Linux Cubed Series 2: Applications/Linux Cubed Series 2 - Applications.iso/editors/emacs/emacs-19.000/emacs-19/usr/local/info/emacs-14

GNU Info File | 1995-09-11 | 47.5 KB | 1,136 lines

This is Info file ../info/emacs, produced by Makeinfo-1.55 from the
input file emacs.texi.


File: emacs,  Node: Mail Headers,  Next: Mail Aliases,  Prev: Mail Format,  Up: Sending Mail

Mail Header Fields
==================

   A header field in the mail buffer starts with a field name at the
beginning of a line, terminated by a colon.  Upper and lower case are
equivalent in field names (and in mailing addresses also).  After the
colon and optional whitespace comes the contents of the field.

   You can use any name you like for a header field, but normally people
use only standard field names with accepted meanings.  Here is a table
of fields commonly used in outgoing messages.

`To'
     This field contains the mailing addresses to which the message is
     addressed.

`Subject'
     The contents of the `Subject' field should be a piece of text that
     says what the message is about.  The reason `Subject' fields are
     useful is that most mail-reading programs can provide a summary of
     messages, listing the subject of each message but not its text.

`CC'
     This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the
     message to, but whose readers should not regard the message as
     addressed to them.

`BCC'
     This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the
     message to, which should not appear in the header of the message
     actually sent.  Copies sent this way are called "blind carbon
     copies".

     To send a blind carbon copy of every outgoing message to yourself,
     set the variable `mail-self-blind' to `t'.

`FCC'
     This field contains the name of one file and directs Emacs to
     append a copy of the message to that file when you send the
     message.  If the file is in Rmail format, Emacs writes the message
     to Rmail format; otherwise, Emacs writes the message in system
     mail file format.

     To put a fixed file name as in `FCC' field each time you start
     editing an outgoing message, set the variable
     `mail-archive-file-name' to that file name.  Unless you remove the
     `FCC' field before sending, the message will be written into that
     file when it is sent.

`From'
     Use the `From' field to say who you are, when the account you are
     using to send the mail is not your own.  The contents of the
     `From' field should be a valid mailing address, since replies will
     normally go there.

`Reply-to'
     Use this field to direct replies to a different address.  Most
     mail-reading programs (including Rmail) automatically send replies
     to the `Reply-to' address in preference to the `From' address.  By
     adding a `Reply-to' field to your header, you can work around any
     problems your `From' address may cause for replies.

     To put a fixed `Reply-to' address into every outgoing message, set
     the variable `mail-default-reply-to' to that address (as a string).
     Then `mail' initializes the message with a `Reply-to' field as
     specified.  You can delete or alter that header field before you
     send the message, if you wish.  When Emacs starts up, if the
     environment variable `REPLYTO' is set, `mail-default-reply-to' is
     initialized from that environment variable.

`In-reply-to'
     This field contains a piece of text describing a message you are
     replying to.  Some mail systems can use this information to
     correlate related pieces of mail.  Normally this field is filled
     in by Rmail when you reply to a message in Rmail, and you never
     need to think about it (*note Rmail::.).

   The `To', `CC', `BCC' and `FCC' fields can appear any number of
times, to specify many places to send the message.  The `To', `CC', and
`BCC' fields can have continuation lines.  All the lines starting with
whitespace, following the line on which the field starts, are
considered part of the field.  For example,

     To: [e-mail], [e-mail],
       [e-mail]3281

   When you send the message, if you didn't write a `From' field
yourself, Emacs puts in one for you.  The variable `mail-from-style'
controls the format:

`nil'
     Just the email address, as in `[e-mail]'.

`parens'
     Both email address and full name, as in `[e-mail] (Elvis
     Parsley)'.

`angles'
     Both email address and full name, as in `Elvis Parsley
     <[e-mail]>'.


File: emacs,  Node: Mail Aliases,  Next: Mail Mode,  Prev: Mail Headers,  Up: Sending Mail

Mail Aliases
============

   You can define "mail aliases" in a file named `~/.mailrc'.  These
are short mnemonic names which stand for mail addresses or groups of
mail addresses.  Like many other mail programs, Emacs expands aliases
when they occur in the `To', `From', `CC', `BCC', and `Reply-to'
fields, plus their `Resent-' variants.

   To define an alias in `~/.mailrc', write a line in the following
format:

     alias SHORTADDRESS FULLADDRESSES

Here FULLADDRESSES stands for one or more mail addresses for
SHORTADDRESS to expand into.  Separate multiple addresses with spaces;
if an address contains a space, quote the whole address with a pair of
double-quotes.

   For instance, to make `maingnu' stand for `[e-mail]' plus
a local address of your own, put in this line:

     alias maingnu [e-mail] local-gnu

   Emacs also recognizes include commands in `.mailrc' files.  They
look like this:

     source FILENAME

The file `~/.mailrc' is used primarily by other mail-reading programs;
it can contain various other commands.  Emacs ignores everything in it
except for alias definitions and include commands.

   Another way to define a mail alias, within Emacs alone, is with the
`define-mail-alias' command.  It prompts for the alias and then the
full address.  You can use it to define aliases in your `.emacs' file,
like this:

     (define-mail-alias "maingnu" "[e-mail]")

   `define-mail-alias' records aliases by adding them to a variable
named `mail-aliases'.  If you are comfortable with manipulating Lisp
lists, you can set `mail-aliases' directly.  The initial value of
`mail-aliases' is `t', which means that Emacs should read `.mailrc' to
get the proper value.

   You can specify a different file name to use instead of `~/.mailrc'
by setting the variable `mail-personal-alias-file'.

   Normally, Emacs expands aliases when you send the message.  If you
like, you can have mail aliases expand as abbrevs, as soon as you type
them in (*note Abbrevs::.).  To enable this feature, execute the
following:

     (add-hook 'mail-setup-hook 'mail-abbrevs-setup)

This can go in your `.emacs' file.  *Note Hooks::.  If you use this
feature, you must use `define-mail-abbrev' instead of
`define-mail-alias'; the latter does not work with this package.  Note
that the mail abbreviation package uses the variable `mail-abbrevs'
instead of `mail-aliases', and that all alias names are converted to
lower case.

   The mail abbreviation package also provides the `C-c C-a'
(`mail-interactive-insert-alias') command, which reads an alias name
(with completion) and inserts its definition at point.  This is useful
when editing the message text itself or a header field such as
`Subject' in which Emacs does not normally expand aliases.

   Note that abbrevs expand only if you insert a word-separator
character afterward.  However, you can rebind `C-n' and `M->' to cause
expansion as well.  Here's how to do that:

     (define-key mail-mode-map "\C-n" 'mail-abbrev-next-line)
     (define-key mail-mode-map "\M->" 'mail-abbrev-end-of-buffer)


File: emacs,  Node: Mail Mode,  Next: Distracting NSA,  Prev: Mail Aliases,  Up: Sending Mail

Mail Mode
=========

   The major mode used in the mail buffer is Mail mode, which is much
like Text mode except that various special commands are provided on the
`C-c' prefix.  These commands all have to do specifically with editing
or sending the message.

`C-c C-s'
     Send the message, and leave the mail buffer selected (`mail-send').

`C-c C-c'
     Send the message, and select some other buffer
     (`mail-send-and-exit').

`C-c C-f C-t'
     Move to the `To' header field, creating one if there is none
     (`mail-to').

`C-c C-f C-s'
     Move to the `Subject' header field, creating one if there is none
     (`mail-subject').

`C-c C-f C-c'
     Move to the `CC' header field, creating one if there is none
     (`mail-cc').

`C-c C-f C-b'
     Move to the `BCC' header field, creating one if there is none
     (`mail-bcc').

`C-c C-f C-f'
     Move to the `FCC' header field, creating one if there is none
     (`mail-fcc').

`C-c C-t'
     Move to the beginning of the message body text (`mail-text').

`C-c C-w'
     Insert the file `~/.signature' at the end of the message text
     (`mail-signature').

`C-c C-y'
     Yank the selected message from Rmail (`mail-yank-original').  This
     command does nothing unless your command to start sending a
     message was issued with Rmail.

`C-c C-q'
     Fill all paragraphs of yanked old messages, each individually
     (`mail-fill-yanked-message').

`M-x ispell-message'
     Do spelling correction on the message text, but not on citations
     from other messages.

   There are two ways to send the message.  `C-c C-s' (`mail-send')
sends the message and marks the mail buffer unmodified, but leaves that
buffer selected so that you can modify the message (perhaps with new
recipients) and send it again.  `C-c C-c' (`mail-send-and-exit') sends
and then deletes the window or switches to another buffer.  It puts the
mail buffer at the lowest priority for reselection by default, since
you are finished with using it.  This is the usual way to send the
message.

   Mail mode provides special commands for editing the headers and text
of the message before you send it.  There are five commands defined to
move point to particular header fields, all based on the prefix `C-c
C-f' (`C-f' is for "field").  They are `C-c C-f C-t' (`mail-to') to
move to the `To' field, `C-c C-f C-s' (`mail-subject') for the
`Subject' field, `C-c C-f C-c' (`mail-cc') for the `CC' field, `C-c C-f
C-b' (`mail-bcc') for the `BCC' field, and `C-c C-f C-f' (`mail-fcc')
for the `FCC' field.  If the field in question does not exist, these
commands create one.  We provide special motion commands for these
particular fields because they are the fields users most often want to
edit.

   `C-c C-t' (`mail-text') moves point to just after the header
separator line--that is, to the beginning of the message body text.

   `C-c C-w' (`mail-signature') adds a standard piece text at the end
of the message to say more about who you are.  The text comes from the
file `.signature' in your home directory.  To insert your signature
automatically, set the variable `mail-signature' non-`nil'; then
starting a mail message automatically inserts the contents of your
`.signature' file.  If you want to omit your signature from a
particular message, delete it from the buffer before you send the
message.

   When mail sending is invoked from the Rmail mail reader using an
Rmail command, `C-c C-y' can be used inside the mail buffer to insert
the text of the message you are replying to.  Normally it indents each
line of that message four spaces and eliminates most header fields.  A
numeric argument specifies the number of spaces to indent.  An argument
of just `C-u' says not to indent at all and not to eliminate anything.
`C-c C-y' always uses the current message from the Rmail buffer, so you
can insert several old messages by selecting one in Rmail, switching to
`*mail*' and yanking it, then switching back to Rmail to select another.

   You can specify the text for `C-c C-y' to insert at the beginning of
each line: set `mail-yank-prefix' to the desired string.  (A value of
`nil' means to use indentation; this is the default.) However, `C-u C-c
C-y' never adds anything at the beginning of the inserted lines,
regardless of the value of `mail-yank-prefix'.

   After using `C-c C-y', you can use the command `C-c C-q'
(`mail-fill-yanked-message') to fill the paragraphs of the yanked old
message or messages.  One use of `C-c C-q' fills all such paragraphs,
each one individually.  *Note Filling::.

   You can do spelling correction on the message text you have written
with the command `M-x ispell-message'.  If you have yanked an incoming
message into the outgoing draft, this command skips what was yanked,
but it checks the text that you yourself inserted.  (It looks for
indentation or `mail-yank-prefix' to distinguish the cited lines from
your input.)  *Note Spelling::.

   Mail mode defines the character `%' as a word separator; this is
helpful for using the word commands to edit mail addresses.

   Mail mode is normally used in buffers set up automatically by the
`mail' command and related commands.  However, you can also switch to
Mail mode in a file-visiting buffer.  That is a useful thing to do if
you have saved draft message text in a file.  In a file-visiting buffer,
`C-c C-c' does not clear the modified flag, because only saving the
file should do that.  As a result, you don't get a warning about trying
to send the same message twice.

   Turning on Mail mode (which `C-x m' does automatically) runs the
normal hooks `text-mode-hook' and `mail-mode-hook'.  Initializing a new
outgoing message runs the normal hook `mail-setup-hook'; if you want to
add special fields to your mail header or make other changes to the
appearance of the mail buffer, use that hook.  *Note Hooks::.

   The main difference between these hooks is just when they are
invoked.  Whenever you type `M-x mail', `mail-mode-hook' runs as soon
as the `*mail*' buffer is created.  Then the `mail-setup' function puts
in the default contents of the buffer.  After these default contents
are inserted, `mail-setup-hook' runs.


File: emacs,  Node: Distracting NSA,  Prev: Mail Mode,  Up: Sending Mail

Distracting the NSA
===================

   `M-x spook' adds a line of randomly chosen keywords to an outgoing
mail message.  The keywords are chosen from a list of words that suggest
you are discussing something subversive.

   The idea behind this feature is that the suspicion that the NSA
snoops on all electronic mail messages that contain keywords suggesting
they might be interested.  (The NSA says they don't, but that's what
they *would* say.)  The idea is that if lots of people add suspicious
words to their messages, the NSA will get so busy with spurious input
that they will have to give up reading it all.

   Here's how to insert spook keywords automatically whenever you start
entering an outgoing message:

     (add-hook 'mail-setup-hook 'spook)

   Whether or not this confuses the NSA, it at least amuses people.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail,  Next: Dired,  Prev: Sending Mail,  Up: Top

Reading Mail with Rmail
***********************

   Rmail is an Emacs subsystem for reading and disposing of mail that
you receive.  Rmail stores mail messages in files called Rmail files.
Reading the message in an Rmail file is done in a special major mode,
Rmail mode, which redefines most letters to run commands for managing
mail.

* Menu:

* Basic: Rmail Basics.       Basic concepts of Rmail, and simple use.
* Scroll: Rmail Scrolling.   Scrolling through a message.
* Motion: Rmail Motion.      Moving to another message.
* Deletion: Rmail Deletion.  Deleting and expunging messages.
* Inbox: Rmail Inbox.        How mail gets into the Rmail file.
* Files: Rmail Files.        Using multiple Rmail files.
* Output: Rmail Output.         Copying message out to files.
* Labels: Rmail Labels.      Classifying messages by labeling them.
* Reply: Rmail Reply.        Sending replies to messages you are viewing.
* Summary: Rmail Summary.    Summaries show brief info on many messages.
* Sort: Rmail Sorting.       Sorting messages in Rmail.
* Display: Rmail Display.    How Rmail displays a message; customization.
* Editing: Rmail Editing.    Editing message text and headers in Rmail.
* Digest: Rmail Digest.      Extracting the messages from a digest message.
* Out of Rmail::         Converting an Rmail file to mailbox format.
* Rot13: Rmail Rot13.         Reading messages encoded in the rot13 code.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Basics,  Next: Rmail Scrolling,  Up: Rmail

Basic Concepts of Rmail
=======================

   Using Rmail in the simplest fashion, you have one Rmail file
`~/RMAIL' in which all of your mail is saved.  It is called your
"primary Rmail file".  The command `M-x rmail' reads your primary Rmail
file, merges new mail in from your inboxes, displays the first message
you haven't read yet, and lets you begin reading.

   Rmail uses narrowing to hide all but one message in the Rmail file.
The message that is shown is called the "current message".  Rmail
mode's special commands can do such things as delete the current
message, copy it into another file, send a reply, or move to another
message.  You can also create multiple Rmail files and use Rmail to move
messages between them.

   Within the Rmail file, messages are normally arranged sequentially in
order of receipt; you can specify other ways to sort them.  Messages are
assigned consecutive integers as their "message numbers".  The number
of the current message is displayed in Rmail's mode line, followed by
the total number of messages in the file.  You can move to a message by
specifying its message number with the `j' key (*note Rmail Motion::.).

   Following the usual conventions of Emacs, changes in an Rmail file
become permanent only when the file is saved.  You can save it with `s'
(`rmail-save'), which also expunges deleted messages from the file
first (*note Rmail Deletion::.).  To save the file without expunging,
use `C-x C-s'.  Rmail also saves the Rmail file after merging new mail
from an inbox file (*note Rmail Inbox::.).

   You can exit Rmail with `q' (`rmail-quit'); this expunges and saves
the Rmail file and then switches to another buffer.  But there is no
need to `exit' formally.  If you switch from Rmail to editing in other
buffers, and never happen to switch back, you have exited.  (The Rmail
command `b', `rmail-bury', does this for you.)  Just make sure to save
the Rmail file eventually (like any other file you have changed).  `C-x
s' is a good enough way to do this (*note Saving::.).


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Scrolling,  Next: Rmail Motion,  Prev: Rmail Basics,  Up: Rmail

Scrolling Within a Message
==========================

   When Rmail displays a message that does not fit on the screen, you
must scroll through it to read the rest.  You could do this with `C-v',
`M-v' and `M-<', but in Rmail scrolling is so frequent that it deserves
to be easier to type.

`SPC'
     Scroll forward (`scroll-up').

`DEL'
     Scroll backward (`scroll-down').

`.'
     Scroll to start of message (`rmail-beginning-of-message').

   Since the most common thing to do while reading a message is to
scroll through it by screenfuls, Rmail makes SPC and DEL synonyms of
`C-v' (`scroll-up') and `M-v' (`scroll-down')

   The command `.' (`rmail-beginning-of-message') scrolls back to the
beginning of the selected message.  This is not quite the same as `M-<':
for one thing, it does not set the mark; for another, it resets the
buffer boundaries to the current message if you have changed them.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Motion,  Next: Rmail Deletion,  Prev: Rmail Scrolling,  Up: Rmail

Moving Among Messages
=====================

   The most basic thing to do with a message is to read it.  The way to
do this in Rmail is to make the message current.  The usual practice is
to move sequentially through the file, since this is the order of
receipt of messages.  When you enter Rmail, you are positioned at the
first message that you have not yet made current (that is, the first one
that has the `unseen' attribute; *note Rmail Labels::.).  Move forward
to see the other new messages; move backward to reexamine old messages.

`n'
     Move to the next nondeleted message, skipping any intervening
     deleted messages (`rmail-next-undeleted-message').

`p'
     Move to the previous nondeleted message
     (`rmail-previous-undeleted-message').

`M-n'
     Move to the next message, including deleted messages
     (`rmail-next-message').

`M-p'
     Move to the previous message, including deleted messages
     (`rmail-previous-message').

`j'
     Move to the first message.  With argument N, move to message
     number N (`rmail-show-message').

`>'
     Move to the last message (`rmail-last-message').

`<'
     Move to the first message (`rmail-first-message').

`M-s REGEXP RET'
     Move to the next message containing a match for REGEXP
     (`rmail-search').

`- M-s REGEXP RET'
     Move to the previous message containing a match for REGEXP.

   `n' and `p' are the usual way of moving among messages in Rmail.
They move through the messages sequentially, but skip over deleted
messages, which is usually what you want to do.  Their command
definitions are named `rmail-next-undeleted-message' and
`rmail-previous-undeleted-message'.  If you do not want to skip deleted
messages--for example, if you want to move to a message to undelete
it--use the variants `M-n' and `M-p' (`rmail-next-message' and
`rmail-previous-message').  A numeric argument to any of these commands
serves as a repeat count.

   In Rmail, you can specify a numeric argument by typing just the
digits.  You don't need to type `C-u' first.

   The `M-s' (`rmail-search') command is Rmail's version of search.
The usual incremental search command `C-s' works in Rmail, but it
searches only within the current message.  The purpose of `M-s' is to
search for another message.  It reads a regular expression (*note
Regexps::.) nonincrementally, then searches starting at the beginning
of the following message for a match.  It then selects that message.
If REGEXP is empty, `M-s' reuses the regexp used the previous time.

   To search backward in the file for another message, give `M-s' a
negative argument.  In Rmail you can do this with `- M-s'.

   It is also possible to search for a message based on labels.  *Note
Rmail Labels::.

   To move to a message specified by absolute message number, use `j'
(`rmail-show-message') with the message number as argument.  With no
argument, `j' selects the first message.  `<' (`rmail-first-message')
also selects the first message.  `>' (`rmail-last-message') selects the
last message.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Deletion,  Next: Rmail Inbox,  Prev: Rmail Motion,  Up: Rmail

Deleting Messages
=================

   When you no longer need to keep a message, you can "delete" it.  This
flags it as ignorable, and some Rmail commands pretend it is no longer
present; but it still has its place in the Rmail file, and still has its
message number.

   "Expunging" the Rmail file actually removes the deleted messages.
The remaining messages are renumbered consecutively.  Expunging is the
only action that changes the message number of any message, except for
undigestifying (*note Rmail Digest::.).

`d'
     Delete the current message, and move to the next nondeleted message
     (`rmail-delete-forward').

`C-d'
     Delete the current message, and move to the previous nondeleted
     message (`rmail-delete-backward').

`u'
     Undelete the current message, or move back to a deleted message and
     undelete it (`rmail-undelete-previous-message').

`x'
     Expunge the Rmail file (`rmail-expunge').

   There are two Rmail commands for deleting messages.  Both delete the
current message and select another message.  `d'
(`rmail-delete-forward') moves to the following message, skipping
messages already deleted, while `C-d' (`rmail-delete-backward') moves
to the previous nondeleted message.  If there is no nondeleted message
to move to in the specified direction, the message that was just
deleted remains current.

   To make all the deleted messages finally vanish from the Rmail file,
type `x' (`rmail-expunge').  Until you do this, you can still
"undelete" the deleted messages.  The undeletion command, `u'
(`rmail-undelete-previous-message'), is designed to cancel the effect
of a `d' command in most cases.  It undeletes the current message if
the current message is deleted.  Otherwise it moves backward to
previous messages until a deleted message is found, and undeletes that
message.

   You can usually undo a `d' with a `u' because the `u' moves back to
and undeletes the message that the `d' deleted.  But this does not work
when the `d' skips a few already-deleted messages that follow the
message being deleted; then the `u' command undeletes the last of the
messages that were skipped.  There is no clean way to avoid this
problem.  However, by repeating the `u' command, you can eventually get
back to the message that you intend to undelete.  You can also select a
particular deleted message with the `M-p' command, then type `u' to
undelete it.

   A deleted message has the `deleted' attribute, and as a result
`deleted' appears in the mode line when the current message is deleted.
In fact, deleting or undeleting a message is nothing more than adding
or removing this attribute.  *Note Rmail Labels::.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Inbox,  Next: Rmail Files,  Prev: Rmail Deletion,  Up: Rmail

Rmail Files and Inboxes
=======================

   The operating system places incoming mail for you in a file that we
call your "inbox".  When you start up Rmail, it runs a C program called
`movemail' to copy the new messages from your inbox into your primary
Rmail file, which also contains other messages saved from previous
Rmail sessions.  It is in this file that you actually read the mail
with Rmail.  This operation is called "getting new mail".  You can get
new mail at any time in Rmail by typing `g'.

   The variable `rmail-primary-inbox-list' contains a list of the files
which are inboxes for your primary Rmail file.  If you don't set this
variable explicitly, it is initialized from the `MAIL' environment
variable, or, as a last resort, set to `nil', which means to use the
default inbox.  The default inbox is `/var/mail/USERNAME',
`/usr/spool/mail/USERNAME', or `/usr/mail/USERNAME', depending on your
operating system.

   Some sites use a method called POP for accessing users' inbox data
instead of storing the data in inbox files.  `movemail' can work with
POP if you compile it with the macro `MAIL_USE_POP' defined, and then
install it setuid to `root'.  It is safe to install `movemail' in this
way.

   Assuming you have compiled and installed `movemail' appropriately,
you can specify a POP inbox with a "file name" of the form
`po:USERNAME'.  `movemail' handles such a name by opening a connection
to the POP server.  The `MAILHOST' environment variable specifies the
machine to look for the server on.

   There are three reason for having separate Rmail files and inboxes.

  1. The inbox file format varies between operating systems and
     according to the other mail software in use.  Only one part of
     Rmail needs to know about the alternatives, and it need only
     understand how to convert all of them to Rmail's own format.

  2. The inbox file format usually doesn't provide a place for all the
     information that Rmail records.

  3. It is very cumbersome to access an inbox file without danger of
     losing mail, because it is necessary to interlock with mail
     delivery.  Moreover, different operating systems use different
     interlocking techniques.  The strategy of moving mail out of the
     inbox once and for all into a separate Rmail file avoids the need
     for interlocking in all the rest of Rmail, since only Rmail
     operates on the Rmail file.

   When getting new mail, Rmail first copies the new mail from the inbox
file to the Rmail file; then it saves the Rmail file; then it truncates
the inbox file.  This way, a system crash may cause duplication of mail
between the inbox and the Rmail file, but cannot lose mail.

   When `movemail' copies mail from an inbox in the system's mailer
directory, it actually puts it in an intermediate file
`~/.newmail-INBOXNAME'.  Once it finishes, Rmail reads that file,
merges the new mail, saves the Rmail file, and only then deletes the
intermediate file.  If there is a crash at the wrong time, this file
continues to exist and Rmail will use it again the next time it gets new
mail from that inbox.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Files,  Next: Rmail Output,  Prev: Rmail Inbox,  Up: Rmail

Multiple Rmail Files
====================

   Rmail operates by default on your "primary Rmail file", which is
named `~/RMAIL' and receives your incoming mail from your system inbox
file.  But you can also have other Rmail files and edit them with
Rmail.  These files can receive mail through their own inboxes, or you
can move messages into them with explicit Rmail commands (*note Rmail
Output::.).

`i FILE RET'
     Read FILE into Emacs and run Rmail on it (`rmail-input').

`M-x set-rmail-inbox-list RET FILES RET'
     Specify inbox file names for current Rmail file to get mail from.

`g'
     Merge new mail from current Rmail file's inboxes
     (`rmail-get-new-mail').

`C-u g FILE RET'
     Merge new mail from inbox file FILE.

   To run Rmail on a file other than your primary Rmail file, you may
use the `i' (`rmail-input') command in Rmail.  This visits the file in
Rmail mode.  You can use `M-x rmail-input' even when not in Rmail.

   The file you read with `i' should normally be a valid Rmail file.
If it is not, Rmail tries to decompose it into a stream of messages in
various known formats.  If it succeeds, it converts the whole file to an
Rmail file.  If you specify a file name that doesn't exist, `i'
initializes a new buffer for creating a new Rmail file.

   You can also select an Rmail file from a menu.  Choose first the menu
bar Classify item, then from the Classify menu choose the Input Rmail
File item; then choose the Rmail file you want.  The variables
`rmail-secondary-file-directory' and `rmail-secondary-file-regexp'
specify which files to offer in the menu: the first variable says which
directory to find them in; the second says which files in that
directory to offer (all those that match the regular expression).
These variables also apply to choosing a file for output (*note Rmail
Output::.).

   Each Rmail file can contain a list of inbox file names; you can
specify this list with `M-x set-rmail-inbox-list RET FILES RET'.  The
argument can contain any number of file names, separated by commas.  It
can also be empty, which specifies that this file should have no
inboxes.  Once a list of inboxes is specified, the Rmail file remembers
it permanently until you specify a different list.

   As a special exception, if your primary Rmail file does not specify
any inbox files, it uses your standard system inbox.

   The `g' command (`rmail-get-new-mail') merges mail into the current
Rmail file from its specified inboxes.  If the Rmail file has no
inboxes, `g' does nothing.  The command `M-x rmail' also merges new
mail into your primary Rmail file.

   To merge mail from a file that is not the usual inbox, give the `g'
key a numeric argument, as in `C-u g'.  Then it reads a file name and
merges mail from that file.  The inbox file is not deleted or changed
in any way when `g' with an argument is used.  This is, therefore, a
general way of merging one file of messages into another.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Output,  Next: Rmail Labels,  Prev: Rmail Files,  Up: Rmail

Copying Messages Out to Files
=============================

   These commands copy messages from an Rmail file into another file.

`o FILE RET'
     Append a copy of the current message to the file FILE, using Rmail
     file format by default (`rmail-output-to-rmail-file').

`C-o FILE RET'
     Append a copy of the current message to the file FILE, using
     system inbox file format by default (`rmail-output').

   The commands `o' and `C-o' copy the current message into a specified
file.  This file may be an Rmail file or it may be in system inbox
format; the output commands ascertain the file's format and write the
copied message in that format.

   The `o' and `C-o' commands differ in two ways: each has its own
separate default file name, and each specifies a choice of format to
use when the file does not already exist.  The `o' command uses Rmail
format when it creates a new file, while `C-o' uses system inbox format
for a new file.  The default file name for `o' is the file name used
last with `o', and the default file name for `C-o' is the file name
used last with `C-o'.

   If the output file is an Rmail file currently visited in an Emacs
buffer, the output commands copy the message into that buffer.  It is
up to you to save the buffer eventually in its file.

   You can also output a message to an Rmail file chosen with a menu.
Choose first the menu bar Classify item, then from the Classify menu
choose the Output Rmail Menu item; then choose the Rmail file you want.
This outputs the current message to that file, like the `o' command.
The variables `rmail-secondary-file-directory' and
`rmail-secondary-file-regexp' specify which files to offer in the menu:
the first variable says which directory to find them in; the second
says which files in that directory to offer (all those that match the
regular expression).

   Copying a message gives the original copy of the message the `filed'
attribute, so that `filed' appears in the mode line when such a message
is current.  If you like to keep just a single copy of every mail
message, set the variable `rmail-delete-after-output' to `t'; then the
`o' and `C-o' commands delete the original message after copying it.
(You can undelete the original afterward if you wish.)

   Copying messages into files in system inbox format uses the header
fields that are displayed in Rmail at the time.  Thus, if you use the
`t' command to view the entire header and then copy the message, the
entire header is copied.  *Note Rmail Display::.

   The variable `rmail-output-file-alist' lets you specify intelligent
defaults for the output file, based on the contents of the current
message.  The value should be a list whose elements have this form:

     (REGEXP . NAME-EXP)

If there's a match for REGEXP in the current message, then the default
file name for output is NAME-EXP.  If multiple elements match the
message, the first matching element decides the default file name.  The
subexpression NAME-EXP may be a string constant giving the file name to
use, or more generally it may be any Lisp expression that returns a
file name as a string.  `rmail-output-file-alist' applies to both `o'
and `C-o'.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Labels,  Next: Rmail Reply,  Prev: Rmail Output,  Up: Rmail

Labels
======

   Each message can have various "labels" assigned to it as a means of
classification.  Each label has a name; different names are different
labels.  Any given label is either present or absent on a particular
message.  A few label names have standard meanings and are given to
messages automatically by Rmail when appropriate; these special labels
are called "attributes".  All other labels are assigned only by users.

`a LABEL RET'
     Assign the label LABEL to the current message (`rmail-add-label').

`k LABEL RET'
     Remove the label LABEL from the current message
     (`rmail-kill-label').

`C-M-n LABELS RET'
     Move to the next message that has one of the labels LABELS
     (`rmail-next-labeled-message').

`C-M-p LABELS RET'
     Move to the previous message that has one of the labels LABELS
     (`rmail-previous-labeled-message').

`C-M-l LABELS RET'
     Make a summary of all messages containing any of the labels LABELS
     (`rmail-summary-by-labels').

   The `a' (`rmail-add-label') and `k' (`rmail-kill-label') commands
allow you to assign or remove any label on the current message.  If the
LABEL argument is empty, it means to assign or remove the same label
most recently assigned or removed.

   Once you have given messages labels to classify them as you wish,
there are two ways to use the labels: in moving and in summaries.

   The command `C-M-n LABELS RET' (`rmail-next-labeled-message') moves
to the next message that has one of the labels LABELS.  The argument
LABELS specifies one or more label names, separated by commas.  `C-M-p'
(`rmail-previous-labeled-message') is similar, but moves backwards to
previous messages.  A numeric argument to either command serves as a
repeat count.

   The command `C-M-l LABELS RET' (`rmail-summary-by-labels') displays
a summary containing only the messages that have at least one of a
specified set of messages.  The argument LABELS is one or more label
names, separated by commas.  *Note Rmail Summary::, for information on
summaries.

   If the LABELS argument to `C-M-n', `C-M-p' or `C-M-l' is empty, it
means to use the last set of labels specified for any of these commands.

   Some labels such as `deleted' and `filed' have built-in meanings and
are assigned to or removed from messages automatically at appropriate
times; these labels are called "attributes".  Here is a list of Rmail
attributes:

`unseen'
     Means the message has never been current.  Assigned to messages
     when they come from an inbox file, and removed when a message is
     made current.  When you start Rmail, it initially shows the first
     message that has this attribute.

`deleted'
     Means the message is deleted.  Assigned by deletion commands and
     removed by undeletion commands (*note Rmail Deletion::.).

`filed'
     Means the message has been copied to some other file.  Assigned by
     the file output commands (*note Rmail Files::.).

`answered'
     Means you have mailed an answer to the message.  Assigned by the
     `r' command (`rmail-reply').  *Note Rmail Reply::.

`forwarded'
     Means you have forwarded the message.  Assigned by the `f' command
     (`rmail-forward').  *Note Rmail Reply::.

`edited'
     Means you have edited the text of the message within Rmail.  *Note
     Rmail Editing::.

`resent'
     Means you have resent the message.  Assigned by the command `M-x
     rmail-resend'.  *Note Rmail Reply::.

   All other labels are assigned or removed only by the user, and have
no standard meaning.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Reply,  Next: Rmail Summary,  Prev: Rmail Labels,  Up: Rmail

Sending Replies
===============

   Rmail has several commands that use Mail mode to send outgoing mail.
*Note Sending Mail::, for information on using Mail mode.  What are
documented here are the special commands of Rmail for entering Mail
mode.  Note that the usual keys for sending mail--`C-x m', `C-x 4 m',
and `C-x 5 m'--are available in Rmail mode and work just as they
usually do.

`m'
     Send a message (`rmail-mail').

`c'
     Continue editing already started outgoing message
     (`rmail-continue').

`r'
     Send a reply to the current Rmail message (`rmail-reply').

`f'
     Forward current message to other users (`rmail-forward').

`C-u f'
     Resend the current message to other users (`rmail-resend').

`M-m'
     Try sending a bounced message a second time
     (`rmail-retry-failure').

   The most common reason to send a message while in Rmail is to reply
to the message you are reading.  To do this, type `r' (`rmail-reply').
This displays the `*mail*' buffer in another window, much like `C-x 4
m', but preinitializes the `Subject', `To', `CC' and `In-reply-to'
header fields based on the message you are replying to.  The `To' field
starts out as the address of the person who sent the message you
received, and the `CC' field starts out with all the other recipients
of that message.

   You can exclude certain recipients from being placed automatically in
the `CC', using the variable `rmail-dont-reply-to-names'.  Its value
should be a regular expression (as a string); any recipient that the
regular expression matches, is excluded from the `CC' field.  The
default value matches your own name, and any name starting with
`info-'.  (Those names are excluded because there is a convention of
using them for large mailing lists to broadcast announcements.)

   To omit the `CC' field completely for a particular reply, enter the
reply command with a numeric argument: `C-u r' or `1 r'.

   Once the `*mail*' buffer has been initialized, editing and sending
the mail goes as usual (*note Sending Mail::.).  You can edit the
presupplied header fields if they are not right for you.  You can also
use the commands of Mail mode, including `C-c C-y' to yank in the
message that you are replying to, and `C-c C-q' to fill what was thus
yanked.  You can also switch to the Rmail buffer, select a different
message, switch back, and yank the new current message.

   Sometimes a message does not reach its destination.  Mailers usually
send the failed message back to you, enclosed in a "failure message".
The Rmail command `M-m' (`rmail-retry-failure') prepares to send the
same message a second time: it sets up a `*mail*' buffer with the same
text and header fields as before.  If you type `C-c C-c' right away,
you send the message again exactly the same as the first time.
Alternatively, you can edit the text or headers and then send it.  The
variable `rmail-retry-ignored-headers', in the same format as
`rmail-ignored-headers' (*note Rmail Display::.), controls which
headers are stripped from the failed message when retrying it; it
defaults to nil.

   Another frequent reason to send mail in Rmail is to "forward" the
current message to other users.  `f' (`rmail-forward') makes this easy
by preinitializing the `*mail*' buffer with the current message as the
text, and a subject designating a forwarded message.  All you have to
do is fill in the recipients and send.  When you forward a message,
recipients get a message which is "from" you, and which has the
original message in its contents.

   "Resending" is an alternative similar to forwarding; the difference
is that resending sends a message that is "from" the original sender,
just as it reached you--with a few added header fields `Resent-from'
and `Resent-to' to indicate that it came via you.  To resend a message
in Rmail, use `C-u f'.  (`f' runs `rmail-forward', which is programmed
to invoke `rmail-resend' if you provide a numeric argument.)

   The `m' (`rmail-mail') command is used to start editing an outgoing
message that is not a reply.  It leaves the header fields empty.  Its
only difference from `C-x 4 m' is that it makes the Rmail buffer
accessible for `C-c C-y', just as `r' does.  Thus, `m' can be used to
reply to or forward a message; it can do anything `r' or `f' can do.

   The `c' (`rmail-continue') command resumes editing the `*mail*'
buffer, to finish editing an outgoing message you were already
composing, or to alter a message you have sent.

   If you set the variable `rmail-mail-new-frame' to a non-`nil' value,
then all the Rmail commands to start sending a message create a new
frame to edit it in.  This frame is deleted when you send the message,
or when you use the `Don't Send' item in the `Mail' menu.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Summary,  Next: Rmail Sorting,  Prev: Rmail Reply,  Up: Rmail

Summaries
=========

   A "summary" is a buffer containing one line per message to give you
an overview of the mail in an Rmail file.  Each line shows the message
number, the sender, the labels, and the subject.  Almost all Rmail
commands are valid in the summary buffer also; these apply to the
message described by the current line of the summary.  Moving point in
the summary buffer selects messages as you move to their summary lines.

   A summary buffer applies to a single Rmail file only; if you are
editing multiple Rmail files, each one can have its own summary buffer.
The summary buffer name is made by appending `-summary' to the Rmail
buffer's name.  Normally only one summary buffer is displayed at a time.

* Menu:

* Rmail Make Summary::         Making various sorts of summaries.
* Rmail Summary Edit::         Manipulating messages from the summary.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Make Summary,  Next: Rmail Summary Edit,  Up: Rmail Summary

Making Summaries
----------------

   Here are the commands to create a summary for the current Rmail file.
Once the Rmail file has a summary buffer, changes in the Rmail file
(such as deleting or expunging messages, and getting new mail)
automatically update the summary.

`h'
`C-M-h'
     Summarize all messages (`rmail-summary').

`l LABELS RET'
`C-M-l LABELS RET'
     Summarize message that have one or more of the specified labels
     (`rmail-summary-by-labels').

`C-M-r RCPTS RET'
     Summarize messages that have one or more of the specified
     recipients (`rmail-summary-by-recipients').

`C-M-t TOPIC RET'
     Summarize messages that have a match for the specified regexp
     TOPIC in their subjects (`rmail-summary-by-topic').

   The `h' or `C-M-h' (`rmail-summary') command fills the summary buffer
for the current Rmail file with a summary of all the messages in the
file.  It then displays and selects the summary buffer in another
window.

   `C-M-l LABELS RET' (`rmail-summary-by-labels') makes a partial
summary mentioning only the messages that have one or more of the
labels LABELS.  LABELS should contain label names separated by commas.

   `C-M-r RCPTS RET' (`rmail-summary-by-recipients') makes a partial
summary mentioning only the messages that have one or more of the
recipients RCPTS.  RCPTS should contain mailing addresses separated by
commas.

   `C-M-t TOPIC RET' (`rmail-summary-by-topic') makes a partial summary
mentioning only the messages whose subjects have a match for the
regular expression TOPIC.

   Note that there is only one summary buffer for any Rmail file;
making one kind of summary discards any previously made summary.

   The variable `rmail-summary-window-size' says how many lines to use
for the summary window.


File: emacs,  Node: Rmail Summary Edit,  Prev: Rmail Make Summary,  Up: Rmail Summary

Editing in Summaries
--------------------

   You can use the Rmail summary buffer to do almost anything you can do
in the Rmail buffer itself.  In fact, once you have a summary buffer,
there's no need to switch back to the Rmail buffer.

   You can select and display various messages in the Rmail buffer, from
the summary buffer, just by moving point in the summary buffer to
different lines.  It doesn't matter what Emacs command you use to move
point; whichever line point is on at the end of the command, that
message is selected in the Rmail buffer.

   Almost all Rmail commands work in the summary buffer as well as in
the Rmail buffer.  Thus, `d' in the summary buffer deletes the current
message, `u' undeletes, and `x' expunges.  `o' and `C-o' output the
current message to a file; `r' starts a reply to it.  You can scroll
the current message while remaining in the summary buffer using SPC and
DEL.

   The Rmail commands to move between messages also work in the summary
buffer, but with a twist: they move through the set of messages included
in the summary.  They also ensure the Rmail buffer appears on the screen
(unlike cursor motion commands, which update the contents of the Rmail
buffer but don't display it in a window unless it already appears).
Here is a list of these commands:

`n'
     Move to next line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select its
     message.

`p'
     Move to previous line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select
     its message.

`M-n'
     Move to next line and select its message.

`M-p'
     Move to previous line and select its message.

`>'
     Move to the last line, and select its message.

`<'
     Move to the first line, and select its message.

`M-s PATTERN RET'
     Search through messages for PATTERN starting with the current
     message; select the message found, and move point in the summary
     buffer to that message's line.

   Deletion, undeletion, and getting new mail, and even selection of a
different message all update the summary buffer when you do them in the
Rmail buffer.  If the variable `rmail-redisplay-summary' is non-`nil',
these actions also bring the summary buffer back onto the screen.

   When you are finished using the summary, type `w'
(`rmail-summary-wipe') to delete the summary buffer's window.  You can
also exit Rmail while in the summary: `q' (`rmail-summary-quit')
deletes the summary window, then exits from Rmail by saving the Rmail
file and switching to another buffer.