mh-sequence.man

早期freebsd实现

MH-SEQUENCE(5)       BSD Programmer's Manual       MH-SEQUENCE(5)


NNAAMMEE
       mh-sequence - sequence specification for MH message system

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
       most _M_H commands

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
       Most _M_H commands accept a `msg' or  `msgs'  specification,
       where `msg' indicates one message and `msgs' indicates one
       or more messages.  To designate a  message,  you  may  use
       either  its  number  (e.g.,  1,  10,  234) or one of these
       "reserved" message names:

            _N_a_m_e      _D_e_s_c_r_i_p_t_i_o_n
            first     the first message in the folder
            last      the last message in the folder
            cur       the most recently accessed message
            prev      the message numerically preceding "cur"
            next      the message numerically following "cur"

       In commands that take a `msg'  argument,  the  default  is
       "cur".  As a shorthand, "." is equivalent to "cur".

       For example: In a folder containing five messages numbered
       5, 10, 94, 177 and 325, "first" is 5 and  "last"  is  325.
       If "cur" is 94, then "prev" is 10 and "next" is 177.

       The word `msgs' indicates that one or more messages may be
       specified.  Such a specification consists of  one  message
       designation  or  of several message designations separated
       by spaces.  A message designation  consists  either  of  a
       message name as defined above, or a message range.

       A message range is specified as "name1-name2" or "name:n",
       where `name', `name1' and `name2' are message  names,  and
       `n' is an integer.

       The  specification "name1-name2" designates all currently-
       existing messages from `name1' to `name2' inclusive.   The
       message  name  "all"  is a shorthand for the message range
       "first-last".

       The specification "name:n" designates up to `n'  messages.
       These  messages  start  with `name' if `name' is a message
       number or one of the  reserved  names  "first"  "cur",  or
       "next",  The  messages end with `name' if `name' is "prev"
       or "last".  The interpretation of `n' may be overridden by
       preceding `n' with a plus or minus sign; `+n' always means
       up to `n' messages starting with `name', and  `-n'  always
       means up to `n' messages ending with `name'.




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MH-SEQUENCE(5)       BSD Programmer's Manual       MH-SEQUENCE(5)


       In commands which accept a `msgs' argument, the default is
       either "cur" or "all", depending on which makes more sense
       for  each  command  (see  the  individual  man  pages  for
       details).  Repeated specifications  of  the  same  message
       have the same effect as a single specification of the mes-
       sage.


   UUsseerr--DDeeffiinneedd MMeessssaaggee SSeeqquueenncceess
       In addition to the "reserved" (pre-defined) message  names
       given  above,  _M_H  supports  user-defined  sequence names.
       User-defined sequences allow  the  _M_H  user  a  tremendous
       amount  of power in dealing with groups of messages in the
       same folder by allowing the user to bind a group  of  mes-
       sages to a meaningful symbolic name.

       The name used to denote a message sequence must consist of
       an alphabetic character followed by zero or more  alphanu-
       meric  characters,  and  can  not be one of the "reserved"
       message names above.  After defining a sequence, it can be
       used  wherever  an  _M_H  command  expects a `msg' or `msgs'
       argument.

       Some forms of message ranges are allowed with user-defined
       sequences.  The specification "name:n" may be used, and it
       designates up to the first `n' messages (or last `n'  mes-
       sages  for  `-n')  which  are elements of the user-defined
       sequence `name'.

       The specifications "name:next" and "name:prev" may also be
       used,  and  they  designate  the  next or previous message
       (relative to the current message) which is an  element  of
       the  user-defined  sequence  `name'.   The specificaitions
       "name:first" and "name:last" are  equivalent  to  "name:1"
       and "name:-1", respectively.  The specification "name:cur"
       is not allowed (use just "cur" instead).   The  syntax  of
       these  message range specifcations is subject to change in
       the future.

       User-defined sequence names are specific to  each  folder.
       They are defined using the _p_i_c_k and _m_a_r_k commands.


   PPuubblliicc aanndd PPrriivvaattee UUsseerr--DDeeffiinneedd SSeeqquueenncceess
       There are two varieties of sequences: _p_u_b_l_i_c sequences and
       _p_r_i_v_a_t_e sequences.   _P_u_b_l_i_c  sequences  of  a  folder  are
       accessible  to  any  _M_H user that can read that folder and
       are kept in the .mh_sequences file in the folder.  _P_r_i_v_a_t_e
       sequences  are accessible only to the _M_H user that defined
       those sequences and are kept  in  the  user's  _M_H  context
       file.   By  default, _p_i_c_k and _m_a_r_k create _p_u_b_l_i_c sequences



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MH-SEQUENCE(5)       BSD Programmer's Manual       MH-SEQUENCE(5)


       if the folder for which the sequences are being defined is
       writable by the _M_H user.  Otherwise, _p_r_i_v_a_t_e sequences are
       created.  This can be overridden with  the  `-public'  and
       `-private' switches to _m_a_r_k.


   SSeeqquueennccee NNeeggaattiioonn
       _M_H  provides  the  ability to select all messages not ele-
       ments of a user-defined sequence.  To do  this,  the  user
       should define the entry "Sequence-Negation" in the _M_H pro-
       file file; its value may be any string.   This  string  is
       then  used  to  preface  an existing user-defined sequence
       name.  This specification then refers  to  those  messages
       not elements of the specified sequence name.  For example,
       if the profile entry is:

            Sequence-Negation: not

       then anytime an _M_H command is given "notfoo" as a `msg' or
       `msgs' argument, it would substitute all messages that are
       not elements of the sequence "foo".

       Obviously, the user should beware  of  defining  sequences
       with   names   that   begin   with   the   value   of  the
       "Sequence-Negation" profile entry.


   TThhee PPrreevviioouuss SSeeqquueennccee
       _M_H provides the ability to remember the  `msgs'  or  `msg'
       argument  last  given to an _M_H command.  The entry "Previ-
       ous-Sequence" should be defined in  the  _M_H  profile;  its
       value should be a sequence name or multiple sequence names
       separated by spaces.  If this entry is defined, when  when
       an  _M_H  command  finishes,  it will define the sequence(s)
       named in the value of this entry to be those messages that
       were specified to the command.  Hence, a profile entry of

            Previous-Sequence: pseq

       directs  any  _M_H  command  that  accepts a `msg' or `msgs'
       argument to define the sequence "pseq" as  those  messages
       when it finishes.

       NNoottee::  there  can  be  a  performance penalty in using the
       "Previous-Sequence" facility.  If it is used, aallll _M_H  pro-
       grams  have  to  write  the  sequence  information  to the
       .mh_sequences file for the folder each time they run.   If
       the  "Previous-Sequence"  profile  entry  is not included,
       only _p_i_c_k and _m_a_r_k will write to the .mh_sequences file.





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MH-SEQUENCE(5)       BSD Programmer's Manual       MH-SEQUENCE(5)


   TThhee UUnnsseeeenn SSeeqquueennccee
       Finally, some users like to indicate messages  which  have
       not been previously seen by them.  Both _i_n_c and _s_h_o_w honor
       the profile entry "Unseen-Sequence" to support this activ-
       ity.   This  entry in the .mh_profile should be defined as
       one or more sequence names separated by spaces.  If  there
       is  a  value  for  "Unseen-Sequence"  in the profile, then
       whenever _i_n_c places new messages in a folder, the new mes-
       sages  will  also be added to the sequence(s) named in the
       value of this entry.  Hence, a profile entry of

            Unseen-Sequence: unseen

       directs _i_n_c to add new messages to the sequence  "unseen".
       Unlike  the  behavior  of the "Previous-Sequence" entry in
       the profile, however, the sequence(s) will nnoott  be  zeroed
       by _i_n_c.

       Similarly, whenever _s_h_o_w (or _n_e_x_t or _p_r_e_v) displays a mes-
       sage, that message will  be  removed  from  any  sequences
       named by the "Unseen-Sequence" entry in the profile.


FFIILLEESS
       $HOME/.mh_profile                         The user profile
       <mh-dir>/context                          The user context
       <folder>/.mh_sequences                    Public sequences for <folder>

PPRROOFFIILLEE CCOOMMPPOONNEENNTTSS
       Sequence-Negation:   To designate messages not in a sequence
       Previous-Sequence:   The last message specification given
       Unseen-Sequence:     Those messages not yet seen by the user

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
       mh(1), mark(1), pick(1), mh-profile(5)

DDEEFFAAUULLTTSS
       None

CCOONNTTEEXXTT
       All

BBUUGGSS
       User-defined  sequences  are  stored  in the .mh_sequences
       file as a series of message  specifications  separated  by
       spaces.   If  a  user-defined  sequence  contains too many
       individual message specifications, that line in  the  file
       may  become too long for _M_H to handle.  This will generate
       the error message  ".mh_sequences  is  poorly  formatted".
       You'll have to edit the file by hand to remove the offend-
       ing line.



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MH-SEQUENCE(5)       BSD Programmer's Manual       MH-SEQUENCE(5)


       This  can  happen  to  users  who   define   the   "Previ-
       ous-Sequence"  entry  in  the _M_H profile and have a folder
       containing many messages with gaps in  the  numbering.   A
       workaround for large folders is to minimize numbering gaps
       by using "folder -pack" often.

















































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