Content-type: text/html Man page of forw

forw

Section: User Commands (1)
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NAME

forw - Forwards messages (only available within the message handling system, mh)  

SYNOPSIS

forw [msgs] [+folder] [options]


 

OPTIONS

The -annotate option annotates the message you are forwarding. If you do not specify this option or specify the -noannotate option, no annotation is done. The -annotate option adds the following lines to the message that you are forwarding: Forwarded: date Forwarded: address(es)

The first line records the time at which the message was forwarded; the second records the addresses of the recipients of the forwarded message.
The forw command annotates messages only when they are successfully sent. If you do not send the message immediately and file the unsent draft, it will not be annotated. It is also possible to confuse forw by using the push command to send the message, and renumbering the message before it is sent (for example, by using folder -pack to reorder the folder). The -dashmunging option represents default forw behavior, which adds an extra dash (-) before any line that begins with a dash. This behavior causes problems when forwarded messages contain PostScript files because the extra characters prevent those files from being printed.
Specify the -nodashmunging option when forwarding messages that contain PostScript files. The -nodashmunging option works only in combination with the -format or -filter filterfile option. The -draftfolder option specifies the folder in which the draft message is created. If you do not send the draft, the mail system will store it in this folder.
The draft folder is usually specified as an option in .mh_profile rather than through the -draftfolder option on the command line. See the mh_profile(4) reference page for more information.
If you specify a draft folder in .mh_profile, you can override it by using the -nodraftfolder option on the command line. Specifies the file in which the draft message is created. If no absolute pathname is given, the file is assumed to be in your Mail directory, usually $HOME/Mail. If you do not send the message, it is stored in the named file until you delete it, or send it at a later date. Specifies the editor that you want to use to edit your forwarded message. You can supply the name of any approved editor. Reformats (filters) the forwarded messages prior to inclusion in the draft message. If you do not specify -filter, the forwarded messages are included in the draft exactly as they appear. This option allows you to reformat them according to instructions in a named filter file. This must be an mhl file; see the mh-format(4) reference page for more information.
The -format option also reformats messages before encapsulating them in the draft. However, -format always reformats according to the instructions in the default mhl.forward file. The -filter option allows you to use your own, named filter file to format the messages. Specifies the message header to be used in the draft message. If this option is present, forw takes the header of the draft message from the named file. If this option is not present, the header is taken from the forwcomps file in your Mail directory, or failing that, from the mail system default header. However, the -form option overrides both of these defaults. The -format option reformats the messages to be forwarded before enclosing them in the draft message. If this option is not supplied or the -noformat option is used, the forwarded messages are included in the draft exactly as they appear. With the -format option, the forwarded message is reformatted according to the instructions in the mhl.forward file in your Mail directory. If this file does not exist, the message is formatted according to the system file /usr/lib/mh/mhl.forward. The mhl.forward file is an mhl file; see the mh-format(4) reference page for more information.
You can also use the -filter filterfile option to reformat messages. The difference is that -format always takes its instructions from the mhl.forward file. With -filter, you can specify the name of the filter file you want to use. Prints a list of the valid options for this command. These options apply only when the -annotate option is also used.
The -inplace option causes annotation to be done in place, to preserve links to the annotated message.
The -noinplace option specifies that annotation be done without preserving links to the annotated message. Suppresses editing of the draft message altogether. The -whatnowproc option specifies an alternative whatnow program. Normally, forw invokes the default whatnow program. See the whatnow(1) reference page for a discussion of available options. You can specify your own alternative to the default program by using the -whatnowproc program option. If you do specify your own program, you should not call it whatnow.
You can suppress the whatnow program entirely by using the -nowhatnowproc option. However, as the program normally starts the initial edit, the -nowhatnowproc option prevents you from editing the message.
 

OPERANDS

Specifies one or more numbers, or a range of numbers, to identify the messages that you want to forward. By default, forw forwards the current message. Identifies the folder from which messages are to be forwarded. By default, forw forwards messages from the current folder.
 

DESCRIPTION

The forw command sends one or more messages on to recipients who were not the original addressees. The command encapsulates all messages to be forwarded and adds a message header. Forwarded messages appear to originate from the forwarder and not the sender of the original message.

The command invokes an editor so that you can edit the forwarded message or add text before or after the encapsulated message. When you exit from the editor, you receive a prompt asking what you want to do with the completed draft. This prompt usually takes the form What now?. See the whatnow(1) reference page for more information on the options available.

If you forward a number of messages, each forwarded message is encapsulated separately. When received, the message is suitable for expanding with the burst command (see the burst(1) reference page).

By default, the mail system uses a standard message header for forwarded messages. This is taken from the system file /usr/lib/mh/forwcomps. You can supply your own header by creating a file called forwcomps in your Mail directory. If this file exists, forw automatically uses the header in it when creating draft messages.

If you do not have a draft folder set up, forw creates your new draft in a file called draft in your Mail directory, usually $HOME/Mail. This file must be empty before you can create a new draft, which means that you can store only one draft at a time. If it is not empty, the mail system will ask you what you want to do with the existing contents. Your options are: To abort forw, leaving the draft intact To replace the existing draft with the appropriate message form To display the draft message To refile the existing draft message in a specified folder.

This option provides a new message form for you to complete.

If you want to keep more than one draft (unsent) message available, you can set up a draft folder in your .mh_profile. This folder allows you to keep as many unsent drafts as space allows and still create new messages. To set up a draft folder, make sure that the following line is in your .mh_profile file:

Draft-folder: +drafts

For more information on setting up folders, see the mh_profile(4) reference page.

If you set up a draft folder, all draft messages are created in that folder. If you decide not to send the draft, by typing quit at the What now? prompt, the message is stored in the draft folder. You can then re-edit the message, or send it at a later date, by using the -use option with the comp command.

If you use prompter as your editor, you can specify the -prepend option to prompter in the .mh_profile file. If you do this, any text you add is entered before the forwarded messages. See the prompter(1) reference page for details on other prompter options.

If you specify the forw command without any operands or options, the following defaults apply: +folder defaults to the current folder. msgs defaults to the current message. -dashmunging -noannotate If a draft folder is specified in the $HOME/.mh_profile file, that draft folder is used; otherwise, -nodraftfolder is the default. -noformat -noinplace
 

Profile Components

The following entries in $HOME/.mh_profile can affect operation of the forw command. Refer to mh_profile(4) for a more complete description of these entries. Determines your Mail directory. Finds the default draft folder. Overrides the default editor. Sets the protection mode when creating a new message (draft). Overrides the default mail interchange code. Specifies a nondefault program for refiling messages. Specifies a nondefault program for filtering the messages being forwarded. Specifies a nondefault program for asking the What now? questions.
 

FILES

The default system template for forwarded messages The user-supplied alternative to the default system template. The user-supplied alternative to the system message template used with -digest The default message filter The user-supplied alternative to the default system message filter The user profile The draft file
 

SEE ALSO

Commands: comp(1), dist(1), refile(1), repl(1), send(1), whatnow(1)

Files: mh-format(4), mh_profile(4)

Proposed Standard for Message Encapsulation (RFC 934)


 

Index

NAME
SYNOPSIS
OPTIONS
OPERANDS
DESCRIPTION
Profile Components
FILES
SEE ALSO

This document was created by man2html, using the manual pages.
Time: 02:43:01 GMT, October 02, 2010