X-Git-Url: http://git.marmaro.de/?p=mmh;a=blobdiff_plain;f=man%2Fmh-sequence.man7;h=874f63e07e2263620bd446b3bd90db1e5960f42e;hp=eb54adc0f4e66f7e6885ca257ac0726f27d11231;hb=4c1efddfd499300c7e74263e57d8aa137e84c853;hpb=026d896175424fed9b9d87c93b6c2fa49f0dc7ec

diff --git a/man/mh-sequence.man7 b/man/mh-sequence.man7
index eb54adc..874f63e 100644
--- a/man/mh-sequence.man7
+++ b/man/mh-sequence.man7
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ or one of these \*(lqreserved\*(rq message names:
 .RS 5
 .nf
 .ta +\w'\fIName\fP      'u
-.I Name	Description
+.I "Name	Description
 first	the first message in the folder
 last	the last message in the folder
 cur	the most recently accessed message
@@ -150,15 +150,18 @@ the \*(lqMh\-Sequences\*(rq profile entry is defined but empty, then
 
 .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
+provides the ability to select all messages
+.B not
+elements of a user-defined sequence.
+A special string is used to preface an existing user-defined
+sequence name.  This specification then refers to those
+messages not elements of the specified sequence name.
+The default negation prefix is the exlamation mark `!',
+but it may be change to any string, by defining the entry
 \*(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:
+profile file.
+For example, if the profile entry is:
 .PP
 .RS 5
 Sequence\-Negation: not
@@ -172,6 +175,13 @@ 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.
+The default value `!' was chosen due to its similar meaning in the C
+programming language, and because it cannot be part of a user-defined
+sequence. But if your shell provides history expansion,
+you might need to quote the exlamation mark (prefix it with a backslash).
+.PP
+To deactivate the negation mechanism, define Sequence\-Negation in your
+profile to an empty value.
 
 .SS "The Previous Sequence"
 .B Nmh
@@ -215,50 +225,49 @@ will write to the
 file.
 
 .SS "The Unseen Sequence"
-Finally, many users like to indicate which messages have not been
-previously seen by them.  The commands
+Finally, the unseen sequence indicates which messages have not been
+previously seen by the user.
+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
-.I .mmh/profile
-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
+honor the sequence.
+Whenever new messages 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
-.PP
-.RS 5
-Unseen\-Sequence: unseen
+the new messages will also be added to the unseen sequence.
 .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
+.BR inc ,
+for example,
+adds new messages to the unseen sequence.
+Unlike the behavior of the previous sequence, however,
+the unseen sequence 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.
+display a message, that message will be removed from
+the unseen sequence.
+.PP
+The default unseen sequence is named `u'.
+To change, define a \*(lqUnseen\-Sequence\*(rq entry in your profile.
+It may also contain multiple sequence names, separated by spaces.
+In this case, anything that applied to a single unseen sequence,
+applies to multiple ones, too.
+.PP
+The unseen sequence mechanism is automatically activated.
+To deactivate it, define the \*(lqUnseen\-Sequence\*(rq entry
+in your profile with an empty value.
+
 
 .SH FILES
 .fc ^ ~