annotate man/sending.texi @ 34624:1012790a4a9c

(Info-forward-node): If the node has an Info-header-line, widen the buffer before searching for "next:" and "up:" pointers, and set the search limit to stay in the current node.
author Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
date Fri, 15 Dec 2000 22:00:28 +0000
parents 33df9c2e70bf
children 962646fc3a58
Ignore whitespace changes - Everywhere: Within whitespace: At end of lines:
rev   line source
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
28126
e7cf77f27506 Fix copyright line.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 27209
diff changeset
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 2000
e7cf77f27506 Fix copyright line.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 27209
diff changeset
3 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
5 @node Sending Mail, Rmail, Picture, Top
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
6 @chapter Sending Mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
7 @cindex sending mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
8 @cindex mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
9 @cindex message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
10
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
11 To send a message in Emacs, you start by typing a command (@kbd{C-x m})
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
12 to select and initialize the @samp{*mail*} buffer. Then you edit the text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
13 and headers of the message in this buffer, and type another command
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
14 (@kbd{C-c C-s} or @kbd{C-c C-c}) to send the message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
15
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
16 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
17 @item C-x m
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
18 Begin composing a message to send (@code{compose-mail}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
19 @item C-x 4 m
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
20 Likewise, but display the message in another window
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
21 (@code{compose-mail-other-window}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
22 @item C-x 5 m
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
23 Likewise, but make a new frame (@code{compose-mail-other-frame}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
24 @item C-c C-s
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
25 In Mail mode, send the message (@code{mail-send}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
26 @item C-c C-c
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
27 Send the message and bury the mail buffer (@code{mail-send-and-exit}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
28 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
29
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
30 @kindex C-x m
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
31 @findex compose-mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
32 @kindex C-x 4 m
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
33 @findex compose-mail-other-window
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
34 @kindex C-x 5 m
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
35 @findex compose-mail-other-frame
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
36 The command @kbd{C-x m} (@code{compose-mail}) selects a buffer named
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
37 @samp{*mail*} and initializes it with the skeleton of an outgoing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
38 message. @kbd{C-x 4 m} (@code{compose-mail-other-window}) selects the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
39 @samp{*mail*} buffer in a different window, leaving the previous current
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
40 buffer visible. @kbd{C-x 5 m} (@code{compose-mail-other-frame}) creates
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
41 a new frame to select the @samp{*mail*} buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
42
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
43 Because the mail-composition buffer is an ordinary Emacs buffer, you can
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
44 switch to other buffers while in the middle of composing mail, and switch
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
45 back later (or never). If you use the @kbd{C-x m} command again when you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
46 have been composing another message but have not sent it, you are asked to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
47 confirm before the old message is erased. If you answer @kbd{n}, the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
48 @samp{*mail*} buffer is left selected with its old contents, so you can
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
49 finish the old message and send it. @kbd{C-u C-x m} is another way to do
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
50 this. Sending the message marks the @samp{*mail*} buffer ``unmodified,''
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
51 which avoids the need for confirmation when @kbd{C-x m} is next used.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
52
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
53 If you are composing a message in the @samp{*mail*} buffer and want to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
54 send another message before finishing the first, rename the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
55 @samp{*mail*} buffer using @kbd{M-x rename-uniquely} (@pxref{Misc
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
56 Buffer}). Then you can use @kbd{C-x m} or its variants described above
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
57 to make a new @samp{*mail*} buffer. Once you've done that, you can work
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
58 with each mail buffer independently.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
59
30986
ab681757a44b (Sending Mail): Mention EUDC.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30806
diff changeset
60 @cindex directory servers
ab681757a44b (Sending Mail): Mention EUDC.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30806
diff changeset
61 @cindex LDAP
ab681757a44b (Sending Mail): Mention EUDC.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30806
diff changeset
62 @cindex PH/QI
ab681757a44b (Sending Mail): Mention EUDC.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30806
diff changeset
63 @cindex names and addresses
ab681757a44b (Sending Mail): Mention EUDC.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30806
diff changeset
64 There is an interface to directory servers using various protocols such
ab681757a44b (Sending Mail): Mention EUDC.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30806
diff changeset
65 as LDAP or the CCSO white pages directory system (PH/QI), described in a
ab681757a44b (Sending Mail): Mention EUDC.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30806
diff changeset
66 separate manual. It may be useful for looking up names and addresses.
ab681757a44b (Sending Mail): Mention EUDC.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30806
diff changeset
67 @xref{Top,,EUDC, eudc, EUDC Manual}.
ab681757a44b (Sending Mail): Mention EUDC.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30806
diff changeset
68
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
69 @menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
70 * Format: Mail Format. Format of the mail being composed.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
71 * Headers: Mail Headers. Details of permitted mail header fields.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
72 * Aliases: Mail Aliases. Abbreviating and grouping mail addresses.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
73 * Mode: Mail Mode. Special commands for editing mail being composed.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
74 * Spook: Distracting NSA. How to distract the NSA's attention.
27209
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
75 * Fortune:: `Fortune' items in signatures.
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
76 * Footnotes: Mail Footnotes. Making footnotes in messages.
30806
033b219f3c99 small fixes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 29107
diff changeset
77 * Methods: Mail Methods. Using alternative mail-composition methods.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
78 @end menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
79
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
80 @node Mail Format
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
81 @section The Format of the Mail Buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
82
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
83 In addition to the @dfn{text} or @dfn{body}, a message has @dfn{header
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
84 fields} which say who sent it, when, to whom, why, and so on. Some
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
85 header fields, such as @samp{Date} and @samp{Sender}, are created
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
86 automatically when you send the message. Others, such as the recipient
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
87 names, must be specified by you in order to send the message properly.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
88
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
89 Mail mode provides a few commands to help you edit some header fields,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
90 and some are preinitialized in the buffer automatically at times. You can
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
91 insert and edit header fields using ordinary editing commands.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
92
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
93 The line in the buffer that says
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
94
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
95 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
96 --text follows this line--
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
97 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
98
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
99 @noindent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
100 is a special delimiter that separates the headers you have specified from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
101 the text. Whatever follows this line is the text of the message; the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
102 headers precede it. The delimiter line itself does not appear in the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
103 message actually sent. The text used for the delimiter line is controlled
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
104 by the variable @code{mail-header-separator}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
105
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
106 Here is an example of what the headers and text in the mail buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
107 might look like.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
108
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
109 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
110 To: gnu@@gnu.org
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
111 CC: lungfish@@spam.org, byob@@spam.org
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
112 Subject: The Emacs Manual
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
113 --Text follows this line--
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
114 Please ignore this message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
115 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
116
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
117 @node Mail Headers
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
118 @section Mail Header Fields
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
119 @cindex headers (of mail message)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
120
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
121 A header field in the mail buffer starts with a field name at the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
122 beginning of a line, terminated by a colon. Upper and lower case are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
123 equivalent in field names (and in mailing addresses also). After the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
124 colon and optional whitespace comes the contents of the field.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
125
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
126 You can use any name you like for a header field, but normally people
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
127 use only standard field names with accepted meanings. Here is a table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
128 of fields commonly used in outgoing messages.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
129
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
130 @table @samp
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
131 @item To
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
132 This field contains the mailing addresses to which the message is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
133 addressed. If you list more than one address, use commas, not spaces,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
134 to separate them.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
135
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
136 @item Subject
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
137 The contents of the @samp{Subject} field should be a piece of text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
138 that says what the message is about. The reason @samp{Subject} fields
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
139 are useful is that most mail-reading programs can provide a summary of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
140 messages, listing the subject of each message but not its text.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
141
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
142 @item CC
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
143 This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the message to,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
144 like @samp{To} except that these readers should not regard the message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
145 as directed at them.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
146
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
147 @item BCC
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
148 This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the message to,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
149 which should not appear in the header of the message actually sent.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
150 Copies sent this way are called @dfn{blind carbon copies}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
151
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
152 @vindex mail-self-blind
32392
4d8ff72a1290 Document mail-default-headers and an alternative method to send Bcc
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 32313
diff changeset
153 @cindex copy of every outgoing message
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
154 To send a blind carbon copy of every outgoing message to yourself, set
32392
4d8ff72a1290 Document mail-default-headers and an alternative method to send Bcc
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 32313
diff changeset
155 the variable @code{mail-self-blind} to @code{t}. To send a blind carbon
4d8ff72a1290 Document mail-default-headers and an alternative method to send Bcc
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 32313
diff changeset
156 copy of every message to some other @var{address}, set the variable
4d8ff72a1290 Document mail-default-headers and an alternative method to send Bcc
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 32313
diff changeset
157 @code{mail-default-headers} to @samp{"Bcc: @var{address}\n"}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
158
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
159 @item FCC
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
160 This field contains the name of one file and directs Emacs to append a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
161 copy of the message to that file when you send the message. If the file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
162 is in Rmail format, Emacs writes the message in Rmail format; otherwise,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
163 Emacs writes the message in system mail file format.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
164
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
165 @vindex mail-archive-file-name
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
166 To put a fixed file name in the @samp{FCC} field each time you start
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
167 editing an outgoing message, set the variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
168 @code{mail-archive-file-name} to that file name. Unless you remove the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
169 @samp{FCC} field before sending, the message will be written into that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
170 file when it is sent.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
171
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
172 @item From
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
173 Use the @samp{From} field to say who you are, when the account you are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
174 using to send the mail is not your own. The contents of the @samp{From}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
175 field should be a valid mailing address, since replies will normally go
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
176 there. If you don't specify the @samp{From} field yourself, Emacs uses
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
177 the value of @code{user-mail-address} as the default.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
178
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
179 @item Reply-to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
180 Use this field to direct replies to a different address. Most
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
181 mail-reading programs (including Rmail) automatically send replies to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
182 the @samp{Reply-to} address in preference to the @samp{From} address.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
183 By adding a @samp{Reply-to} field to your header, you can work around
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
184 any problems your @samp{From} address may cause for replies.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
185
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 28126
diff changeset
186 @cindex @env{REPLYTO} environment variable
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
187 @vindex mail-default-reply-to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
188 To put a fixed @samp{Reply-to} address into every outgoing message, set
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
189 the variable @code{mail-default-reply-to} to that address (as a string).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
190 Then @code{mail} initializes the message with a @samp{Reply-to} field as
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
191 specified. You can delete or alter that header field before you send
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
192 the message, if you wish. When Emacs starts up, if the environment
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 28126
diff changeset
193 variable @env{REPLYTO} is set, @code{mail-default-reply-to} is
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
194 initialized from that environment variable.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
195
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
196 @item In-reply-to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
197 This field contains a piece of text describing a message you are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
198 replying to. Some mail systems can use this information to correlate
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
199 related pieces of mail. Normally this field is filled in by Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
200 when you reply to a message in Rmail, and you never need to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
201 think about it (@pxref{Rmail}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
202
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
203 @item References
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
204 This field lists the message IDs of related previous messages. Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
205 sets up this field automatically when you reply to a message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
206 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
207
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
208 The @samp{To}, @samp{CC}, @samp{BCC} and @samp{FCC} header fields can
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
209 appear any number of times, and each such header field can contain
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
210 multiple addresses, separated by commas. This way, you can specify any
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
211 number of places to send the message. A @samp{To}, @samp{CC}, or
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
212 @samp{BCC} field can also have continuation lines: one or more lines
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
213 starting with whitespace, following the starting line of the field, are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
214 considered part of the field. Here's an example of a @samp{To} field
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
215 with a continuation line:@refill
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
216
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
217 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
218 @group
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
219 To: foo@@here.net, this@@there.net,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
220 me@@gnu.cambridge.mass.usa.earth.spiral3281
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
221 @end group
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
222 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
223
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
224 @vindex mail-from-style
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
225 When you send the message, if you didn't write a @samp{From} field
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
226 yourself, Emacs puts in one for you. The variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
227 @code{mail-from-style} controls the format:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
228
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
229 @table @code
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
230 @item nil
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
231 Use just the email address, as in @samp{king@@grassland.com}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
232 @item parens
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
233 Use both email address and full name, as in @samp{king@@grassland.com (Elvis
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
234 Parsley)}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
235 @item angles
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
236 Use both email address and full name, as in @samp{Elvis Parsley
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
237 <king@@grassland.com>}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
238 @item system-default
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
239 Allow the system to insert the @samp{From} field.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
240 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
241
32392
4d8ff72a1290 Document mail-default-headers and an alternative method to send Bcc
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 32313
diff changeset
242 @vindex mail-default-headers
4d8ff72a1290 Document mail-default-headers and an alternative method to send Bcc
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 32313
diff changeset
243 You can force Emacs to insert specific headers into the outgoing
4d8ff72a1290 Document mail-default-headers and an alternative method to send Bcc
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 32313
diff changeset
244 message by customizing the variable @code{mail-default-headers}. Its
4d8ff72a1290 Document mail-default-headers and an alternative method to send Bcc
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 32313
diff changeset
245 value as a string is inserted before you edit the message.
4d8ff72a1290 Document mail-default-headers and an alternative method to send Bcc
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 32313
diff changeset
246
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
247 @node Mail Aliases
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
248 @section Mail Aliases
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
249 @cindex mail aliases
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
250 @cindex @file{.mailrc} file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
251 @cindex mailrc file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
252
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
253 You can define @dfn{mail aliases} in a file named @file{~/.mailrc}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
254 These are short mnemonic names which stand for mail addresses or groups of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
255 mail addresses. Like many other mail programs, Emacs expands aliases
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
256 when they occur in the @samp{To}, @samp{From}, @samp{CC}, @samp{BCC}, and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
257 @samp{Reply-to} fields, plus their @samp{Resent-} variants.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
258
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
259 To define an alias in @file{~/.mailrc}, write a line in the following
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
260 format:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
261
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
262 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
263 alias @var{shortaddress} @var{fulladdresses}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
264 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
265
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
266 @noindent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
267 Here @var{fulladdresses} stands for one or more mail addresses for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
268 @var{shortaddress} to expand into. Separate multiple addresses with
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
269 spaces; if an address contains a space, quote the whole address with a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
270 pair of double-quotes.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
271
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
272 For instance, to make @code{maingnu} stand for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
273 @code{gnu@@gnu.org} plus a local address of your own, put in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
274 this line:@refill
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
275
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
276 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
277 alias maingnu gnu@@gnu.org local-gnu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
278 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
279
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
280 Emacs also recognizes include commands in @samp{.mailrc} files.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
281 They look like this:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
282
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
283 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
284 source @var{filename}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
285 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
286
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
287 @noindent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
288 The file @file{~/.mailrc} is used primarily by other mail-reading
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
289 programs; it can contain various other commands. Emacs ignores
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
290 everything in it except for alias definitions and include commands.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
291
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
292 @findex define-mail-alias
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
293 Another way to define a mail alias, within Emacs alone, is with the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
294 @code{define-mail-alias} command. It prompts for the alias and then the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
295 full address. You can use it to define aliases in your @file{.emacs}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
296 file, like this:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
297
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
298 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
299 (define-mail-alias "maingnu" "gnu@@gnu.org")
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
300 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
301
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
302 @vindex mail-aliases
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
303 @code{define-mail-alias} records aliases by adding them to a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
304 variable named @code{mail-aliases}. If you are comfortable with
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
305 manipulating Lisp lists, you can set @code{mail-aliases} directly. The
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
306 initial value of @code{mail-aliases} is @code{t}, which means that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
307 Emacs should read @file{.mailrc} to get the proper value.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
308
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
309 @vindex mail-personal-alias-file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
310 You can specify a different file name to use instead of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
311 @file{~/.mailrc} by setting the variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
312 @code{mail-personal-alias-file}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
313
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
314 @findex expand-mail-aliases
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
315 Normally, Emacs expands aliases when you send the message. You do not
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
316 need to expand mail aliases before sending the message, but you can
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
317 expand them if you want to see where the mail will actually go. To do
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
318 this, use the command @kbd{M-x expand-mail-aliases}; it expands all mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
319 aliases currently present in the mail headers that hold addresses.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
320
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
321 If you like, you can have mail aliases expand as abbrevs, as soon as
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
322 you type them in (@pxref{Abbrevs}). To enable this feature, execute the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
323 following:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
324
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
325 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
326 (add-hook 'mail-setup-hook 'mail-abbrevs-setup)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
327 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
328
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
329 @noindent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
330 @findex define-mail-abbrev
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
331 @vindex mail-abbrevs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
332 This can go in your @file{.emacs} file. @xref{Hooks}. If you use this
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
333 feature, you must use @code{define-mail-abbrev} instead of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
334 @code{define-mail-alias}; the latter does not work with this package.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
335 Note that the mail abbreviation package uses the variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
336 @code{mail-abbrevs} instead of @code{mail-aliases}, and that all alias
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
337 names are converted to lower case.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
338
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
339 @kindex C-c C-a @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
340 @findex mail-interactive-insert-alias
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
341 The mail abbreviation package also provides the @kbd{C-c C-a}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
342 (@code{mail-interactive-insert-alias}) command, which reads an alias
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
343 name (with completion) and inserts its definition at point. This is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
344 useful when editing the message text itself or a header field such as
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
345 @samp{Subject} in which Emacs does not normally expand aliases.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
346
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
347 Note that abbrevs expand only if you insert a word-separator character
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
348 afterward. However, you can rebind @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{M->} to cause
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
349 expansion as well. Here's how to do that:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
350
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
351 @smallexample
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
352 (add-hook 'mail-setup-hook
34151
33df9c2e70bf Don't quote lambdas.
Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
parents: 33839
diff changeset
353 (lambda ()
33df9c2e70bf Don't quote lambdas.
Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
parents: 33839
diff changeset
354 (substitute-key-definition
33df9c2e70bf Don't quote lambdas.
Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
parents: 33839
diff changeset
355 'next-line 'mail-abbrev-next-line
33df9c2e70bf Don't quote lambdas.
Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
parents: 33839
diff changeset
356 mail-mode-map global-map)
33df9c2e70bf Don't quote lambdas.
Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
parents: 33839
diff changeset
357 (substitute-key-definition
33df9c2e70bf Don't quote lambdas.
Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
parents: 33839
diff changeset
358 'end-of-buffer 'mail-abbrev-end-of-buffer
33df9c2e70bf Don't quote lambdas.
Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
parents: 33839
diff changeset
359 mail-mode-map global-map)))
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
360 @end smallexample
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
361
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
362 @node Mail Mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
363 @section Mail Mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
364 @cindex Mail mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
365 @cindex mode, Mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
366
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
367 The major mode used in the mail buffer is Mail mode, which is much
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
368 like Text mode except that various special commands are provided on the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
369 @kbd{C-c} prefix. These commands all have to do specifically with
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
370 editing or sending the message. In addition, Mail mode defines the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
371 character @samp{%} as a word separator; this is helpful for using the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
372 word commands to edit mail addresses.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
373
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
374 Mail mode is normally used in buffers set up automatically by the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
375 @code{mail} command and related commands. However, you can also switch
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
376 to Mail mode in a file-visiting buffer. That is a useful thing to do if
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
377 you have saved draft message text in a file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
378
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
379 @menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
380 * Mail Sending:: Commands to send the message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
381 * Header Editing:: Commands to move to header fields and edit them.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
382 * Citing Mail:: Copying all or part of a message you are replying to.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
383 * Mail Mode Misc:: Spell checking, signatures, etc.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
384 @end menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
385
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
386 @node Mail Sending
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
387 @subsection Mail Sending
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
388
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
389 Mail mode has two commands for sending the message you have been
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
390 editing:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
391
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
392 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
393 @item C-c C-s
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
394 Send the message, and leave the mail buffer selected (@code{mail-send}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
395 @item C-c C-c
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
396 Send the message, and select some other buffer (@code{mail-send-and-exit}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
397 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
398
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
399 @kindex C-c C-s @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
400 @kindex C-c C-c @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
401 @findex mail-send
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
402 @findex mail-send-and-exit
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
403 @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{mail-send}) sends the message and marks the mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
404 buffer unmodified, but leaves that buffer selected so that you can
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
405 modify the message (perhaps with new recipients) and send it again.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
406 @kbd{C-c C-c} (@code{mail-send-and-exit}) sends and then deletes the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
407 window or switches to another buffer. It puts the mail buffer at the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
408 lowest priority for reselection by default, since you are finished with
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
409 using it. This is the usual way to send the message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
410
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
411 In a file-visiting buffer, sending the message does not clear the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
412 modified flag, because only saving the file should do that. As a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
413 result, you don't get a warning if you try to send the same message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
414 twice.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
415
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
416 @vindex sendmail-coding-system
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
417 When you send a message that contains non-ASCII characters, they need
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
418 to be encoded with a coding system (@pxref{Coding Systems}). Usually
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
419 the coding system is specified automatically by your chosen language
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
420 environment (@pxref{Language Environments}). You can explicitly specify
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
421 the coding system for outgoing mail by setting the variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
422 @code{sendmail-coding-system}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
423
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
424 If the coding system thus determined does not handle the characters in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
425 a particular message, Emacs asks you to select the coding system to use,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
426 showing a list of possible coding systems.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
427
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
428 @node Header Editing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
429 @subsection Mail Header Editing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
430
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
431 Mail mode provides special commands to move to particular header
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
432 fields and to complete addresses in headers.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
433
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
434 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
435 @item C-c C-f C-t
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
436 Move to the @samp{To} header field, creating one if there is none
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
437 (@code{mail-to}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
438 @item C-c C-f C-s
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
439 Move to the @samp{Subject} header field, creating one if there is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
440 none (@code{mail-subject}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
441 @item C-c C-f C-c
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
442 Move to the @samp{CC} header field, creating one if there is none
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
443 (@code{mail-cc}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
444 @item C-c C-f C-b
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
445 Move to the @samp{BCC} header field, creating one if there is none
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
446 (@code{mail-bcc}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
447 @item C-c C-f C-f
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
448 Move to the @samp{FCC} header field, creating one if there is none
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
449 (@code{mail-fcc}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
450 @item M-@key{TAB}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
451 Complete a mailing address (@code{mail-complete}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
452 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
453
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
454 @kindex C-c C-f C-t @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
455 @findex mail-to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
456 @kindex C-c C-f C-s @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
457 @findex mail-subject
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
458 @kindex C-c C-f C-c @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
459 @findex mail-cc
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
460 @kindex C-c C-f C-b @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
461 @findex mail-bcc
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
462 @kindex C-c C-f C-f @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
463 @findex mail-fcc
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
464 There are five commands to move point to particular header fields, all
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
465 based on the prefix @kbd{C-c C-f} (@samp{C-f} is for ``field''). They
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
466 are listed in the table above. If the field in question does not exist,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
467 these commands create one. We provide special motion commands for these
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
468 particular fields because they are the fields users most often want to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
469 edit.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
470
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
471 @findex mail-complete
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
472 @kindex M-TAB @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
473 While editing a header field that contains mailing addresses, such as
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
474 @samp{To:}, @samp{CC:} and @samp{BCC:}, you can complete a mailing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
475 address by typing @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} (@code{mail-complete}). It inserts
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
476 the full name corresponding to the address, if it can determine the full
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
477 name. The variable @code{mail-complete-style} controls whether to insert
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
478 the full name, and what style to use, as in @code{mail-from-style}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
479 (@pxref{Mail Headers}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
480
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
481 For completion purposes, the valid mailing addresses are taken to be
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
482 the local users' names plus your personal mail aliases. You can specify
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
483 additional sources of valid addresses; use the customization buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
484 to see the options for this.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
485
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
486 If you type @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} in the body of the message, it invokes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
487 @code{ispell-complete-word}, as in Text mode.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
488
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
489 @node Citing Mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
490 @subsection Citing Mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
491 @cindex citing mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
492
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
493 Mail mode also has commands for yanking or @dfn{citing} all or part of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
494 a message that you are replying to. These commands are active only when
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
495 you started sending a message using an Rmail command.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
496
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
497 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
498 @item C-c C-y
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
499 Yank the selected message from Rmail (@code{mail-yank-original}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
500 @item C-c C-r
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
501 Yank the region from the Rmail buffer (@code{mail-yank-region}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
502 @item C-c C-q
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
503 Fill each paragraph cited from another message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
504 (@code{mail-fill-yanked-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
505 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
506
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
507 @kindex C-c C-y @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
508 @findex mail-yank-original
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
509 When mail sending is invoked from the Rmail mail reader using an Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
510 command, @kbd{C-c C-y} can be used inside the mail buffer to insert
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
511 the text of the message you are replying to. Normally it indents each line
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
512 of that message three spaces and eliminates most header fields. A numeric
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
513 argument specifies the number of spaces to indent. An argument of just
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
514 @kbd{C-u} says not to indent at all and not to eliminate anything.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
515 @kbd{C-c C-y} always uses the current message from the Rmail buffer,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
516 so you can insert several old messages by selecting one in Rmail,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
517 switching to @samp{*mail*} and yanking it, then switching back to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
518 Rmail to select another.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
519
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
520 @vindex mail-yank-prefix
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
521 You can specify the text for @kbd{C-c C-y} to insert at the beginning
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
522 of each line: set @code{mail-yank-prefix} to the desired string. (A
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
523 value of @code{nil} means to use indentation; this is the default.)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
524 However, @kbd{C-u C-c C-y} never adds anything at the beginning of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
525 inserted lines, regardless of the value of @code{mail-yank-prefix}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
526
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
527 @kindex C-c C-r @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
528 @findex mail-yank-region
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
529 To yank just a part of an incoming message, set the region in Rmail to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
530 the part you want; then go to the @samp{*Mail*} message and type
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
531 @kbd{C-c C-r} (@code{mail-yank-region}). Each line that is copied is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
532 indented or prefixed according to @code{mail-yank-prefix}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
533
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
534 @kindex C-c C-q @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
535 @findex mail-fill-yanked-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
536 After using @kbd{C-c C-y} or @kbd{C-c C-r}, you can type @kbd{C-c C-q}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
537 (@code{mail-fill-yanked-message}) to fill the paragraphs of the yanked
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
538 old message or messages. One use of @kbd{C-c C-q} fills all such
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
539 paragraphs, each one individually. To fill a single paragraph of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
540 quoted message, use @kbd{M-q}. If filling does not automatically
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
541 handle the type of citation prefix you use, try setting the fill prefix
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
542 explicitly. @xref{Filling}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
543
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
544 @node Mail Mode Misc
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
545 @subsection Mail Mode Miscellany
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
546
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
547 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
548 @item C-c C-t
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
549 Move to the beginning of the message body text (@code{mail-text}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
550 @item C-c C-w
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
551 Insert the file @file{~/.signature} at the end of the message text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
552 (@code{mail-signature}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
553 @item C-c C-i @var{file} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
554 Insert the contents of @var{file} at the end of the outgoing message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
555 (@code{mail-attach-file}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
556 @item M-x ispell-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
557 Do spelling correction on the message text, but not on citations from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
558 other messages.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
559 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
560
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
561 @kindex C-c C-t @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
562 @findex mail-text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
563 @kbd{C-c C-t} (@code{mail-text}) moves point to just after the header
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
564 separator line---that is, to the beginning of the message body text.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
565
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
566 @kindex C-c C-w @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
567 @findex mail-signature
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
568 @vindex mail-signature
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
569 @kbd{C-c C-w} (@code{mail-signature}) adds a standard piece of text at
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
570 the end of the message to say more about who you are. The text comes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
571 from the file @file{~/.signature} in your home directory. To insert
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
572 your signature automatically, set the variable @code{mail-signature} to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
573 @code{t}; then starting a mail message automatically inserts the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
574 contents of your @file{~/.signature} file. If you want to omit your
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
575 signature from a particular message, delete it from the buffer before
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
576 you send the message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
577
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
578 You can also set @code{mail-signature} to a string; then that string
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
579 is inserted automatically as your signature when you start editing a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
580 message to send. If you set it to some other Lisp expression, the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
581 expression is evaluated each time, and its value (which should be a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
582 string) specifies the signature.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
583
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
584 @findex ispell-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
585 You can do spelling correction on the message text you have written
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
586 with the command @kbd{M-x ispell-message}. If you have yanked an
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
587 incoming message into the outgoing draft, this command skips what was
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
588 yanked, but it checks the text that you yourself inserted. (It looks
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
589 for indentation or @code{mail-yank-prefix} to distinguish the cited
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
590 lines from your input.) @xref{Spelling}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
591
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
592 @kindex C-c C-i @r{(Mail mode)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
593 @findex mail-attach-file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
594 To include a file in the outgoing message, you can use @kbd{C-x i},
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
595 the usual command to insert a file in the current buffer. But it is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
596 often more convenient to use a special command, @kbd{C-c C-i}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
597 (@code{mail-attach-file}). This command inserts the file contents at
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
598 the end of the buffer, after your signature if any, with a delimiter
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
599 line that includes the file name.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
600
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
601 @vindex mail-mode-hook
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
602 @vindex mail-setup-hook
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
603 Turning on Mail mode (which @kbd{C-x m} does automatically) runs the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
604 normal hooks @code{text-mode-hook} and @code{mail-mode-hook}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
605 Initializing a new outgoing message runs the normal hook
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
606 @code{mail-setup-hook}; if you want to add special fields to your mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
607 header or make other changes to the appearance of the mail buffer, use
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
608 that hook. @xref{Hooks}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
609
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
610 The main difference between these hooks is just when they are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
611 invoked. Whenever you type @kbd{M-x mail}, @code{mail-mode-hook} runs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
612 as soon as the @samp{*mail*} buffer is created. Then the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
613 @code{mail-setup} function puts in the default contents of the buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
614 After these default contents are inserted, @code{mail-setup-hook} runs.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
615
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
616 @node Distracting NSA
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
617 @section Distracting the NSA
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
618
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
619 @findex spook
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
620 @cindex NSA
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
621 @kbd{M-x spook} adds a line of randomly chosen keywords to an outgoing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
622 mail message. The keywords are chosen from a list of words that suggest
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
623 you are discussing something subversive.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
624
30806
033b219f3c99 small fixes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 29107
diff changeset
625 The idea behind this feature is the suspicion that the
033b219f3c99 small fixes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 29107
diff changeset
626 NSA@footnote{The US National Security Agency.} snoops on
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
627 all electronic mail messages that contain keywords suggesting they might
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
628 find them interesting. (The NSA says they don't, but that's what they
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
629 @emph{would} say.) The idea is that if lots of people add suspicious
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
630 words to their messages, the NSA will get so busy with spurious input
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
631 that they will have to give up reading it all.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
632
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
633 Here's how to insert spook keywords automatically whenever you start
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
634 entering an outgoing message:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
635
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
636 @example
33839
29218b634d62 (Distracting NSA): Fix a typo ("spool" instead of "spook").
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 32534
diff changeset
637 (setq mail-signature '(spook))
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
638 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
639
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
640 Whether or not this confuses the NSA, it at least amuses people.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
641
27209
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
642 @node Fortune
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
643 @section Putting @code{fortune} Items in Signatures
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
644
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
645 @pindex fortune
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
646 @findex fortune-to-signature
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
647 @findex fortune-from-region
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
648 @cindex signatures, mail/news
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
649 @cindex fortune cookies
30806
033b219f3c99 small fixes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 29107
diff changeset
650 You can use the @code{fortune} program to create signatures for mail or
033b219f3c99 small fixes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 29107
diff changeset
651 network news messages. (@code{fortune} prints a random---with luck,
033b219f3c99 small fixes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 29107
diff changeset
652 interesting---adage, originally inspired by `fortune cookie' messages.)
033b219f3c99 small fixes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 29107
diff changeset
653 To generate signatures, add @code{fortune-to-signature} to
033b219f3c99 small fixes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 29107
diff changeset
654 @code{mail-setup-hook} and/or @code{message-setup-hook} as appropriate.
033b219f3c99 small fixes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 29107
diff changeset
655 You can automatically cut regions to a Fortune file with @kbd{M-x
033b219f3c99 small fixes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 29107
diff changeset
656 fortune-from-region} and compile your own Fortune database.
27209
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
657
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
658 @node Mail Footnotes
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
659 @section Making Footnotes
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
660 @cindex footnotes
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
661
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
662 @findex footnote-mode
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
663 @kbd{M-x footnote-mode} toggles a minor mode for making footnotes in
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
664 mail or network news messages. It is intended for use specifically with
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
665 Message mode but is not specific to that. It provides commands and
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
666 keybindings to insert footnotes, go to a given note, delete a note and
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
667 renumber notes. See the group @code{footnote} for customization and the
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
668 mode's documentation for keybindings. To set up Footnote mode for all
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
669 messages, add @code{footnote-mode} to @code{mail-mode-hook} and/or
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
670 @code{message-mode-hook} as appropriate.
b6dec6562153 Add Fortune, Footnote.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
671
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
672 @node Mail Methods
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
673 @section Mail-Composition Methods
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
674 @cindex mail-composition methods
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
675
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
676 This chapter describes the usual Emacs mode for editing and sending
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
677 mail---Mail mode. Emacs has alternative facilities for editing and
30992
d694a3efafe1 (Mail Methods): xref MH, Message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30986
diff changeset
678 sending mail, including
d694a3efafe1 (Mail Methods): xref MH, Message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30986
diff changeset
679 @cindex MH mail interface
d694a3efafe1 (Mail Methods): xref MH, Message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30986
diff changeset
680 @cindex Message mode for sending mail
d694a3efafe1 (Mail Methods): xref MH, Message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30986
diff changeset
681 MH-E and Message mode, not documented in this manual.
d694a3efafe1 (Mail Methods): xref MH, Message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30986
diff changeset
682 @xref{,MH-E,,mh-e, The Emacs Interface to MH}. @xref{,Message,,message,
d694a3efafe1 (Mail Methods): xref MH, Message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30986
diff changeset
683 Message Manual}. You can choose any of them as your preferred method.
d694a3efafe1 (Mail Methods): xref MH, Message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30986
diff changeset
684 The commands @code{C-x m}, @code{C-x 4 m} and @code{C-x 5 m} use
d694a3efafe1 (Mail Methods): xref MH, Message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30986
diff changeset
685 whichever agent you have specified. So do various other Emacs commands
d694a3efafe1 (Mail Methods): xref MH, Message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30986
diff changeset
686 and facilities that send mail.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
687
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
688 @vindex mail-user-agent
32313
31f35570f268 gnus-user-agent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30992
diff changeset
689 To specify your mail-composition method, customize the variable
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
690 @code{mail-user-agent}. Currently legitimate values include
32313
31f35570f268 gnus-user-agent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30992
diff changeset
691 @code{sendmail-user-agent}, @code{mh-e-user-agent},
31f35570f268 gnus-user-agent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30992
diff changeset
692 @code{message-user-agent} and @code{gnus-user-agent}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
693
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
694 If you select a different mail-composition method, the information in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
695 this chapter about the @samp{*mail*} buffer and Mail mode does not
32313
31f35570f268 gnus-user-agent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30992
diff changeset
696 necessarily apply; other methods may use completely different commands
31f35570f268 gnus-user-agent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 30992
diff changeset
697 with a different format in a differently named buffer.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
698