annotate man/rmail.texi @ 58595:f645b2da4321

*** empty log message ***
author Andreas Schwab <schwab@suse.de>
date Sat, 27 Nov 2004 22:42:19 +0000
parents 3649390c0f91
children 17c9e16e0207
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.
39287
3b40423b9355 Update the copyright years.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38868
diff changeset
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,1997,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
4 @node Rmail, Dired, Sending Mail, Top
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
5 @chapter Reading Mail with Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
6 @cindex Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
7 @cindex reading mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
8 @findex rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
9 @findex rmail-mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
10 @vindex rmail-mode-hook
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
11
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
12 Rmail is an Emacs subsystem for reading and disposing of mail that you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
13 receive. Rmail stores mail messages in files called Rmail files.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
14 Reading the message in an Rmail file is done in a special major mode,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
15 Rmail mode, which redefines most letters to run commands for managing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
16 mail. The command @code{rmail-mode} is used to switch into Rmail mode,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
17 and it runs the hook @code{rmail-mode-hook} as usual, but don't run this
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
18 command by hand; it can't do a reasonable job unless the buffer is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
19 visiting a proper Rmail file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
20
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
21 @menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
22 * Basic: Rmail Basics. Basic concepts of Rmail, and simple use.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
23 * Scroll: Rmail Scrolling. Scrolling through a message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
24 * Motion: Rmail Motion. Moving to another message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
25 * Deletion: Rmail Deletion. Deleting and expunging messages.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
26 * Inbox: Rmail Inbox. How mail gets into the Rmail file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
27 * Files: Rmail Files. Using multiple Rmail files.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
28 * Output: Rmail Output. Copying message out to files.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
29 * Labels: Rmail Labels. Classifying messages by labeling them.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
30 * Attrs: Rmail Attributes. Certain standard labels, called attributes.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
31 * Reply: Rmail Reply. Sending replies to messages you are viewing.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
32 * Summary: Rmail Summary. Summaries show brief info on many messages.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
33 * Sort: Rmail Sorting. Sorting messages in Rmail.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
34 * Display: Rmail Display. How Rmail displays a message; customization.
36173
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
35 * Coding: Rmail Coding. How Rmail handles decoding character sets.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
36 * Editing: Rmail Editing. Editing message text and headers in Rmail.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
37 * Digest: Rmail Digest. Extracting the messages from a digest message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
38 * Out of Rmail:: Converting an Rmail file to mailbox format.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
39 * Rot13: Rmail Rot13. Reading messages encoded in the rot13 code.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
40 * Movemail: Movemail. More details of fetching new mail.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
41 @end menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
42
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
43 @node Rmail Basics
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
44 @section Basic Concepts of Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
45
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
46 @cindex primary Rmail file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
47 @vindex rmail-file-name
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
48 Using Rmail in the simplest fashion, you have one Rmail file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
49 @file{~/RMAIL} in which all of your mail is saved. It is called your
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
50 @dfn{primary Rmail file}. The command @kbd{M-x rmail} reads your primary
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
51 Rmail file, merges new mail in from your inboxes, displays the first
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
52 message you haven't read yet, and lets you begin reading. The variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
53 @code{rmail-file-name} specifies the name of the primary Rmail file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
54
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
55 Rmail uses narrowing to hide all but one message in the Rmail file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
56 The message that is shown is called the @dfn{current message}. Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
57 mode's special commands can do such things as delete the current
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
58 message, copy it into another file, send a reply, or move to another
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
59 message. You can also create multiple Rmail files and use Rmail to move
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
60 messages between them.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
61
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
62 @cindex message number
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
63 Within the Rmail file, messages are normally arranged sequentially in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
64 order of receipt; you can specify other ways to sort them. Messages are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
65 assigned consecutive integers as their @dfn{message numbers}. The
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
66 number of the current message is displayed in Rmail's mode line,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
67 followed by the total number of messages in the file. You can move to a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
68 message by specifying its message number with the @kbd{j} key
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
69 (@pxref{Rmail Motion}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
70
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
71 @kindex s @r{(Rmail)}
37577
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
72 @findex rmail-expunge-and-save
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
73 Following the usual conventions of Emacs, changes in an Rmail file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
74 become permanent only when the file is saved. You can save it with
37577
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
75 @kbd{s} (@code{rmail-expunge-and-save}), which also expunges deleted
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
76 messages from the file first (@pxref{Rmail Deletion}). To save the
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
77 file without expunging, use @kbd{C-x C-s}. Rmail also saves the Rmail
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
78 file after merging new mail from an inbox file (@pxref{Rmail Inbox}).
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
79
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
80 @kindex q @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
81 @findex rmail-quit
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
82 @kindex b @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
83 @findex rmail-bury
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
84 You can exit Rmail with @kbd{q} (@code{rmail-quit}); this expunges and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
85 saves the Rmail file and then switches to another buffer. But there is
36185
62cf166239f3 Change in quoting.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36173
diff changeset
86 no need to ``exit'' formally. If you switch from Rmail to editing in
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
87 other buffers, and never happen to switch back, you have exited. (The
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
88 Rmail command @kbd{b}, @code{rmail-bury}, does this for you.) Just make
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
89 sure to save the Rmail file eventually (like any other file you have
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
90 changed). @kbd{C-x s} is a good enough way to do this
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
91 (@pxref{Saving}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
92
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
93 @node Rmail Scrolling
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
94 @section Scrolling Within a Message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
95
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
96 When Rmail displays a message that does not fit on the screen, you
49600
23a1cea22d13 Trailing whitespace deleted.
Juanma Barranquero <lekktu@gmail.com>
parents: 44326
diff changeset
97 must scroll through it to read the rest. You could do this with
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
98 @kbd{C-v}, @kbd{M-v} and @kbd{M-<}, but in Rmail scrolling is so
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
99 frequent that it deserves to be easier to type.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
100
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
101 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
102 @item @key{SPC}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
103 Scroll forward (@code{scroll-up}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
104 @item @key{DEL}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
105 Scroll backward (@code{scroll-down}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
106 @item .
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
107 Scroll to start of message (@code{rmail-beginning-of-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
108 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
109
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
110 @kindex SPC @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
111 @kindex DEL @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
112 Since the most common thing to do while reading a message is to scroll
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
113 through it by screenfuls, Rmail makes @key{SPC} and @key{DEL} synonyms of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
114 @kbd{C-v} (@code{scroll-up}) and @kbd{M-v} (@code{scroll-down})
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
115
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
116 @kindex . @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
117 @findex rmail-beginning-of-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
118 The command @kbd{.} (@code{rmail-beginning-of-message}) scrolls back to the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
119 beginning of the selected message. This is not quite the same as @kbd{M-<}:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
120 for one thing, it does not set the mark; for another, it resets the buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
121 boundaries to the current message if you have changed them.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
122
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
123 @node Rmail Motion
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
124 @section Moving Among Messages
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
125
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
126 The most basic thing to do with a message is to read it. The way to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
127 do this in Rmail is to make the message current. The usual practice is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
128 to move sequentially through the file, since this is the order of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
129 receipt of messages. When you enter Rmail, you are positioned at the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
130 first message that you have not yet made current (that is, the first one
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
131 that has the @samp{unseen} attribute; @pxref{Rmail Attributes}). Move
38065
4f1705a63f02 Proofreading fixes from Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37577
diff changeset
132 forward to see the other new messages; move backward to re-examine old
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
133 messages.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
134
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
135 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
136 @item n
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
137 Move to the next nondeleted message, skipping any intervening deleted
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
138 messages (@code{rmail-next-undeleted-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
139 @item p
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
140 Move to the previous nondeleted message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
141 (@code{rmail-previous-undeleted-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
142 @item M-n
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
143 Move to the next message, including deleted messages
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
144 (@code{rmail-next-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
145 @item M-p
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
146 Move to the previous message, including deleted messages
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
147 (@code{rmail-previous-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
148 @item j
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
149 Move to the first message. With argument @var{n}, move to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
150 message number @var{n} (@code{rmail-show-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
151 @item >
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
152 Move to the last message (@code{rmail-last-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
153 @item <
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
154 Move to the first message (@code{rmail-first-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
155
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
156 @item M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
157 Move to the next message containing a match for @var{regexp}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
158 (@code{rmail-search}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
159
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
160 @item - M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
161 Move to the previous message containing a match for @var{regexp}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
162 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
163
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
164 @kindex n @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
165 @kindex p @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
166 @kindex M-n @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
167 @kindex M-p @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
168 @findex rmail-next-undeleted-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
169 @findex rmail-previous-undeleted-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
170 @findex rmail-next-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
171 @findex rmail-previous-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
172 @kbd{n} and @kbd{p} are the usual way of moving among messages in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
173 Rmail. They move through the messages sequentially, but skip over
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
174 deleted messages, which is usually what you want to do. Their command
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
175 definitions are named @code{rmail-next-undeleted-message} and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
176 @code{rmail-previous-undeleted-message}. If you do not want to skip
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
177 deleted messages---for example, if you want to move to a message to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
178 undelete it---use the variants @kbd{M-n} and @kbd{M-p}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
179 (@code{rmail-next-message} and @code{rmail-previous-message}). A
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
180 numeric argument to any of these commands serves as a repeat
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
181 count.@refill
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
182
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
183 In Rmail, you can specify a numeric argument by typing just the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
184 digits. You don't need to type @kbd{C-u} first.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
185
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
186 @kindex M-s @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
187 @findex rmail-search
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
188 @cindex searching in Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
189 The @kbd{M-s} (@code{rmail-search}) command is Rmail's version of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
190 search. The usual incremental search command @kbd{C-s} works in Rmail,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
191 but it searches only within the current message. The purpose of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
192 @kbd{M-s} is to search for another message. It reads a regular
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
193 expression (@pxref{Regexps}) nonincrementally, then searches starting at
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
194 the beginning of the following message for a match. It then selects
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
195 that message. If @var{regexp} is empty, @kbd{M-s} reuses the regexp
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
196 used the previous time.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
197
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
198 To search backward in the file for another message, give @kbd{M-s} a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
199 negative argument. In Rmail you can do this with @kbd{- M-s}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
200
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
201 It is also possible to search for a message based on labels.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
202 @xref{Rmail Labels}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
203
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
204 @kindex j @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
205 @kindex > @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
206 @kindex < @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
207 @findex rmail-show-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
208 @findex rmail-last-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
209 @findex rmail-first-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
210 To move to a message specified by absolute message number, use @kbd{j}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
211 (@code{rmail-show-message}) with the message number as argument. With
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
212 no argument, @kbd{j} selects the first message. @kbd{<}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
213 (@code{rmail-first-message}) also selects the first message. @kbd{>}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
214 (@code{rmail-last-message}) selects the last message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
215
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
216 @node Rmail Deletion
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
217 @section Deleting Messages
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
218
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
219 @cindex deletion (Rmail)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
220 When you no longer need to keep a message, you can @dfn{delete} it. This
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
221 flags it as ignorable, and some Rmail commands pretend it is no longer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
222 present; but it still has its place in the Rmail file, and still has its
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
223 message number.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
224
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
225 @cindex expunging (Rmail)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
226 @dfn{Expunging} the Rmail file actually removes the deleted messages.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
227 The remaining messages are renumbered consecutively. Expunging is the only
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
228 action that changes the message number of any message, except for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
229 undigestifying (@pxref{Rmail Digest}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
230
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
231 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
232 @item d
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
233 Delete the current message, and move to the next nondeleted message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
234 (@code{rmail-delete-forward}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
235 @item C-d
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
236 Delete the current message, and move to the previous nondeleted
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
237 message (@code{rmail-delete-backward}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
238 @item u
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
239 Undelete the current message, or move back to a deleted message and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
240 undelete it (@code{rmail-undelete-previous-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
241 @item x
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
242 Expunge the Rmail file (@code{rmail-expunge}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
243 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
244
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
245 @kindex d @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
246 @kindex C-d @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
247 @findex rmail-delete-forward
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
248 @findex rmail-delete-backward
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
249 There are two Rmail commands for deleting messages. Both delete the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
250 current message and select another message. @kbd{d}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
251 (@code{rmail-delete-forward}) moves to the following message, skipping
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
252 messages already deleted, while @kbd{C-d} (@code{rmail-delete-backward})
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
253 moves to the previous nondeleted message. If there is no nondeleted
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
254 message to move to in the specified direction, the message that was just
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
255 deleted remains current. A numeric argument to either command reverses
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
256 the direction of motion after deletion.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
257
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
258 @vindex rmail-delete-message-hook
38065
4f1705a63f02 Proofreading fixes from Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37577
diff changeset
259 Whenever Rmail deletes a message, it runs the hook
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
260 @code{rmail-delete-message-hook}. When the hook functions are invoked,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
261 the message has been marked deleted, but it is still the current message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
262 in the Rmail buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
263
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
264 @cindex undeletion (Rmail)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
265 @kindex x @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
266 @findex rmail-expunge
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
267 @kindex u @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
268 @findex rmail-undelete-previous-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
269 To make all the deleted messages finally vanish from the Rmail file,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
270 type @kbd{x} (@code{rmail-expunge}). Until you do this, you can still
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
271 @dfn{undelete} the deleted messages. The undeletion command, @kbd{u}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
272 (@code{rmail-undelete-previous-message}), is designed to cancel the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
273 effect of a @kbd{d} command in most cases. It undeletes the current
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
274 message if the current message is deleted. Otherwise it moves backward
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
275 to previous messages until a deleted message is found, and undeletes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
276 that message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
277
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
278 You can usually undo a @kbd{d} with a @kbd{u} because the @kbd{u}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
279 moves back to and undeletes the message that the @kbd{d} deleted. But
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
280 this does not work when the @kbd{d} skips a few already-deleted messages
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
281 that follow the message being deleted; then the @kbd{u} command
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
282 undeletes the last of the messages that were skipped. There is no clean
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
283 way to avoid this problem. However, by repeating the @kbd{u} command,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
284 you can eventually get back to the message that you intend to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
285 undelete. You can also select a particular deleted message with
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
286 the @kbd{M-p} command, then type @kbd{u} to undelete it.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
287
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
288 A deleted message has the @samp{deleted} attribute, and as a result
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
289 @samp{deleted} appears in the mode line when the current message is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
290 deleted. In fact, deleting or undeleting a message is nothing more than
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
291 adding or removing this attribute. @xref{Rmail Attributes}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
292
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
293 @node Rmail Inbox
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
294 @section Rmail Files and Inboxes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
295 @cindex inbox file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
296
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
297 The operating system places incoming mail for you in a file that we
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
298 call your @dfn{inbox}. When you start up Rmail, it runs a C program
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
299 called @code{movemail} to copy the new messages from your inbox into
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
300 your primary Rmail file, which also contains other messages saved from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
301 previous Rmail sessions. It is in this file that you actually read the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
302 mail with Rmail. This operation is called @dfn{getting new mail}. You
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
303 can get new mail at any time in Rmail by typing @kbd{g}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
304
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
305 @vindex rmail-primary-inbox-list
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 28339
diff changeset
306 @cindex @env{MAIL} environment variable
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
307 The variable @code{rmail-primary-inbox-list} contains a list of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
308 files which are inboxes for your primary Rmail file. If you don't set
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 28339
diff changeset
309 this variable explicitly, it is initialized from the @env{MAIL}
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
310 environment variable, or, as a last resort, set to @code{nil}, which
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
311 means to use the default inbox. The default inbox is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
312 @file{/var/mail/@var{username}}, @file{/usr/spool/mail/@var{username}},
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
313 or @file{/usr/mail/@var{username}}, depending on your operating system.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
314
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
315 To see what the default is on your system, use @kbd{C-h v
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
316 rmail-primary-inbox @key{RET}}. You can specify the inbox file(s) for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
317 any Rmail file with the command @code{set-rmail-inbox-list}; see
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
318 @ref{Rmail Files}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
319
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
320 There are two reasons for having separate Rmail files and inboxes.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
321
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
322 @enumerate
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
323 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
324 The inbox file format varies between operating systems and according to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
325 the other mail software in use. Only one part of Rmail needs to know
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
326 about the alternatives, and it need only understand how to convert all
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
327 of them to Rmail's own format.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
328
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
329 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
330 It is very cumbersome to access an inbox file without danger of losing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
331 mail, because it is necessary to interlock with mail delivery.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
332 Moreover, different operating systems use different interlocking
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
333 techniques. The strategy of moving mail out of the inbox once and for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
334 all into a separate Rmail file avoids the need for interlocking in all
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
335 the rest of Rmail, since only Rmail operates on the Rmail file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
336 @end enumerate
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
337
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
338 Rmail was written to use Babyl format as its internal format. Since
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
339 then, we have recognized that the usual inbox format on Unix and GNU
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
340 systems is adequate for the job, and we plan to change Rmail to use that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
341 as its internal format. However, the Rmail file will still be separate
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
342 from the inbox file, even on systems where their format is the same.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
343
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
344 @node Rmail Files
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
345 @section Multiple Rmail Files
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
346
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
347 Rmail operates by default on your @dfn{primary Rmail file}, which is named
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
348 @file{~/RMAIL} and receives your incoming mail from your system inbox file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
349 But you can also have other Rmail files and edit them with Rmail. These
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
350 files can receive mail through their own inboxes, or you can move messages
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
351 into them with explicit Rmail commands (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
352
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
353 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
354 @item i @var{file} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
355 Read @var{file} into Emacs and run Rmail on it (@code{rmail-input}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
356
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
357 @item M-x set-rmail-inbox-list @key{RET} @var{files} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
358 Specify inbox file names for current Rmail file to get mail from.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
359
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
360 @item g
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
361 Merge new mail from current Rmail file's inboxes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
362 (@code{rmail-get-new-mail}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
363
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
364 @item C-u g @var{file} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
365 Merge new mail from inbox file @var{file}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
366 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
367
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
368 @kindex i @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
369 @findex rmail-input
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
370 To run Rmail on a file other than your primary Rmail file, you may use
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
371 the @kbd{i} (@code{rmail-input}) command in Rmail. This visits the file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
372 in Rmail mode. You can use @kbd{M-x rmail-input} even when not in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
373 Rmail.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
374
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
375 The file you read with @kbd{i} should normally be a valid Rmail file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
376 If it is not, Rmail tries to decompose it into a stream of messages in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
377 various known formats. If it succeeds, it converts the whole file to an
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
378 Rmail file. If you specify a file name that doesn't exist, @kbd{i}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
379 initializes a new buffer for creating a new Rmail file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
380
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
381 @vindex rmail-secondary-file-directory
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
382 @vindex rmail-secondary-file-regexp
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
383 You can also select an Rmail file from a menu. Choose first the menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
384 bar Classify item, then from the Classify menu choose the Input Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
385 File item; then choose the Rmail file you want. The variables
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
386 @code{rmail-secondary-file-directory} and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
387 @code{rmail-secondary-file-regexp} specify which files to offer in the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
388 menu: the first variable says which directory to find them in; the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
389 second says which files in that directory to offer (all those that match
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
390 the regular expression). These variables also apply to choosing a file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
391 for output (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
392
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
393 @findex set-rmail-inbox-list
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
394 Each Rmail file can contain a list of inbox file names; you can specify
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
395 this list with @kbd{M-x set-rmail-inbox-list @key{RET} @var{files}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
396 @key{RET}}. The argument can contain any number of file names, separated
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
397 by commas. It can also be empty, which specifies that this file should
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
398 have no inboxes. Once a list of inboxes is specified, the Rmail file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
399 remembers it permanently until you specify a different list.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
400
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
401 As a special exception, if your primary Rmail file does not specify any
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
402 inbox files, it uses your standard system inbox.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
403
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
404 @kindex g @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
405 @findex rmail-get-new-mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
406 The @kbd{g} command (@code{rmail-get-new-mail}) merges mail into the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
407 current Rmail file from its specified inboxes. If the Rmail file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
408 has no inboxes, @kbd{g} does nothing. The command @kbd{M-x rmail}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
409 also merges new mail into your primary Rmail file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
410
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
411 To merge mail from a file that is not the usual inbox, give the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
412 @kbd{g} key a numeric argument, as in @kbd{C-u g}. Then it reads a file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
413 name and merges mail from that file. The inbox file is not deleted or
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
414 changed in any way when @kbd{g} with an argument is used. This is,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
415 therefore, a general way of merging one file of messages into another.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
416
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
417 @node Rmail Output
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
418 @section Copying Messages Out to Files
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
419
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
420 These commands copy messages from an Rmail file into another file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
421
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
422 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
423 @item o @var{file} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
424 Append a copy of the current message to the file @var{file}, using Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
425 file format by default (@code{rmail-output-to-rmail-file}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
426
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
427 @item C-o @var{file} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
428 Append a copy of the current message to the file @var{file}, using
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
429 system inbox file format by default (@code{rmail-output}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
430
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
431 @item w @var{file} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
432 Output just the message body to the file @var{file}, taking the default
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
433 file name from the message @samp{Subject} header.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
434 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
435
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
436 @kindex o @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
437 @findex rmail-output-to-rmail-file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
438 @kindex C-o @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
439 @findex rmail-output
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
440 The commands @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} copy the current message into a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
441 specified file. This file may be an Rmail file or it may be in system
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
442 inbox format; the output commands ascertain the file's format and write
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
443 the copied message in that format.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
444
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
445 The @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} commands differ in two ways: each has its
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
446 own separate default file name, and each specifies a choice of format to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
447 use when the file does not already exist. The @kbd{o} command uses
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
448 Rmail format when it creates a new file, while @kbd{C-o} uses system
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
449 inbox format for a new file. The default file name for @kbd{o} is the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
450 file name used last with @kbd{o}, and the default file name for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
451 @kbd{C-o} is the file name used last with @kbd{C-o}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
452
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
453 If the output file is an Rmail file currently visited in an Emacs buffer,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
454 the output commands copy the message into that buffer. It is up to you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
455 to save the buffer eventually in its file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
456
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
457 @kindex w @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
458 @findex rmail-output-body-to-file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
459 Sometimes you may receive a message whose body holds the contents of a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
460 file. You can save the body to a file (excluding the message header)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
461 with the @kbd{w} command (@code{rmail-output-body-to-file}). Often
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
462 these messages contain the intended file name in the @samp{Subject}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
463 field, so the @kbd{w} command uses the @samp{Subject} field as the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
464 default for the output file name. However, the file name is read using
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
465 the minibuffer, so you can specify a different name if you wish.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
466
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
467 You can also output a message to an Rmail file chosen with a menu.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
468 Choose first the menu bar Classify item, then from the Classify menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
469 choose the Output Rmail File menu item; then choose the Rmail file you want.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
470 This outputs the current message to that file, like the @kbd{o} command.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
471 The variables @code{rmail-secondary-file-directory} and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
472 @code{rmail-secondary-file-regexp} specify which files to offer in the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
473 menu: the first variable says which directory to find them in; the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
474 second says which files in that directory to offer (all those that match
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
475 the regular expression).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
476
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
477 @vindex rmail-delete-after-output
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
478 Copying a message gives the original copy of the message the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
479 @samp{filed} attribute, so that @samp{filed} appears in the mode line
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
480 when such a message is current. If you like to keep just a single copy
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
481 of every mail message, set the variable @code{rmail-delete-after-output}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
482 to @code{t}; then the @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} commands delete the original
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
483 message after copying it. (You can undelete the original afterward if
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
484 you wish.)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
485
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
486 Copying messages into files in system inbox format uses the header
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
487 fields that are displayed in Rmail at the time. Thus, if you use the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
488 @kbd{t} command to view the entire header and then copy the message, the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
489 entire header is copied. @xref{Rmail Display}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
490
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
491 @vindex rmail-output-file-alist
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
492 The variable @code{rmail-output-file-alist} lets you specify
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
493 intelligent defaults for the output file, based on the contents of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
494 current message. The value should be a list whose elements have this
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
495 form:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
496
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
497 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
498 (@var{regexp} . @var{name-exp})
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
499 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
500
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
501 @noindent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
502 If there's a match for @var{regexp} in the current message, then the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
503 default file name for output is @var{name-exp}. If multiple elements
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
504 match the message, the first matching element decides the default file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
505 name. The subexpression @var{name-exp} may be a string constant giving
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
506 the file name to use, or more generally it may be any Lisp expression
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
507 that returns a file name as a string. @code{rmail-output-file-alist}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
508 applies to both @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
509
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
510 @node Rmail Labels
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
511 @section Labels
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
512 @cindex label (Rmail)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
513 @cindex attribute (Rmail)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
514
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
515 Each message can have various @dfn{labels} assigned to it as a means
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
516 of classification. Each label has a name; different names are different
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
517 labels. Any given label is either present or absent on a particular
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
518 message. A few label names have standard meanings and are given to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
519 messages automatically by Rmail when appropriate; these special labels
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
520 are called @dfn{attributes}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
521 @ifinfo
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
522 (@xref{Rmail Attributes}.)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
523 @end ifinfo
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
524 All other labels are assigned only by users.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
525
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
526 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
527 @item a @var{label} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
528 Assign the label @var{label} to the current message (@code{rmail-add-label}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
529 @item k @var{label} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
530 Remove the label @var{label} from the current message (@code{rmail-kill-label}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
531 @item C-M-n @var{labels} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
532 Move to the next message that has one of the labels @var{labels}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
533 (@code{rmail-next-labeled-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
534 @item C-M-p @var{labels} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
535 Move to the previous message that has one of the labels @var{labels}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
536 (@code{rmail-previous-labeled-message}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
537 @item C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
538 Make a summary of all messages containing any of the labels @var{labels}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
539 (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
540 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
541
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
542 @kindex a @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
543 @kindex k @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
544 @findex rmail-add-label
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
545 @findex rmail-kill-label
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
546 The @kbd{a} (@code{rmail-add-label}) and @kbd{k}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
547 (@code{rmail-kill-label}) commands allow you to assign or remove any
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
548 label on the current message. If the @var{label} argument is empty, it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
549 means to assign or remove the same label most recently assigned or
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
550 removed.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
551
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
552 Once you have given messages labels to classify them as you wish, there
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
553 are two ways to use the labels: in moving and in summaries.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
554
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
555 @kindex C-M-n @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
556 @kindex C-M-p @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
557 @findex rmail-next-labeled-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
558 @findex rmail-previous-labeled-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
559 The command @kbd{C-M-n @var{labels} @key{RET}}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
560 (@code{rmail-next-labeled-message}) moves to the next message that has
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
561 one of the labels @var{labels}. The argument @var{labels} specifies one
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
562 or more label names, separated by commas. @kbd{C-M-p}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
563 (@code{rmail-previous-labeled-message}) is similar, but moves backwards
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
564 to previous messages. A numeric argument to either command serves as a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
565 repeat count.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
566
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
567 The command @kbd{C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
568 (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}) displays a summary containing only the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
569 messages that have at least one of a specified set of labels. The
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
570 argument @var{labels} is one or more label names, separated by commas.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
571 @xref{Rmail Summary}, for information on summaries.@refill
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
572
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
573 If the @var{labels} argument to @kbd{C-M-n}, @kbd{C-M-p} or
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
574 @kbd{C-M-l} is empty, it means to use the last set of labels specified
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
575 for any of these commands.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
576
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
577 @node Rmail Attributes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
578 @section Rmail Attributes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
579
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
580 Some labels such as @samp{deleted} and @samp{filed} have built-in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
581 meanings and are assigned to or removed from messages automatically at
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
582 appropriate times; these labels are called @dfn{attributes}. Here is a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
583 list of Rmail attributes:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
584
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
585 @table @samp
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
586 @item unseen
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
587 Means the message has never been current. Assigned to messages when
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
588 they come from an inbox file, and removed when a message is made
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
589 current. When you start Rmail, it initially shows the first message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
590 that has this attribute.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
591 @item deleted
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
592 Means the message is deleted. Assigned by deletion commands and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
593 removed by undeletion commands (@pxref{Rmail Deletion}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
594 @item filed
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
595 Means the message has been copied to some other file. Assigned by the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
596 file output commands (@pxref{Rmail Files}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
597 @item answered
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
598 Means you have mailed an answer to the message. Assigned by the @kbd{r}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
599 command (@code{rmail-reply}). @xref{Rmail Reply}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
600 @item forwarded
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
601 Means you have forwarded the message. Assigned by the @kbd{f} command
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
602 (@code{rmail-forward}). @xref{Rmail Reply}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
603 @item edited
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
604 Means you have edited the text of the message within Rmail.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
605 @xref{Rmail Editing}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
606 @item resent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
607 Means you have resent the message. Assigned by the command @kbd{M-x
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
608 rmail-resend}. @xref{Rmail Reply}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
609 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
610
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
611 All other labels are assigned or removed only by the user, and have no
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
612 standard meaning.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
613
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
614 @node Rmail Reply
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
615 @section Sending Replies
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
616
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
617 Rmail has several commands that use Mail mode to send outgoing mail.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
618 @xref{Sending Mail}, for information on using Mail mode, including
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
619 certain features meant to work with Rmail. What this section documents
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
620 are the special commands of Rmail for entering Mail mode. Note that the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
621 usual keys for sending mail---@kbd{C-x m}, @kbd{C-x 4 m}, and @kbd{C-x 5
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
622 m}---are available in Rmail mode and work just as they usually do.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
623
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
624 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
625 @item m
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
626 Send a message (@code{rmail-mail}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
627 @item c
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
628 Continue editing the already started outgoing message (@code{rmail-continue}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
629 @item r
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
630 Send a reply to the current Rmail message (@code{rmail-reply}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
631 @item f
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
632 Forward the current message to other users (@code{rmail-forward}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
633 @item C-u f
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
634 Resend the current message to other users (@code{rmail-resend}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
635 @item M-m
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
636 Try sending a bounced message a second time (@code{rmail-retry-failure}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
637 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
638
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
639 @kindex r @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
640 @findex rmail-reply
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
641 @cindex reply to a message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
642 The most common reason to send a message while in Rmail is to reply to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
643 the message you are reading. To do this, type @kbd{r}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
644 (@code{rmail-reply}). This displays the @samp{*mail*} buffer in another
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
645 window, much like @kbd{C-x 4 m}, but preinitializes the @samp{Subject},
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
646 @samp{To}, @samp{CC} and @samp{In-reply-to} header fields based on the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
647 message you are replying to. The @samp{To} field starts out as the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
648 address of the person who sent the message you received, and the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
649 @samp{CC} field starts out with all the other recipients of that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
650 message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
651
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
652 @vindex rmail-dont-reply-to-names
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
653 You can exclude certain recipients from being placed automatically in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
654 the @samp{CC}, using the variable @code{rmail-dont-reply-to-names}. Its
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
655 value should be a regular expression (as a string); any recipient that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
656 the regular expression matches, is excluded from the @samp{CC} field.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
657 The default value matches your own name, and any name starting with
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
658 @samp{info-}. (Those names are excluded because there is a convention
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
659 of using them for large mailing lists to broadcast announcements.)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
660
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
661 To omit the @samp{CC} field completely for a particular reply, enter
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
662 the reply command with a numeric argument: @kbd{C-u r} or @kbd{1 r}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
663
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
664 Once the @samp{*mail*} buffer has been initialized, editing and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
665 sending the mail goes as usual (@pxref{Sending Mail}). You can edit the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
666 presupplied header fields if they are not right for you. You can also
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
667 use the commands of Mail mode (@pxref{Mail Mode}), including @kbd{C-c
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
668 C-y} which yanks in the message that you are replying to. You can
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
669 switch to the Rmail buffer, select a different message there, switch
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
670 back, and yank the new current message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
671
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
672 @kindex M-m @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
673 @findex rmail-retry-failure
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
674 @cindex retrying a failed message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
675 @vindex rmail-retry-ignored-headers
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
676 Sometimes a message does not reach its destination. Mailers usually
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
677 send the failed message back to you, enclosed in a @dfn{failure
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
678 message}. The Rmail command @kbd{M-m} (@code{rmail-retry-failure})
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
679 prepares to send the same message a second time: it sets up a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
680 @samp{*mail*} buffer with the same text and header fields as before. If
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
681 you type @kbd{C-c C-c} right away, you send the message again exactly
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
682 the same as the first time. Alternatively, you can edit the text or
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
683 headers and then send it. The variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
684 @code{rmail-retry-ignored-headers}, in the same format as
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
685 @code{rmail-ignored-headers} (@pxref{Rmail Display}), controls which
37577
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
686 headers are stripped from the failed message when retrying it.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
687
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
688 @kindex f @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
689 @findex rmail-forward
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
690 @cindex forwarding a message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
691 Another frequent reason to send mail in Rmail is to @dfn{forward} the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
692 current message to other users. @kbd{f} (@code{rmail-forward}) makes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
693 this easy by preinitializing the @samp{*mail*} buffer with the current
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
694 message as the text, and a subject designating a forwarded message. All
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
695 you have to do is fill in the recipients and send. When you forward a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
696 message, recipients get a message which is ``from'' you, and which has
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
697 the original message in its contents.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
698
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
699 @findex unforward-rmail-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
700 Forwarding a message encloses it between two delimiter lines. It also
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
701 modifies every line that starts with a dash, by inserting @w{@samp{- }}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
702 at the start of the line. When you receive a forwarded message, if it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
703 contains something besides ordinary text---for example, program source
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
704 code---you might find it useful to undo that transformation. You can do
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
705 this by selecting the forwarded message and typing @kbd{M-x
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
706 unforward-rmail-message}. This command extracts the original forwarded
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
707 message, deleting the inserted @w{@samp{- }} strings, and inserts it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
708 into the Rmail file as a separate message immediately following the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
709 current one.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
710
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
711 @findex rmail-resend
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
712 @dfn{Resending} is an alternative similar to forwarding; the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
713 difference is that resending sends a message that is ``from'' the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
714 original sender, just as it reached you---with a few added header fields
37577
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
715 @samp{Resent-From} and @samp{Resent-To} to indicate that it came via
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
716 you. To resend a message in Rmail, use @kbd{C-u f}. (@kbd{f} runs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
717 @code{rmail-forward}, which is programmed to invoke @code{rmail-resend}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
718 if you provide a numeric argument.)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
719
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
720 @kindex m @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
721 @findex rmail-mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
722 The @kbd{m} (@code{rmail-mail}) command is used to start editing an
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
723 outgoing message that is not a reply. It leaves the header fields empty.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
724 Its only difference from @kbd{C-x 4 m} is that it makes the Rmail buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
725 accessible for @kbd{C-c C-y}, just as @kbd{r} does. Thus, @kbd{m} can be
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
726 used to reply to or forward a message; it can do anything @kbd{r} or @kbd{f}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
727 can do.@refill
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
728
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
729 @kindex c @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
730 @findex rmail-continue
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
731 The @kbd{c} (@code{rmail-continue}) command resumes editing the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
732 @samp{*mail*} buffer, to finish editing an outgoing message you were
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
733 already composing, or to alter a message you have sent.@refill
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
734
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
735 @vindex rmail-mail-new-frame
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
736 If you set the variable @code{rmail-mail-new-frame} to a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
737 non-@code{nil} value, then all the Rmail commands to start sending a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
738 message create a new frame to edit it in. This frame is deleted when
37577
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
739 you send the message, or when you use the @samp{Cancel} item in the
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
740 @samp{Mail} menu.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
741
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
742 All the Rmail commands to send a message use the mail-composition
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
743 method that you have chosen (@pxref{Mail Methods}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
744
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
745 @node Rmail Summary
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
746 @section Summaries
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
747 @cindex summary (Rmail)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
748
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
749 A @dfn{summary} is a buffer containing one line per message to give
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
750 you an overview of the mail in an Rmail file. Each line shows the
37577
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
751 message number and date, the sender, the line count, the labels, and
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
752 the subject. Moving point in the summary buffer selects messages as
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
753 you move to their summary lines. Almost all Rmail commands are valid
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
754 in the summary buffer also; when used there, they apply to the message
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
755 described by the current line of the summary.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
756
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
757 A summary buffer applies to a single Rmail file only; if you are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
758 editing multiple Rmail files, each one can have its own summary buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
759 The summary buffer name is made by appending @samp{-summary} to the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
760 Rmail buffer's name. Normally only one summary buffer is displayed at a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
761 time.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
762
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
763 @menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
764 * Rmail Make Summary:: Making various sorts of summaries.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
765 * Rmail Summary Edit:: Manipulating messages from the summary.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
766 @end menu
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
767
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
768 @node Rmail Make Summary
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
769 @subsection Making Summaries
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
770
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
771 Here are the commands to create a summary for the current Rmail file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
772 Once the Rmail file has a summary buffer, changes in the Rmail file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
773 (such as deleting or expunging messages, and getting new mail)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
774 automatically update the summary.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
775
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
776 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
777 @item h
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
778 @itemx C-M-h
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
779 Summarize all messages (@code{rmail-summary}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
780 @item l @var{labels} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
781 @itemx C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
782 Summarize messages that have one or more of the specified labels
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
783 (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
784 @item C-M-r @var{rcpts} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
785 Summarize messages that have one or more of the specified recipients
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
786 (@code{rmail-summary-by-recipients}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
787 @item C-M-t @var{topic} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
788 Summarize messages that have a match for the specified regexp
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
789 @var{topic} in their subjects (@code{rmail-summary-by-topic}).
37417
bc508b45796a (Rmail make Summary): Document and index rmail-summary-by-regexp.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36345
diff changeset
790 @item C-M-s @var{regexp}
bc508b45796a (Rmail make Summary): Document and index rmail-summary-by-regexp.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36345
diff changeset
791 Summarize messages whose headers and the subject line match the
bc508b45796a (Rmail make Summary): Document and index rmail-summary-by-regexp.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36345
diff changeset
792 specified regular expression @var{regexp}
bc508b45796a (Rmail make Summary): Document and index rmail-summary-by-regexp.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36345
diff changeset
793 (@code{rmail-summary-by-regexp}).
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
794 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
795
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
796 @kindex h @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
797 @findex rmail-summary
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
798 The @kbd{h} or @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{rmail-summary}) command fills the summary buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
799 for the current Rmail file with a summary of all the messages in the file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
800 It then displays and selects the summary buffer in another window.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
801
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
802 @kindex l @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
803 @kindex C-M-l @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
804 @findex rmail-summary-by-labels
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
805 @kbd{C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}) makes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
806 a partial summary mentioning only the messages that have one or more of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
807 labels @var{labels}. @var{labels} should contain label names separated by
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
808 commas.@refill
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
809
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
810 @kindex C-M-r @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
811 @findex rmail-summary-by-recipients
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
812 @kbd{C-M-r @var{rcpts} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-recipients})
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
813 makes a partial summary mentioning only the messages that have one or more
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
814 of the recipients @var{rcpts}. @var{rcpts} should contain mailing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
815 addresses separated by commas.@refill
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
816
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
817 @kindex C-M-t @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
818 @findex rmail-summary-by-topic
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
819 @kbd{C-M-t @var{topic} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-topic})
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
820 makes a partial summary mentioning only the messages whose subjects have
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
821 a match for the regular expression @var{topic}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
822
37417
bc508b45796a (Rmail make Summary): Document and index rmail-summary-by-regexp.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36345
diff changeset
823 @kindex C-M-s @r{(Rmail)}
bc508b45796a (Rmail make Summary): Document and index rmail-summary-by-regexp.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36345
diff changeset
824 @findex rmail-summary-by-regexp
38065
4f1705a63f02 Proofreading fixes from Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37577
diff changeset
825 @kbd{C-M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-regexp})
37417
bc508b45796a (Rmail make Summary): Document and index rmail-summary-by-regexp.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36345
diff changeset
826 makes a partial summary which mentions only the messages whose headers
bc508b45796a (Rmail make Summary): Document and index rmail-summary-by-regexp.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36345
diff changeset
827 (including the date and the subject lines) match the regular
bc508b45796a (Rmail make Summary): Document and index rmail-summary-by-regexp.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36345
diff changeset
828 expression @var{regexp}.
bc508b45796a (Rmail make Summary): Document and index rmail-summary-by-regexp.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36345
diff changeset
829
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
830 Note that there is only one summary buffer for any Rmail file; making one
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
831 kind of summary discards any previously made summary.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
832
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
833 @vindex rmail-summary-window-size
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
834 @vindex rmail-summary-line-count-flag
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
835 The variable @code{rmail-summary-window-size} says how many lines to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
836 use for the summary window. The variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
837 @code{rmail-summary-line-count-flag} controls whether the summary line
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
838 for a message should include the line count of the message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
839
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
840 @node Rmail Summary Edit
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
841 @subsection Editing in Summaries
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
842
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
843 You can use the Rmail summary buffer to do almost anything you can do
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
844 in the Rmail buffer itself. In fact, once you have a summary buffer,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
845 there's no need to switch back to the Rmail buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
846
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
847 You can select and display various messages in the Rmail buffer, from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
848 the summary buffer, just by moving point in the summary buffer to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
849 different lines. It doesn't matter what Emacs command you use to move
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
850 point; whichever line point is on at the end of the command, that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
851 message is selected in the Rmail buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
852
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
853 Almost all Rmail commands work in the summary buffer as well as in the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
854 Rmail buffer. Thus, @kbd{d} in the summary buffer deletes the current
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
855 message, @kbd{u} undeletes, and @kbd{x} expunges. @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
856 output the current message to a file; @kbd{r} starts a reply to it. You
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
857 can scroll the current message while remaining in the summary buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
858 using @key{SPC} and @key{DEL}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
859
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
860 The Rmail commands to move between messages also work in the summary
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
861 buffer, but with a twist: they move through the set of messages included
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
862 in the summary. They also ensure the Rmail buffer appears on the screen
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
863 (unlike cursor motion commands, which update the contents of the Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
864 buffer but don't display it in a window unless it already appears).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
865 Here is a list of these commands:
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
866
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
867 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
868 @item n
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
869 Move to next line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select its
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
870 message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
871 @item p
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
872 Move to previous line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
873 its message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
874 @item M-n
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
875 Move to next line and select its message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
876 @item M-p
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
877 Move to previous line and select its message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
878 @item >
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
879 Move to the last line, and select its message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
880 @item <
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
881 Move to the first line, and select its message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
882 @item M-s @var{pattern} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
883 Search through messages for @var{pattern} starting with the current
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
884 message; select the message found, and move point in the summary buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
885 to that message's line.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
886 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
887
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
888 @vindex rmail-redisplay-summary
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
889 Deletion, undeletion, and getting new mail, and even selection of a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
890 different message all update the summary buffer when you do them in the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
891 Rmail buffer. If the variable @code{rmail-redisplay-summary} is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
892 non-@code{nil}, these actions also bring the summary buffer back onto
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
893 the screen.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
894
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
895 @kindex Q @r{(Rmail summary)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
896 @findex rmail-summary-wipe
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
897 @kindex q @r{(Rmail summary)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
898 @findex rmail-summary-quit
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
899 When you are finished using the summary, type @kbd{Q}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
900 (@code{rmail-summary-wipe}) to delete the summary buffer's window. You
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
901 can also exit Rmail while in the summary: @kbd{q}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
902 (@code{rmail-summary-quit}) deletes the summary window, then exits from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
903 Rmail by saving the Rmail file and switching to another buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
904
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
905 @node Rmail Sorting
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
906 @section Sorting the Rmail File
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
907
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
908 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
909 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-date
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
910 Sort messages of current Rmail file by date.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
911
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
912 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-subject
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
913 Sort messages of current Rmail file by subject.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
914
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
915 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-author
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
916 Sort messages of current Rmail file by author's name.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
917
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
918 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-recipient
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
919 Sort messages of current Rmail file by recipient's names.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
920
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
921 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-correspondent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
922 Sort messages of current Rmail file by the name of the other
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
923 correspondent.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
924
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
925 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-lines
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
926 Sort messages of current Rmail file by size (number of lines).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
927
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
928 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-keywords @key{RET} @var{labels} @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
929 Sort messages of current Rmail file by labels. The argument
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
930 @var{labels} should be a comma-separated list of labels. The order of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
931 these labels specifies the order of messages; messages with the first
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
932 label come first, messages with the second label come second, and so on.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
933 Messages which have none of these labels come last.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
934 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
935
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
936 The Rmail sort commands perform a @emph{stable sort}: if there is no
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
937 reason to prefer either one of two messages, their order remains
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
938 unchanged. You can use this to sort by more than one criterion. For
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
939 example, if you use @code{rmail-sort-by-date} and then
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
940 @code{rmail-sort-by-author}, messages from the same author appear in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
941 order by date.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
942
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
943 With a numeric argument, all these commands reverse the order of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
944 comparison. This means they sort messages from newest to oldest, from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
945 biggest to smallest, or in reverse alphabetical order.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
946
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
947 @node Rmail Display
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
948 @section Display of Messages
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
949
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
950 Rmail reformats the header of each message before displaying it for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
951 the first time. Reformatting hides uninteresting header fields to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
952 reduce clutter. You can use the @kbd{t} command to show the entire
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
953 header or to repeat the header reformatting operation.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
954
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
955 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
956 @item t
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
957 Toggle display of complete header (@code{rmail-toggle-header}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
958 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
959
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
960 @vindex rmail-ignored-headers
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
961 Reformatting the header involves deleting most header fields, on the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
962 grounds that they are not interesting. The variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
963 @code{rmail-ignored-headers} holds a regular expression that specifies
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
964 which header fields to hide in this way---if it matches the beginning of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
965 a header field, that whole field is hidden.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
966
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
967 @kindex t @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
968 @findex rmail-toggle-header
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
969 Rmail saves the complete original header before reformatting; to see
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
970 it, use the @kbd{t} command (@code{rmail-toggle-header}). This
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
971 discards the reformatted headers of the current message and displays it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
972 with the original header. Repeating @kbd{t} reformats the message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
973 again. Selecting the message again also reformats.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
974
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
975 One consequence of this is that if you edit the reformatted header
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
976 (using @kbd{e}; @pxref{Rmail Editing}), subsequent use of @kbd{t} will
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
977 discard your edits. On the other hand, if you use @kbd{e} after
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
978 @kbd{t}, to edit the original (unreformatted) header, those changes are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
979 permanent.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
980
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
981 When the @kbd{t} command has a prefix argument, a positive argument
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
982 means to show the reformatted header, and a zero or negative argument
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
983 means to show the full header.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
984
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
985 @vindex rmail-highlighted-headers
36173
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
986 When the terminal supports multiple fonts or colors, Rmail
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
987 highlights certain header fields that are especially interesting---by
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
988 default, the @samp{From} and @samp{Subject} fields. The variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
989 @code{rmail-highlighted-headers} holds a regular expression that
36173
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
990 specifies the header fields to highlight; if it matches the beginning
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
991 of a header field, that whole field is highlighted.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
992
37577
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
993 If you specify unusual colors for your text foreground and
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
994 background, the colors used for highlighting may not go well with
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
995 them. If so, specify different colors for the face
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
996 @code{rmail-highlight-face}. @xref{Faces}, for how to do this. To
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
997 turn off highlighting entirely in Rmail, set
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
998 @code{rmail-highlighted-headers} to @code{nil}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
999
36173
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1000 You can highlight and activate URLs in incoming messages by adding
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1001 the function @code{goto-address} to the hook
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1002 @code{rmail-show-message-hook}. Then you can browse these URLs by
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1003 clicking on them with @kbd{Mouse-2} or by moving to one and typing
37577
8900b620b72c rmail-save => rmail-expunge-and-save.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37417
diff changeset
1004 @kbd{C-c @key{RET}}. @xref{Goto-address, Activating URLs, Activating URLs}.
36173
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1005
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1006 @node Rmail Coding
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1007 @section Rmail and Coding Systems
28339
52e664c981f0 Mention goto-addr.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 26796
diff changeset
1008
35473
6b9d1a2fb28b (Rmail Display): Document rmail-redecode-body.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 30802
diff changeset
1009 @cindex decoding mail messages (Rmail)
52979
3649390c0f91 Replace @sc{ascii} and ASCII with @acronym{ASCII}.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 52401
diff changeset
1010 Rmail automatically decodes messages which contain non-@acronym{ASCII}
38065
4f1705a63f02 Proofreading fixes from Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37577
diff changeset
1011 characters, just as Emacs does with files you visit and with subprocess
4f1705a63f02 Proofreading fixes from Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37577
diff changeset
1012 output. Rmail uses the standard @samp{charset=@var{charset}} header in
4f1705a63f02 Proofreading fixes from Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37577
diff changeset
1013 the message, if any, to determine how the message was encoded by the
4f1705a63f02 Proofreading fixes from Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37577
diff changeset
1014 sender. It maps @var{charset} into the corresponding Emacs coding
4f1705a63f02 Proofreading fixes from Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37577
diff changeset
1015 system (@pxref{Coding Systems}), and uses that coding system to decode
38868
9fb8804de607 Minor clarification.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38065
diff changeset
1016 message text. If the message header doesn't have the @samp{charset}
9fb8804de607 Minor clarification.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38065
diff changeset
1017 specification, or if @var{charset} is not recognized,
38065
4f1705a63f02 Proofreading fixes from Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37577
diff changeset
1018 Rmail chooses the coding system with the usual Emacs heuristics and
4f1705a63f02 Proofreading fixes from Tim Goodwin <tjg@star.le.ac.uk>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 37577
diff changeset
1019 defaults (@pxref{Recognize Coding}).
36173
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1020
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1021 @cindex fixing incorrectly decoded mail messages
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1022 Occasionally, a message is decoded incorrectly, either because Emacs
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1023 guessed the wrong coding system in the absence of the @samp{charset}
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1024 specification, or because the specification was inaccurate. For
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1025 example, a misconfigured mailer could send a message with a
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1026 @samp{charset=iso-8859-1} header when the message is actually encoded
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1027 in @code{koi8-r}. When you see the message text garbled, or some of
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1028 its characters displayed as empty boxes, this may have happened.
35473
6b9d1a2fb28b (Rmail Display): Document rmail-redecode-body.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 30802
diff changeset
1029
6b9d1a2fb28b (Rmail Display): Document rmail-redecode-body.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 30802
diff changeset
1030 @findex rmail-redecode-body
36173
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1031 You can correct the problem by decoding the message again using the
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1032 right coding system, if you can figure out or guess which one is
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1033 right. To do this, invoke the @kbd{M-x rmail-redecode-body} command.
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1034 It reads the name of a coding system, encodes the message body using
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1035 whichever coding system was used to decode it before, then redecodes
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1036 it using the coding system you specified. If you specified the right
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1037 coding system, the result should be readable.
35473
6b9d1a2fb28b (Rmail Display): Document rmail-redecode-body.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 30802
diff changeset
1038
36173
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1039 Decoding and encoding using the wrong coding system is lossless for
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1040 most encodings, in particular with 8-bit encodings such as iso-8859 or
35473
6b9d1a2fb28b (Rmail Display): Document rmail-redecode-body.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 30802
diff changeset
1041 koi8. So, if the initial attempt to redecode the message didn't
36173
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1042 result in a legible text, you can try other coding systems until you
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1043 succeed.
35473
6b9d1a2fb28b (Rmail Display): Document rmail-redecode-body.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 30802
diff changeset
1044
36173
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1045 With some coding systems, notably those from the iso-2022 family,
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1046 information can be lost in decoding, so that encoding the message
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1047 again won't bring back the original incoming text. In such a case,
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1048 @code{rmail-redecode-body} cannot work. However, the problems that
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1049 call for use of @code{rmail-redecode-body} rarely occur with those
808e169709e6 New node Rmail Coding for the discussion of coding systems.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 35473
diff changeset
1050 coding systems. So in practice the command works when you need it.
35473
6b9d1a2fb28b (Rmail Display): Document rmail-redecode-body.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 30802
diff changeset
1051
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1052 @node Rmail Editing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1053 @section Editing Within a Message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1054
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1055 Most of the usual Emacs commands are available in Rmail mode, though a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1056 few, such as @kbd{C-M-n} and @kbd{C-M-h}, are redefined by Rmail for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1057 other purposes. However, the Rmail buffer is normally read only, and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1058 most of the letters are redefined as Rmail commands. If you want to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1059 edit the text of a message, you must use the Rmail command @kbd{e}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1060
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1061 @table @kbd
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1062 @item e
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1063 Edit the current message as ordinary text.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1064 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1065
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1066 @kindex e @r{(Rmail)}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1067 @findex rmail-edit-current-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1068 The @kbd{e} command (@code{rmail-edit-current-message}) switches from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1069 Rmail mode into Rmail Edit mode, another major mode which is nearly the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1070 same as Text mode. The mode line indicates this change.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1071
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1072 In Rmail Edit mode, letters insert themselves as usual and the Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1073 commands are not available. When you are finished editing the message and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1074 are ready to go back to Rmail, type @kbd{C-c C-c}, which switches back to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1075 Rmail mode. Alternatively, you can return to Rmail mode but cancel all the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1076 editing that you have done, by typing @kbd{C-c C-]}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1077
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1078 @vindex rmail-edit-mode-hook
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1079 Entering Rmail Edit mode runs the hook @code{text-mode-hook}; then it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1080 runs the hook @code{rmail-edit-mode-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}). It adds the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1081 attribute @samp{edited} to the message. It also displays the full
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1082 headers of the message, so that you can edit the headers as well as the
36345
7f2b7440c534 (Rmail Editing): Remove doubled `the'.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 36263
diff changeset
1083 body of the message, and your changes in the headers will be
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1084 permanent.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1085
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1086 @node Rmail Digest
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1087 @section Digest Messages
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1088 @cindex digest message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1089 @cindex undigestify
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1090
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1091 A @dfn{digest message} is a message which exists to contain and carry
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1092 several other messages. Digests are used on some moderated mailing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1093 lists; all the messages that arrive for the list during a period of time
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1094 such as one day are put inside a single digest which is then sent to the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1095 subscribers. Transmitting the single digest uses much less computer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1096 time than transmitting the individual messages even though the total
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1097 size is the same, because the per-message overhead in network mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1098 transmission is considerable.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1099
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1100 @findex undigestify-rmail-message
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1101 When you receive a digest message, the most convenient way to read it is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1102 to @dfn{undigestify} it: to turn it back into many individual messages.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1103 Then you can read and delete the individual messages as it suits you.
44326
c69907b4eb03 Minor cleanup.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 39303
diff changeset
1104 To do this, select the digest message and type the command @kbd{M-x
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1105 undigestify-rmail-message}. This extracts the submessages as separate
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1106 Rmail messages, and inserts them following the digest. The digest
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1107 message itself is flagged as deleted.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1108
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1109 @node Out of Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1110 @section Converting an Rmail File to Inbox Format
39303
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1111 @cindex Babyl format to Inbox format
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1112 @cindex converting Rmail file to mailbox format
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1113
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1114 @findex unrmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1115 The command @kbd{M-x unrmail} converts a file in Rmail format to inbox
39303
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1116 format (also known as the system mailbox, or mbox, format), so that
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1117 you can use it with other mail-editing tools. You must specify two
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1118 arguments, the name of the Rmail file and the name to use for the
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1119 converted file. @kbd{M-x unrmail} does not alter the Rmail file itself.
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1120
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1121 @pindex b2m
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1122 @kbd{M-x unrmail} is useful if you can run Emacs on the machine
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1123 where the Rmail file resides, or can access the Rmail file remotely
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1124 (@pxref{Remote Files}) from a machine where Emacs is installed. If
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1125 accessing Rmail files from Emacs is impossible, you can use the
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1126 @command{b2m} program instead. @command{b2m} is part of the Emacs
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1127 distribution, it is installed into the same directory where all the
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1128 other auxiliary programs (@command{etags} etc.) are installed, and its
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1129 source is available in the Emacs source distribution, so that you
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1130 could copy the source to the target machine and compile it there.
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1131
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1132 To convert a file @file{@var{babyl-file}} into @file{@var{mbox-file}},
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1133 invoke @command{b2m} like this:
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1134
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1135 @example
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1136 b2m < @var{babyl-file} > @var{mbox-file}
2fc0bb5d638f (Out of Rmail): Document b2m.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 39287
diff changeset
1137 @end example
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1138
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1139 @node Rmail Rot13
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1140 @section Reading Rot13 Messages
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1141 @cindex rot13 code
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1142
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1143 Mailing list messages that might offend some readers are sometimes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1144 encoded in a simple code called @dfn{rot13}---so named because it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1145 rotates the alphabet by 13 letters. This code is not for secrecy, as it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1146 provides none; rather, it enables those who might be offended to avoid
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1147 ever seeing the real text of the message.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1148
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1149 @findex rot13-other-window
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1150 To view a buffer using the rot13 code, use the command @kbd{M-x
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1151 rot13-other-window}. This displays the current buffer in another window
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1152 which applies the code when displaying the text.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1153
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1154 @node Movemail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1155 @section @code{movemail} and POP
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1156 @cindex @code{movemail} program
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1157
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1158 @vindex rmail-preserve-inbox
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1159 When getting new mail, Rmail first copies the new mail from the inbox
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1160 file to the Rmail file; then it saves the Rmail file; then it truncates
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1161 the inbox file. This way, a system crash may cause duplication of mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1162 between the inbox and the Rmail file, but cannot lose mail. If
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1163 @code{rmail-preserve-inbox} is non-@code{nil}, then Rmail will copy new
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1164 mail from the inbox file to the Rmail file without truncating the inbox
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1165 file. You may wish to set this, for example, on a portable computer you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1166 use to check your mail via POP while traveling, so that your mail will
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1167 remain on the server and you can save it later on your workstation.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1168
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1169 In some cases, Rmail copies the new mail from the inbox file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1170 indirectly. First it runs the @code{movemail} program to move the mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1171 from the inbox to an intermediate file called
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1172 @file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}}. Then Rmail merges the new mail from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1173 that file, saves the Rmail file, and only then deletes the intermediate
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1174 file. If there is a crash at the wrong time, this file continues to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1175 exist, and Rmail will use it again the next time it gets new mail from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1176 that inbox.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1177
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1178 @pindex movemail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1179 If Rmail is unable to convert the data in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1180 @file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}} into Babyl format, it renames the file
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1181 to @file{~/RMAILOSE.@var{n}} (@var{n} is an integer chosen to make the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1182 name unique) so that Rmail will not have trouble with the data again.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1183 You should look at the file, find whatever message confuses Rmail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1184 (probably one that includes the control-underscore character, octal code
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1185 037), and delete it. Then you can use @kbd{1 g} to get new mail from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1186 the corrected file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1187
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1188 Some sites use a method called POP for accessing users' inbox data
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1189 instead of storing the data in inbox files. @code{movemail} can work
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1190 with POP if you compile it with the macro @code{MAIL_USE_POP} defined.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1191 (You can achieve that by specifying @samp{--with-pop} when you run
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1192 @code{configure} during the installation of Emacs.)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1193 @code{movemail} only works with POP3, not with older
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1194 versions of POP.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1195
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 28339
diff changeset
1196 @cindex @env{MAILHOST} environment variable
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1197 @cindex POP inboxes
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1198 Assuming you have compiled and installed @code{movemail}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1199 appropriately, you can specify a POP inbox by using a ``file name'' of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1200 the form @samp{po:@var{username}}, in the inbox list of an Rmail file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1201 @code{movemail} handles such a name by opening a connection to the POP
29107
203ba1f77b7b *** empty log message ***
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 28339
diff changeset
1202 server. The @env{MAILHOST} environment variable specifies the machine
26796
74dd5bed2ed2 POP server may be specified as part of the mailbox name.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
1203 to look for the server on; alternatively, you can specify the POP server
74dd5bed2ed2 POP server may be specified as part of the mailbox name.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
1204 host name as part of the mailbox name using the syntax
74dd5bed2ed2 POP server may be specified as part of the mailbox name.
Gerd Moellmann <gerd@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
1205 @samp{po:@var{username}:@var{hostname}}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1206
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1207 @vindex rmail-pop-password
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1208 @vindex rmail-pop-password-required
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1209 Accessing mail via POP may require a password. If the variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1210 @code{rmail-pop-password} is non-@code{nil}, it specifies the password
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1211 to use for POP. Alternatively, if @code{rmail-pop-password-required} is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1212 non-@code{nil}, then Rmail asks you for the password to use.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1213
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1214 @vindex rmail-movemail-flags
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1215 If you need to pass additional command-line flags to @code{movemail},
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1216 set the variable @code{rmail-movemail-flags} a list of the flags you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1217 wish to use. Do not use this variable to pass the @samp{-p} flag to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1218 preserve your inbox contents; use @code{rmail-preserve-inbox} instead.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1219
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1220 @cindex Kerberos POP authentication
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1221 The @code{movemail} program installed at your site may support
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1222 Kerberos authentication. If it is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1223 supported, it is used by default whenever you attempt to retrieve
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1224 POP mail when @code{rmail-pop-password} and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1225 @code{rmail-pop-password-required} are unset.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1226
36263
11db0318031d Remove redundant index entries.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36185
diff changeset
1227 @cindex reverse order in POP inboxes
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1228 Some POP servers store messages in reverse order. If your server does
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1229 this, and you would rather read your mail in the order in which it was
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1230 received, you can tell @code{movemail} to reverse the order of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1231 downloaded messages by adding the @samp{-r} flag to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1232 @code{rmail-movemail-flags}.
52401
695cf19ef79e Add arch taglines
Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org>
parents: 49600
diff changeset
1233
695cf19ef79e Add arch taglines
Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org>
parents: 49600
diff changeset
1234 @ignore
695cf19ef79e Add arch taglines
Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org>
parents: 49600
diff changeset
1235 arch-tag: 034965f6-38df-47a2-a9f1-b8bc8ab37e23
695cf19ef79e Add arch taglines
Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org>
parents: 49600
diff changeset
1236 @end ignore