4 .TH MHL %manext1% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
6 mhl \- produce formatted listings of nmh messages
11 .RB [ \-bell " | " \-nobell ]
12 .RB [ \-clear " | " \-noclear ]
33 command for filtering and/or displaying text
34 messages. It is the default method of displaying text messages for
41 each of the messages specified as arguments (or
42 the standard input) will be output. If more than one message file is
43 specified, the user will be prompted prior to each one, and a <RETURN>
44 or <EOT> will begin the output, with <RETURN> clearing the screen (if
45 appropriate), and <EOT> (usually CTRL\-D) suppressing the screen clear.
46 An <INTERRUPT> (usually CTRL\-C) will abort the current message output,
47 prompting for the next message (if there is one), and a <QUIT> (usually
48 CTRL-\\) will terminate the program (without core dump).
54 to ring the terminal's bell at the
55 end of each page, while the
60 screen at the end of each page (or output a formfeed after each message).
61 Both of these switches (and their inverse counterparts) take effect only
64 is defined but empty, and
66 is outputting to a terminal. If the
71 is outputting to a terminal, then
76 to be placed between the terminal and
78 and the switches are ignored. Furthermore, if the
81 used and \fImhl's\fR output is directed to a terminal, then
88 to determine the user's terminal type in order to find out how to clear
94 not directed to a terminal (e.g., a pipe or a file), then
97 send a formfeed after each message.
99 To override the default
101 and the profile entry, use the
108 if invoked on a hardcopy terminal.
116 switches set the screen
117 length and width, respectively. These default to the values indicated by
119 if appropriate, otherwise they default to 40 and 80, respectively.
121 The default format file used by
124 .RI \*(lq mhl.format \*(rq.
126 will first search for this file in the user's
128 directory, and will then search in the directory
131 can be changed by using the
135 Note: In contrast to any other
139 switch does only take file names, but no format strings with a prepended
148 which is used for the \*(lqmessagename:\*(rq field described below. The
151 is consulted for the default value,
157 initialize appropriately.
160 operates in two phases: 1) read and parse the format file, and
161 2) process each message (file). During phase 1, an internal description
162 of the format is produced as a structured list. In phase 2, this list
163 is walked for each message, outputting message information under the
164 format constraints from the format file.
166 The format file can contain information controlling screen clearing,
167 screen size, wrap\-around control, transparent text, component ordering,
168 and component formatting. Also, a list of components to ignore may be
169 specified, and a couple of \*(lqspecial\*(rq components are defined
170 to provide added functionality. Message output will be in the order
171 specified by the order in the format file.
173 Each line of a format file has one of the following forms:
179 variable[,variable...]
180 component:[variable,...]
185 A line beginning with a `;' is a comment, and is ignored.
187 A line beginning with a `:' is clear text, and is output exactly as is.
189 A line containing only a `:' produces a blank line in the output.
191 A line beginning with \*(lqcomponent:\*(rq defines the format for the specified
194 Remaining lines define the global environment.
196 For example, the line:
199 width=80,length=40,clearscreen,overflowtext="***",overflowoffset=5
202 defines the screen size to be 80 columns by 40 rows, specifies that the
203 screen should be cleared prior to each page, that the overflow indentation
204 is 5, and that overflow text should be flagged with \*(lq***\*(rq.
206 Following are all of the current variables and their arguments. If they
207 follow a component, they apply only to that component, otherwise, their
208 affect is global. Since the whole format is parsed before any output
209 processing, the last global switch setting for a variable applies to
210 the whole message if that variable is used in a global context (i.e.,
211 bell, clearscreen, width, length).
215 .ta \w'noclearscreen 'u +\w'integer/G 'u
216 .I variable type semantics
217 width integer screen width or component width
218 length integer screen length or component length
219 offset integer positions to indent \*(lqcomponent: \*(rq
220 overflowtext string text to use at the beginning of an
222 overflowoffset integer positions to indent overflow lines
223 compwidth integer positions to indent component text
224 after the first line is output
225 uppercase flag output text of this component in all
227 nouppercase flag don't uppercase
228 clearscreen flag/G clear the screen prior to each page
229 noclearscreen flag/G don't clearscreen
230 bell flag/G ring the bell at the end of each page
231 nobell flag/G don't bell
232 component string/L name to use instead of \*(lqcomponent\*(rq for
234 nocomponent flag don't output \*(lqcomponent: \*(rq for this
236 center flag center component on line (works for
237 one\-line components only)
238 nocenter flag don't center
239 leftadjust flag strip off leading whitespace on each
241 noleftadjust flag don't leftadjust
242 compress flag change newlines in text to spaces
243 nocompress flag don't compress
244 split flag don't combine multiple fields into
246 nosplit flag combine multiple fields into
248 newline flag print newline at end of components
249 (this is the default)
250 nonewline flag don't print newline at end of components
251 formatfield string format string for this component
253 decode flag decode text as RFC-2047 encoded
255 addrfield flag field contains addresses
256 datefield flag field contains dates
260 To specify the value of integer\-valued and string\-valued variables,
261 follow their name with an equals\-sign and the value. Integer\-valued
262 variables are given decimal values, while string\-valued variables
263 are given arbitrary text bracketed by double\-quotes. If a value is
264 suffixed by \*(lq/G\*(rq or \*(lq/L\*(rq, then its value is useful in
265 a global\-only or local\-only context (respectively).
270 ignores=component,...
273 specifies a list of components which are never output.
275 The component \*(lqMessageName\*(rq (case\-insensitive) will output the
276 actual message name (file name) preceded by the folder name if one is
277 specified or found in the environment. The format is identical to that
283 The component \*(lqExtras\*(rq will output all of the components of the
284 message which were not matched by explicit components, or included in
285 the ignore list. If this component is not specified, an ignore list is
286 not needed since all non\-specified components will be ignored.
288 If \*(lqnocomponent\*(rq is NOT specified, then the component name will
289 be output as it appears in the format file.
291 The default format file is:
299 The variable \*(lqformatfield\*(rq specifies a format string (see
301 The flag variables \*(lqaddrfield\*(rq and
302 \*(lqdatefield\*(rq (which are mutually exclusive), tell
304 to interpret the escapes in the format string as either addresses or
309 does not apply any formatting string to fields
310 containing address or dates (see
313 fields). Note that this results in faster operation since
315 must parse both addresses and dates in order to apply a format string
318 can be given a default format string for
319 either address or date fields (but not both). To do this, on a global
320 line specify: either the flag addrfield or datefield, along with the
321 appropriate formatfield variable string.
326 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
327 ^%etcdir%/mhl.format~^The message template
328 ^or $HOME/.mmh/mhl.format~^Rather than the standard template
329 ^$HOME/.mh/profile~^The user profile
332 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
336 .ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName 'u
337 ^moreproc:~^Program to use as interactive front\-end
341 show(1), ap(8), dp(8)
355 In contrast to any other
359 switch does only take file names, but no format strings with a prepended
362 There should be some way to pass `bell' and `clear' information to the
365 The \*(lqnonewline\*(rq option interacts badly with \*(lqcompress\*(rq