changeset 102076:9604af41f8f4

Update for mbox format. Various small fixes, as well as the following. (Out of Rmail): Node deleted. (Rmail): Update menu. (Rmail Files): Comment out set-rmail-inbox-list. Document rmail-inbox-list instead. (Rmail Output): Substantial changes since C-o is now rmail-output-as-seen and o is rmail-output. (Rmail Attributes): Delete `stored', add `retried'. (Rmail Display): Editing headers works in all cases.
author Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
date Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:15:59 +0000
parents 2202ae9a5dcd
children c7f8fb643f37
files doc/emacs/rmail.texi
diffstat 1 files changed, 49 insertions(+), 89 deletions(-) [+]
line wrap: on
line diff
--- a/doc/emacs/rmail.texi	Tue Feb 17 18:11:26 2009 +0000
+++ b/doc/emacs/rmail.texi	Tue Feb 17 18:15:59 2009 +0000
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 * Coding: Rmail Coding.      How Rmail handles decoding character sets.
 * Editing: Rmail Editing.    Editing message text and headers in Rmail.
 * Digest: Rmail Digest.      Extracting the messages from a digest message.
-* Out of Rmail::	     Converting an Rmail file to mailbox format.
 * Rot13: Rmail Rot13.	     Reading messages encoded in the rot13 code.
 * Movemail::                 More details of fetching new mail.
 * Remote Mailboxes::         Retrieving Mail from Remote Mailboxes.
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@
 message you haven't read yet, and lets you begin reading.  The variable
 @code{rmail-file-name} specifies the name of the primary Rmail file.
 
-  Rmail uses narrowing to hide all but one message in the Rmail file.
+  Rmail displays only one message in the Rmail file at a time.
 The message that is shown is called the @dfn{current message}.  Rmail
 mode's special commands can do such things as delete the current
 message, copy it into another file, send a reply, or move to another
@@ -370,7 +369,7 @@
 that inbox.
 
   If Rmail is unable to convert the data in
-@file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}} into Babyl format, it renames the file
+@file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}} into mbox format, it renames the file
 to @file{~/RMAILOSE.@var{n}} (@var{n} is an integer chosen to make the
 name unique) so that Rmail will not have trouble with the data again.
 You should look at the file, find whatever message confuses Rmail
@@ -410,11 +409,13 @@
 Rmail, but it is easier to type @kbd{C-u M-x rmail}, which does the
 same thing.
 
-  The file you read with @kbd{i} should normally be a valid Rmail file.
-If it is not, Rmail tries to decompose it into a stream of messages in
-various known formats.  If it succeeds, it converts the whole file to an
-Rmail file.  If you specify a file name that doesn't exist, @kbd{i}
-initializes a new buffer for creating a new Rmail file.
+  The file you read with @kbd{i} should normally be a valid mbox file.
+If it is not, Rmail tries to convert its text to mbox format, and
+visits the converted text in the buffer.  If you save the buffer, that
+converts the file.
+
+  If you specify a file name that doesn't exist, @kbd{i} initializes a
+new buffer for creating a new Rmail file.
 
 @vindex rmail-secondary-file-directory
 @vindex rmail-secondary-file-regexp
@@ -427,6 +428,7 @@
 match the regular expression).  These variables also apply to choosing
 a file for output (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
 
+@ignore
 @findex set-rmail-inbox-list
   Each Rmail file can contain a list of inbox file names; you can specify
 this list with @kbd{M-x set-rmail-inbox-list @key{RET} @var{files}
@@ -434,9 +436,13 @@
 by commas.  It can also be empty, which specifies that this file should
 have no inboxes.  Once you specify a list of inboxes in an Rmail file,
 the  Rmail file remembers it permanently until you specify a different list.
+@end ignore
 
-  As a special exception, if your primary Rmail file does not specify any
-inbox files, it uses your standard system inbox.
+@vindex rmail-inbox-list
+  The inbox files to use are specified by the variable
+@code{rmail-inbox-list}, which is buffer-local in Rmail mode.  As a
+special exception, if you have specified no inbox files for your
+primary Rmail file, it uses your standard system inbox.
 
 @kindex g @r{(Rmail)}
 @findex rmail-get-new-mail
@@ -458,12 +464,12 @@
 
 @table @kbd
 @item o @var{file} @key{RET}
-Append a copy of the current message to the file @var{file}, using Rmail
-file format by default (@code{rmail-output-to-rmail-file}).
+Append a full copy of the current message to the file @var{file}
+(@code{rmail-output}).
 
 @item C-o @var{file} @key{RET}
-Append a copy of the current message to the file @var{file}, using
-system inbox file format by default (@code{rmail-output}).
+Append a copy of the current message, as displayed, to the file
+@var{file} (@code{rmail-output-as-seen}).
 
 @item w @var{file} @key{RET}
 Output just the message body to the file @var{file}, taking the default
@@ -471,25 +477,21 @@
 @end table
 
 @kindex o @r{(Rmail)}
-@findex rmail-output-to-rmail-file
+@findex rmail-output-as-seen
 @kindex C-o @r{(Rmail)}
 @findex rmail-output
   The commands @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} copy the current message into a
-specified file.  This file may be an Rmail file or it may be in system
-inbox format; the output commands ascertain the file's format and write
-the copied message in that format.
+specified file, adding it at the end.  The two commands differ mainly
+in how much to copy: @kbd{o} copies the full message headers, even if
+they are not all visible, while @kbd{C-o} copies exactly the headers
+currently displayed and no more.  @xref{Rmail Display}.  In addition,
+@kbd{o} converts the message to Babyl format (used by Rmail in Emacs
+version 22 and before) if the file is in Babyl format; @kbd{C-o}
+cannot output to Babyl files at all.
 
-  The @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} commands differ in two ways: each has its
-own separate default file name, and each specifies a choice of format to
-use when the file does not already exist.  The @kbd{o} command uses
-Rmail format when it creates a new file, while @kbd{C-o} uses system
-inbox format for a new file.  The default file name for @kbd{o} is the
-file name used last with @kbd{o}, and the default file name for
-@kbd{C-o} is the file name used last with @kbd{C-o}.
-
-  If the output file is an Rmail file currently visited in an Emacs buffer,
-the output commands copy the message into that buffer.  It is up to you
-to save the buffer eventually in its file.
+  If the output file is currently visited in an Emacs buffer, the
+output commands append the message to that buffer.  It is up to you to
+save the buffer eventually in its file.
 
 @kindex w @r{(Rmail)}
 @findex rmail-output-body-to-file
@@ -514,17 +516,12 @@
 @vindex rmail-delete-after-output
   Copying a message with @kbd{o} or @kbd{C-o} gives the original copy
 of the message the @samp{filed} attribute, so that @samp{filed}
-appears in the mode line when such a message is current.  @kbd{w}
-gives it the @samp{stored} attribute.  If you like to keep just a
-single copy of every mail message, set the variable
-@code{rmail-delete-after-output} to @code{t}; then the @kbd{o},
-@kbd{C-o} and @kbd{w} commands delete the original message after
-copying it.  (You can undelete the original afterward if you wish.)
+appears in the mode line when such a message is current.
 
-  Copying messages into files in system inbox format uses the header
-fields that are displayed in Rmail at the time.  Thus, if you use the
-@kbd{t} command to view the entire header and then copy the message, the
-entire header is copied.  @xref{Rmail Display}.
+  If you like to keep just a single copy of every mail message, set
+the variable @code{rmail-delete-after-output} to @code{t}; then the
+@kbd{o}, @kbd{C-o} and @kbd{w} commands delete the original message
+after copying it.  (You can undelete it afterward if you wish.)
 
 @vindex rmail-output-file-alist
   The variable @code{rmail-output-file-alist} lets you specify
@@ -633,8 +630,6 @@
 @item filed
 Means the message has been copied to some other file.  Assigned by the
 @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} file output commands (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
-@item stored
-Assigned by the @kbd{w} file output command (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
 @item answered
 Means you have mailed an answer to the message.  Assigned by the @kbd{r}
 command (@code{rmail-reply}).  @xref{Rmail Reply}.
@@ -647,6 +642,9 @@
 @item resent
 Means you have resent the message.  Assigned by the command @kbd{M-x
 rmail-resend}.  @xref{Rmail Reply}.
+@item retried
+Means you have retried a failed outgoing message.  Assigned by the
+command @kbd{M-x rmail-retry-failure}.  @xref{Rmail Reply}.
 @end table
 
   All other labels are assigned or removed only by users, and have no
@@ -761,7 +759,7 @@
 
 @kindex m @r{(Rmail)}
 @findex rmail-mail
-  The @kbd{m} (@code{rmail-mail}) command is used to start editing an
+  Use the @kbd{m} (@code{rmail-mail}) command to start editing an
 outgoing message that is not a reply.  It leaves the header fields empty.
 Its only difference from @kbd{C-x 4 m} is that it makes the Rmail buffer
 accessible for @kbd{C-c C-y}, just as @kbd{r} does.  Thus, @kbd{m} can be
@@ -1038,12 +1036,6 @@
 current values of those variable.  Selecting the message again also
 reformats it if necessary.
 
-  One consequence of this is that if you edit the reformatted header
-(using @kbd{e}; @pxref{Rmail Editing}), subsequent use of @kbd{t} will
-discard your edits.  On the other hand, if you use @kbd{e} after
-@kbd{t}, to edit the original (unreformatted) header, those changes are
-permanent.
-
   When the @kbd{t} command has a prefix argument, a positive argument
 means to show the reformatted header, and a zero or negative argument
 means to show the full header.
@@ -1123,18 +1115,17 @@
 same as Text mode.  The mode line indicates this change.
 
   In Rmail Edit mode, letters insert themselves as usual and the Rmail
-commands are not available.  When you are finished editing the message and
-are ready to go back to Rmail, type @kbd{C-c C-c}, which switches back to
-Rmail mode.  Alternatively, you can return to Rmail mode but cancel all the
-editing that you have done, by typing @kbd{C-c C-]}.
+commands are not available.  You can edit message body and header
+fields.  When you are finished editing the message, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
+to switch back to Rmail mode.  Alternatively, you can return to Rmail
+mode but cancel all the editing that you have done, by typing @kbd{C-c
+C-]}.
 
 @vindex rmail-edit-mode-hook
-  Entering Rmail Edit mode runs the hook @code{text-mode-hook}; then it
-runs the hook @code{rmail-edit-mode-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).  It adds the
-attribute @samp{edited} to the message.  It also displays the full
-headers of the message, so that you can edit the headers as well as the
-body of the message, and your changes in the headers will be
-permanent.
+  Entering Rmail Edit mode runs the hook @code{text-mode-hook}; then
+it runs the hook @code{rmail-edit-mode-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).
+Returning to ordinary Rmail mode adds the attribute @samp{edited} to
+the message, if you have made any changes in it.
 
 @node Rmail Digest
 @section Digest Messages
@@ -1159,37 +1150,6 @@
 Rmail messages, and inserts them following the digest.  The digest
 message itself is flagged as deleted.
 
-@node Out of Rmail
-@section Converting an Rmail File to Inbox Format
-@cindex Babyl format to Inbox format
-@cindex converting Rmail file to mailbox format
-
-@findex unrmail
-  The command @kbd{M-x unrmail} converts a file in Rmail format to inbox
-format (also known as the system mailbox, or mbox, format), so that
-you can use it with other mail-editing tools.  You must specify two
-arguments, the name of the Rmail file and the name to use for the
-converted file.  @kbd{M-x unrmail} does not alter the Rmail file itself.
-
-@pindex b2m
-  @kbd{M-x unrmail} is useful if you can run Emacs on the machine
-where the Rmail file resides, or can access the Rmail file remotely
-(@pxref{Remote Files}) from a machine where Emacs is installed.  If
-accessing Rmail files from Emacs is impossible, you can use the
-@command{b2m} program instead.  @command{b2m} is part of the Emacs
-distribution, it is installed into the same directory as the
-@command{emacs} executable, and its source is available in the Emacs
-source distribution (in the @file{lib-src} directory), so that you could
-copy the source to the target machine and compile it there.  (In the
-same directory, there is also a version written in Perl, @file{b2m.pl}.)
-
-  To convert a file @file{@var{babyl-file}} into @file{@var{mbox-file}},
-invoke @command{b2m} like this:
-
-@example
- b2m < @var{babyl-file} > @var{mbox-file}
-@end example
-
 @node Rmail Rot13
 @section Reading Rot13 Messages
 @cindex rot13 code