The first alias contained in a blind list is now expanded. The

[mmh] / man / mh-alias.man

diff --git a/man/mh-alias.man b/man/mh-alias.man
index 8eb7939..926fb89 100644 (file)
--- a/man/mh-alias.man
+++ b/man/mh-alias.man
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 .\"
 .\" %nmhwarning%
-.\" $Id$
 .\"
 .TH MH-ALIAS %manext5% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
 .SH NAME
@@ -45,6 +44,10 @@ or
 or
 .RS 5
 .B ;
+|
+.B :
+|
+.B #
 .I comment
 .RE
 .PP
@@ -64,7 +67,9 @@ where:
 .RE
 .PP
 Continuation lines in alias files end with `\\' followed by the newline
-character.
+character.  This applies to comment lines.  Thus, a line following a
+comment line that ends with a `\\' will be treated as a continuation of
+the comment.
 .PP
 .RI \*(lq  Alias\-file \*(rq
 and
@@ -141,10 +146,13 @@ the address list if it is not already on the list.  The alias itself is
 not usually output, rather the address\-group that the alias maps to is
 output instead.  If \*(lqalias\*(rq is terminated with a `;' instead of
 a `:', then both the \*(lqalias\*(rq and the address are output in the
-correct format.  (This makes replies possible since
+correct format (with the alias quoted if necessary and the address
+wrapped in <>).
+
+This makes replies possible since
 .B nmh
 aliases
-and personal aliases are unknown to the mail transport system.)
+and personal aliases are unknown to the mail transport system.
 .RE
 .PP
 Since the alias file is read line by line, forward references work, but
@@ -156,7 +164,7 @@ Example Alias File:
 .nf
 <%etcdir%/BBoardAliases
 sgroup: fred, fear, freida
-b-people: Blind List: bill, betty;
+b-people: Blind List: bill, betty
 fred: frated@UCI
 UNIX\-committee: <unix.aliases
 staff: =staff
@@ -174,10 +182,16 @@ is defined as an alias for \*(lqfrated@UCI\*(rq, and \*(lqsgroup\*(rq
 is defined as an alias for the three names \*(lqfrated@UCI\*(rq,
 \*(rqfear\*(rq, and \*(rqfreida\*(rq.
 .PP
+
 The alias \*(lqb-people\*(rq is a blind list which includes the addresses
-\*(lqbill\*(rq and \*(lqbetty\*(rq; the message will be delieved to those
-addresses, but the message header will  show only \*(lqBlind List: ;\*(rq
-(not the addresses).
+\*(lqbill\*(rq and \*(lqbetty\*(rq; the message will be delivered to those
+addresses, but the message header will show only \*(lqBlind List: ;\*(rq
+(not the addresses).  The alias must not be terminated with, or contain,
+a semicolon; see
+.B Helpful Hints
+below.  Note that blind lists are not supported with the
+.B sendmail/pipe
+mail transport method.
 .PP
 Next, the definition of \*(lqUNIX\-committee\*(rq is given by
 reading the file
@@ -202,8 +216,8 @@ greater than 200, and all aliases of the form
 The key thing to understand about aliasing in
 .B nmh
 is that aliases in
-/B nmh
-lias files are expanded into the headers of messages posted.
+.B nmh
+alias files are expanded into the headers of messages posted.
 This aliasing occurs first, at posting time, without the knowledge of the
 message transport system.  In contrast, once the message transport system
 is given a message to deliver to a list of addresses, for each address
@@ -246,6 +260,13 @@ Start adding aliases to your
 .RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq
 file as appropriate.
 .RE
+.PP
+Earlier versions of this man page showed a semicolon at the end of the
+blind list example.  That caused the preceeding alias to not be
+expanded.  There must not be a semicolon at the end of, or within, the
+address group of a blind list.
+.B post
+will append the semicolon to the blind list name.
 
 .SH FILES
 .fc ^ ~
@@ -277,5 +298,3 @@ command may defeat this.
 Since the number of file descriptors is finite (and very limited), such
 infinite recursion will terminate with a meaningless diagnostic when
 all the fds are used up.
-.PP
-Forward references do not work correctly inside blind lists.