1 10/11/83  read_mail (forward) request:  apply, ap
 2 
 3 Syntax:  ap {-control_args} command_line
 4 
 5 
 6 Function:  passes the comment text to an arbitrary Multics command line
 7 which is then executed in order to possibly edit the comment.
 8 
 9 
10 Arguments:
11 command_line
12    is the Multics command line to be executed.  See the Notes below for
13    an explanation of how the comment is supplied to the command line.
14 
15 
16 Control arguments:
17 -fill, -fi
18    specifies that the comment text should be reformatted after the
19    command line has been executed.
20 -no_fill, -nfi
21    specifies that the comment text should not be reformatted.
22 -line_length N, -ll N
23    specifies the line length to use when reformatting the comment text.
24    If this control argument is not given, the line length specified on
25    the forward request line will be used; if, however, no line length
26    was specified on the forward request line, a line length of 62 will
27    be used.
28 
29 
30 Notes:
31 The supplied command line need not be enclosed in quotes.  However, if
32 there are (), [], or "'s in the command line which should be processed
33 by the Multics command processor, they should be enclosed in quotes to
34 prevent processing by forward's request processor.
35 
36 The comment is passed to the Multics command line by placing the
37 comment text into a temporary segment.  The pathname of this segment is
38 then appended to the command line which is then executed.  Thes content
39 of the segment after execution then replaces the prior comment text.
40 
41 This request may be used to edit the comment with an editor other than
42 qedx.  For example, the request
43       apply emacs
44 will invoke the Emacs text editor on the comment text.
45 
46 
47 The default for reformatting the comment after execution of the command
48 line is dependent on the original source of the comment text.  If
49 terminal input was used, the default is to reformat the comment; if
50 file input was used, the default is to not reformat the comment.  This
51 default may be changed by use of the -fill and -no_fill control
52 arguments on the forward request line.  Additionally, whatever default
53 is specified may be overriden for one invocation of the apply request
54 by use of the control arguments described above.