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1.1 root 1: .\" This file is automatically generated. Do not edit!
2: .SC MH\-MAIL 5
3: .NA
4: mh\-mail \- message format for MH message system
5: .SY
6: any \fIMH\fR command
7: .DE
8: \fIMH\fR processes messages in a particular format.
9: It should be noted that although neither Bell nor Berkeley mailers produce
10: message files in the format that \fIMH\fR prefers,
11: \fIMH\fR can read message files in that antiquated format.
12:
13: Each user possesses a mail drop box which initially receives
14: all messages processed by \fIpost\fR\0(8).
15: \fIInc\fR\0(1) will read from that drop box and incorporate the new messages
16: found there into the user's own mail folders (typically `+inbox').
17: The mail drop
18: box consists of one or more messages.
19:
20: Messages
21: are expected to consist of lines of text.
22: Graphics and binary data are not handled.
23: No data compression is accepted.
24: All text is clear
25: ASCII 7-bit data.
26:
27: The general \*(lqmemo\*(rq framework of RFC\-822 is used.
28: A message consists of a block of information in a rigid format,
29: followed by general text with no specified format.
30: The rigidly formatted first part of a message is called the header,
31: and the free-format portion is called the body.
32: The header must always exist, but the body is optional.
33: These parts are separated by an empty line,
34: i.e., two consecutive newline characters.
35: Within \fIMH\fR,
36: the header and body may be separated by a line consisting of dashes:
37:
38: .nf
39: .in +.5i
40: .ne 10
41: .eo
42: .so /usr/new/lib/mh/components
43: .ec
44: .in -.5i
45: .fi
46:
47: The header is composed of one or more header items.
48: Each header item can be viewed as a single logical line of ASCII
49: characters.
50: If the text of a header item extends across several
51: real lines, the continuation lines are indicated by leading
52: spaces or tabs.
53:
54: Each header item is called a component and is composed of a
55: keyword or name, along with associated text.
56: The keyword begins at the
57: left margin, may NOT contain spaces or tabs, may not exceed 63
58: characters (as specified by RFC\-822), and is terminated by a colon (`:').
59: Certain
60: components (as identified by their keywords) must follow rigidly
61: defined formats in their text portions.
62:
63: The text for most formatted components
64: (e.g., \*(lqDate:\*(rq and \*(lqMessage\-Id:\*(rq)
65: is produced automatically.
66: The only ones entered by the
67: user are address fields such as \*(lqTo:\*(rq, \*(lqcc:\*(rq, etc.
68: Internet addresses
69: are assigned mailbox names and host computer specifications.
70: The
71: rough format is \*(lqlocal@domain\*(rq, such as \*(lqMH@UCI\*(rq,
72: or \*(lqMH@UCI\-ICSA.ARPA\*(rq.
73: Multiple addresses are separated by commas.
74: A missing host/domain is assumed to be the local host/domain.
75:
76: As mentioned above,
77: a blank line (or a line of dashes)
78: signals that all following text up to the end of the file is the body.
79: No formatting is expected or enforced within the body.
80:
81: Following is a list of header components that are considered
82: meaningful to various MH programs.
83: .in +.5i
84: .ti -.5i
85: Date:
86: .br
87: Added by \fIpost\fR\0(8),
88: contains date and time of the message's entry into the transport system.
89:
90: .ti -.5i
91: From:
92: .br
93: Added by \fIpost\fR\0(8),
94: contains the address of the author or authors (may be more than one if a
95: \*(lqSender:\*(rq field is present).
96: Replies are typically directed to addresses in the \*(lqReply\-To:\*(rq or
97: \*(lqFrom:\*(rq field (the former has precedence if present).
98:
99: .ti -.5i
100: Sender:
101: .br
102: Added by \fIpost\fR\0(8)
103: in the event that the message already has a \*(lqFrom:\*(rq line.
104: This line contains the address of the actual sender.
105: Replies are never sent to addresses in the \*(lqSender:\*(rq field.
106:
107: .ti -.5i
108: To:
109: .br
110: Contains addresses of primary recipients.
111:
112: .ti -.5i
113: cc:
114: .br
115: Contains addresses of secondary recipients.
116:
117: .ti -.5i
118: Bcc:
119: .br
120: Still more recipients.
121: However, the \*(lqBcc:\*(rq line is not copied onto the message as delivered,
122: so these recipients are not listed.
123: \fIMH\fR uses an encapsulation method for blind copies, see \fIsend\fR\0(1).
124:
125: .ti -.5i
126: Fcc:
127: .br
128: Causes \fIpost\fR\0(8) to copy the message into the specified folder for the
129: sender,
130: if the message was successfully given to the transport system.
131:
132: .ti -.5i
133: Message\-ID:
134: .br
135: A unique message identifier added by \fIpost\fR\0(8) if the `\-msgid' flag
136: is set.
137:
138: .ti -.5i
139: Subject:
140: .br
141: Sender's commentary. It is displayed by \fIscan\fR\0(1).
142:
143: .ti -.5i
144: In\-Reply\-To:
145: .br
146: A commentary line added by \fIrepl\fR\0(1) when replying to a message.
147:
148: .ti -.5i
149: Resent\-Date:
150: .br
151: Added when redistributing a message by \fIpost\fR\0(8).
152:
153: .ti -.5i
154: Resent\-From:
155: .br
156: Added when redistributing a message by \fIpost\fR\0(8).
157:
158: .ti -.5i
159: Resent\-To:
160: .br
161: New recipients for a message resent by \fIdist\fR\0(1).
162:
163: .ti -.5i
164: Resent\-cc:
165: .br
166: Still more recipients.
167: See \*(lqcc:\*(rq and \*(lqResent\-To:\*(rq.
168:
169: .ti -.5i
170: Resent\-Bcc:
171: .br
172: Even more recipients.
173: See \*(lqBcc:\*(rq and \*(lqResent\-To:\*(rq.
174:
175: .ti -.5i
176: Resent\-Fcc:
177: .br
178: Copy resent message into a folder.
179: See \*(lqFcc:\*(rq and \*(lqResent\-To:\*(rq.
180:
181: .ti -.5i
182: Resent\-Message\-Id:
183: .br
184: A unique identifier glued on by \fIpost\fR\0(8) if the `\-msgid' flag
185: is set.
186: See \*(lqMessage\-Id:\*(rq and \*(lqResent\-To:\*(rq.
187:
188: .ti -.5i
189: Resent:
190: .br
191: Annotation for \fIdist\fR\0(1) under the `\-annotate' option.
192:
193: .ti -.5i
194: Forwarded:
195: .br
196: Annotation for \fIforw\fR\0(1) under the `\-annotate' option.
197:
198: .ti -.5i
199: Replied:
200: .br
201: Annotation for \fIrepl\fR\0(1) under the `\-annotate' option.
202: .in -.5i
203: .sp
204: .Fi
205: ^/usr/spool/mail/$USER~^Location of mail drop
206: .Pr
207: None
208: .Sa
209: \fIStandard for the Format of ARPA Internet Text Messages\fR (aka RFC\-822)
210: .De
211: None
212: .Co
213: None
214: .En
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