From 729ebed9d5058d51ed2552e3bc835613f9af5bff Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Shantonu Sen Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 07:07:41 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Updating mh_sequence --- man/mh-sequence.man | 271 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------ 1 file changed, 175 insertions(+), 96 deletions(-) diff --git a/man/mh-sequence.man b/man/mh-sequence.man index ddda36f..e131c97 100644 --- a/man/mh-sequence.man +++ b/man/mh-sequence.man @@ -2,63 +2,62 @@ .\" %nmhwarning% .\" $Id$ .\" -.\" include the -mh macro file -.so %etcdir%/tmac.h -.\" .TH MH-SEQUENCE %manext5% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%] .SH NAME mh-sequence \- sequence specification for nmh message system .SH SYNOPSIS -.in +.5i -.ti -.5i -most \fInmh\fR commands -.in -.5i +most +/B nmh +commands .SH DESCRIPTION A sequence (or sequence set) is a symbolic name representing a -message or collection of messages. \fInmh\fP has several internally +message or collection of messages. +.B nmh +has several internally defined sequences, as well as allowing users to define their own sequences. -.Uh "Message Specification and Pre\-Defined Message Sequences" -Most \fInmh\fP commands accept a `msg' or `msgs' specification, where +.SS "Message Specification and Pre\-Defined Message Sequences" +Most +.B nmh +commands accept a `msg' or `msgs' specification, where `msg' indicates one message and `msgs' indicates one or more messages. To designate a message, you may use either its number (e.g., 1, 10, 234) or one of these \*(lqreserved\*(rq message names: -.in +.5i -.sp 1 +.PP +.RS 5 .nf .ta +\w'\fIName\fP 'u -\fIName\fP \fIDescription\fR +.I Name Description first the first message in the folder last the last message in the folder cur the most recently accessed message prev the message numerically preceding \*(lqcur\*(rq next the message numerically following \*(lqcur\*(rq -.re .fi -.in -.5i - +.RE +.PP In commands that take a `msg' argument, the default is \*(lqcur\*(rq. As a shorthand, \*(lq\&.\*(rq is equivalent to \*(lqcur\*(rq. - +.PP For example: In a folder containing five messages numbered 5, 10, 94, 177 and 325, \*(lqfirst\*(rq is 5 and \*(lqlast\*(rq is 325. If \*(lqcur\*(rq is 94, then \*(lqprev\*(rq is 10 and \*(lqnext\*(rq is 177. - +.PP The word `msgs' indicates that one or more messages may be specified. Such a specification consists of one message designation or of several message designations separated by spaces. A message designation consists either of a message name as defined above, or a message range. - +.PP A message range is specified as \*(lqname1\-name2\*(rq or \*(lqname:n\*(rq, where `name', `name1' and `name2' are message names, and `n' is an integer. - +.PP The specification \*(lqname1\-name2\*(rq designates all currently existing messages from `name1' to `name2' inclusive. The \*(lqreserved\*(rq message name \*(lqall\*(rq is a shorthand for the message range \*(lqfirst\-last\*(rq. - +.PP The specification \*(lqname:n\*(rq designates up to `n' messages. These messages start with `name' if `name' is a message number or one of the reserved names \*(lqfirst\*(rq \*(lqcur\*(rq, or \*(lqnext\*(rq, The @@ -66,34 +65,42 @@ messages end with `name' if `name' is \*(lqprev\*(rq or \*(lqlast\*(rq. The interpretation of `n' may be overridden by preceding `n' with a plus or minus sign; `+n' always means up to `n' messages starting with `name', and `\-n' always means up to `n' messages ending with `name'. - +.PP In commands which accept a `msgs' argument, the default is either \*(lqcur\*(rq or \*(lqall\*(rq, depending on which makes more sense for each command (see the individual man pages for details). Repeated specifications of the same message have the same effect as a single specification of the message. - +.PP There is also a special \*(lqreserved\*(rq message name \*(lqnew\*(rq -which is used by the \fImhpath\fR command. +which is used by the +.B mhpath +command. -.Uh "User\-Defined Message Sequences" +.SS "User\-Defined Message Sequences" In addition to the \*(lqreserved\*(rq (pre-defined) message names given -above, \fInmh\fP supports user-defined sequence names. User-defined -sequences allow the \fInmh\fR user a tremendous amount of power in dealing +above, +.B nmh +supports user-defined sequence names. User-defined +sequences allow the +.B nmh +user a tremendous amount of power in dealing with groups of messages in the same folder by allowing the user to bind a group of messages to a meaningful symbolic name. - +.PP The name used to denote a message sequence must consist of an alphabetic character followed by zero or more alphanumeric characters, and can not be one of the \*(lqreserved\*(rq message names above. After defining a -sequence, it can be used wherever an \fInmh\fR command expects a `msg' or +sequence, it can be used wherever an +.B nmh +command expects a `msg' or `msgs' argument. - +.PP Some forms of message ranges are allowed with user-defined sequences. The specification \*(lqname:n\*(rq may be used, and it designates up to the first `n' messages (or last `n' messages for `\-n') which are elements of the user-defined sequence `name'. - +.PP The specifications \*(lqname:next\*(rq and \*(lqname:prev\*(rq may also be used, and they designate the next or previous message (relative to the current message) which is an element of the user-defined sequence `name'. @@ -102,108 +109,180 @@ equivalent to \*(lqname:1\*(rq and \*(lqname:\-1\*(rq, respectively. The specification \*(lqname:cur\*(rq is not allowed (use just \*(lqcur\*(rq instead). The syntax of these message range specifications is subject to change in the future. - +.PP User-defined sequence names are specific to each folder. They are -defined using the \fIpick\fP and \fImark\fP commands. - -.Uh "Public and Private User-Defined Sequences" -There are two varieties of user-defined sequences: \fIpublic\fR and -\fIprivate\fR. \fIPublic\fR sequences of a folder are accessible to any -\fInmh\fR user that can read that folder. They are kept in each folder +defined using the +.B pick +and +.B mark +commands. +.PP +.SS "Public and Private User-Defined Sequences" +There are two varieties of user-defined sequences: +public and private. Public sequences of a folder are accessible to any +.B nmh +user that can read that folder. They are kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqmh\-sequences\*(rq profile entry -(default is \&.mh\(rusequences). \fIPrivate\fR sequences are accessible -only to the \fInmh\fR user that defined those sequences and are kept in -the user's \fInmh\fR context file. - -In general, the commands that create sequences (such as \fIpick\fR and -\fImark\fR) will create \fIpublic\fR sequences if the folder for which -the sequences are being defined is writable by the \fInmh\fR user. +(default is +.IR \&.mh\(rusequences ). +Private sequences are accessible +only to the +.B nmh +user that defined those sequences and are kept in +the user's +.B nmh +context file. +.PP +In general, the commands that create sequences (such as +.B pick +and +.BR mark ) +will create public sequences if the folder for which +the sequences are being defined is writable by the +.B nmh +user. For most commands, this can be overridden by using the switches -`\-public' and `\-private'. But if the folder is read\-only, or if +.B \-public +and +.BR \-private . +But if the folder is read\-only, or if the \*(lqmh\-sequences\*(rq profile entry is defined but empty, then \fIprivate\fR sequences will be created instead. -.Uh "Sequence Negation" -\fInmh\fP provides the ability to select all messages not elements of a +.SS "Sequence Negation" +.B Nmh +provides the ability to select all messages not elements of a user-defined sequence. To do this, the user should define the entry -\*(lqSequence\-Negation\*(rq in the \fInmh\fR profile file; its value +\*(lqSequence\-Negation\*(rq in the +.B nmh +profile file; its value may be any string. This string is then used to preface an existing user-defined sequence name. This specification then refers to those messages not elements of the specified sequence name. For example, if the profile entry is: - -.ti +.5i -Sequence\-Negation:\^ not - -then anytime an \fInmh\fR command is given \*(lqnotfoo\*(rq as a `msg' or +.PP +.RS 5 +Sequence\-Negation: not +.RE +.PP +then anytime an +.B nmh +command is given \*(lqnotfoo\*(rq as a `msg' or `msgs' argument, it would substitute all messages that are not elements of the sequence \*(lqfoo\*(rq. - +.PP Obviously, the user should beware of defining sequences with names that begin with the value of the \*(lqSequence\-Negation\*(rq profile entry. -.Uh "The Previous Sequence" -\fInmh\fR provides the ability to remember the `msgs' or `msg' argument -last given to an \fInmh\fR command. The entry \*(lqPrevious\-Sequence\*(rq -should be defined in the \fInmh\fR profile; its value should be a sequence +.SS "The Previous Sequence" +.B Nmh +provides the ability to remember the `msgs' or `msg' argument +last given to an +.B nmh +command. The entry \*(lqPrevious\-Sequence\*(rq +should be defined in the +.B nmh +profile; its value should be a sequence name or multiple sequence names separated by spaces. If this entry -is defined, when when an \fInmh\fP command finishes, it will define the +is defined, when when an +.B nmh +command finishes, it will define the sequence(s) named in the value of this entry to be those messages that were specified to the command. Hence, a profile entry of - -.ti +.5i -Previous\-Sequence:\^ pseq - -directs any \fInmh\fR command that accepts a `msg' or `msgs' argument to +.PP +.RS 5 +Previous\-Sequence: pseq +.RE +.PP +directs any +.B nmh +command that accepts a `msg' or `msgs' argument to define the sequence \*(lqpseq\*(rq as those messages when it finishes. - -\fBNote:\fP there can be a performance penalty in using the -\*(lqPrevious\-Sequence\*(rq facility. If it is used, \fBall\fP -\fInmh\fR programs have to write the sequence information to the -\&.mh\(rusequences file for the folder each time they run. If the +.PP +.BR Note : +there can be a performance penalty in using the +\*(lqPrevious\-Sequence\*(rq facility. If it is used, +.B all +.B nmh +programs have to write the sequence information to the +.I \&.mh\(rusequences +file for the folder each time they run. If the \*(lqPrevious\-Sequence\*(rq profile entry is not included, only -\fIpick\fR and \fImark\fR will write to the \&.mh\(rusequences file. +.B pick +and +.B mark +will write to the +.B \&.mh\(rusequences +file. -.Uh "The Unseen Sequence" +.SS "The Unseen Sequence" Finally, many users like to indicate which messages have not been -previously seen by them. The commands \fIinc\fR, \fIrcvstore\fR, -\fIshow\fR, \fImhshow\fR, and \fIflist\fR honor the profile entry +previously seen by them. The commands +.BR inc , +.BR rcvstore , +.BR show , +.BR mhshow , +and +.B flist +honor the profile entry \*(lqUnseen\-Sequence\*(rq to support this activity. This entry -in the \&.mh\(ruprofile should be defined as one or more sequence +in the +.I \&.mh\(ruprofile +should be defined as one or more sequence names separated by spaces. If there is a value for \*(lqUnseen\-Sequence\*(rq in the profile, then whenever new messages -are placed in a folder (using \fIinc\fR or \fIrcvstore\fR), the -new messages will also be added to all the sequences named in this +are placed in a folder (using +.B inc +or +.BR rcvstore ), +the new messages will also be added to all the sequences named in this profile entry. For example, a profile entry of - -.ti +.5i -Unseen\-Sequence:\^ unseen - -directs \fIinc\fR to add new messages to the sequence \*(lqunseen\*(rq. +.PP +.RS 5 +Unseen\-Sequence: unseen +.RE +.PP +directs +.B inc +to add new messages to the sequence \*(lqunseen\*(rq. Unlike the behavior of the \*(lqPrevious\-Sequence\*(rq entry in the -profile, however, the sequence(s) will \fBnot\fR be zeroed by \fIinc\fP. - -Similarly, whenever \fIshow\fR, \fImhshow\fR, \fInext\fR, or -\fIprev\fR\^ displays a message, that message will be removed from +profile, however, the sequence(s) will +.B not +be zeroed by +.BR inc . +.PP +Similarly, whenever +.BR show , +.BR mhshow , +.BR next , +or +.B prev +displays a message, that message will be removed from any sequences named by the \*(lqUnseen\-Sequence\*(rq entry in the profile. -.Fi +.SH FILES +.fc ^ ~ +.nf +.ta \w'/usr/local/nmh/etc/ExtraBigFileName 'u ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile ^/context~^The user context ^/\&.mh\(rusequences~^File for public sequences -.Pr +.fi + +.SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS" +.fc ^ ~ +.nf +.ta 2.4i +.ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName 'u ^mh-sequences:~^Name of file to store public sequences -.Ps ^Sequence\-Negation:~^To designate messages not in a sequence -.Ps ^Previous\-Sequence:~^The last message specification given -.Ps ^Unseen\-Sequence:~^Those messages not yet seen by the user -.Sa +.fi + +.SH "SEE ALSO" flist(1), mark(1), pick(1), mh-profile(5) -.De + +.SH DEFAULTS None -.Co -All -.En -- 1.7.10.4