Manpages

NAME

whatnow - prompting front-end for writing nmh messages

SYNOPSIS

[-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit] [-prompt string] [file]

DESCRIPTION

whatnow is the default program that queries the user about the disposition of a composed draft. It is normally automatically invoked by one of the nmh commands comp, dist, forw, or repl after the initial edit.

When started, the editor is started on the draft (unless -noedit is given, in which case the initial edit is suppressed). Then, whatnow repetitively prompts the user with “What now?” and awaits a response. The valid responses are:

edit editor

Invoke editor for further editing.

refile +folder

Refile the draft into folder .

display

List the message being replied to or distributed on the terminal.

send -watch

Send the message and monitor the delivery process.

whom -check

List the addresses and verify that they are acceptable to the transport service.

quit -delete

Delete the draft and exit.

cd directory

Use directory when interpreting attachment file names. This does not change whatnow’s process’s current working directory so it and child processes, e.g. edit’s, do not see the change.

ls [ls-options]

List files in the attachment working directory using ls(1).

attach [-v] files

Add the named files to the message as MIME attachments; -v displays the mhbuild(1) directive that send(1) will use.

alist [-ln]

List the MIME attachments’ filenames. -l gives a long listing showing their full path. -n numbers them for use with detach .

detach [-n] files-or-numbers

Remove MIME attachments, either by file name or by number with -n.

When entering your response, you need only type enough characters to uniquely identify the response.

For the edit response, any valid switch to the editor is valid.

For the send and push responses, any valid switch to send(1) is valid (as push merely invokes send with the -push option).

For the whom response, any valid switch to whom(1) is valid.

For the refile response, any valid switch to the fileproc is valid.

For the display and list responses, any valid argument to the lproc is valid. If any non-switch arguments are present, then the pathname of the draft will be excluded from the argument list given to the lproc (this is useful for listing another nmh message).

See mh-profile(5) for further information about how editors are used by nmh. It also discusses how environment variables can be used to direct whatnow’s actions in complex ways.

The -prompt string switch sets the prompting string for whatnow.

The -draftfolder +folder and -draftmessage msg switches invoke the nmh draft folder facility. This is an advanced (and highly useful) feature. Consult mh-draft(5) for more information.

If your nmh was configured with readline enabled, you’ll be able to use filename completion and other readline features at the prompt. These are particularly useful with the cd, ls, attach, and detach commands for managing MIME attachments.

FILES

$HOME/.mh_profile The user profile
<mh-dir>/draft The draft file

PROFILE COMPONENTS

Path: To determine the user’s nmh directory
Draft-Folder: To specify the default draftfolder
Editor: To override the default editor
<lasteditor>-next: To name an editor to be used after exit
from <lasteditor>
buildmimeproc: Program to translate MIME composition files
fileproc: Program to refile the message
lproc: Program to list the contents of a message
sendproc: Program to use to send the message
whomproc: Program to determine who a message would go to

SEE ALSO

mh-draft(5), send(1), whom(1)

DEFAULTS

’-prompt’ defaults to “What Now? ”

BUGS

If the initial edit fails, whatnow deletes your draft (by renaming it with a site-dependent prefix (usually a comma); failure of a later edit preserves the draft.

If the buildmimeproc fails (returns a nonzero status), whatnow simply prints a “What now?” prompt. whatnow depends on the buildmimeproc to tell the user that something went wrong.

If whatnowproc is whatnow, then comp, dist, forw, and repl use a built-in whatnow, and do not actually run the whatnow program. Hence, if you define your own whatnowproc, don’t call it whatnow since it won’t be run.

If sendproc is send, then whatnow uses a built-in send, it does not actually run the send program. Hence, if you define your own sendproc, don’t call it send since whatnow won’t run it.