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1.1 root 1: .\" @(MHWARNING)
2: .TH MSH 1 "April 22, 1986" MH [mh.6]
3: .UC 6
4: .SH NAME
5: msh \- MH shell (and BBoard reader)
6: .SH SYNOPSIS
7: .in +.5i
8: .ti -.5i
9: msh
10: \%[\-prompt\ string]
11: \%[\-scan] \%[\-noscan]
12: \%[\-topcur] \%[\-notopcur]
13: \%[file]
14: \%[\-help]
15: .in -.5i
16: .SH DESCRIPTION
17: \fImsh\fR is an interactive program that
18: implements a subset of the normal \fIMH\fR commands
19: operating on a single file in \fIpackf\fR'd format.
20: That is, \fImsh\fR is used to read a file that contains a number of
21: messages,
22: as opposed to the standard
23: \fIMH\fR
24: style of reading a number of files,
25: each file being a separate message in a folder.
26: \fImsh\fR's chief advantage is that the normal \fIMH\fR style does not allow
27: a file to have more than one message in it.
28: Hence, \fImsh\fR is ideal for reading \fIBBoards\fR,
29: as these files are delivered by the transport system in this format.
30: In addition, \fImsh\fR can be used on other files,
31: such as message archives which have been \fIpack\fRed (see \fIpackf\fR\0(1)).
32: Finally, \fImsh\fR is an excellent \fIMH\fR
33: tutor.
34: As the only commands available to the user are \fIMH\fR commands,
35: this allows \fIMH\fR beginners to concentrate on how commands to
36: \fIMH\fR are formed and (more or less) what they mean.
37:
38: When invoked, \fImsh\fR reads the named file, and enters a command loop.
39: The user may type most of the normal
40: \fIMH\fR
41: commands.
42: The syntax and semantics of these commands typed to \fImsh\fR are
43: identical to their \fIMH\fR
44: counterparts. In cases where the nature of \fImsh\fR would be inconsistent
45: (e.g., specifying a `+folder' with some commands),
46: \fImsh\fR will duly inform the user.
47: The commands that \fImsh\fR currently supports
48: (in some slightly modified or restricted forms) are:
49: .sp 1
50: .in +.5i
51: ali
52: .br
53: burst
54: .br
55: comp
56: .br
57: dist
58: .br
59: folder
60: .br
61: forw
62: .br
63: inc
64: .br
65: mark
66: .br
67: mhmail
68: .br
69: msgchk
70: .br
71: next
72: .br
73: packf
74: .br
75: pick
76: .br
77: prev
78: .br
79: refile
80: .br
81: repl
82: .br
83: rmm
84: .br
85: scan
86: .br
87: send
88: .br
89: show
90: .br
91: sortm
92: .br
93: whatnow
94: .br
95: whom
96: .in -.5i
97:
98: In addition,
99: \fImsh\fR has a \*(lqhelp\*(rq command which gives a brief overview.
100: To terminate \fImsh\fR, type CTRL\-D, or use the \*(lqquit\*(rq command.
101: If \fImsh\fR is being invoked from \fIbbc\fR,
102: then typing CTRL\-D will also tell \fIbbc\fR to exit as well,
103: while using the \*(lqquit\*(rq command will return control to \fIbbc\fR,
104: and \fIbbc\fR will continue examining the list of BBoards
105: that it is scanning.
106:
107: If the file is writable and has been modified,
108: then using \*(lqquit\*(rq will query the user if the file should be updated.
109:
110: The `\-prompt string' switch sets the prompting string for \fImsh\fR.
111:
112: You may wish to use an alternate \fIMH\fR profile for the commands that
113: \fImsh\fR executes;
114: see \fImh-profile\fR\0(5) for details about the \fB$MH\fR envariable.
115:
116: When invoked from \fIbbc\fR,
117: two special features are enabled:
118: First,
119: the `\-scan' switch directs \fImsh\fR to do a `scan\0unseen' on
120: start\-up if new items are present in the BBoard.
121: This feature is best used from \fIbbc\fR,
122: which correctly sets the stage.
123: Second,
124: the \fImark\fR command in \fImsh\fR acts specially when you are reading
125: a BBoard,
126: since \fImsh\fR will consult the sequence \*(lqunseen\*(rq in determining
127: what messages you have actually read.
128: When \fImsh\fR exits, it reports this information to \fIbbc\fR.
129: In addition, if you give the \fImark\fR command with no arguments,
130: \fImsh\fR will interpret it
131: as `mark\0\-sequence\0unseen\0\-delete\0\-nozero\0all'
132: Hence, to discard all of the messages in the current BBoard you're
133: reading, just use the \fImark\fR command with no arguments.
134:
135: Normally, the \*(lqexit\*(rq command is identical to the \*(lqquit\*(rq
136: command in \fImsh\fR.
137: When run under \fIbbc\fR however, \*(lqexit\*(rq directs \fImsh\fR to mark
138: all messages as seen and then \*(lqquit\*(rq.
139: For speedy type\-in,
140: this command is often abbreviated as just \*(lqe\*(rq.
141:
142: When invoked from \fIvmh\fR,
143: another special feature is enabled:
144: The `topcur' switch directs \fImsh\fR to have the current message
145: \*(lqtrack\*(rq the top line of the \fIvmh\fR scan window.
146: Normally, \fImsh\fR has the current message \*(lqtrack\*(rq the center of the
147: window (under `\-notopcur', which is the default).
148:
149: \fImsh\fR supports an output redirection facility.
150: Commands may be followed by one of
151:
152: .nf
153: .in +.5i
154: .ta \w'| \fIcommand\fR 'u
155: ^> \fIfile\fR~^write output to \fIfile\fR
156: ^>> \fIfile\fR~^append output to \fIfile\fR
157: ^| \fIcommand\fR~^pipe output to UNIX \fIcommand\fR
158: .re
159: .in -.5i
160: .fi
161:
162: If \fIfile\fR starts with a `\~' (tilde),
163: then a \fIcsh\fR-like expansion takes place.
164: Note that \fIcommand\fR is interpreted by \fIsh\fR\0(1).
165: Also note that \fImsh\fR does NOT support
166: history substitutions, variable substitutions, or alias substitutions.
167:
168: When parsing commands to the left of any redirection symbol,
169: \fImsh\fR will honor `\\' (back\-slash) as the quote next\-character symbol,
170: and `"' (double\-quote) as quote\-word delimiters.
171: All other input tokens are separated by whitespace
172: (spaces and tabs).
173: .Fi
174: ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
175: ^@(MHETCPATH)/mtstailor~^tailor file
176: .Pr
177: ^Path:~^To determine the user's MH directory
178: .Ps
179: ^Msg\-Protect:~^To set mode when creating a new `file'
180: .Ps
181: ^fileproc:~^Program to file messages
182: .Ps
183: ^showproc:~^Program to show messages
184: .Sa
185: bbc(1)
186: .De
187: `file' defaults to \*(lq./msgbox\*(rq
188: .Ds
189: `\-prompt\ (msh)\ '
190: .Ds
191: `\-noscan'
192: .Ds
193: `\-notopcur'
194: .Co
195: None
196: .Bu
197: The argument to the `\-prompt' switch must be interpreted as a single token
198: by the shell that invokes \fImsh\fR.
199: Therefore,
200: one must usually place the argument to this switch inside double\-quotes.
201:
202: There is a strict limit of messages per file in \fIpackf\fR'd format which
203: \fImsh\fR can handle.
204: Usually, this limit is 1000 messages.
205:
206: Please remember that \fImsh\fR is not the \fICShell\fR,
207: and that a lot of the nice facilities provided by the latter are not
208: present in the former.
209:
210: In particular, \fImsh\fR does not understand back\-quoting,
211: so the only effective way to use \fIpick\fR inside \fImsh\fR is to always use
212: the `\-seq\0select' switch.
213: Clever users of \fIMH\fR will put the line
214:
215: .ti +.5i
216: pick:\0\-seq\0select\0\-list
217:
218: in their \&.mh\(ruprofile file so that \fIpick\fR works equally well from
219: both the shell and \fImsh\fR.
220:
221: The \fImsh\fR program inherits most (if not all) of the bugs from the
222: \fIMH\fR commands it implements.
223: .En
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