FORW(1m,C) AIX Commands Reference FORW(1m,C)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
forw
PURPOSE
Forwards messages.
SYNTAX
+-----------------------------------------------------+
forw ---| +--------------+ +---------------+ |--->
+- -digest name -| |---| |-+
+- -issue num -+ +- -volume num -+
+--------------+ +-----------------+ +--- -noformat ----+
>---| |---| one of |---| one of |--->
+- -form file -+ | +-------------+ | | +--------------+ |
+-| -editor cmd |-+ +-| -format |-+
| -noedit | | -noformat |
+-------------+ | -filter file |
+--------------+
+-- -noinplace --+ +----------------------------+
>---| one of |---| one of |---|
| +------------+ | | +------------------------+ |
+-| -inplace |-+ +-| -whatnowproc cmdstring |-+
| -noinplace | | -nowhatnowproc |
+------------+ +------------------------+
forw --- -help ---|
DESCRIPTION
The forw command is used to create a message containing other messages. This
command is part of the Message Handling (MH) package and can be used with other
MH and AIX commands.
By default, the forw command copies a message form to a new draft message and
invokes an editor. You can then fill in the message header fields To: and
Subject: and fill in or delete the other header fields (such as cc: and Bcc:).
When you exit the editor, the forw command invokes the MH command whatnow. You
can press Enter to see a list of the available whatnow subcommands. These
subcommands enable you to continue editing the message, list the message,
direct the disposition of the message, or end the processing of the forw
command. See "whatnow" for a description of the subcommands.
You can specify the messages that you want to distribute by using the
+folder msgs flag. If you do not specify a message, the forw command forwards
the current message.
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You can specify the format of the message by using the -form flag. If you do
not specify this flag, the forw command uses your default message format
located in the file user_mh_directory/forwcomps. If this file does not exist,
the forw command uses the system default message format, which is located in
the file /usr/lib/mh/forwcomps.
Note: The line of dashes or a blank line must be left between the header and
the body of the message for the message to be identified when it is
sent.
FLAGS
-annotate Annotates the messages being forwarded with the lines:
Forwarded: date
Forwarded: addrs
The annotation appears in the original draft message so
that you can maintain a complete list of recipients
with the original message. If you do not actually
redistribute the message using the immediate forw
command, the -annotate flag may fail to provide
annotation. The -inplace flag forces annotation to be
done in place.
-digest name Uses the digest facility to create a new issue for the
digest called name. The forw command expands the
format strings in the components file (using the same
format string mechanism used by the repl command) and
composes the draft using the standard digest
encapsulation algorithm. After the draft has been
composed, the forw command writes out the volume and
issue entries for the digest and invokes the editor.
-draftfolder +folder Places the draft message in the specified folder. If
you do not specify this flag, the forw command selects
a default draft folder according to the information
supplied in the MH profiles. You can define a default
draft folder in the file $HOME/.mh_profile. If the
-draftfolder +folder flag is followed by msg, msg
represents the -draftmessage attribute.
-draftmessage msg Specifies the draft message. You can specify one of
the following message references as msg:
num sequence first
prev cur .
next last new
The default draft message is new.
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-editor cmd Specifies that cmd is the initial editor for preparing
the message. If you do not specify this flag, the forw
command selects a default editor or suppresses the
initial edit, according to the information supplied in
the MH profiles. You can define a default initial
editor in the file $HOME/.mh_profile.
-filter file Reformats each message being forwarded and places the
reformatted message in the draft message. The -filter
flag uses the mhl command and the specified format
file. When you also specify the -digest flag, you may
want to use the filter file /usr/lib/mh/mhl.digest.
+folder msgs Specifies the messages that you want to forward. You
can specify msgs, which can be several messages, a
range of messages, or a single message. You can use
the following message references when specifying msgs:
num first prev
cur . next
last all sequence
The default message is the current message in the
current folder. If you specify several messages, the
first message forwarded becomes the current message.
If you specify a folder, that folder becomes the
current folder.
-form file Uses the form contained in the specified file to
construct the beginning of the message. The forw
command treats each line in file as a format string.
If the -digest flag is also specified, the forw command
uses the form specified in file for the format of the
digest. If you do not specify a form for a digest, the
forw command uses the format in the file
user_mh_directory/digestcomps. If this file does not
exist, the forw command uses the system default digest
form specified in the file /usr/lib/mh/digestcomps.
-format Reformats each message being forwarded and places the
reformatted message in the draft message. The -format
flag uses the mhl command and a default format file.
If the file user_mh_directory/mhl.forward exists, it
contains the default format. Otherwise, the file
/usr/lib/mh/mhl.forw contains the default format.
-help Displays help information for the command.
-inplace Forces annotation to be done in place in order to
preserve links to the annotated message.
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-issue num Specifies the issue number of the digest. The default
issue number is one greater than current value of the
digest_name-issue-list entry in the file
user_mh_directory/context.
-noannotate Does not annotate the message. This flag is the
default.
-nodraftfolder Places the draft in the file user_mh_directory/draft.
-noedit Suppresses the initial edit.
-noformat Does not reformat the messages being forwarded. This
flag is the default.
-noinplace Does not perform annotation in place. This flag is the
default.
-nowhatnowproc Does not invoke a program that guides you through the
forwarding tasks. The -nowhatnowproc flag also
prevents any edit from occurring.
-volume num Specifies the volume number of the digest. The default
volume number is the current value of the
digest_name-volume-list entry in the file
user_mh_directory/context.
-whatnowproc cmdstring Invokes cmdstring as the program to guide you through
the forwarding tasks. See "whatnow" for information
about the default whatnow program and its subcommands.
Note: If you specify "whatnow" for cmdstring, the forw
command invokes an internal whatnow procedure
rather than a program with the file name
whatnow.
PROFILE ENTRIES
Current-Folder: Sets your default current folder.
Draft-Folder: Sets your default folder for drafts.
Editor: Sets your default initial editor.
fileproc: Specifies the program used to refile messages.
mhlproc: Specifies the program used to filter messages being
forwarded.
Msg-Protect: Sets the protection level for your new message files.
Path: Specifies your user_mh_directory.
whatnowproc: Specifies the program used to prompt "What now?" questions.
FILES
/usr/lib/mh/forwcomps The MH default message skeleton.
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user_mh_directory/forwcomps The user's default message skeleton. (If it
exists, it overrides the MH default message
skeleton.)
/usr/lib/mh/digestcomps The MH default message skeleton when the -digest
flag is specified.
user_mh_directory/digestcomps
The user's default message skeleton when the
-digest flag is specified. (If it exists, it
overrides the MH default message skeleton.)
/usr/lib/mh/mhl.forward The default MH message filter.
user_mh_directory/mhl.forward
The user's default message filter. (If it exists,
it overrides the MH default message filter.)
$HOME/.mh_profile The MH user profile.
user_mh_directory/draft The draft file.
user_mh_directory/context The context file.
RELATED INFORMATION
See other MH commands: "ali," "anno," "comp," "dist," "dp," "inc," "mhl,"
"msh," "repl," "send," "whatnow," and "whom."
See the mh-alias, mh-format, mh-mail, and mh-profile files in AIX Operating
System Technical Reference.
See "Overview of the Message Handling Package" in Managing the AIX Operating
System.
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