REPL(1)
NAME
repl - reply to a message
SYNOPSIS
repl [+folder] [msg]
[-group] [-nogroup] [-annotate] [-noannotate]
[-cc all/to/cc/me] [-nocc all/to/cc/me]
[-query] [-noquery] [-form formfile]
[-format] [-noformat] [-filter filterfile]
[-inplace] [-noinplace] [-mime] [-nomime]
[-fcc +folder] [-width columns]
[-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg]
[-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit]
[-whatnowproc program] [-nowhatnowproc]
[-version] [-help]
DESCRIPTION
Repl may be used to produce a reply to an existing mes-
sage.
In its simplest form (with no arguments), repl will set up
a message-form skeleton in reply to the current message in
the current folder, and invoke the whatnow shell.
In order to construct the message draft of the reply, repl
uses a reply template to guide its actions. A reply tem-
plate is simply a mhl format file (see mh-format (5) for
details).
If the switch `-nogroup' is given (it is on by default),
then repl will use the standard forms file "replcomps".
This will construct a draft message that is intended to be
sent only to the author of the message to which you are
replying. If a file named "replcomps" exists in the
user's nmh directory, it will be used instead of this
default forms file.
The default reply template "replcomps" will direct repl to
construct the reply message draft as follows:
To: <Mail-Reply-To> or <Reply-To> or <From>
Subject: Re: <Subject>
In-Reply-To: Your message of <Date>.
<Message-Id>
where field names enclosed in angle brackets (< >) indicate
the contents of the named field from the message to which
the reply is being made.
If the switch `-group' is given, then repl will use the the
standard forms file "replgroupcomps". This will construct a
draft message that is intended as a group or followup reply.
If a file named "replgroupcomps" exists in the user's nmh
directory, it will be used instead of this default forms
file.
The default group reply template "replgroupcomps" will
direct repl to construct the reply message draft as follows:
To: <Mail-Followup-To>
Subject: Re: <Subject>
In-Reply-To: Message from <From> of <Date>.
<Message-Id>
or if the field <Mail-Followup-To> is not available:
To: <Mail-Reply-To> or <Reply-To> or <From>
cc: <To> and <cc> and <personal address>
Subject: Re: <Subject>
In-Reply-To: Message from <From> of <Date>.
<Message-Id>
In any case, you may specify an alternate forms file with
the switch `-form formfile'.
You may selectively remove addresses from this default with
the `-nocc type' switch. This switch takes an argument
(all/to/cc/me) which specifies who gets removed from the
default "cc:" list of the reply. You may give this switch
multiple times (with different arguments) if you wish to
remove multiple types of addresses.
The `-query' switch modifies the action of `-nocc type'
switch by interactively asking you if each address that nor-
mally would be placed in the "To:" and "cc:" list should
actually be sent a copy. This is useful for special-purpose
replies. Note that the position of the `-cc' and `-nocc'
switches, like all other switches which take a positive and
negative form, is important.
Lines beginning with the fields "To:", "cc:", and "Bcc:"
will be standardized and have duplicate addresses removed.
In addition, the `-width columns' switch will guide repl's
formatting of these fields.
If the draft already exists, repl will ask you as to the
disposition of the draft. A reply of quit will abort repl,
leaving the draft intact; replace will replace the existing
draft with a blank skeleton; and list will display the
draft.
See comp (1) for a description of the `-editor' and
`-noedit' switches. Note that while in the editor, the mes-
sage being replied to is available through a link named "@"
(assuming the default whatnowproc ). In addition, the
actual pathname of the message is stored in the environment
variable $editalt, and the pathname of the folder containing
the message is stored in the environment variable $mhfolder.
Although repl uses a forms file to direct it how to con-
struct the beginning of the draft, it uses a message filter
file to direct it as to how the message to which you are
replying should be filtered (re-formatted) in the body of
the draft. The filter file for repl should be a standard
form file for mhl, as repl will invoke mhl to format the
message to which you are replying.
The switches `-noformat', `-format', and `-filter filter-
file' specify which message filter file to use.
If the switch `-noformat' is given (it is the default), then
the message to which you are replying is not included in the
body of the draft.
If the switch `-format' is given, then a default message
filter file is used. This default message filter should be
adequate for most users. This default filter "mhl.reply"
is:
; mhl.reply
;
; default message filter for `repl' (repl -format)
;
body:component="> ",overflowtext="> ",overflowoffset=0
which outputs each line of the body of the message prefaced
with the ">" character and a space.
If a file named "mhl.reply" exists in the user's nmh direc-
tory, it will be used instead of this form. You may specify
an alternate message filter file with the switch
`-filter filterfile'.
Other reply filters are commonly used, such as:
:
body:nocomponent,compwidth=9,offset=9
which says to output a blank line and then the body of the
message being replied-to, indented by one tab-stop. Another
popular format is:
message-id:nocomponent,nonewline,\
formatfield="In message %{text}, "
from:nocomponent,formatfield="%(friendly{text}) writes:"
body:component=">",overflowtext=">",overflowoffset=0
This message filter file cites the Message-ID and author of
the message being replied-to, and then outputs each line of
the body prefaced with the ">" character.
To use the MIME rules for encapsulation, specify the `-mime'
switch. This directs reply to generate an mhbuild composi-
tion file. Note that nmh will not invoke mhbuild automati-
cally, unless you add this line to your .mh_profile file:
automimeproc: 1
Otherwise, you must specifically give the command
What now? mime
prior to sending the draft.
If the `-annotate' switch is given, the message being
replied-to will be annotated with the lines
Replied: date
Replied: addrs
where the address list contains one line for each addressee.
The annotation will be done only if the message is sent
directly from repl. If the message is not sent immediately
from repl, "comp -use" may be used to re-edit and send the
constructed message, but the annotations won't take place.
Normally annotations are done inplace in order to preserve
any links to the message. You may use the `-noinplace'
switch to change this.
The `-fcc +folder' switch can be used to automatically spec-
ify a folder to receive Fcc:s. More than one folder, each
preceeded by `-fcc' can be named.
In addition to the standard mh-format (5) escapes, repl also
recognizes the following additional component escape:
Escape Returns Description
fcc string Any folders specified with `-fcc folder'
To avoid reiteration, repl strips any leading `Re: ' strings
from the subject component.
The `-draftfolder +folder' and `-draftmessage msg' switches
invoke the nmh draft folder facility. This is an advanced
(and highly useful) feature. Consult the mh-draft(5) man
page for more information.
Upon exiting from the editor, repl will invoke the whatnow
program. See whatnow (1) for a discussion of available
options. The invocation of this program can be inhibited by
using the `-nowhatnowproc' switch. (In truth of fact, it is
the whatnow program which starts the initial edit. Hence,
`-nowhatnowproc' will prevent any edit from occurring.)
FILES
/etc/nmh/replcomps The standard reply template
or <mh-dir>/replcomps Rather than the standard template
/etc/nmh/replgroupcomps The standard `reply -group' template
or <mh-dir>/replgroupcomps Rather than the standard template
/etc/nmh/mhl.reply The standard message filter
or <mh-dir>/mhl.reply Rather than the standard filter
$HOME/.mh_profile The user profile
<mh-dir>/draft The draft file
PROFILE COMPONENTS
Path: To determine the user's nmh directory
Alternate-Mailboxes: To determine the user's mailboxes
Current-Folder: To find the default current folder
Draft-Folder: To find the default draft-folder
Editor: To override the default editor
Msg-Protect: To set mode when creating a new message (draft)
fileproc: Program to refile the message
mhlproc: Program to filter message being replied-to
whatnowproc: Program to ask the "What now?" questions
SEE ALSO
mhbuild(1) comp(1) forw(1) send(1) whatnow(1) mh-for-
mat(5)
DEFAULTS
`+folder' defaults to the current folder
`msg' defaults to cur
`-nogroup'
`-cc all'
`-noannotate'
`-nodraftfolder'
`-noformat'
`-inplace'
`-nomime'
`-noquery'
`-width 72'
CONTEXT
If a folder is given, it will become the current folder.
The message replied-to will become the current message.
BUGS
If any addresses occur in the reply template, addresses in
the template that do not contain hosts are defaulted
incorrectly. Instead of using the localhost for the
default, repl uses the sender's host. Moral of the story:
if you're going to include addresses in a reply template,
include the host portion of the address.
The `-width columns' switch is only used to do address-
folding; other headers are not line-wrapped.
If whatnowproc is whatnow, then repl uses a built-in
whatnow, it does not actually run the whatnow program.
Hence, if you define your own whatnowproc, don't call it
whatnow since repl won't run it.
If your current working directory is not writable, the
link named "@" is not available.