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]

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: <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

    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) 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' defaults to “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 switch inside double-quotes.

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 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.