4 .TH SORTM %manext1% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
21 .RB [ \-verbose " | " \-noverbose ]
27 sorts the specified messages in the named folder according
28 to the chronological order of the \*(lqDate:\*(rq field of each message.
34 to tell the user the general
35 actions that it is taking to place the folder in sorted order.
42 the name of the field to
43 use when making the date comparison. If the user has a special field in
44 each message, such as \*(lqBB\-Posted:\*(rq or \*(lqDelivery\-Date:\*(rq,
47 switch can be used to direct
49 which field to examine.
56 to sort messages by the specified text field. All characters except
57 letters and numbers are stripped and the resulting strings are sorted
58 datefield\-major, textfield\-minor, using a case insensitive
59 comparison. If this field is \*(lqsubject\*(rq, any leading "re:" is
68 is specified, messages
69 with the same textfields that are dated within `days' of each other
70 appear together. Specifying
72 makes the limit infinity.
76 the sort is instead made textfield\-major, date\-minor.
78 For example, to order a folder by date-major, grouping messages with
79 the same subject on the same date together, use:
82 sortm -textfield subject +folder
88 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
89 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
92 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
96 .ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName 'u
97 ^Path:~^To determine the user's nmh directory
98 ^Current\-Folder:~^To find the default current folder
106 .RB ` +folder "' defaults to the current folder"
107 .RB ` msgs"' defaults to all"
108 .RB ` \-datefield "' defaults to date"
109 .RB ` \-notextfield '
115 If a folder is given, it will become the current folder. If the current
118 will preserve its status as current.
121 Timezones used to be ignored when comparing dates: they aren't any more.
123 Messages which were in the folder, but not specified by `msgs', used to
124 be moved to the end of the folder; now such messages are left untouched.
127 sometimes did not preserve the message numbering in a folder
128 (e.g., messages 1, 3, and 5, might have been renumbered to 1, 2, 3 after
129 sorting). This was a bug, and has been fixed. To compress the message
130 numbering in a folder, use
131 .RB \*(lq "folder\ \-pack" \*(rq
137 encounters a message without a date\-field, or if the
138 message has a date\-field that
142 attempts to keep the message in the same relative position. This does
143 not always work. For instance, if the first message encountered lacks
144 a date which can be parsed, then it will usually be placed at the end
145 of the messages being sorted.
149 complains about a message which it can't temporally
150 order, it complains about the message number
153 It should indicate what the message number will be