{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "MARK",
    "section": "1mh",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MARK/1mh/json",
    "generated": "2026-08-05T12:02:29Z",
    "synopsis": "mark [-help] [-version] [+folder] [msgs] [-sequence name ...]  [-add | -delete | -list]\n[-public | -nopublic] [-zero | -nozero] [-empty | -noempty] [-range | -norange]",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "mark - manipulate nmh message sequences\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "mark [-help] [-version] [+folder] [msgs] [-sequence name ...]  [-add | -delete | -list]\n[-public | -nopublic] [-zero | -nozero] [-empty | -noempty] [-range | -norange]\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "The  mark  command  manipulates  message sequences by adding or deleting message numbers from\nfolder-specific message sequences, or by listing those sequences and messages.\n\nA message sequence is a keyword, just like one of  the  “reserved”  message  names,  such  as\n“first”  or  “next”.   Unlike the “reserved” message names, which have a fixed semantics on a\nper-folder basis, the semantics of a message sequence may be defined, modified,  and  removed\nby  the  user.   Message sequences are folder-specific, e.g., the sequence name “seen” in the\ncontext of folder “+inbox” need not have any relation whatsoever to the sequence of the  same\nname in a folder of a different name.\n\nThree  action  switches direct the operation of mark.  These switches are mutually exclusive:\nthe last occurrence of any of them overrides any previous occurrence of the other two.\n\nThe -add switch tells mark to add messages to sequences or to create  a  new  sequence.   For\neach sequence named via the -sequence name argument (which must occur at least once) the mes‐\nsages  named  via  msgs  (which defaults to “cur” if no msgs are given), are added to the se‐\nquence.  The messages to be added need not be absent from the sequence.  If the -zero  switch\nis  specified,  the sequence will be emptied prior to adding the messages.  Hence, -add -zero\nmeans that each sequence should be initialized to the indicated messages, while -add  -nozero\nmeans  that each sequence should be appended to by the indicated messages.  The -empty switch\ndoes not affect the operation of -add.\n\nThe -delete switch tells mark to delete messages from sequences, and is  the  dual  of  -add.\nFor  each  of  the  named sequences, the named messages are removed from the sequence.  These\nmessages need not be already present in the sequence.  If the -zero switch is specified, then\nall messages in the folder are added to the sequence (first creating the sequence, if  neces‐\nsary)  before  removing  the  messages.  Hence, -delete -zero means that each sequence should\ncontain all messages except those indicated, while -delete -nozero means that only the  indi‐\ncated  messages  should  be  removed from each sequence.  As expected, the command “mark -se‐\nquence foo -delete all” empties the sequence “foo”, and therefore removes that sequence  from\nthe  current folder's list of sequences.  Sequence foo must exist or a “no such sequence” er‐\nror results.  This can be avoided by adding -zero: “mark -sequence foo -delete -zero all” en‐\nsures sequence foo no longer exists.  The -empty switch does  not  affect  the  operation  of",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "-delete",
                    "content": "When  creating  or  modifying sequences, you can specify the switches -public or -nopublic to\nforce the new or modified sequences to be “public” or “private”.  The  switch  -public  indi‐\ncates  that  the sequences should be made “public”.  These sequences will then be readable by\nall nmh users with permission to read the  relevant  folders.   In  contrast,  the  -nopublic\nswitch  indicates that the sequences should be made “private”, and will only be accessible by\nyou.  If neither of these switches is specified, then existing sequences will maintain  their\ncurrent  status,  and new sequences will default to “public” if you have write permission for\nthe relevant folder.  Check mh-sequence(5) for more  details  about  the  difference  between\n“public” and “private” sequences.\n\nThe  -list  switch  tells  mark to list all sequences, and the messages associated with them.\nThe output can be limited to just certain sequences (with -sequence switches) and/or messages\n(with msgs arguments).  Normally, -list will show all sequences associated with  the  folder,\nor  all sequences given with -sequence.  Using -noempty will suppress any which would show as\nempty, whether because they actually are empty, or because they  don't  include  any  of  the\ngiven msgs, or because they've been specified with -sequence but don't exist.  (-empty is the\ndefault.)   With  the  default  -range switch, mark will compress consecutive runs of message\nnumbers to save space.  That is, \"3 4 5 6\" will be shown as the range \"3-6\".  With  -norange,\nlists will be fully enumerated.  The -zero switch does not affect the operation of -list.\n\nThe restrictions on sequences are:\n\n• The name used to denote a message sequence must consist of an alphabetic character followed\nby  zero or more alphanumeric characters, and cannot be one of the (reserved) message names\n“new”, “first”, “last”, “all”, “next”, or “prev”.\n\n• Message ranges with user-defined sequence  names  are  restricted  to  the  form  “name:n”,\n“name:+n”,  or  “name:-n”,  and  refer  to  the  first or last `n' messages of the sequence\n`name'.  If `=' is substituted for `:', these forms will instead refer to  single  messages\npositioned  `n'  away  from  one  end or the other of the sequence.  Constructs of the form\n“name1-name2” are forbidden for user defined sequences.\n"
                }
            ]
        },
        "FILES": {
            "content": "$HOME/.mhprofile   The user's profile.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "PROFILE COMPONENTS": {
            "content": "Path:               To determine the user's nmh directory.\nCurrent-Folder:     To find the default current folder.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "flist(1), pick(1), mh-sequence(5)\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DEFAULTS": {
            "content": "+folder             The current folder.\n-add                If -sequence is specified, -list otherwise.\nmsgs                The current message, or all if -list is specified.",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "-nozero",
                    "content": ""
                }
            ]
        },
        "CONTEXT": {
            "content": "If a folder is given, it will become the current folder.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "HELPFUL HINTS": {
            "content": "Use flist to find folders with a given sequence, and “pick sequence -list” to enumerate those\nmessages in the sequence (such as for use by a shell script).\n\nnmh-1.8                                      2021-05-01                                    MARK(1mh)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "mark - manipulate nmh message sequences",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "When creating or modifying sequences, you can specify the switches -public or -nopublic to force the new or modified sequences to be “public” or “private”. The switch -public indi‐ cates that the sequences should be made “public”. These sequences will then be readable by all nmh users with permission to read the relevant folders. In contrast, the -nopublic switch indicates that the sequences should be made “private”, and will only be accessible by you. If neither of these switches is specified, then existing sequences will maintain their current status, and new sequences will default to “public” if you have write permission for the relevant folder. Check mh-sequence(5) for more details about the difference between “public” and “private” sequences. The -list switch tells mark to list all sequences, and the messages associated with them. The output can be limited to just certain sequences (with -sequence switches) and/or messages (with msgs arguments). Normally, -list will show all sequences associated with the folder, or all sequences given with -sequence. Using -noempty will suppress any which would show as empty, whether because they actually are empty, or because they don't include any of the given msgs, or because they've been specified with -sequence but don't exist. (-empty is the default.) With the default -range switch, mark will compress consecutive runs of message numbers to save space. That is, \"3 4 5 6\" will be shown as the range \"3-6\". With -norange, lists will be fully enumerated. The -zero switch does not affect the operation of -list. The restrictions on sequences are: • The name used to denote a message sequence must consist of an alphabetic character followed by zero or more alphanumeric characters, and cannot be one of the (reserved) message names “new”, “first”, “last”, “all”, “next”, or “prev”. • Message ranges with user-defined sequence names are restricted to the form “name:n”, “name:+n”, or “name:-n”, and refer to the first or last `n' messages of the sequence `name'. If `=' is substituted for `:', these forms will instead refer to single messages positioned `n' away from one end or the other of the sequence. Constructs of the form “name1-name2” are forbidden for user defined sequences."
        }
    ],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "flist",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/flist/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "pick",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pick/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "mh-sequence",
            "section": "5",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mh-sequence/5/json"
        }
    ]
}