REFILE(1)                                                            [nmh-1.5]                                                           REFILE(1)

NAME

       refile - file message in other folders

SYNOPSIS

       refile [msgs] [-draft] [-link | -nolink] [-preserve | -nopreserve] [-unlink | -nounlink] [-src +folder] [-file file] [-rmmproc program]
            [-normmproc] +folder1 ...  [-version] [-help]

DESCRIPTION

       Refile moves (see mv(1)) or links (see ln(1)) messages from a source folder into one or more destination folders.

       If you think of a message as a sheet of paper, this operation is not unlike filing the sheet of paper (or copies) in file cabinet  folders.
       When  a  message  is  filed,  it is linked into the destination folder(s) if possible, and is copied otherwise.  As long as the destination
       folders are all on the same file system, multiple filing causes little storage overhead.  This facility provides a good way  to  cross-file
       or multiply-index messages.  For example, if a message is received from Jones about the ARPA Map Project, the command

            refile cur +jones +Map

       would allow the message to be found in either of the two folders `jones' or `Map'.

       You may specify the source folder using -src +folder.  If this is not given, the current folder is used by default.  If no message is spec-
       ified, then `cur' is used by default.

       The option -file file directs refile to use the specified file as the source message to be filed, rather than  a  message  from  a  folder.
       Note  that  the file should be a validly formatted message, just like any other nmh message.  It should NOT be in mail drop format (to con-
       vert a file in mail drop format to a folder of nmh messages, see inc(1)).

       If a destination folder doesn't exist, refile will ask if you want to create it.  A negative response will abort the  file  operation.   If
       the  standard  input  for refile is not a tty, then refile will not ask any questions and will proceed as if the user answered "yes" to all
       questions.

       The option -link preserves the source folder copy of the message (i.e., it does a  ln(1)  rather  than  a  mv(1)),  whereas,  -nolink  (the
       default) deletes the filed messages from the source folder.

       Normally  when  a  message is refiled, for each destination folder it is assigned the number which is one above the current highest message
       number in that folder.  Use of the -preserv switch will override this message renaming, and try to preserve the number of the message.   If
       a  conflict for a particular folder occurs when using the -preserve switch, then refile will use the next available message number which is
       above the message number you wish to preserve.

       If -link is not specified (or -nolink is specified), the filed messages will be removed from the source folder.  The default is  to  remove
       these  messages  by  renaming  them with a site-dependent prefix (usually a comma).  Such files will then need to be removed in some manner
       after a certain amount of time.  Many sites arrange for cron to remove these files once a day, so check with your system administrator.

       Alternately, if you wish for refile to really remove the files representing these messages from the source folder, you can use the  -unlink
       switch (not to be confused with the -link switch).  But messages removed by this method cannot be later recovered.

       If  you prefer a more sophisticated method of `removing' the messages from the source folder, you can define the rmmproc profile component.
       For example, you can add a profile component such as

            rmmproc:  /home/coleman/bin/rmm_msgs

       then refile will instead call the named program or script to handle the message files.

       The user may specify -rmmproc program on the command line to override this profile specification.  The -normmproc option forces the message
       files to be deleted by renaming or unlinking them as described above.

       The -draft switch tells refile to file the <mh-dir>/draft.

FILES

       $HOME/.mh_profile          The user profile

PROFILE COMPONENTS

       Path:                To determine the user's nmh directory
       Current-Folder:      To find the default current folder
       Folder-Protect:      To set mode when creating a new folder
       rmmproc:             Program to delete the message

SEE ALSO

       folder(1), rmf(1), rmm(1)

DEFAULTS

       `-src +folder' defaults to the current folder
       `msgs' defaults to cur
       `-nolink'
       `-nounlink'
       `-nopreserve'

CONTEXT

       If  -src  +folder  is given, it will become the current folder.  If neither -link nor `all' is specified, the current message in the source
       folder will be set to the last message specified; otherwise, the current message won't be changed.

       If the "Previous-Sequence" profile entry is set, in addition to defining the named sequences from  the  source  folder,  refile  will  also
       define those sequences for the destination folders.  See mh-sequence (5) for information concerning the previous sequence.

BUGS

       Since refile uses your rmmproc to delete the message, the rmmproc must NOT call refile without specifying -normmproc, or you will create an
       infinite loop.

MH.6.8                                                             11 June 2012                                                          REFILE(1)