Name

forw − forward messages

Syntax

forw [ msgs ] [ +folder ] [ options ]

Description

Use forw to send one or more messages on to recipients who were not the original addressees. All messages to be forwarded are encapsulated, and a message header is added. Forwarded messages appear to originate from the forwarder and not the sender of the original message.

You can specify the message which you want to forward by giving a msg argument.  You can supply one or more message numbers, or a range of messages.  If you do not supply a message number, forw takes the current message. You can also specify a message in another folder by giving the +folder argument.  This argument can be used in conjunction with the msg argument. 

An editor is invoked so that you can edit the forwarded message, or add text before or after the encapsulated message.  When you exit from the editor, you receive a prompt asking what you want to do with the completed draft.  This prompt usually takes the form What now? See whatnow() for more information on the options available.

If you forward a number of messages, each forwarded message is encapsulated separately.  When received, the message is suitable for expanding with burst(.).

By default, the mail system uses a standard message header for forwarded messages.  This is taken from the system file /usr/lib/mh/forwcomps. You can supply your own header by creating a file called forwcomps in your Mail directory. If this file exists, forw automatically uses the header in it when creating draft messages.

If you do not have a draft folder set up, forw creates your new draft in a file called draft in your Mail directory, usually $HOME/Mail. This file must be empty before you can create a new draft, which means that you can only store one draft at a time. If it is not empty, the mail system will ask you what you want to do with the existing contents. The options are:

quit Aborts forw, leaving the draft intact.

replace Replaces the existing draft with the appropriate message form. 

list Displays the draft message. 

refile Refiles the existing draft message in the specified folder, and provides a new message form for you to complete. 

If you want to be able to have more than one draft message at a time, you can set up a draft folder in your .mh_profile. This allows you to keep as many unsent drafts as space allows, and still create new messages as you wish. To do this, make sure that the following line is in your .mh_profile:

Draft-folder: +drafts

For more information on how to do this, see mh_profile(.).

If you set up a draft folder, all draft messages are created in that folder.  If you decide not to send the draft, by typing quit at the What now? prompt, the message is stored in the draft folder.  You can then re-edit the message, or send it at a later date, by using the −use option to the comp command.

If you use prompter as your editor, you can specify the −prepend option to prompter in the .mh_profile file. If you do this, any text you add is entered before the forwarded messages. See prompter() for details of the other prompter options.

Options

−annotate

−noannotate
Annotates the message you are forwarding. The following lines are added to the message that you are forwarding:

Forwarded: date
Forwarded: address(es)

The first line records the time at which the message was forwarded; the second records the addresses of the recipients of the forwarded message.

The forw command only annotates messages when they are successfully sent. If you do not send the message immediately and file the unsent draft, it will not be annotated. It is also possible to confuse forw by using push to send the message, and renumbering it before it is sent, for example by using folder −pack to reorder the folder.

−draftfolder foldername

−nodraftfolder
Specifies the folder in which the draft message is created. If you do not send the draft, the mail system will store it in this folder.

This option is usually set up in your .mh_profile. See mh_profile() for more information. If you have this option set up, you can override it by using the −nodraftfolder option. 

−draftmessage filename
Specifies the file in which the draft message is created. If no absolute pathname is given, the file is assumed to be in your Mail directory, usually $HOME/Mail. If you do not send the message, it is stored in the named file until you delete it, or send it at a later date.

−editor editorname
Specify the editor that you want to use to edit your forwarded message. You can supply the name of any approved ULTRIX editor.

−filter filterfile
Reformats (filters) the forwarded messages prior to inclusion in the draft message. If you do not specify −filter, the forwarded messages are included in the draft exactly as they appear.  This option allows you to re-format them according to instructions in a named filter file.  This must be an mhl file; see mh-format() for more information.

The −format option also re-formats messages before encapsulating them in the draft.  However, −format always re-formats according to the instructions in the default mhl.forward file. The −filter option allows you to use your own, named filter file to format the messages. 

−form formfile
Specifies the message header to be used in the draft message. If this option is present, forw takes the header of the draft message from the named file. If this option is not present, the header is taken from the forwcomps file in your Mail directory, or failing that, from the mail system default header. However, the −form option overrides both of these. 

−format

−noformatReformats the messages to be forwarded before enclosing them in the draft message.  If this option is not supplied, the forwarded messages are included in the draft exactly as they appear.  With the −format option, the forwarded message is re-formatted according to the instructions in the mhl.forward file in your Mail directory. If this file does not exist, the message is formatted according to the system file /usr/lib/mh/mhl.forward. The mhl.forward file is an mhl file; see mh-format() for more information.

You can also use the −filter filterfile option to re-format messages.  The difference is that −format always takes its instructions from the mhl.forward file. With −filter, you can specify the name of the filter file you want to use. 

−helpPrints a list of the legal options to this command. 

−inplace

−noinplaceCauses annotation to be done in place, to preserve links to the annotated message.  This option only works with the −annotate option. 

−noeditSuppresses editing of the draft message altogether. 

−whatnowproc program

−nowhatnowproc
Specifies an alternative whatnow program. Normally, forw invokes the default whatnow program. See whatnow() for a discussion of available options. You can specify your own alternative to the default program using the −whatnowproc program option.  If you do specify your own program, you should not call it whatnow.

You can suppress the whatnow program entirely by using the −nowhatnowproc option.  However, as the program normally starts the initial edit, the −nowhatnowproc option will prevent you from editing the message. 

The following are defaults for this command:

+folder defaults to the current folder
msgs defaults to the current message
−noannotate
−nodraftfolder
−noformat
−noinplace

Profile Components

Files

/usr/lib/mh/forwcomps
The default system template for forwarded messages.

<mh−dir>/forwcomps
The user-supplied alternative to the default system template.

<mh−dir>/digestcomps
The user-supplied alternative to the system message template used with −digest. 

/usr/lib/mh/mhl.forward
The default message filter.

<mh−dir>/mhl.forward
The user-supplied alternative to the default system message filter.

$HOME/.mh_profile
The user profile.

<mh−dir>/draft
The draft file.

See Also

comp(1mh), dist(1mh), refile(1mh), repl(1mh), send(1mh), whatnow(1mh)
Proposed Standard for Message Encapsulation (RFC 934)