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annotate man/sending.texi @ 33853:eb4affa4abc6
(lface_from_face_name): Function comment fix.
author | Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org> |
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date | Fri, 24 Nov 2000 13:17:42 +0000 |
parents | 29218b634d62 |
children | 33df9c2e70bf |
rev | line source |
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25829 | 1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
28126 | 2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 2000 |
3 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
25829 | 4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
5 @node Sending Mail, Rmail, Picture, Top | |
6 @chapter Sending Mail | |
7 @cindex sending mail | |
8 @cindex mail | |
9 @cindex message | |
10 | |
11 To send a message in Emacs, you start by typing a command (@kbd{C-x m}) | |
12 to select and initialize the @samp{*mail*} buffer. Then you edit the text | |
13 and headers of the message in this buffer, and type another command | |
14 (@kbd{C-c C-s} or @kbd{C-c C-c}) to send the message. | |
15 | |
16 @table @kbd | |
17 @item C-x m | |
18 Begin composing a message to send (@code{compose-mail}). | |
19 @item C-x 4 m | |
20 Likewise, but display the message in another window | |
21 (@code{compose-mail-other-window}). | |
22 @item C-x 5 m | |
23 Likewise, but make a new frame (@code{compose-mail-other-frame}). | |
24 @item C-c C-s | |
25 In Mail mode, send the message (@code{mail-send}). | |
26 @item C-c C-c | |
27 Send the message and bury the mail buffer (@code{mail-send-and-exit}). | |
28 @end table | |
29 | |
30 @kindex C-x m | |
31 @findex compose-mail | |
32 @kindex C-x 4 m | |
33 @findex compose-mail-other-window | |
34 @kindex C-x 5 m | |
35 @findex compose-mail-other-frame | |
36 The command @kbd{C-x m} (@code{compose-mail}) selects a buffer named | |
37 @samp{*mail*} and initializes it with the skeleton of an outgoing | |
38 message. @kbd{C-x 4 m} (@code{compose-mail-other-window}) selects the | |
39 @samp{*mail*} buffer in a different window, leaving the previous current | |
40 buffer visible. @kbd{C-x 5 m} (@code{compose-mail-other-frame}) creates | |
41 a new frame to select the @samp{*mail*} buffer. | |
42 | |
43 Because the mail-composition buffer is an ordinary Emacs buffer, you can | |
44 switch to other buffers while in the middle of composing mail, and switch | |
45 back later (or never). If you use the @kbd{C-x m} command again when you | |
46 have been composing another message but have not sent it, you are asked to | |
47 confirm before the old message is erased. If you answer @kbd{n}, the | |
48 @samp{*mail*} buffer is left selected with its old contents, so you can | |
49 finish the old message and send it. @kbd{C-u C-x m} is another way to do | |
50 this. Sending the message marks the @samp{*mail*} buffer ``unmodified,'' | |
51 which avoids the need for confirmation when @kbd{C-x m} is next used. | |
52 | |
53 If you are composing a message in the @samp{*mail*} buffer and want to | |
54 send another message before finishing the first, rename the | |
55 @samp{*mail*} buffer using @kbd{M-x rename-uniquely} (@pxref{Misc | |
56 Buffer}). Then you can use @kbd{C-x m} or its variants described above | |
57 to make a new @samp{*mail*} buffer. Once you've done that, you can work | |
58 with each mail buffer independently. | |
59 | |
30986 | 60 @cindex directory servers |
61 @cindex LDAP | |
62 @cindex PH/QI | |
63 @cindex names and addresses | |
64 There is an interface to directory servers using various protocols such | |
65 as LDAP or the CCSO white pages directory system (PH/QI), described in a | |
66 separate manual. It may be useful for looking up names and addresses. | |
67 @xref{Top,,EUDC, eudc, EUDC Manual}. | |
68 | |
25829 | 69 @menu |
70 * Format: Mail Format. Format of the mail being composed. | |
71 * Headers: Mail Headers. Details of permitted mail header fields. | |
72 * Aliases: Mail Aliases. Abbreviating and grouping mail addresses. | |
73 * Mode: Mail Mode. Special commands for editing mail being composed. | |
74 * Spook: Distracting NSA. How to distract the NSA's attention. | |
27209 | 75 * Fortune:: `Fortune' items in signatures. |
76 * Footnotes: Mail Footnotes. Making footnotes in messages. | |
30806 | 77 * Methods: Mail Methods. Using alternative mail-composition methods. |
25829 | 78 @end menu |
79 | |
80 @node Mail Format | |
81 @section The Format of the Mail Buffer | |
82 | |
83 In addition to the @dfn{text} or @dfn{body}, a message has @dfn{header | |
84 fields} which say who sent it, when, to whom, why, and so on. Some | |
85 header fields, such as @samp{Date} and @samp{Sender}, are created | |
86 automatically when you send the message. Others, such as the recipient | |
87 names, must be specified by you in order to send the message properly. | |
88 | |
89 Mail mode provides a few commands to help you edit some header fields, | |
90 and some are preinitialized in the buffer automatically at times. You can | |
91 insert and edit header fields using ordinary editing commands. | |
92 | |
93 The line in the buffer that says | |
94 | |
95 @example | |
96 --text follows this line-- | |
97 @end example | |
98 | |
99 @noindent | |
100 is a special delimiter that separates the headers you have specified from | |
101 the text. Whatever follows this line is the text of the message; the | |
102 headers precede it. The delimiter line itself does not appear in the | |
103 message actually sent. The text used for the delimiter line is controlled | |
104 by the variable @code{mail-header-separator}. | |
105 | |
106 Here is an example of what the headers and text in the mail buffer | |
107 might look like. | |
108 | |
109 @example | |
110 To: gnu@@gnu.org | |
111 CC: lungfish@@spam.org, byob@@spam.org | |
112 Subject: The Emacs Manual | |
113 --Text follows this line-- | |
114 Please ignore this message. | |
115 @end example | |
116 | |
117 @node Mail Headers | |
118 @section Mail Header Fields | |
119 @cindex headers (of mail message) | |
120 | |
121 A header field in the mail buffer starts with a field name at the | |
122 beginning of a line, terminated by a colon. Upper and lower case are | |
123 equivalent in field names (and in mailing addresses also). After the | |
124 colon and optional whitespace comes the contents of the field. | |
125 | |
126 You can use any name you like for a header field, but normally people | |
127 use only standard field names with accepted meanings. Here is a table | |
128 of fields commonly used in outgoing messages. | |
129 | |
130 @table @samp | |
131 @item To | |
132 This field contains the mailing addresses to which the message is | |
133 addressed. If you list more than one address, use commas, not spaces, | |
134 to separate them. | |
135 | |
136 @item Subject | |
137 The contents of the @samp{Subject} field should be a piece of text | |
138 that says what the message is about. The reason @samp{Subject} fields | |
139 are useful is that most mail-reading programs can provide a summary of | |
140 messages, listing the subject of each message but not its text. | |
141 | |
142 @item CC | |
143 This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the message to, | |
144 like @samp{To} except that these readers should not regard the message | |
145 as directed at them. | |
146 | |
147 @item BCC | |
148 This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the message to, | |
149 which should not appear in the header of the message actually sent. | |
150 Copies sent this way are called @dfn{blind carbon copies}. | |
151 | |
152 @vindex mail-self-blind | |
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153 @cindex copy of every outgoing message |
25829 | 154 To send a blind carbon copy of every outgoing message to yourself, set |
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155 the variable @code{mail-self-blind} to @code{t}. To send a blind carbon |
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156 copy of every message to some other @var{address}, set the variable |
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157 @code{mail-default-headers} to @samp{"Bcc: @var{address}\n"}. |
25829 | 158 |
159 @item FCC | |
160 This field contains the name of one file and directs Emacs to append a | |
161 copy of the message to that file when you send the message. If the file | |
162 is in Rmail format, Emacs writes the message in Rmail format; otherwise, | |
163 Emacs writes the message in system mail file format. | |
164 | |
165 @vindex mail-archive-file-name | |
166 To put a fixed file name in the @samp{FCC} field each time you start | |
167 editing an outgoing message, set the variable | |
168 @code{mail-archive-file-name} to that file name. Unless you remove the | |
169 @samp{FCC} field before sending, the message will be written into that | |
170 file when it is sent. | |
171 | |
172 @item From | |
173 Use the @samp{From} field to say who you are, when the account you are | |
174 using to send the mail is not your own. The contents of the @samp{From} | |
175 field should be a valid mailing address, since replies will normally go | |
176 there. If you don't specify the @samp{From} field yourself, Emacs uses | |
177 the value of @code{user-mail-address} as the default. | |
178 | |
179 @item Reply-to | |
180 Use this field to direct replies to a different address. Most | |
181 mail-reading programs (including Rmail) automatically send replies to | |
182 the @samp{Reply-to} address in preference to the @samp{From} address. | |
183 By adding a @samp{Reply-to} field to your header, you can work around | |
184 any problems your @samp{From} address may cause for replies. | |
185 | |
29107 | 186 @cindex @env{REPLYTO} environment variable |
25829 | 187 @vindex mail-default-reply-to |
188 To put a fixed @samp{Reply-to} address into every outgoing message, set | |
189 the variable @code{mail-default-reply-to} to that address (as a string). | |
190 Then @code{mail} initializes the message with a @samp{Reply-to} field as | |
191 specified. You can delete or alter that header field before you send | |
192 the message, if you wish. When Emacs starts up, if the environment | |
29107 | 193 variable @env{REPLYTO} is set, @code{mail-default-reply-to} is |
25829 | 194 initialized from that environment variable. |
195 | |
196 @item In-reply-to | |
197 This field contains a piece of text describing a message you are | |
198 replying to. Some mail systems can use this information to correlate | |
199 related pieces of mail. Normally this field is filled in by Rmail | |
200 when you reply to a message in Rmail, and you never need to | |
201 think about it (@pxref{Rmail}). | |
202 | |
203 @item References | |
204 This field lists the message IDs of related previous messages. Rmail | |
205 sets up this field automatically when you reply to a message. | |
206 @end table | |
207 | |
208 The @samp{To}, @samp{CC}, @samp{BCC} and @samp{FCC} header fields can | |
209 appear any number of times, and each such header field can contain | |
210 multiple addresses, separated by commas. This way, you can specify any | |
211 number of places to send the message. A @samp{To}, @samp{CC}, or | |
212 @samp{BCC} field can also have continuation lines: one or more lines | |
213 starting with whitespace, following the starting line of the field, are | |
214 considered part of the field. Here's an example of a @samp{To} field | |
215 with a continuation line:@refill | |
216 | |
217 @example | |
218 @group | |
219 To: foo@@here.net, this@@there.net, | |
220 me@@gnu.cambridge.mass.usa.earth.spiral3281 | |
221 @end group | |
222 @end example | |
223 | |
224 @vindex mail-from-style | |
225 When you send the message, if you didn't write a @samp{From} field | |
226 yourself, Emacs puts in one for you. The variable | |
227 @code{mail-from-style} controls the format: | |
228 | |
229 @table @code | |
230 @item nil | |
231 Use just the email address, as in @samp{king@@grassland.com}. | |
232 @item parens | |
233 Use both email address and full name, as in @samp{king@@grassland.com (Elvis | |
234 Parsley)}. | |
235 @item angles | |
236 Use both email address and full name, as in @samp{Elvis Parsley | |
237 <king@@grassland.com>}. | |
238 @item system-default | |
239 Allow the system to insert the @samp{From} field. | |
240 @end table | |
241 | |
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242 @vindex mail-default-headers |
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243 You can force Emacs to insert specific headers into the outgoing |
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244 message by customizing the variable @code{mail-default-headers}. Its |
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245 value as a string is inserted before you edit the message. |
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246 |
25829 | 247 @node Mail Aliases |
248 @section Mail Aliases | |
249 @cindex mail aliases | |
250 @cindex @file{.mailrc} file | |
251 @cindex mailrc file | |
252 | |
253 You can define @dfn{mail aliases} in a file named @file{~/.mailrc}. | |
254 These are short mnemonic names which stand for mail addresses or groups of | |
255 mail addresses. Like many other mail programs, Emacs expands aliases | |
256 when they occur in the @samp{To}, @samp{From}, @samp{CC}, @samp{BCC}, and | |
257 @samp{Reply-to} fields, plus their @samp{Resent-} variants. | |
258 | |
259 To define an alias in @file{~/.mailrc}, write a line in the following | |
260 format: | |
261 | |
262 @example | |
263 alias @var{shortaddress} @var{fulladdresses} | |
264 @end example | |
265 | |
266 @noindent | |
267 Here @var{fulladdresses} stands for one or more mail addresses for | |
268 @var{shortaddress} to expand into. Separate multiple addresses with | |
269 spaces; if an address contains a space, quote the whole address with a | |
270 pair of double-quotes. | |
271 | |
272 For instance, to make @code{maingnu} stand for | |
273 @code{gnu@@gnu.org} plus a local address of your own, put in | |
274 this line:@refill | |
275 | |
276 @example | |
277 alias maingnu gnu@@gnu.org local-gnu | |
278 @end example | |
279 | |
280 Emacs also recognizes include commands in @samp{.mailrc} files. | |
281 They look like this: | |
282 | |
283 @example | |
284 source @var{filename} | |
285 @end example | |
286 | |
287 @noindent | |
288 The file @file{~/.mailrc} is used primarily by other mail-reading | |
289 programs; it can contain various other commands. Emacs ignores | |
290 everything in it except for alias definitions and include commands. | |
291 | |
292 @findex define-mail-alias | |
293 Another way to define a mail alias, within Emacs alone, is with the | |
294 @code{define-mail-alias} command. It prompts for the alias and then the | |
295 full address. You can use it to define aliases in your @file{.emacs} | |
296 file, like this: | |
297 | |
298 @example | |
299 (define-mail-alias "maingnu" "gnu@@gnu.org") | |
300 @end example | |
301 | |
302 @vindex mail-aliases | |
303 @code{define-mail-alias} records aliases by adding them to a | |
304 variable named @code{mail-aliases}. If you are comfortable with | |
305 manipulating Lisp lists, you can set @code{mail-aliases} directly. The | |
306 initial value of @code{mail-aliases} is @code{t}, which means that | |
307 Emacs should read @file{.mailrc} to get the proper value. | |
308 | |
309 @vindex mail-personal-alias-file | |
310 You can specify a different file name to use instead of | |
311 @file{~/.mailrc} by setting the variable | |
312 @code{mail-personal-alias-file}. | |
313 | |
314 @findex expand-mail-aliases | |
315 Normally, Emacs expands aliases when you send the message. You do not | |
316 need to expand mail aliases before sending the message, but you can | |
317 expand them if you want to see where the mail will actually go. To do | |
318 this, use the command @kbd{M-x expand-mail-aliases}; it expands all mail | |
319 aliases currently present in the mail headers that hold addresses. | |
320 | |
321 If you like, you can have mail aliases expand as abbrevs, as soon as | |
322 you type them in (@pxref{Abbrevs}). To enable this feature, execute the | |
323 following: | |
324 | |
325 @example | |
326 (add-hook 'mail-setup-hook 'mail-abbrevs-setup) | |
327 @end example | |
328 | |
329 @noindent | |
330 @findex define-mail-abbrev | |
331 @vindex mail-abbrevs | |
332 This can go in your @file{.emacs} file. @xref{Hooks}. If you use this | |
333 feature, you must use @code{define-mail-abbrev} instead of | |
334 @code{define-mail-alias}; the latter does not work with this package. | |
335 Note that the mail abbreviation package uses the variable | |
336 @code{mail-abbrevs} instead of @code{mail-aliases}, and that all alias | |
337 names are converted to lower case. | |
338 | |
339 @kindex C-c C-a @r{(Mail mode)} | |
340 @findex mail-interactive-insert-alias | |
341 The mail abbreviation package also provides the @kbd{C-c C-a} | |
342 (@code{mail-interactive-insert-alias}) command, which reads an alias | |
343 name (with completion) and inserts its definition at point. This is | |
344 useful when editing the message text itself or a header field such as | |
345 @samp{Subject} in which Emacs does not normally expand aliases. | |
346 | |
347 Note that abbrevs expand only if you insert a word-separator character | |
348 afterward. However, you can rebind @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{M->} to cause | |
349 expansion as well. Here's how to do that: | |
350 | |
351 @smallexample | |
352 (add-hook 'mail-setup-hook | |
353 '(lambda () | |
354 (substitute-key-definition | |
355 'next-line 'mail-abbrev-next-line | |
356 mail-mode-map global-map) | |
357 (substitute-key-definition | |
358 'end-of-buffer 'mail-abbrev-end-of-buffer | |
359 mail-mode-map global-map))) | |
360 @end smallexample | |
361 | |
362 @node Mail Mode | |
363 @section Mail Mode | |
364 @cindex Mail mode | |
365 @cindex mode, Mail | |
366 | |
367 The major mode used in the mail buffer is Mail mode, which is much | |
368 like Text mode except that various special commands are provided on the | |
369 @kbd{C-c} prefix. These commands all have to do specifically with | |
370 editing or sending the message. In addition, Mail mode defines the | |
371 character @samp{%} as a word separator; this is helpful for using the | |
372 word commands to edit mail addresses. | |
373 | |
374 Mail mode is normally used in buffers set up automatically by the | |
375 @code{mail} command and related commands. However, you can also switch | |
376 to Mail mode in a file-visiting buffer. That is a useful thing to do if | |
377 you have saved draft message text in a file. | |
378 | |
379 @menu | |
380 * Mail Sending:: Commands to send the message. | |
381 * Header Editing:: Commands to move to header fields and edit them. | |
382 * Citing Mail:: Copying all or part of a message you are replying to. | |
383 * Mail Mode Misc:: Spell checking, signatures, etc. | |
384 @end menu | |
385 | |
386 @node Mail Sending | |
387 @subsection Mail Sending | |
388 | |
389 Mail mode has two commands for sending the message you have been | |
390 editing: | |
391 | |
392 @table @kbd | |
393 @item C-c C-s | |
394 Send the message, and leave the mail buffer selected (@code{mail-send}). | |
395 @item C-c C-c | |
396 Send the message, and select some other buffer (@code{mail-send-and-exit}). | |
397 @end table | |
398 | |
399 @kindex C-c C-s @r{(Mail mode)} | |
400 @kindex C-c C-c @r{(Mail mode)} | |
401 @findex mail-send | |
402 @findex mail-send-and-exit | |
403 @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{mail-send}) sends the message and marks the mail | |
404 buffer unmodified, but leaves that buffer selected so that you can | |
405 modify the message (perhaps with new recipients) and send it again. | |
406 @kbd{C-c C-c} (@code{mail-send-and-exit}) sends and then deletes the | |
407 window or switches to another buffer. It puts the mail buffer at the | |
408 lowest priority for reselection by default, since you are finished with | |
409 using it. This is the usual way to send the message. | |
410 | |
411 In a file-visiting buffer, sending the message does not clear the | |
412 modified flag, because only saving the file should do that. As a | |
413 result, you don't get a warning if you try to send the same message | |
414 twice. | |
415 | |
416 @vindex sendmail-coding-system | |
417 When you send a message that contains non-ASCII characters, they need | |
418 to be encoded with a coding system (@pxref{Coding Systems}). Usually | |
419 the coding system is specified automatically by your chosen language | |
420 environment (@pxref{Language Environments}). You can explicitly specify | |
421 the coding system for outgoing mail by setting the variable | |
422 @code{sendmail-coding-system}. | |
423 | |
424 If the coding system thus determined does not handle the characters in | |
425 a particular message, Emacs asks you to select the coding system to use, | |
426 showing a list of possible coding systems. | |
427 | |
428 @node Header Editing | |
429 @subsection Mail Header Editing | |
430 | |
431 Mail mode provides special commands to move to particular header | |
432 fields and to complete addresses in headers. | |
433 | |
434 @table @kbd | |
435 @item C-c C-f C-t | |
436 Move to the @samp{To} header field, creating one if there is none | |
437 (@code{mail-to}). | |
438 @item C-c C-f C-s | |
439 Move to the @samp{Subject} header field, creating one if there is | |
440 none (@code{mail-subject}). | |
441 @item C-c C-f C-c | |
442 Move to the @samp{CC} header field, creating one if there is none | |
443 (@code{mail-cc}). | |
444 @item C-c C-f C-b | |
445 Move to the @samp{BCC} header field, creating one if there is none | |
446 (@code{mail-bcc}). | |
447 @item C-c C-f C-f | |
448 Move to the @samp{FCC} header field, creating one if there is none | |
449 (@code{mail-fcc}). | |
450 @item M-@key{TAB} | |
451 Complete a mailing address (@code{mail-complete}). | |
452 @end table | |
453 | |
454 @kindex C-c C-f C-t @r{(Mail mode)} | |
455 @findex mail-to | |
456 @kindex C-c C-f C-s @r{(Mail mode)} | |
457 @findex mail-subject | |
458 @kindex C-c C-f C-c @r{(Mail mode)} | |
459 @findex mail-cc | |
460 @kindex C-c C-f C-b @r{(Mail mode)} | |
461 @findex mail-bcc | |
462 @kindex C-c C-f C-f @r{(Mail mode)} | |
463 @findex mail-fcc | |
464 There are five commands to move point to particular header fields, all | |
465 based on the prefix @kbd{C-c C-f} (@samp{C-f} is for ``field''). They | |
466 are listed in the table above. If the field in question does not exist, | |
467 these commands create one. We provide special motion commands for these | |
468 particular fields because they are the fields users most often want to | |
469 edit. | |
470 | |
471 @findex mail-complete | |
472 @kindex M-TAB @r{(Mail mode)} | |
473 While editing a header field that contains mailing addresses, such as | |
474 @samp{To:}, @samp{CC:} and @samp{BCC:}, you can complete a mailing | |
475 address by typing @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} (@code{mail-complete}). It inserts | |
476 the full name corresponding to the address, if it can determine the full | |
477 name. The variable @code{mail-complete-style} controls whether to insert | |
478 the full name, and what style to use, as in @code{mail-from-style} | |
479 (@pxref{Mail Headers}). | |
480 | |
481 For completion purposes, the valid mailing addresses are taken to be | |
482 the local users' names plus your personal mail aliases. You can specify | |
483 additional sources of valid addresses; use the customization buffer | |
484 to see the options for this. | |
485 | |
486 If you type @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} in the body of the message, it invokes | |
487 @code{ispell-complete-word}, as in Text mode. | |
488 | |
489 @node Citing Mail | |
490 @subsection Citing Mail | |
491 @cindex citing mail | |
492 | |
493 Mail mode also has commands for yanking or @dfn{citing} all or part of | |
494 a message that you are replying to. These commands are active only when | |
495 you started sending a message using an Rmail command. | |
496 | |
497 @table @kbd | |
498 @item C-c C-y | |
499 Yank the selected message from Rmail (@code{mail-yank-original}). | |
500 @item C-c C-r | |
501 Yank the region from the Rmail buffer (@code{mail-yank-region}). | |
502 @item C-c C-q | |
503 Fill each paragraph cited from another message | |
504 (@code{mail-fill-yanked-message}). | |
505 @end table | |
506 | |
507 @kindex C-c C-y @r{(Mail mode)} | |
508 @findex mail-yank-original | |
509 When mail sending is invoked from the Rmail mail reader using an Rmail | |
510 command, @kbd{C-c C-y} can be used inside the mail buffer to insert | |
511 the text of the message you are replying to. Normally it indents each line | |
512 of that message three spaces and eliminates most header fields. A numeric | |
513 argument specifies the number of spaces to indent. An argument of just | |
514 @kbd{C-u} says not to indent at all and not to eliminate anything. | |
515 @kbd{C-c C-y} always uses the current message from the Rmail buffer, | |
516 so you can insert several old messages by selecting one in Rmail, | |
517 switching to @samp{*mail*} and yanking it, then switching back to | |
518 Rmail to select another. | |
519 | |
520 @vindex mail-yank-prefix | |
521 You can specify the text for @kbd{C-c C-y} to insert at the beginning | |
522 of each line: set @code{mail-yank-prefix} to the desired string. (A | |
523 value of @code{nil} means to use indentation; this is the default.) | |
524 However, @kbd{C-u C-c C-y} never adds anything at the beginning of the | |
525 inserted lines, regardless of the value of @code{mail-yank-prefix}. | |
526 | |
527 @kindex C-c C-r @r{(Mail mode)} | |
528 @findex mail-yank-region | |
529 To yank just a part of an incoming message, set the region in Rmail to | |
530 the part you want; then go to the @samp{*Mail*} message and type | |
531 @kbd{C-c C-r} (@code{mail-yank-region}). Each line that is copied is | |
532 indented or prefixed according to @code{mail-yank-prefix}. | |
533 | |
534 @kindex C-c C-q @r{(Mail mode)} | |
535 @findex mail-fill-yanked-message | |
536 After using @kbd{C-c C-y} or @kbd{C-c C-r}, you can type @kbd{C-c C-q} | |
537 (@code{mail-fill-yanked-message}) to fill the paragraphs of the yanked | |
538 old message or messages. One use of @kbd{C-c C-q} fills all such | |
539 paragraphs, each one individually. To fill a single paragraph of the | |
540 quoted message, use @kbd{M-q}. If filling does not automatically | |
541 handle the type of citation prefix you use, try setting the fill prefix | |
542 explicitly. @xref{Filling}. | |
543 | |
544 @node Mail Mode Misc | |
545 @subsection Mail Mode Miscellany | |
546 | |
547 @table @kbd | |
548 @item C-c C-t | |
549 Move to the beginning of the message body text (@code{mail-text}). | |
550 @item C-c C-w | |
551 Insert the file @file{~/.signature} at the end of the message text | |
552 (@code{mail-signature}). | |
553 @item C-c C-i @var{file} @key{RET} | |
554 Insert the contents of @var{file} at the end of the outgoing message | |
555 (@code{mail-attach-file}). | |
556 @item M-x ispell-message | |
557 Do spelling correction on the message text, but not on citations from | |
558 other messages. | |
559 @end table | |
560 | |
561 @kindex C-c C-t @r{(Mail mode)} | |
562 @findex mail-text | |
563 @kbd{C-c C-t} (@code{mail-text}) moves point to just after the header | |
564 separator line---that is, to the beginning of the message body text. | |
565 | |
566 @kindex C-c C-w @r{(Mail mode)} | |
567 @findex mail-signature | |
568 @vindex mail-signature | |
569 @kbd{C-c C-w} (@code{mail-signature}) adds a standard piece of text at | |
570 the end of the message to say more about who you are. The text comes | |
571 from the file @file{~/.signature} in your home directory. To insert | |
572 your signature automatically, set the variable @code{mail-signature} to | |
573 @code{t}; then starting a mail message automatically inserts the | |
574 contents of your @file{~/.signature} file. If you want to omit your | |
575 signature from a particular message, delete it from the buffer before | |
576 you send the message. | |
577 | |
578 You can also set @code{mail-signature} to a string; then that string | |
579 is inserted automatically as your signature when you start editing a | |
580 message to send. If you set it to some other Lisp expression, the | |
581 expression is evaluated each time, and its value (which should be a | |
582 string) specifies the signature. | |
583 | |
584 @findex ispell-message | |
585 You can do spelling correction on the message text you have written | |
586 with the command @kbd{M-x ispell-message}. If you have yanked an | |
587 incoming message into the outgoing draft, this command skips what was | |
588 yanked, but it checks the text that you yourself inserted. (It looks | |
589 for indentation or @code{mail-yank-prefix} to distinguish the cited | |
590 lines from your input.) @xref{Spelling}. | |
591 | |
592 @kindex C-c C-i @r{(Mail mode)} | |
593 @findex mail-attach-file | |
594 To include a file in the outgoing message, you can use @kbd{C-x i}, | |
595 the usual command to insert a file in the current buffer. But it is | |
596 often more convenient to use a special command, @kbd{C-c C-i} | |
597 (@code{mail-attach-file}). This command inserts the file contents at | |
598 the end of the buffer, after your signature if any, with a delimiter | |
599 line that includes the file name. | |
600 | |
601 @vindex mail-mode-hook | |
602 @vindex mail-setup-hook | |
603 Turning on Mail mode (which @kbd{C-x m} does automatically) runs the | |
604 normal hooks @code{text-mode-hook} and @code{mail-mode-hook}. | |
605 Initializing a new outgoing message runs the normal hook | |
606 @code{mail-setup-hook}; if you want to add special fields to your mail | |
607 header or make other changes to the appearance of the mail buffer, use | |
608 that hook. @xref{Hooks}. | |
609 | |
610 The main difference between these hooks is just when they are | |
611 invoked. Whenever you type @kbd{M-x mail}, @code{mail-mode-hook} runs | |
612 as soon as the @samp{*mail*} buffer is created. Then the | |
613 @code{mail-setup} function puts in the default contents of the buffer. | |
614 After these default contents are inserted, @code{mail-setup-hook} runs. | |
615 | |
616 @node Distracting NSA | |
617 @section Distracting the NSA | |
618 | |
619 @findex spook | |
620 @cindex NSA | |
621 @kbd{M-x spook} adds a line of randomly chosen keywords to an outgoing | |
622 mail message. The keywords are chosen from a list of words that suggest | |
623 you are discussing something subversive. | |
624 | |
30806 | 625 The idea behind this feature is the suspicion that the |
626 NSA@footnote{The US National Security Agency.} snoops on | |
25829 | 627 all electronic mail messages that contain keywords suggesting they might |
628 find them interesting. (The NSA says they don't, but that's what they | |
629 @emph{would} say.) The idea is that if lots of people add suspicious | |
630 words to their messages, the NSA will get so busy with spurious input | |
631 that they will have to give up reading it all. | |
632 | |
633 Here's how to insert spook keywords automatically whenever you start | |
634 entering an outgoing message: | |
635 | |
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 | 638 @end example |
639 | |
640 Whether or not this confuses the NSA, it at least amuses people. | |
641 | |
27209 | 642 @node Fortune |
643 @section Putting @code{fortune} Items in Signatures | |
644 | |
645 @pindex fortune | |
646 @findex fortune-to-signature | |
647 @findex fortune-from-region | |
648 @cindex signatures, mail/news | |
649 @cindex fortune cookies | |
30806 | 650 You can use the @code{fortune} program to create signatures for mail or |
651 network news messages. (@code{fortune} prints a random---with luck, | |
652 interesting---adage, originally inspired by `fortune cookie' messages.) | |
653 To generate signatures, add @code{fortune-to-signature} to | |
654 @code{mail-setup-hook} and/or @code{message-setup-hook} as appropriate. | |
655 You can automatically cut regions to a Fortune file with @kbd{M-x | |
656 fortune-from-region} and compile your own Fortune database. | |
27209 | 657 |
658 @node Mail Footnotes | |
659 @section Making Footnotes | |
660 @cindex footnotes | |
661 | |
662 @findex footnote-mode | |
663 @kbd{M-x footnote-mode} toggles a minor mode for making footnotes in | |
664 mail or network news messages. It is intended for use specifically with | |
665 Message mode but is not specific to that. It provides commands and | |
666 keybindings to insert footnotes, go to a given note, delete a note and | |
667 renumber notes. See the group @code{footnote} for customization and the | |
668 mode's documentation for keybindings. To set up Footnote mode for all | |
669 messages, add @code{footnote-mode} to @code{mail-mode-hook} and/or | |
670 @code{message-mode-hook} as appropriate. | |
671 | |
25829 | 672 @node Mail Methods |
673 @section Mail-Composition Methods | |
674 @cindex mail-composition methods | |
675 | |
676 This chapter describes the usual Emacs mode for editing and sending | |
677 mail---Mail mode. Emacs has alternative facilities for editing and | |
30992 | 678 sending mail, including |
679 @cindex MH mail interface | |
680 @cindex Message mode for sending mail | |
681 MH-E and Message mode, not documented in this manual. | |
682 @xref{,MH-E,,mh-e, The Emacs Interface to MH}. @xref{,Message,,message, | |
683 Message Manual}. You can choose any of them as your preferred method. | |
684 The commands @code{C-x m}, @code{C-x 4 m} and @code{C-x 5 m} use | |
685 whichever agent you have specified. So do various other Emacs commands | |
686 and facilities that send mail. | |
25829 | 687 |
688 @vindex mail-user-agent | |
32313 | 689 To specify your mail-composition method, customize the variable |
25829 | 690 @code{mail-user-agent}. Currently legitimate values include |
32313 | 691 @code{sendmail-user-agent}, @code{mh-e-user-agent}, |
692 @code{message-user-agent} and @code{gnus-user-agent}. | |
25829 | 693 |
694 If you select a different mail-composition method, the information in | |
695 this chapter about the @samp{*mail*} buffer and Mail mode does not | |
32313 | 696 necessarily apply; other methods may use completely different commands |
697 with a different format in a differently named buffer. | |
25829 | 698 |