REPL(1)REPL(1)NAMErepl - reply to a message
SYNOPSISrepl [+folder] [msgs] [-annotate | -noannotate] [-group | -nogroup]
[-cc all/to/cc/me] [-nocc all/to/cc/me] [-query | -noquery] [-form
formfile] [-format | -noformat] [-filter filterfile] [-inplace |
-noinplace] [-mime | -nomime] [-fcc +folder] [-width columns]
[-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg] [-nodraftfolder] [-edi‐
tor editor] [-noedit] [-whatnowproc program] [-nowhatnowproc]
[-atfile] [-noatfile] [-fmtproc program] [-nofmtproc] [-build]
[-file msgfile] [-version] [-help]
DESCRIPTION
Repl may be used to produce a reply to an existing message.
In its simplest form (with no arguments), repl will set up a mes‐
sage-form skeleton in reply to the current message in the current
folder, and invoke the whatnow shell.
In order to construct the message draft of the reply, repl uses a reply
template to guide its actions. A reply template is simply a mhl format
file (see mh-format(5) for details).
If the switch -nogroup is given (it is on by default), then repl will
use the standard forms file “replcomps”. This will construct a draft
message that is intended to be sent only to the author of the message
to which you are replying. If a file named “replcomps” exists in the
user's nmh directory, it will be used instead of this default forms
file.
The default reply template “replcomps” will direct repl to construct
the reply message draft as follows:
To: <Mail-Reply-To> or <Reply-To> or <From>
cc: <To> and <cc> and <personal address>
Fcc: {fcc switch} or +outbox
Subject: Re: <Subject>
In-Reply-To: <Message-Id>
References: <Message-Id>
Comments: In-Reply-To <From> or <apparently from> or <Sender>
message dated <date>
--------
where field names enclosed in angle brackets (< >) indicate the con‐
tents of the named field from the message to which the reply is being
made.
By default, the “cc:” field is empty. You may selectively add
addresses to this default with the -cc type switch. This switch takes
an argument ( all/to/cc/me) which specifies who gets added to the
default “cc:” list of the reply. You may give this switch multiple
times (with different arguments) if you wish to add multiple types of
addresses.
If the switch -group is given, then repl will use the the standard
forms file “replgroupcomps”. This will construct a draft message that
is intended as a group or followup reply. If a file named “replgroup‐
comps” exists in the user's nmh directory, it will be used instead of
this default forms file, unless you specify another forms file on the
command line or in your profile.
The default group reply template “replgroupcomps” will direct repl to
construct the reply message draft as follows:
To: <Mail-Followup-To>
Subject: Re: <Subject>
In-Reply-To: Message from <From> of <Date>.
<Message-Id>
--------
or if the field <Mail-Followup-To> is not available:
To: <Mail-Reply-To> or <Reply-To> or <From>
cc: <To> and <cc> and <personal address>
Subject: Re: <Subject>
In-Reply-To: Message from <From> of <Date>.
<Message-Id>
--------
By default, the “cc:” contains all the addresses shown. You may selec‐
tively remove addresses from this default with the -nocc type switch.
This switch takes an argument ( all/to/cc/me) which specifies who gets
removed from the default “cc:” list of the reply. You may give this
switch multiple times (with different arguments) if you wish to remove
multiple types of addresses.
In any case, you may specify an alternate forms file with the switch
-form formfile.
The -query switch modifies the action of -nocc type switch by interac‐
tively asking you if each address that normally would be placed in the
“To:” and “cc:” list should actually be sent a copy. This is useful
for special-purpose replies. Note that the position of the -cc and
-nocc switches, like all other switches which take a positive and nega‐
tive form, is important.
Lines beginning with the fields “To:”, “cc:”, and ”Bcc:” will be stan‐
dardized and have duplicate addresses removed. In addition, the -width
columns switch will guide repl's formatting of these fields.
If the draft already exists, repl will ask you as to the disposition of
the draft. A reply of quit will abort repl, leaving the draft intact;
replace will replace the existing draft with a blank skeleton; and list
will display the draft.
See comp(1) for a description of the -editor and -noedit switches.
Note that while in the editor, the message being replied to is avail‐
able through a link named “@” (assuming the default whatnowproc). In
addition, the actual pathname of the message is stored in the environ‐
ment variable $editalt, and the pathname of the folder containing the
message is stored in the environment variable $mhfolder. The creation
of the “@” file and associated environment variables can be controlled
via the -atfile and -noatfile options.
Although repl uses a forms file to direct it how to construct the
beginning of the draft, it uses a message filter file to direct it as
to how the message to which you are replying should be filtered
(re-formatted) in the body of the draft. The filter file for repl
should be a standard form file for mhl, as repl will invoke mhl to for‐
mat the message to which you are replying.
The switches -noformat, -format, and -filter filterfile specify which
message filter file to use.
If the switch -noformat is given (it is the default), then the message
to which you are replying is not included in the body of the draft.
If the switch -format is given, then a default message filter file is
used. This default message filter should be adequate for most users.
This default filter “mhl.reply” is:
; mhl.reply
;
; default message filter for `repl' (repl -format)
;
from:nocomponent,formatfield="%(decode(friendly{text})) writes:"
body:component="> ",overflowtext="> ",overflowoffset=0
which outputs each line of the body of the message prefaced with the
“>” character and a space.
If a file named “mhl.reply” exists in the user's nmh directory, it will
be used instead of this form. You may specify an alternate message
filter file with the switch -filter filterfile.
Other reply filters are commonly used, such as:
:
body:nocomponent,compwidth=9,offset=9
which says to output a blank line and then the body of the message
being replied-to, indented by one tab-stop. Another popular format is:
message-id:nocomponent,nonewline,\
formatfield=“In message %{text}, ”
from:nocomponent,formatfield=“%(decode(friendly{text})) writes:”
body:component=“>”,overflowtext=“>”,overflowoffset=0
This message filter file cites the Message-ID and author of the message
being replied-to, and then outputs each line of the body prefaced with
the “>” character.
You can also use an external format program to format the message body.
The format program is specified by the formatproc profile entry, and is
enabled by the “format” flag. A message filter using an external for‐
mat program would look like this:
body:component=“>”,nowrap,format
See the mhl(1) documentation for more information. The format program
can be changed by the -fmtproc program and -nofmtproc switches.
To use the MIME rules for encapsulation, specify the -mime switch.
This directs repl to generate an mhbuild composition file. Note that
nmh will not invoke mhbuild automatically, unless you add this line to
your .mh_profile file:
automimeproc: 1
Otherwise, you must specifically give the command
What now? mime
prior to sending the draft.
If the -annotate switch is given, the message being replied-to will be
annotated with the lines
Replied: date Replied: addrs
where the address list contains one line for each addressee. The anno‐
tation will be done only if the message is sent directly from repl. If
the message is not sent immediately from repl, “comp -use” may be used
to re-edit and send the constructed message, but the annotations won't
take place. Normally annotations are done inplace in order to preserve
any links to the message. You may use the -noinplace switch to change
this.
Although the default template specifies that a copy of the reply will
be put in the folder 'outbox', if the -fcc +folder switch is given it
will override the default value. More than one folder, each preceded
by -fcc can be named.
In addition to the standard mh-format(5) escapes, repl also recognizes
the following additional component escape:
Escape Returns Description
fcc string Any folders specified with `-fcc folder'
To avoid reiteration, repl strips any leading `Re: ' strings from the
subject component.
The -draftfolder +folder and -draftmessage msg switches invoke the nmh
draft folder facility. This is an advanced (and highly useful) fea‐
ture. Consult the mh-draft(5) man page for more information.
Upon exiting from the editor, repl will invoke the whatnow program.
See whatnow(1) for a discussion of available options. The invocation
of this program can be inhibited by using the -nowhatnowproc switch.
(In truth of fact, it is the whatnow program which starts the initial
edit. Hence, -nowhatnowproc will prevent any edit from occurring.)
The -build switch is intended to be used by the Emacs mh-e interface to
nmh. It implies -nowhatnowproc. It causes a file <mh-dir>/reply to be
created, containing the draft message that would normally be presented
to the user for editing. No mail is actually sent.
The -file msgfile switch specifies the message to be replied to as an
exact filename rather than as an nmh folder and message number. It is
intended to be used by the msh interface to nmh. The same caveats
apply to this option as to the -build switch.
FILES
/etc/nmh/replcomps The standard reply template
or <mh-dir>/replcomps Rather than the standard template
/etc/nmh/replgroupcomps The standard `reply -group' template
or <mh-dir>/replgroupcomps Rather than the standard template
/etc/nmh/mhl.reply The standard message filter
or <mh-dir>/mhl.reply Rather than the standard filter
$HOME/.mh_profile The user profile
<mh-dir>/draft The draft file
PROFILE COMPONENTS
Path: To determine the user's nmh directory
Alternate-Mailboxes: To determine the user's mailboxes
Current-Folder: To find the default current folder
Draft-Folder: To find the default draft-folder
Editor: To override the default editor
Msg-Protect: To set mode when creating a new message (draft)
fileproc: Program to refile the message
mhlproc: Program to filter message being replied-to
whatnowproc: Program to ask the “What now?” questions
SEE ALSOcomp(1), forw(1), mhbuild(1), send(1), whatnow(1), mh-format(5)DEFAULTS
`+folder' defaults to the current folder
`msg' defaults to cur
`-nogroup'
`-nocc all' with `-nogroup', `-cc all' with `-group'
`-noannotate'
`-nodraftfolder'
`-noformat'
`-inplace'
`-nomime'
`-noquery'
`-noatfile'
`-width 72'
CONTEXT
If a folder is given, it will become the current folder. The message
replied-to will become the current message.
BUGS
If any addresses occur in the reply template, addresses in the template
that do not contain hosts are defaulted incorrectly. Instead of using
the localhost for the default, repl uses the sender's host. Moral of
the story: if you're going to include addresses in a reply template,
include the host portion of the address.
The -width columns switch is only used to do address-folding; other
headers are not line-wrapped.
If whatnowproc is whatnow, then repl uses a built-in whatnow, it does
not actually run the whatnow program. Hence, if you define your own
whatnowproc, don't call it whatnow since repl won't run it.
If your current working directory is not writable, the link named “@”
is not available.
nmh-1.5-2 July 1, 2012 REPL(1)
