forw
PURPOSE
Forwards messages.
SYNOPSIS
forw [+folder][msgs][-annotate][-draftfolder +folder]
[-draftmessage msg][-nondraftfolder][-editor editor]
[-noedit][-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
The forw command is used to create a message containing
other messages. forw is part of the MH (Message Han-
dling) package and can be used with other MH and AIX com-
mands.
By default, forw 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, forw forwards the current message.
You can specify the format of the message by using the
-form flag. If you do not specify this flag, forw uses
your default message format located in the file
user_mh_directory/forwcomps. If this file does not
exist, forw uses the system default message format
located in /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 for-
warded 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 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. forw 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, forw
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, forw selects a
default draft folder according to
the information supplied in the
MH profiles. You can define a
default draft folder in
$HOME/.mh_profile. If
-draftfolder +folder 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.
-editor cmd Specifies that cmd is the initial
editor for preparing the message.
If you do not specify this flag,
forw selects a default editor or
suppresses the initial edit,
according to the information sup-
plied in the MH profiles. You
can define a default initial
editor in $HOME/.mh_profile.
-filter file Reformats each message being for-
warded and places the reformatted
message in the draft message.
-filter 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. msgs can be
several messages, a range of mes-
sages, 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 for-
warded 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. forw
treats each line in file as a
format string. If the -digest
flag is also specified, forw uses
the form specified in file for
the format of the digest. If you
do not specify a form for a
digest, forw uses the format in
the file
user_mh_directory/digestcomps.
If this file does not exist, forw
uses the system default digest
form specified in the file
/usr/lib/mh/digestcomps.
-format Reformats each message being for-
warded and places the reformatted
message in the draft message.
-format uses the mhl command and
a default format file. If
user_mh_directory/mhl.forward
exists, it contains the default
format. Otherwise,
/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.
-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
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 user_mh_directory/context.
-whatnowproc cmdstring Invokes cmdstring as the program
to guide you through the for-
warding tasks. See "whatnow" for
information about the default
whatnow program and its subcom-
mands.
Note: If you specify "whatnow"
for cmdstring, forw 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.
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 -digest is
specified.
user_mh_directory/digestcomps The user's default
message skeleton when
-digest is specified.
(If it exists, it over-
rides 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
Other MH commands: "ali," "anno," "comp," "dist,"
"dp," "inc," "mhl," "msh," "repl," "send," "whatnow,"
"whom."
The mh-alias, mh-format, mh-mail, and mh-profile files in
AIX Operating System Technical Reference.
The "Overview of the Message Handling Package" in Man-
aging the AIX Operating System.