Mega Top 1

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Mega Top 1 / os2_top1.zip / os2_top1 / APPS / DATACOM / INTERNET / UPC12B2 / DOC / MAIL.PRN < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1993-10-04 | 34.1 KB | 672 lines

UUPC/extended Command Reference Command Reference Command Reference MAIL MAIL MAIL Command line interface for read and sending mail Synopsis Synopsis Synopsis mail [-x debug] [-p] [-t] [-f name] mail [-x debug] [-p] [-t] [-u userid] mail [-x debug] [-s subject] address ... [-c] address ... [-b] address Availability Availability Availability MS-DOS, Windows 3.x, OS/2, and Windows NT Description Description Description The MAIL command is used to both compose and read mail. It provides a human interface to the user mailboxes, and formats mail for the RMAIL command to perform delivery to local and remote users. If MAIL is invoked interactively with one or more addresses, it prompts for the subject of the message (if not provided via the - s flag), and then prompts for the text of the message either directly or via a user specified editor. (See The UUPC/extended The UUPC/extended The UUPC/extended UUPC.RC and [userid].RC files UUPC.RC and [userid].RC files UUPC.RC and [userid].RC files, page 91, to find out how to specify an editor. The program then prompts for the action to take (list, edit, input additional lines of text directly, abort, or send) until the message is sent or aborted. When sent, the required RFC-822 headers are added to the mail and the entire message is passed to RMAIL for delivery. If MAIL is invoked with one or more addresses and the input is not the keyboard, then the input is taken without prompting or editing and passed to RMAIL with the appropriate RFC-822 headers. If invoked without addresses to send mail to, MAIL reads the user's system mailbox (or other mailbox if specified on the command line), displays a one line summary of each message, and prompts for a user command with a item number and a question mark (?). Commands can be issued to read, save, delete, or send mail until the program is terminated by the quit or exit commands. The following option is always accepted by MAIL: -x debug Amount of debugging information to display. The default is taken from the environment variable UUPCDEBUG if set and is otherwise 0. The higher the debug level, the more information overwhelms the unsuspecting user. 10/04/93 - 49 - UUPC/extended 1.12b Installation and Installation and Installation and User's Reference User's Reference User's Reference The following options are accepted when composing mail: -s subject Subject of the message to send. If multiple words, this must be enclosed in quotes. This option must precede any addresses and the -c and/or -b flags, if supplied. address -c One or more carbon copy addresses. Such addresses are listed under the CC: field of the RFC-822 header rather than in the To: field. One or more addresses must be listed after the -c flag. address -b One or more blind carbon copy addresses. Such addresses are listed under the Bcc: field of the RFC-822 header, which is dropped by RMAIL after processing. Thus, no one sees these addresses in their mail headers. The following options are accepted when reading mail: filename -f Name of the file to read rather than the system mailbox. See below for the syntax of accepted file names. userid -u Name of the user whose system mailbox is to be read. -t Rather than display who mail is from in the one summary, display who the mail is to. This is automatically enabled for the file defined by the UUPC.RC variable FileSent= FileSent= FileSent= (See The UUPC/extended The UUPC/extended The UUPC/extended UUPC.RC and [userid].RC files UUPC.RC and [userid].RC files UUPC.RC and [userid].RC files, page 91, for a further explanation.), which defines where a copy of mail you send is saved. If the flag is -t -t -t specified for the file, it reverts to FileSent= FileSent= FileSent= normal processing (displaying whom the mail is from). -p Print all the mail in the specified mailbox and exit. Types of operands Types of operands Types of operands In the list of commands available when reading mail, messages refers to one or more messages in the mail box. These items can be specified in one of the following ways: Message A single numeric value, the special character Number dot (.) to specify the current item, or the special character dollar sign ($) to specify the last item in the mailbox. 50- - 10/04/93 UUPC/extended Command Reference Command Reference Command Reference Message range Two message numbers separated by a hyphen (-). The messages must be in ascending order; for example, 1-$ is valid, but $-1 is not valid. List of A list of message numbers and/or message ranges, messages separated by spaces. The list need not be in ascending order. An example is: 1-5 8 7 14-17. Asterisk (*) Selects all messages in the mailbox Subject A slash (/) followed by a subject to search for, optionally followed by a terminating slash. Each Subject: or Resent-Subject: will be searched for the specified string. An example is /UUPC bugs/ User id A single word (no white space) appearing in the From or Resent-From lines of the mail header. Note that if the command accepts both an item and a userid, you cannot specify the item as a user id. Note: Note: Note: If the command accepts both an item and file name and you specify a user id for the item, you must explicitly provide the default filename unless the user id includes the characters at sign (@), percent sign (%), or exclamation point (!). Some commands also allow file names as operands. File names may look like any of the following: Type of file Description Example Simple file An MS-DOS file name with no path snuffles.spb name name 10/04/93 - 51 - UUPC/extended 1.12b Installation and Installation and Installation and User's Reference User's Reference User's Reference Relative path An MS-DOS file name with one or mail\snuffles name more back slashes (\) which does .spb not begin with a back slash or drive letter. Absolute path An MS-DOS file name with one or d:\uupc\snuff name more back slashes (\) which les.spb begins with a back slash or drive letter. UNC name Universal Naming Convention name. \\kewgate\uup A file located on a network c\mail\snuffl server. es.spb Mailbox A simple file name prefixed by +snuffles the plus sign (+) character. This will cause the file be referenced as if it is the mailbox for the specified user. For example, +postmast refers to the mailbox for user postmast. Relative to A simple file name preceded by a ~/oldmail/snu your home tilde and slash (~/). The file ffles.spb directory is then referenced by the prepending the home directory listed in your ].RC userid [ to the simple file name. Relative to A simple file name preceded by a ~snuffles/old another's tilde, the userid, and a slash mail.spb home (~userid/). The file is then directory. referenced by the prepending the home directory listed in the PASSWD file for user "userid" to the simple file name. When sending mail from the command line or via the or mail mail mail commands, the destination address must be entered. forward forward forward Acceptable addresses look like any of the following: -52- 10/04/93 UUPC/extended Command Reference Command Reference Command Reference Address Description Example type userid A simple user id, for delivery on snuffles the local system. node @ userid A user id and node combination, snuffles@kew.c for delivery to on system userid om node. userid ! node A user id and node combination, smersh!kendra! for delivery to on system userid snuffles node nickname A user or list defined in the pbear user's ALIASES.TXT file or local system aliases file. If the flag is inserted before a user id, then mail to the -c -c -c following users is sent as Carbon Copy (Cc:) addresses. If the is inserted before a user id, then mail to the following -b -b -b flag users is sent as blind carbon copies. Their addresses do not appear in the mail header. The blind carbon copy flag must follow any all normal addresses and carbon copy addressees. Example: Example: Example: mail -s "Test message" snuffles -c athena!kewms -b software@kew.com Commands available when reading mail Commands available when reading mail Commands available when reading mail Commands are entered in response to the mail question mark prompt (?). All commands must be separated from their operands, if any, by white space. Most commands can be abbreviated to a single character; the commands which cannot be so abbreviated and their shortest allowable abbreviation are debug debug debug dquit dquit dquit ), deb deb deb ( ( ), dq dq dq ( previous previous previous pre pre pre set set set ), ), and (se se se st st st status status status ( ). The following commands can be used within MAIL: empty line If the current message has not been read, then an empty line acts as a print print print command; otherwise, it acts as a command. next next next 10/04/93 53 - - UUPC/extended 1.12b Installation and Installation and Installation and User's Reference User's Reference User's Reference ! command Executes command as an MS-DOS, OS/2, or Windows NT command. If command is omitted, runs an inferior command processor (which gives the user a new command prompt.) ? Prints a summary of commands available. + integer Alias for next next next command. - integer Alias for up up up command. alias a1 a2 a3 Displays alias information loaded from user's ALIASES.TXT file for nicknames a1 a2 a3. If an alias is list of other aliases, the list is recursively exploded and displayed. This command has no default operand. At least one alias must be specified. copy items file Copies mail items into file with headers. Default file is the printer on device PRN PRN PRN. debug integer Sets internal trace level to integer. The default is 0 when mail mail mail starts, and gets set to 1 if you just type "debug" without entering an integer. The internal trace level can also be set by the command line flag -x. -x. -x. delete messages Sets status of messages to deleted. Deleted messages are ignored when selecting mail by subject or user id, and are purged from the mailbox when the quit quit quit command is issued. See also undelete undelete undelete. dquit messages Short for delete delete delete followed by quit. quit. quit. exit Exits mail without updating mailbox; deleted items are left alone. Compare this to the quit quit quit command. -54- 10/04/93 UUPC/extended Command Reference Command Reference Command Reference forward messages Resends messages address. to Note that if address the option is set, each askcc askcc askcc message forwarded will be prompted for Carbon Copy addresses. messages go Positions to the last of the messages selected. headers Displays summary information for all items in the mailbox. items Headers Displays summary information for the selected items in the mailbox. help Prints this long help text. subject mail -s Interactively send mail to address with address optional subject. address mail integer next Move down in mailbox by integer items. Default is 1. previous Alias of integer up up up command. print messages Display messages from the mailbox, using the external pager if defined in the configuration file and ignoring (not printing) a standard list of RFC-822 fields in the mail header such as Received: and Message-Id:. Compare this to the Print Print Print, type type type, and Type Type Type commands. Print messages Display messages from mailbox, using internal pager and ignoring (not printing) a standard list of RFC-822 fields in the mail header. 10/04/93 - 55 - UUPC/extended 1.12b Installation and Installation and Installation and User's Reference User's Reference User's Reference quit Terminates the reading of mail. All deleted messages are purged, and all other messages are saved in the original mailbox or in ~/mbox depending on the setting of the flag. save save save messages reply Interactively sends mail to the authors of each of the messages requested. Note that each item is replied to separately, specifying "reply 1-10" will send ten pieces of mail to ten people. messages save Saves the specified messages complete with file mail headers into file, and then deletes the messages. Compare this to the and copy copy copy write write write commands. set Sets various Boolean options. These option can also be set in your [ ].RC userid file. The options are listed in The The The UUPC/extended UUPC.RC and [userid].RC UUPC/extended UUPC.RC and [userid].RC UUPC/extended UUPC.RC and [userid].RC files files files, page 91. status Reports miscellaneous program information, including: The version and creation time of the program The operating system version The current user address and related information The current file name, size, and date last updated messages type Display messages from mailbox, using external pager if available and displaying RFC-822 fields suppressed by the print print print command. Compare this to the p , Print Print Print rint rint rint , and Type Type Type commands. . . messages Type Display messages from mailbox, using internal pager and displaying RFC-822 fields suppressed by the print print print and Print Print Print commands. - -56 10/04/93 UUPC/extended Command Reference Command Reference Command Reference undelete Changes status of messages to unread. messages messages write Writes messages file to without the RFC-822 file headers and then deletes them. The default file ~/mbox ~/mbox ~/mbox is . Compare this to the copy copy copy and commands. save save save xit Alias for the command. exit exit exit Subcommands available while sending mail: ~a Insert standard signature file. ~A Insert alternate signature file. ~e Invoke editor on current message. item ~m Include body of message(s) defined by , item indented. item ~M Include message(s) define by with headers, item indented. item ~f Include body of message(s) defined by , item unindented. item ~F Include message(s) define by with headers, item unindented. ~p Print message entered so far using external pager. ~P Print message entered so far. file ~r Read in an arbitrary file. ~s Add new subject or replace existing subject with subject subject ~v Alias for ~e command (for compatibility with UNIX sendmail). ~? Display this mail subcommand list. cmd ~| Filter message entered so far through cmd cmd ~! Execute command (does not alter message) ~~ Enter a data line beginning with a tilde (~) 10/04/93 - 57 - UUPC/extended 1.12b Installation and Installation and Installation and User's Reference User's Reference User's Reference When entering mail at the ? prompt, use these commands by putting the ~ in column 1. Note: Note: Note: The ~m ~m ~m and ~M ~M ~M commands use the same syntax to describe for items as the main mail parser; this allows specifying message number(s), user id, or subject. Type "help" at a MAIL prompt for a detailed description of the allowed syntax. Note: Note: Note: The exact meaning of ~p ~p ~p and ~P ~P ~P commands can be inverted by the use of the pager pager pager option. Files Files Files /uupc/tilde.hlp Help file for tilde (~) commands when sending mail. /uupc/mail/[userid].spb System Mailbox for [userid]. Bugs Bugs Bugs Command line option checking is not as robust as it could be. The automatic advancing of the current item pointer to an undeleted item makes multiple operations on a deleted item interesting. Under MS-DOS, redirection from NUL looks like a device, not a file, and thus the program prompts for input when it has no business doing so. The copy command does not properly copy files to the printer under OS/2. MAIL incorrectly parses an return address with a quoted exclamation point, such as: "Smarter than the average bear!" <snuffles@kendra.kew.com> Some editors, like EDLIN, cause the signature file to be lost because the editor appends a ^Z (Ctrl-Z) to the file. The reply command gets confused by mixed mode addresses. How MAIL determines return addresses is sometimes flaky. The list of RFC-822 headers which are suppressed by the print command cannot be altered by the user; they are displayed in an all or nothing fashion. -58- 10/04/93 UUPC/extended Command Reference Command Reference Command Reference There is no 'Replyall' command to reply to all interested parties to a message. In MAIL, entering '1' should print the first item in the mailbox if the option 'autoprint' is set. Currently, it doesn't. The list of ignored headers is not configurable. The user cannot configure which header lines are used by MAIL in determining From or Replyto addresses. See Also See Also See Also RMAIL History History History This is the 23rd revision of this document and was last updated on October 4, 1993 by Katherine Derbyshire. 1993UUPC/extended 10/04/93 - 59 -