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REFILE(1mh)                                                        REFILE(1mh)

NAME
       refile - file message in nmh folders

SYNOPSIS
       refile [-help] [-version] [msgs] [-draft] [-link | -nolink] [-preserve
            | -nopreserve] [-retainsequences | -noretainsequences] [-unlink |
            -nounlink] [-src +folder] [-file file] [-rmmproc program] [-normm-
            proc] +folder1 ...

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 multiple-
       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  speci-
       fied, 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 convert  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  ques-
       tions.

       The option -link preserves the source folder copy of the message (i.e.,
       it does an 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 num-
       ber  in  that  folder.   Use of the -preserve 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.

       As  message  sequences are folder-specific, moving the message from the
       source folder removes it from all its sequences in that  folder.   -re-
       tainsequences  adds  it  to  those  same  sequences  in the destination
       folder, creating any that don't exist.  This adding does not apply  for
       the "cur" sequence.

       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  repre-
       senting  these messages from the source folder, you can use the -unlink
       switch (not to be confused with the -link switch).   But  messages  re-
       moved 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), mh-sequence(5), rmf(1), rmm(1)

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

CONTEXT
       If -src +folder is given, it will become the current folder.   If  nei-
       ther  -link  nor  `all' is specified, the current message in the source
       folder will be set to the last message specified; otherwise,  the  cur-
       rent message won't be changed.

       If  the "Previous-Sequence" profile entry is set, in addition to defin-
       ing 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 and rmm use your rmmproc to delete the message,  the  rmm-
       proc  must not call refile or rmm without specifying -normmproc, or you
       will create an infinite loop.

nmh-1.7.1                         2013-03-19                       REFILE(1mh)