Return to emh.doc CVS log

Up to [CSRG BSD Unix] / 43BSDReno / contrib / mh / miscellany / emh

BSD 4.3reno

[ emh.doc - Fri Oct  7 11:26:35 1983 - another interface to MH - /mtr ]


    The emh package is yet another emacs-based interface to the Rand MH
    system.  The notion behind emh is that you never wait for a command
    to finish -- you tell emh to start a command, and then at a later
    time, emh will tell you what happened.  Further, emh doesn't try
    to make emacs into a powerful environment to access MH.  Instead,
    emh adds some basic front-end facilities for MH that allows you do
    simple things with mail while running emacs.  In short, the emh
    philosophy is to provide a fast mail handling capacity that doesn't
    slow down your other editing tasks.  This gives emh a much
    different "feel" than Brien Reid's MHE package.


			    Getting Started

    emh is composed of a few MLisp files that get loaded in when you
    need them.  If you have the directory where these files are kept in
    your $EPATH envariable, then you can use

	ESC-X load emh.ml

    to load the bootstrap in.  If you don't have this directory in your
    $EPATH envariable, then you can use the "emh" shell script.  This
    script defines your $EPATH envariable appropriately, and then
    invokes emacs, telling it to load the emh.ml file.


			     Command style

    All emh commands do not prompt you for arguments when invoked from
    the keyboard.  However if you want to be asked for additional
    arguments, you can use the ^U- prefix.  For example, by default
    ^X-r will read mail from your +inbox folder.  By using ^U-^X-r, you
    will be asked which folder should be used to read mail from.

    Most emh commands do not take effect immediately.  Instead, they
    start a background process, and report back when that process
    finishes.  This allows you to continue doing other editing work.
    When emh reports on the status of a completed activity, it pops up
    a new window on your screen.  To prevent confusion, you will never
    be placed in this window.  Instead, the context will remain the
    window that you were using when the process terminated.


				Buffers

    The buffers that emh creates for your use come in several
    varieties.  You can determine what the rules are for using a buffer
    by looking at its mode-string.  This is displayed in the mode-line
    for each window.  Further, the mode-line may contain additional
    information for you.

    Listings

	 mode:  (emh)

	 buffers:  MH help, all scan listings, all message listings

	 comments:  In emh mode, there is a special keymap interpreting
	 your commands.  The commands available to you are described in
	 the "emh mode commands" section.  When you enter a keystroke
	 in such a buffer, the command that gets invoked uses the
	 folder associated with the buffer for its execution context.

    Folder List

	 mode:  (Normal)

	 buffers:  MH folders

	 comments:  This buffer contains the results of the list
	 folders command.  There is no special interpretation of its
	 contents.

    Message Drafts

	 mode:  usually (Text)

	 buffers:  all compose, forward, and reply drafts

	 comments:  After mh has built a draft buffer for you, you edit
	 the message draft.  You can automatically have these buffers
	 created in a special mode (see the "Customization" section).
	 ^X-^S is bound in these buffers to send the draft.

    Process Handling

	 mode:  (status: "condition"), "condition" is usually Running
	 or Exited

	 buffers:  any buffer that emh is using to run an asynchronous
	 command

	 comments:  You never edit anything in these buffers.  They are
	 manipulated solely by emh.


			  Top level commands

    The emh package provides three commands that are defined globally
    for you.

    Listing Folders

	 Keystrokes:  ^X-f

	 Arguments:  By default, all of your folders are listed.  If
	 you use the ^U- prefix, then you will be asked to supply
	 options for the MH folders command.

	 Function: A listing of all of your MH folders is started.  When
	 the folder listing is completed, it will appear on your
	 screen.

    Reading Mail

	 Keystrokes:  ^X-r

	 Arguments:  By default, your +inbox folder is consulted.  If
	 you use the ^U- prefix, then you will be asked which folder
	 should be used.  

	 Function: If you have already started to read mail from this
	 folder, then the scan listing generated appears on the screen
	 and you are placed in this context.  If not, then a scan
	 listing is started.  When the scan listing is completed, it
	 will appear on your screen. To perform actions in the context
	 of this folder, place the cursor in this window.  [N.B.: This
	 command does incorporate mail from your maildrop.  Use the
	 incorporate mail command for that.]

    Incorporate Mail

	 Keystrokes:  ^X-i

	 Arguments:  By default mail is incorporated from your MH
	 maildrop to your +inbox folder.  If you use the ^U- prefix,
	 then you will be asked to specify the folder that should be
	 used, and the maildrop that should be used (such as a packed
	 file).

	 Function:  The inc command is started.  When inc finishes, if
	 there was mail to incorporate then a new scan listing is
	 started.  Otherwise a process buffer summarizing the results
	 of inc's execution appears on the screen.

    Sending Mail

	 Keystrokes:  ^X-m

	 Arguments:  By default, your components file is used as the
	 skeleton for the message draft.  If you use the ^U- prefix,
	 then you will be asked which file should be used.

	 Function:  A draft buffer is created and appears on the
	 screen.  [N.B.: Unlike every other emh command, this command
	 will place you into the buffer IMMEDIATELY.]  You now edit the
	 message draft in any fashion you wish.  When you are ready to
	 send the draft, use ^X-^S.  This makes the draft buffer
	 disappear from the screen.  The posting process for the
	 message draft is now started.  When the posting process has
	 finished, a process buffer summarizing the results of the
	 posting appears on the screen.  If the message draft was
	 successfully posted, the draft buffer is removed.  Otherwise,
	 the message draft is NOT removed.  You can fix the problems,
	 and try again (using ^X-^S).  Inside the process buffer, ^X-@
	 is bound to a function that will make the message draft appear
	 on your screen.


			   emh mode commands

    When you are in a buffer in emh mode, a special keymap is used.
    Only the printing-characters is affected, the bindings of the
    control-characters default to the global keymap.  Most printing
    characters are bound to "illegal-operation", which means that emacs
    will beep at you if you use them.  The commands available in emh
    mode allow you to handle messages within an individual folder.  

    Most of the commands reference the current message.  The current
    message is denoted in the folder's scan listing as having a '+'
    after the message number.  As you would expect the previous message
    is the one on the line directly above the current message, and the
    next message is the one on the line directly below the current
    message. To change the current message, use the usual emacs cursor
    motion commands (^N and ^P) and then invoke an mhe mode command.
    When the command finishes, the '+' will be updated.  Only two
    mhe mode commands do not update the current message, the delete and
    move message commands.

    Display [Current, Next, Previous] Message

	 Keystrokes:  s (also S) for cur message, n (also N or ^F) for
	 next message, p (also P or ^B or ^H) for prev message

	 Arguments:  By default, no special arguments are given to
	 show.  If you use the ^U- prefix, then you will be asked to
	 supply options for the MH show command.

	 Function:  A listing of the current (or next, or prev) message
	 is started.  When the listing is completed, it will appear on
	 your screen.

    Compose Message

	 Keystrokes:  c (also C)

	 Comments:  This is identical to the send mail command.

    Forward Current Message

	 Keystrokes:  f (also F)

	 Arguments:  By default, no special arguments are given to
	 forw.  If you use the ^U -prefix, then you will be asked to
	 supply options for the MH forw command.  This is useful if you
	 wish to forward more than one message in the message draft.
	 You can give a message list as the additional arguments to
	 forw.

	 Function:  A draft buffer for the current message is prepared
	 in forwarding format.  When the message draft is completed,
	 it will appear on your screen.  You then edit the draft buffer
	 and use ^X-^S to send the message draft.  Inside the draft
	 buffer, ^X-@ is bound to a function that will make the message
	 being forwarded appear on your screen.

    Reply to Current Message

	 Keystrokes:  r (also R)

	 Arguments:  By default, no special arguments are given to
	 repl.  If you use the ^U -prefix, then you will be asked to
	 supply options for the MH repl command.

	 Function:  A draft buffer for the current message is prepared
	 in reply format.  When the message draft is completed,
	 it will appear on your screen.  You then edit the draft buffer
	 and use ^X-^S to send the message draft.  Inside the draft
	 buffer, ^X-@ is bound to a function that will make the message
	 being forwarded appear on your screen.

    Delete Current Message

	 Keystrokes:  d (also D)

	 Arguments:  By default, no special arguments are given to rmm.
	 If you use the ^U -prefix, then you will be asked to supply
	 options for the MH rmm command.

	 Function:  The scan listing for the current folder is updated.
	 If the current folder is read-only, then nothing else happens.
	 Otherwise, the rmm command is started.  When rmm finishes, if
	 it was successful, nothing happens.  Otherwise, a process
	 buffer summarizing the results of rmm's execution appears on
	 the screen.

    Move Current Message

	 Keystrokes:  m (also M)

	 Arguments:  You are prompted for the name of the destination
	 folder.  By default, no special arguments are given to file.
	 If you use the ^U- prefix, then you will be asked to supply
	 options for the MH file command.

	 Function:  The scan listing for the current folder is updated.
	 The file command is started (if the current folder is
	 read-only, then -link is used, otherwise -nolink is used).
	 When file finishes, if it was successful, nothing happens,
	 Otherwise a process buffer summarizing the results of file's
	 execution appears on the screen.

    Incorporate New Mail

	 Keystrokes:  i (also I)

	 Comments:  This is identical to the incorporate mail command.

    Display Help

	 Keystrokes:  ? (also h or H)

	 Arguments:  none

	 Function:  A buffer summarizing the top level and emh mode
	 commands appears on your screen.


			     Customization

    At present, the emh package contains two hooks for user
    customization.

    Loading Customizations

	 When emh is loaded, emacs will look for a file called
	 "emh-custom.ml" and try to load its contents.  This is done
	 after everything has been set-up, just at the end of emh's
	 initialization.

    Automode for Message Drafts

	 When a draft buffer has been built, but before it appears on
	 your screen, emh will see if a variable called
	 "&mh-draft-automode" exists.  If so, the contents of this
	 variable is executed.  If not, then the default text-mode is
	 invoked.  Hence, if you have a text mode that you like to use
	 on message drafts, you can have emh invoke this mode for you
	 in the context of the draft buffer.  Including something like

		(declare-global &mh-draft-automode)
		(setq &mh-draft-automode "(my-text-mode)")
		(autoload "my-text-mode" "my-text-mode.ml")

	 in your emh-custom.ml file would place each draft buffer in
	 my-text mode.

This archive runs on limited infrastructure. Preserving old code on modern bandwidth. Automated agents are requested to crawl responsibly.