FORW(1)                                                   FORW(1)

NAME
       forw - forward messages

SYNOPSIS
       forw [+folder] [msgs]
            [-annotate] [-noannotate] [-form formfile]
            [-format] [-noformat] [-filter filterfile]
            [-inplace] [-noinplace] [-mime] [-nomime]
            [-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg]
            [-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit]
            [-whatnowproc program] [-nowhatnowproc]
            [-dashstuffing] [-nodashstuffing] [-version] [-help]

     forw [+folder] [msgs] [-digest list] [-issue number]
            [-volume number] [other switches for forw] [-help]

DESCRIPTION
       Forw  may  be  used  to prepare a message containing other
       messages.

       It constructs the new message from  a  forms  (components)
       file,  with  a  body composed of the message(s) to be for-
       warded.  An editor is invoked as in comp, and after  edit-
       ing  is  complete, the user is prompted before the message
       is sent.

       The default message form contains the following elements:

       If a file named  "forwcomps"  exists  in  the  user's  nmh
       directory,  it  will be used instead of this default form.
       You may also specify an  alternate  forms  file  with  the
       switch `-form formfile'.

       When  If the draft already exists, forw will ask you as to
       the disposition of the draft.  A reply of quit will  abort
       forw,  leaving  the draft intact; replace will replace the
       existing draft with a blank skeleton; and list  will  dis-
       play the draft.

       If  the  `-annotate'  switch  is given, each message being
       forwarded will be annotated with the lines

            Forwarded: date
            Forwarded: addrs

       where  each  address  list  contains  as  many  lines   as
       required.   This  annotation will be done only if the mes-
       sage is sent directly from forw.  If the  message  is  not
       sent  immediately  from  forw,  "comp -use" may be used to
       re-edit and send the constructed message, but the  annota-
       tions  won't  take  place.   Normally annotations are done
       inplace in order to preserve any  links  to  the  message.
       You may change this by using the '-noinplace' switch.

       See  comp (1)  for  a  description  of  the  `-editor' and
       `-noedit' switches.

       Although forw uses a forms (components) file to direct  it
       how  to  construct  the  beginning of the draft, it uses a
       message filter file to direct it as to how each  forwarded
       message should be formatted in the body of the draft.  The
       filter file for forw should be a standard  form  file  for
       mhl,  as  forw  will  invoke mhl to filter (re-format) the
       forwarded messages prior to being output to  the  body  of
       the draft.

       The  switches `-noformat', `-format', and `-filter filter-
       file' specify which message filter file to use.

       If `-noformat' is specified (this is  the  default),  then
       each forwarded message is output into the draft exactly as
       it appears with no mhl filtering.

       If `-format' is specified, then a default  message  filter
       file  is used.  This default message filter should be ade-
       quate for most users.  This default  filter  "mhl.forward"
       is:

       If  a  file  named  "mhl.forward" exists in the user's nmh
       directory, it will be used instead of this form.  You  may
       specify  an  alternate message filter file with the switch
       `-filter filterfile'.

       Each forwarded message is separated with an  encapsulation
       delimiter.   By default, any dashes in the first column of
       the forwarded messages will be prepended with `- ' so that
       when  received,  the  message  is suitable for bursting by
       burst (1).  This follows the Internet RFC-934  guidelines.
       You  may  use  the flag `-nodashstuffing' in order to sup-
       press this form of quoting to the forwarded messages.

       For  users  of  prompter (1),  by  specifying   prompter's
       `-prepend'  switch in the .mh_profile file, any commentary
       text is entered before the forwarded messages.   (A  major
       win!)

       To  use  the  MIME  rules  for  encapsulation, specify the
       `-mime' switch.  This directs forw to generate an  mhbuild
       composition  file.   Note that nmh will not invoke mhbuild
       automatically, unless you add this line to  your  .mh_pro-
       file file:

            automimeproc: 1

       Otherwise, you must specifically give the command

            What now? mime

       prior to sending the draft.

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

       Upon exiting from the editor, forw will invoke the whatnow
       program.   See  whatnow (1)  for a discussion of available
       options.  The invocation of this program can be  inhibited
       by  using the `-nowhatnowproc' switch.  (In truth of fact,
       it is the whatnow program which starts the  initial  edit.
       Hence,  `-nowhatnowproc' will prevent any edit from occur-
       ring.)

       The `-digest list', `-issue number', and  `-volume number'
       switches  implement a digest facility for nmh.  Specifying
       these switches  enables  and/or  overloads  the  following
       escapes:

       Type       Escape  Returns  Description
       component  digest  string   Argument to `-digest'
       function   cur     integer  Argument to `-volume'
       function   msg     integer  Argument to `-issue'

       Consult  the  Advanced  Features section of the nmh User's
       Manual   for   more   information   on   making   digests.
       ^/etc/nmh/forwcomps~^The  standard  message  skeleton  ^or
       <mh-dir>/forwcomps~^Rather  than  the  standard   skeleton
       ^/etc/nmh/digestcomps~^The  message  skeleton if `-digest'
       is given ^or <mh-dir>/digestcomps~^Rather than  the  stan-
       dard  skeleton ^/etc/nmh/mhl.forward~^The standard message
       filter ^or <mh-dir>/mhl.forward~^Rather than the  standard
       filter      ^$HOME/.mh_profile~^The      user      profile
       ^<mh-dir>/draft~^The draft file ^Path:~^To  determine  the
       user's nmh directory ^Current-Folder:~^To find the default
       current  folder  ^Draft-Folder:~^To   find   the   default
       draft-folder  ^Editor:~^To  override  the  default  editor
       ^Msg-Protect:~^To set mode when  creating  a  new  message
       (draft)  ^fileproc:~^Program  to  refile the message ^mhl-
       proc:~^Program to filter messages being  forwarded  ^what-
       nowproc:~^Program  to  ask  the "What now?" questions Pro-
       posed Standard for Message Encapsulation (RFC-934),
       mhbuild(1), comp(1), repl(1), send(1), whatnow(1), mh-for-
       mat(5)  `+folder'  defaults  to  the current folder `msgs'
       defaults to cur `-noannotate' `-nodraftfolder' `-noformat'
       `-inplace' `-dashstuffing' `-nomime' If a folder is given,
       it will become the current folder.  The first message for-
       warded will become the current message.

       If whatnowproc is whatnow, then forw uses a built-in what-
       now, it does not actually run the whatnow program.  Hence,
       if  you define your own whatnowproc, don't call it whatnow
       since forw won't run it.

       When forw is told to annotate the messages it forwards, it
       doesn't actually annotate them until the draft is success-
       fully sent.  If from the whatnowproc, you push instead  of
       send,  it's  possible  to  confuse forw by re-ordering the
       file (e.g., by using `folder -pack') before the message is
       successfully sent.  Dist and repl don't have this problem.

[nmh-0.27]                    MH.6.8                            1