whatnow1
Prompting front-end for sending messages
Usage
whatnow [-draftfolder
+folder]
[-draftmessage
msg]
[-nodraftfolder]
[-editor
editor]
[-noedit]
[-prompt
string]
[file]
[-version]
[-help]
[-attach
header-field-name]
[-noattach]
Overview
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-
re-edit using the same editor that was used on the preceding round unless a profile entry “<lasteditor>-next: <editor>” names an alternate editor
- edit <editor>
-
invoke <editor> for further editing
- refile +folder
-
refile the draft into the given folder
mime-
process the draft as MIME composition file using the buildmimeproc command (
mhbuildby default)
display-
list the message being distributed/replied-to on the terminal
list-
list the draft on the terminal
send-
send the message
- send -watch
-
send the message and monitor the delivery process
push-
send the message in the background
whom-
list the addresses that the message will go to
- whom -check
-
list the addresses and verify that they are acceptable to the transport service
quit-
preserve the draft and exit
- quit -delete
-
delete the draft and exit
delete-
delete the draft and exit
- cd directory
-
use the directory when interpreting attachment file names
pwd-
print the working directory for attachment files
- ls [ls-options]
-
list files in the attachment working directory using the ls command
- attach files
-
add the named files to the draft as MIME attachments
- alist [-ln]
-
list the MIME attachments, either short, long [-l] or numbered [-n]
- 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 the mh-draft(5) man page for more information.
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 find the default draft-folder ^Editor:~^To override the default editor ^<lasteditor>-next:~^To name an editor to be used after exit ^~^from <lasteditor> ^automimeproc:~^If value is 1, and the draft is a MIME ^~^composition file, then automatically call ^~^buildmimeproc prior to sending. ^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
Defaults
`-prompt' defaults to “What Now? ” `-attach' defaults to “Nmh-Attachment”
Context
None
Releases
10 releases since Debian 1.1 (Buzz); the text changed 8 times.