5 .TH PROMPTER %manext1% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
7 prompter \- prompting editor front-end for nmh
15 .RB [ \-prepend " | " \-noprepend ]
16 .RB [ \-rapid " | " \-norapid ]
17 .RB [ \-doteof " | " \-nodoteof ]
23 is an editor front\-end for
26 composition of messages. This program is not normally invoked directly by
27 users but takes the place of an editor and acts as an editor front\-end.
28 It operates on an RFC\-822 style message draft skeleton specified by
30 normally provided by the
40 is particularly useful when composing messages over slow
41 network or modem lines. It is an
42 .B nmh program in that it can have
43 its own profile entry with switches, but it is not invoked directly by
44 the user. The commands
51 .B prompter as an editor, either when invoked with
54 or by the profile entry \*(lqEditor:\ prompter\*(rq,
55 or when given the command
58 at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
60 For each empty component
61 .B prompter finds in the draft, the user
62 is prompted for a response; A <RETURN> will cause the whole component
63 to be left out. Otherwise, a `\\' preceding a <RETURN> will continue
64 the response on the next line, allowing for multiline components.
67 begin with a space or tab.
69 Each non\-empty component is copied to the draft and displayed on the
72 The start of the message body is denoted by a blank line or a line
73 of dashes. If the body is non\-empty, the prompt, which isn't written
77 --------Enter additional text
85 --------Enter initial text
88 Message\-body typing is terminated with an end\-of\-file (usually
91 switch, a period on a line all by itself
92 also signifies end\-of\-file. At this point control is returned to
93 the calling program, where the user is asked \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq.
96 for the valid options to this query.
100 switch, the user can add type\-in to the
101 beginning of the message body and have the rest of the body follow.
102 This is useful for the
108 switch, if the draft already contains text in
109 the message\-body, it is not displayed on the user's terminal. This is
110 useful for low\-speed terminals.
112 The line editing characters for kill and erase may be specified by the
113 user via the arguments
121 may be a character; or `\\nnn', where \*(lqnnn\*(rq is the octal value for
124 An interrupt (usually CTRL\-C) during component typing will abort
128 command that invoked it. An interrupt
129 during message\-body typing is equivalent to CTRL\-D, for historical
130 reasons. This means that
132 should finish up and exit.
134 The first non\-flag argument to
135 .B prompter is taken as the name of
136 the draft file, and subsequent non\-flag arguments are ignored.
137 .\" (\fIRepl\fR invokes editors with two file arguments:
138 .\" the draft file name and the replied\-to message file name.)
143 .ta \w'/usr/local/nmh/etc/ExtraBigFileName 'u
144 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
145 ^/tmp/prompter*~^Temporary copy of message
148 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
152 .ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName 'u
153 prompter\-next: To name the editor to be used on exit from .B prompter
154 ^Msg\-Protect:~^To set mode when creating a new draft
158 comp(1), dist(1), forw(1), repl(1), whatnow(1)
173 option is particularly useful with
181 The user may wish to link
182 .B prompter under several names (e.g.,
183 \*(lqrapid\*(rq) and give appropriate switches in the profile entries
184 under these names (e.g., \*(lqrapid: -rapid\*(rq). This facilitates
185 invoking prompter differently for different
188 \*(lqforw: -editor rapid\*(rq).
194 so it will lose if you edit files with nulls in them.