbose.
The default settings for this command are:
+folder defaults to the current folder
msgs defaults to all
−datefield date
−noverbose
DESCRIPTION
The command sortm sorts all the messages in the current folder into chronological order according to the contents of the Date: fields of the messages.
By default, sortm sorts all the messages in the current folder. You can select particular messages in the folder by giving a range of messages. You can also sort messages in another folder by specifying the folder name.
If sortm encounters a message without a Date: field, or if the message has a Date: field that sortm cannot parse, it attempts to keep the message in the same relative position. However, this does not always work; for instance, if the first message encountered lacks a date which can be parsed, then it will usually be placed at the end of the messages being sorted.
When sortm complains about a message which it cannot order, it complains about the message number prior to sorting.
PROFILE COMPONENTS
Path: To determine your MH directory
EXAMPLES
1.The following example sorts all the messages in the folder +meetings:
% sortm +meetings
2.The next example sorts messages 10-30 in the folder called +test:
% sortm +test 10-30
FILES
$HOME/.mh_profile
The user profile.