1 10/10/83 read_mail, rdm
2
3 Syntax: rdm mbx_specification -control_args
4
5
6 Function: selectively lists, prints, deletes, saves and forwards
7 messages and mail sent to a mailbox.
8
9
10 Arguments:
11 mbx_specification
12 specifies the mailbox to be exmained. If not given, the user's
13 default mailbox >udd>Project>Person>Person.mbx is used.
14
15
16 List of mbx_specifications:
17 -mailbox path, -mbx path
18 specifies the pathname of a mailbox. The suffix "mbx" is added if
19 necessary.
20 -user STR
21 specifies either a user's default mailbox or an entry in the system
22 mail table. See "Notes on mailbox selection by user" below for more
23 information.
24 -save path, -sv path
25 specifies the pathname of a savebox. The suffix "sv.mbx" is added
26 if necessary.
27 -log
28 specifies the user's logbox and is equivalent to:
29 -mailbox >udd>Project_id>Person_id>Person_id.sv.mbx
30
31
32 STR
33 is any non-control argument and is first interpreted as:
34 -mailbox STR
35 if no mailbox is found, this specification is then interpreted as:
36 -save STR
37 if no savebox is found, this specification is then interpreted as:
38 -user STR
39
40
41 Control arguments:
42 -interactive_messages, -im
43 specifies that read_mail should process interactive messages in the
44 mailbox.
45 -no_interactive_messages, -nim
46 specifies that read_mail should not process interactive messages.
47 Use of this control argument is incompatible with -no_mail.
48 Default
49 -mail, -ml
50 specifies that read_mail should process ordinary messages in the
51 mailbox. Default
52 -no_mail, -nml
53 specifies that read_mail should not process ordinary messages. Use
54 of this control argument is incompatible with -nim.
55
56
57 -accessible, -acc
58 specifies that read_mail should only select those messages in the
59 mailbox that the user is permitted to read. If the user has read
60 r extended access on the mailbox, read_mail will select all
61 messages in the mailbox; if the user has own o extended access on
62 the mailbox, read_mail will select only those messages which the
63 user sent to the mailbox. Default
64 -all, -a
65 specifies that read_mail should select all messages in the mailbox
66 regardless of who sent them. Use of this control argument requires
67 read r extended access on the mailbox.
68
69
70 -own
71 specifies that read_mail should select only those messages in the
72 mailbox that the user himself sent to the mailbox. Use of this
73 control argument requires own o extended access on the mailbox.
74 -not_own
75 specifies that read_mail should select only those messages in the
76 mailbox that were not sent by the user. Use of this control
77 argument requires read r extended access on the mailbox.
78 -count, -ct
79 prints the number of messages being read before entering the request
80 loop. Default
81 -no_count, -nct
82 does not print the message count.
83
84
85 -totals, -tt
86 prints the number of the messages in the mailbox and exits without
87 entering the request loop. This control argument is incompatible
88 with -print, -list, -request, and -quit.
89 -request_loop, -rql
90 enters the read_mail request loop even if there are no messages
91 in the mailbox.
92 -no_request_loop, -nrql
93 does not enter the request loop if there are no messages in the
94 mailbox. Default
95 -list, -ls
96 lists the messages in the mailbox before entering the request loop.
97 -no_list, -nls
98 does not list the messages before entering request loop. Default
99
100
101 -print, -pr
102 prints all messages in the mailbox before entering the request loop.
103 -no_print, -npr
104 does not the print messages before entering request loop. Default
105 -request STR, -rq STR
106 executes STR as a read_mail request line before entering the
107 request loop.
108 -quit
109 exits read_mail after performing any operations given by the -list,
110 -print, or -request control arguments; this control argument must be
111 given in combination with one of those.
112 -acknowledge, -ack
113 acknowledges messages which request acknowledgement. Default
114 -no_acknowledge, -nack
115 does not acknowledge messages which request acknowledgement.
116
117
118 -brief, -bf
119 shortens some informative messages and suppresses others.
120 -long, -lg
121 prints the long form of all informative messages. Default
122 -abbrev, -ab
123 enables abbreviation expansion of request lines.
124 -no_abbrev, -nab
125 does not enable abbreviation expansion of request lines. Default
126 -profile path, -pf path
127 specifies the pathname of the profile to use for abbreviation
128 expansion. The suffix "profile" is added if necessary. This
129 control argument implies -abbrev.
130
131
132 -prompt STR, -pmt STR
133 sets the request loop prompt to STR. The default is:
134 ^/read_mail^ ^d^:^2x
135 -no_prompt, -npmt
136 suppresses the prompt for request lines in the request loop.
137 -debug, -db
138 enables read_mail's debugging facilities. Use of this control
139 argument is not recommended for normal users of read_mail.
140 -no_debug, -ndb
141 disables read_mail's debugging facilities. Default
142
143
144 Notes on mailbox selection by user:
145 As listed above, the "-user STR" mbx_specification is used to select
146 either a user's default mailbox or the mailbox identified by an entry
147 in the system wide mail table. For more information on the mail table,
148 type:
149 help mail_table.gi
150
151
152 If the above STR contains exactly one period and no whitespace, it is
153 interpreted as a User_id which specifies a user's default mailbox;
154 otherwise, it is interpreted as the name of an entry in the mail table.
155
156 For example,
157 -user Sibert.SiteSA
158 is interpreted as a User_id which identifies a default mailbox. On the
159 other hand,
160 -user "Gary M. Palter"
161 -user J.C.Snead
162 are both interpreted as the names of entries in the mail table; the
163 first because it contains whitespace and the second because it contains
164 more than one period.
165
166
167 When interpreted as a User_id, the STR may not contain any angle
168 brackets <> and must have the form Person_id.Project_id where
169 Person_id may not exceed 28 characters in length and Project_id may not
170 exceed 32 characters in length. In this case, "-user STR" is
171 equivalent to the mbx_specification
172 -mailbox >udd>Project_id>Person_id>Person_id.mbx
173
174 When interpreted as the name of a mail table entry, STR may not contain
175 any commas, colons, semi-colons, backslashes \, parentheses, angle
176 brackets <>, braces , quotes ", commercial at-signs @, or
177 whitespace other than spaces. The query of the mail table is performed
178 in a case insensitive manner. The display_mailing_address command may
179 be used to determine the actual address corresponding to the STR. The
180 address in the mail table must identify a mailbox.
181
182
183 Notes on control arguments affecting individual requests:
184 Control arguments may be specified on the read_mail command line to
185 change the default behavior of individual requests. Use of these
186 control arguments on the command line is identical to specifying them
187 for each use of the particular request. Of course, the modified
188 default behavior of a request may be overriden for individual uses of
189 the request by use of the appropriate control argument.
190
191 Type:
192 help request_name
193 within read_mail for more detail on the effect of the following control
194 arguments.
195
196
197 List of control arguments affecting the print request:
198 -long_header, -lghe
199 specifies that the print request is to display all information from
200 the message header including network tracing information even if
201 some of the information is redundant.
202 -header, -he
203 specifies that the print request is to display all information from
204 the message header including user-defined fields while excluding the
205 message trace and redundant information. Default
206 -brief_header, -bfhe
207 specifies that the print request is to display the minimal amount of
208 information from the message header.
209 -no_header, -nhe
210 specifies that print request is to display absolutely no information
211 from the message header. Only the message number, message body line
212 count, and message body will be displayed.
213
214
215 List of control arguments affecting the reply request:
216 -include_authors, -iat
217 includes the authors of the message as recipients of the reply.
218 Default
219 -no_include_authors, -niat
220 does not include the authors of the message as recipients of the
221 reply.
222 -include_recipients, -irc
223 includes the recipients of the message as recipients of the reply.
224 -no_include_recipients, -nirc
225 does not include the recipients of the message as recipients of the
226 reply. Default
227
228
229 -include_self, -is
230 allows the user of read_mail to be a recipient of the reply without
231 explicit use of -to or -cc.
232 -no_include_self, -nis
233 does not include the user of read_mail as a recipient of the reply
234 unless explicitly requested via -to or -cc. Default
235 -include_original, -io
236 includes the original message as part of the text of the reply.
237 -no_include_original, -nio
238 does not put the original message into the reply's text. Default
239 -indent N, -ind N
240 indents the original message when -include_original is specified.
241 Default -- 4
242
243
244 -fill, -fi
245 causes the reply message to be filled before transmission.
246 Default for -terminal_input
247 -no_fill, -nfi
248 causes the reply message to not be filled before transmission.
249 Default for -input_file
250 -line_length N, -ll N
251 specifies the line length used when filling the reply message.
252 Default -- 72
253
254
255 Notes:
256 Messages are not actually deleted until read_mail is exited via the
257 quit request. While within read_mail, messages which are accidently
258 marked for deletion can be restored by using the retrieve request.
259
260 For a description of the message specifiers, selection control
261 arguments, and addresses used by the individual read_mail requests,
262 type:
263 help message_specifiers.gi
264 help selection_control_args.gi
265 help addresses.gi -section control argument
266 within the read_mail request loop.
267
268
269 List of requests:
270 In the following summary of read_mail requests, "spec" is used as
271 shorthand for "message_specifier", "-selca" is used as shorthand for
272 "-selection_args" and "-ca" is used as shorthand for "-control_args".
273 For a complete description of any request, issue the read_mail
274 request:
275 help request_name
276
277
278 . prints a line describing the current invocation of read_mail.
279 ? prints a list of requests available in read_mail.
280 abbrev -ca, ab -ca
281 controls abbreviation processing of request lines.
282 all -ca, all -ca
283 prints/returns the message numbers of all messages of the specified
284 type in the mailbox.
285 answer STR -ca request_line
286 provides preset answers to questions asked by another request.
287 append specs path -ca, app specs path -ca
288 writes the ASCII representation of the specified messages to the end
289 of a segment.
290 apply specs -ca cmd_line, ap specs -ca cmd_line
291 executes a Multics command line on the ASCII form of the messages.
292
293
294 copy specs path -ca
295 copies the specified messages into another mailbox.
296 current, c, current, c
297 prints/returns the current message number.
298 debug_mode -ca
299 enables/disables read_mail's debugging facilities.
300 delete specs -ca -selca,
301 dl specs -ca -selca,
302 d specs -ca -selca
303 deletes the specified messages.
304 do rq_str args, do rq_str args
305 executes/returns a request line with argument substitution.
306
307
308 exec_com ec_path ec_args,
309 ec ec_path ec_args,
310 exec_com ec_path ec_args,
311 ec ec_path ec_args
312 executes a file of read_mail requests which may return a value.
313 execute cmd_line,
314 e cmd_line,
315 execute active_str,
316 e active_str
317 executes a Multics command line/evaluates a Multics active string.
318 first -ca, f -ca, first -ca, f -ca
319 prints/returns the message number of the first message of the
320 specified type in the mailbox.
321
322
323 forward spec addresses -ca,
324 fwd spec addresses -ca,
325 for spec addresses -ca
326 forwards the specified message to the specified recipients.
327 help topics -ca
328 prints information about read_mail requests and other topics.
329 if expr -then line1 -else line2,
330 if expr -then STR1 -else STR2
331 conditionally executes/returns one of two request lines.
332 last -ca, l -ca, last -ca, l -ca
333 prints/returns the message number of the last message of the
334 specified type in the mailbox.
335
336
337 list specs -ca -selca,
338 ls specs -ca -selca,
339 list specs -ca -selca,
340 ls specs -ca -selca
341 displays a summary of the selected messages or returns their message
342 numbers.
343 list_help topics, lh topics
344 displays the name of all read_mail info segments on given topics.
345 list_requests STRs -ca, lr STRs -ca
346 prints a brief description of selected read_mail requests.
347 log specs -ca
348 places a copy of the specified messages into the user's logbox.
349 mailbox, mbx, mailbox, mbx
350 prints/returns the absolute pathname of the mailbox being read.
351
352
353 next -ca, next -ca
354 prints/returns the message number of the first message of the
355 specified type after the current message.
356 preface specs pathname -ca, prf specs pathname -ca
357 writes the ASCII representations of the specified messages to the
358 beginning of a segment.
359 previous -ca, previous -ca
360 prints/returns the message number of the last message of the
361 specified type before the current message.
362 print specs -ca -selca,
363 pr specs -ca -selca,
364 p specs -ca -selca
365 prints the specified messages.
366 print_header specs -ca -selca, prhe specs -ca -selca
367 prints the specified messages' headers.
368
369
370 quit -ca, q -ca
371 exits read_mail.
372 ready, rdy
373 prints a Multics ready message.
374 ready_off, rdf
375 disables printing of a ready message after each request line.
376 ready_on, rdn
377 enables printing of a ready message after each request line.
378 reply specs -ca addresses,
379 rp specs -ca addresses
380 creates a send_mail invocation to answer the specified messages.
381 retrieve specs -selca, rt specs -selca
382 retrieves the specified deleted messages.
383 save specs path -ca, sv specs path -ca
384 places a copy of the specified messages into a save mailbox.
385
386
387 subsystem_name, subsystem_name
388 prints/returns the name of this subsystem
389 subystem_version, subsystem_version
390 prints/returns the version number of this subsystem.
391 write specs path -ca, w specs path -ca
392 writes the ASCII representation of the specified messages to the end
393 of a segment.