REPL(1)

NAME
repl - reply to a message

SYNOPSIS
repl [+folder] [msg] [-annotate] [-noannotate] [-cc all/to/cc/me] [-nocc all/to/cc/me] [-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg] [-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit] [-fcc +folder] [-filter filterfile] [-form formfile] [-inplace] [-noinplace] [-mime] [-nomime] [-query] [-noquery] [-width columns] [-whatnowproc program] [-nowhatnowproc] [-help]

DESCRIPTION
Repl aids a user in producing a reply to an existing message. Repl uses a reply template to guide its actions when constructing the message draft of the reply. In its simplest form (with no arguments), it will set up a message-form skeleton in reply to the current message in the current folder, and invoke the whatnow shell. The default reply template will direct repl to construct the composed message as follows:
To: <Reply-To> or <From>
cc: <cc>, <To>, and yourself
Subject: Re: <Subject>
In-reply-to: Your message of <Date>.
<Message-Id>
where field names enclosed in angle brackets (< >) indicate the contents of the named field from the message to which the reply is being made. A reply template is simply a format file. See mh-format (5) for the details. The `-cc type' switch takes an argument which specifies who gets placed on the "cc:" list of the reply. The `-query' switch modifies the action of `-cc type' switch by interactively asking you if each address that normally would be placed in the "To:" and "cc:" list should actually be sent a copy. (This is useful for special-purpose replies.) Note that the position of the `-cc' and `-nocc' switches, like all other switches which take a positive and negative form, is important. Lines beginning with the fields "To:", "cc:", and "Bcc:" will be standardized and have duplicate addresses removed. In addition, the `-width columns' switch will guide repl's formatting of these fields. If the file named "replcomps" exists in the user's MH directory, it will be used instead of the default form. In either case, the file specified by `-form formfile' will be used if given. If the draft already exists, repl will ask you as to the disposition of the draft. A reply of quit will abort repl, leaving the draft intact; replace will replace the existing draft with a blank skeleton; and list will display the draft. See comp (1) for a description of the `-editor' and `-noedit' switches. Note that while in the editor, the message being replied to is available through a link named "@" (assuming the default whatnowproc ). In addition, the actual pathname of the message is stored in the envariable $editalt, and the pathname of the folder containing the message is stored in the envariable $mhfolder. Although repl uses the `-form formfile' switch to direct it how to construct the beginning of the draft, the `-filter filterfile' switch directs repl as to how the message being replied-to should be formatted in the body of the draft. If `-filter' is not specified, then the message being replied-to is not included in the body of the draft. If `-filter filterfile' is specified, then the message being replied-to is filtered (re-formatted) prior to being output to the body of the draft. The filter file for repl should be a standard form file for mhl, as repl will invoke mhl to format the message being replied-to. There is no default message filter (`-filter' must be followed by a file name). A filter file that is commonly used is:
:
body:nocomponent,compwidth=9,offset=9
which says to output a blank line and then the body of the message being replied-to, indented by one tab-stop. Another format popular on USENET is:
message-id:nocomponent,nonewline,\
formatfield="In message %{text}, "
from:nocomponent,formatfield="%(friendly{text}) writes:"
body:component=">",overflowtext=">",overflowoffset=0
Which cites the Message-ID and author of the message being replied-to, and then outputs each line of the body prefaced with the ">" character. To use the MIME rules for encapsulation, specify the `-mime' switch. This directs reply to generate an mhn composition file. Note that MH will not invoke mhn automatically, unless you add this line to your .mh_profile file:

automhnproc: mhn

Otherwise, you must specifically give the command

What now? edit mhn

prior to sending the draft. If you don't want to use this feature, the manual page for forw contains another idea on how you can automate this somewhat. If the `-annotate' switch is given, the message being replied-to will be annotated with the lines
     Replied: date
     Replied: addrs where the address list contains one line for each addressee. The annotation will be done only if the message is sent directly from repl. If the message is not sent immediately from repl, "comp -use" may be used to re-edit and send the constructed message, but the annotations won't take place. The `-inplace' switch causes annotation to be done in place in order to preserve links to the annotated message. The `-fcc +folder' switch can be used to automatically specify a folder to receive Fcc:s. More than one folder, each preceeded by `-fcc' can be named. In addition to the standard mh-format (5) escapes, repl also recognizes the following additional component escape:

Escape	Returns	Description
fcc	string	Any folders specified with `-fcc folder'
To avoid reiteration, repl strips any leading `Re: ' strings from the subject component. The `-draftfolder +folder' and `-draftmessage msg' switches invoke the MH draft folder facility. This is an advanced (and highly useful) feature. Consult the Advanced Features section of the MH manual for more information. Upon exiting from the editor, repl 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 occurring.)
/usr/local/lib/mh/replcomps    The reply template
or <mh-dir>/replcomps    Rather than the standard template
$HOME/.mh_profile    The user profile
<mh-dir>/draft    The draft file
Path:    To determine the user's MH directory
Alternate-Mailboxes:    To determine the user's mailboxes
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
mhlproc:    Program to filter message being replied-to
whatnowproc:    Program to ask the "What now?" questions
comp(1), dist(1), forw(1), send(1), whatnow(1), mh-format(5) `+folder' defaults to the current folder `msg' defaults to cur `-nocc all' at ATHENA sites, `-cc all' otherwise `-noannotate' `-nodraftfolder' `-noinplace' `-nomime' `-noquery' `-width 72' If a folder is given, it will become the current folder. The message replied-to will become the current message. Prior to using the format string mechanism, `-noformat' used to cause address headers to be output as-is. Now all address fields are formatted using Internet standard guidelines. If any addresses occur in the reply template, addresses in the template that do not contain hosts are defaulted incorrectly. Instead of using the localhost for the default, repl uses the sender's host. Moral of the story: if you're going to include addresses in a reply template, include the host portion of the address. The `-width columns' switch is only used to do address-folding; other headers are not line-wrapped. If whatnowproc is whatnow, then repl uses a built-in whatnow, it does not actually run the whatnow program. Hence, if you define your own whatnowproc, don't call it whatnow since repl won't run it. If your current working directory is not writable, the link named "@" is not available.