REFILE(1)REFILE(1)NAMErefile - file message in other folders
SYNOPSISrefile [msgs] [-draft] [-link] [-nolink]
[-preserve] [-nopreserve] [-unlink] [-nounlink]
[-src +folder] [-file file] [-rmmproc program]
[-normmproc] +folder1 ... [-version] [-help]
DESCRIPTION
Refile moves (mv (1)) or links (ln (1)) messages from a
source folder into one or more destination folders.
If you think of a message as a sheet of paper, this opera-
tion is not unlike filing the sheet of paper (or copies)
in file cabinet folders. When a message is filed, it is
linked into the destination folder(s) if possible, and is
copied otherwise. As long as the destination folders are
all on the same file system, multiple filing causes little
storage overhead. This facility provides a good way to
cross-file or multiply-index messages. For example, if a
message is received from Jones about the ARPA Map Project,
the command
refile cur +jones +Map
would allow the message to be found in either of the two
folders `jones' or `Map'.
You may specify the source folder using `-src +folder'.
If this is not given, the current folder is used by
default. If no message is specified, then `cur' is used
by default.
The option `-file file' directs refile to use the speci-
fied file as the source message to be filed, rather than a
message from a folder. Note that the file should be a
validly formatted message, just like any other nmh mes-
sage. It should NOT be in mail drop format (to convert a
file in mail drop format to a folder of nmh messages, see
inc (1)).
If a destination folder doesn't exist, refile will ask if
you want to create it. A negative response will abort the
file operation. If the standard input for refile is not a
tty, then refile will not ask any questions and will pro-
ceed as if the user answered "yes" to all questions.
The option `-link' preserves the source folder copy of the
message (i.e., it does a ln(1) rather than a mv(1)),
whereas, `-nolink' (the default) deletes the filed mes-
sages from the source folder.
Normally when a message is refiled, for each destination
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REFILE(1)REFILE(1)
folder it is assigned the number which is one above the
current highest message number in that folder. Use of the
`-preserve' switch will override this message renaming,
and try to preserve the number of the message. If a con-
flict for a particular folder occurs when using the `-pre-
serve' switch, then refile will use the next available
message number which is above the message number you wish
to preserve.
If `-link' is not specified (or `-nolink' is specified),
the filed messages will be removed from the source folder.
The default is to remove these messages by renaming them
with a site-dependent prefix (usually a comma). Such
files will then need to be removed in some manner after a
certain amount of time. Many sites arrange for cron (8)
to remove these files once a day, so check with your sys-
tem administrator.
Alternately, if you wish for refile to really remove the
files representing these messages from the source folder,
you can use the `-unlink' switch (not to be confused with
the -link switch). But messages removed by this method
cannot be later recovered.
If you prefer a more sophisticated method of `removing'
the messages from the source folder, you can define the
rmmproc profile component. For example, you can add a
profile component such as
rmmproc: /home/coleman/bin/rmm_msgs
then refile will instead call the named program or script
to handle the message files.
The user may specify `-rmmproc program' on the command
line to override this profile specification. The `-normm-
proc' option forces the message files to be deleted by
renaming or unlinking them as described above.
The `-draft' switch tells refile to file the
<mh-dir>/draft.
FILES
$HOME/.mh_profile The user profile
PROFILE COMPONENTS
Path: To determine the user's nmh directory
Current-Folder: To find the default current folder
Folder-Protect: To set mode when creating a new folder
rmmproc: Program to delete the message
SEE ALSOfolder(1), rmf(1), rmm(1)
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REFILE(1)REFILE(1)DEFAULTS
`-src +folder' defaults to the current folder
`msgs' defaults to cur
`-nolink'
`-nounlink'
`-nopreserve'
CONTEXT
If `-src +folder' is given, it will become the current
folder. If neither `-link' nor `all' is specified, the
current message in the source folder will be set to the
last message specified; otherwise, the current message
won't be changed.
If the Previous-Sequence profile entry is set, in addition
to defining the named sequences from the source folder,
refile will also define those sequences for the destina-
tion folders. See mh-sequence (5) for information con-
cerning the previous sequence.
BUGS
Since refile uses your rmmproc to delete the message, the
rmmproc must NOT call refile without specifying `-normm-
proc', or you will create an infinite loop.
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