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

NAME

       whatnow - prompting front-end for sending messages

SYNOPSIS

       whatnow [-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg] [-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit] [-prompt string] [file] [-version] [-help]
            [-attach header-field-name] [-noattach]

DESCRIPTION

       Whatnow is the default program that queries the user about the disposition of a composed draft.  It is normally  automatically  invoked  by
       one of the nmh commands comp, dist, forw, or repl after the initial edit.

       When  started,  the  editor is started on the draft (unless -noedit is given, in which case the initial edit is suppressed).  Then, whatnow
       repetitively prompts the user with "What now?"  and awaits a response.  The valid responses are:

            edit             re-edit using the same editor that was used on the preceding round unless a profile entry  "<lasteditor>-next:  <edi-
                             tor>" names an alternate editor

            edit <editor>    invoke <editor> for further editing

            refile +folder   refile the draft into the given folder

            mime             process the draft as MIME composition file using the buildmimeproc command (mhbuild by default)

            display          list the message being distributed/replied-to on the terminal

            list             list the draft on the terminal

            send             send the message

            send -watch      send the message and monitor the delivery process

            push             send the message in the background

            whom             list the addresses that the message will go to

            whom -check      list the addresses and verify that they are acceptable to the transport service

            quit             preserve the draft and exit

            quit -delete     delete the draft and exit

            delete           delete the draft and exit

            cd directory     use the directory when interpreting attachment file names

            pwd              print the working directory for attachment files

            ls [ls-options]  list files in the attachment working directory using the ls command

            attach files     add the named files to the draft as MIME attachments

            alist [-ln]      list the MIME attachments, either short, long [-l] or numbered [-n]

            detach [-n] files-or-numbers
                             remove MIME attachments, either by file name or by number with -n

       When entering your response, you need only type enough characters to uniquely identify the response.

       For the edit response, any valid switch to the editor is valid.

       For the send and push responses, any valid switch to send(1) is valid (as push merely invokes send with the -push option).

       For the whom response, any valid switch to whom(1) is valid.

       For the refile response, any valid switch to the fileproc is valid.

       For  the  display and list responses, any valid argument to the lproc is valid.  If any non-switch arguments are present, then the pathname
       of the draft will be excluded from the argument list given to the lproc (this is useful for listing another nmh message).

       See mh-profile(5) for further information about how editors are used by nmh.  It also discusses how environment variables can  be  used  to
       direct whatnow's actions in complex ways.

       The -prompt string switch sets the prompting string for whatnow.

       The -draftfolder +folder and -draftmessage msg switches invoke the nmh draft folder facility.  This is an advanced (and highly useful) fea-
       ture.  Consult the mh-draft(5) man page for more information.

FILES

       $HOME/.mh_profile          The user profile
       <mh-dir>/draft             The draft file

PROFILE COMPONENTS

       Path:                To determine the user's nmh directory
       Draft-Folder:        To find the default draft-folder
       Editor:              To override the default editor
       <lasteditor>-next:   To name an editor to be used after exit
                            from <lasteditor>
       automimeproc:        If value is 1, and the draft is a MIME
                            composition file, then automatically call
                            buildmimeproc prior to sending.
       buildmimeproc:       Program to translate MIME composition files
       fileproc:            Program to refile the message
       lproc:               Program to list the contents of a message
       sendproc:            Program to use to send the message
       whomproc:            Program to determine who a message would go to

SEE ALSO

       send(1), whom(1)

DEFAULTS

       `-prompt' defaults to "What Now? "
       `-attach' defaults to "Nmh-Attachment"

CONTEXT

       None

BUGS

       The argument to the -prompt switch must be interpreted as a single token by the shell that invokes whatnow.  Therefore,  one  must  usually
       place the argument to this switch inside quotes.

       If  the  initial  edit fails, whatnow deletes your draft (by renaming it with a site-dependent prefix (usually a comma); failure of a later
       edit preserves the draft.

       If the buildmimeproc fails (returns a nonzero status), whatnow simply prints a "What now?" prompt.  whatnow depends on the buildmimeproc to
       tell the user that something went wrong.

       If  whatnowproc is whatnow, then comp, dist, forw, and repl use a built-in whatnow, and do not actually run the whatnow program.  Hence, if
       you define your own whatnowproc, don't call it whatnow since it won't be run.

       If sendproc is send, then whatnow uses a built-in send, it does not actually run the send program.  Hence, if you define your own sendproc,
       don't call it send since whatnow won't run it.

MH.6.8                                                             11 June 2012                                                         WHATNOW(1)