5 .TH PROMPTER %manext1% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
7 prompter \- prompting editor front-end for nmh
16 .RB [ \-prepend " | " \-noprepend ]
17 .RB [ \-rapid " | " \-norapid ]
18 .RB [ \-doteof " | " \-nodoteof ]
25 is an editor front\-end for
28 composition of messages. This program is not normally invoked directly by
29 users but takes the place of an editor and acts as an editor front\-end.
30 It operates on an RFC\-822 style message draft skeleton specified by
32 normally provided by the
42 is particularly useful when composing messages over slow
43 network or modem lines. It is an
44 .B nmh program in that it can have
45 its own profile entry with switches, but it is not invoked directly by
46 the user. The commands
53 .B prompter as an editor, either when invoked with
56 or by the profile entry \*(lqEditor:\ prompter\*(rq,
57 or when given the command
60 at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
62 For each empty component
63 .B prompter finds in the draft, the user
64 is prompted for a response; A <RETURN> will cause the whole component
65 to be left out. Otherwise, a `\\' preceding a <RETURN> will continue
66 the response on the next line, allowing for multiline components.
69 begin with a space or tab.
71 Each non\-empty component is copied to the draft and displayed on the
74 The start of the message body is denoted by a blank line or a line
75 of dashes. If the body is non\-empty, the prompt, which isn't written
79 --------Enter additional text
87 --------Enter initial text
90 Message\-body typing is terminated with an end\-of\-file (usually
93 switch, a period on a line all by itself
94 also signifies end\-of\-file. At this point control is returned to
95 the calling program, where the user is asked \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq.
98 for the valid options to this query.
102 switch, the user can add type\-in to the
103 beginning of the message body and have the rest of the body follow.
104 This is useful for the
110 switch, if the draft already contains text in
111 the message\-body, it is not displayed on the user's terminal. This is
112 useful for low\-speed terminals.
114 The line editing characters for kill and erase may be specified by the
115 user via the arguments
123 may be a character; or `\\nnn', where \*(lqnnn\*(rq is the octal value for
126 An interrupt (usually CTRL\-C) during component typing will abort
130 command that invoked it. An interrupt
131 during message\-body typing is equivalent to CTRL\-D, for historical
132 reasons. This means that
134 should finish up and exit.
136 The first non\-flag argument to
137 .B prompter is taken as the name of
138 the draft file, and subsequent non\-flag arguments are ignored.
139 .\" (\fIRepl\fR invokes editors with two file arguments:
140 .\" the draft file name and the replied\-to message file name.)
145 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
146 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
147 ^/tmp/prompter*~^Temporary copy of message
150 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
154 .ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName 'u
155 prompter\-next: To name the editor to be used on exit from .B prompter
156 ^Msg\-Protect:~^To set mode when creating a new draft
160 comp(1), dist(1), forw(1), repl(1), whatnow(1)
175 option is particularly useful with
183 The user may wish to link
184 .B prompter under several names (e.g.,
185 \*(lqrapid\*(rq) and give appropriate switches in the profile entries
186 under these names (e.g., \*(lqrapid: -rapid\*(rq). This facilitates
187 invoking prompter differently for different
190 \*(lqforw: -editor rapid\*(rq).
196 so it will lose if you edit files with nulls in them.