whatnow - prompting front-end for sending messages


SYNOPSIS

       whatnow [-draftfolder +folder] [-draftmessage msg]
            [-nodraftfolder] [-editor editor] [-noedit]
            [-prompt string] [file] [-version] [-help]


DESCRIPTION

       Whatnow is the default program that queries the user about
       the disposition of a composed draft.  It is normally auto­
       matically  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 sup­
       pressed).  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: <editor>" 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

     When entering your response, you need only type enough char­
     acters 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)  are  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


     For the display and list responses, any  valid  argument  to
     the  lproc  is  valid.  If any non-switch arguments are pre­
     sent, 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 vari­
     ables 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) feature.  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 "What Now? "'


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


       If the initial edit fails, whatnow deletes your draft  (by
       renaming it with a leading 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  some­
       thing went wrong.

       If whatnowproc is whatnow, then comp, dist, forw, and repl
       use a built-in whatnow, and do not actually run the  what­
       now  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.


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