# phpman > man > WHATNOW(1mh) [WHATNOW(1mh)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/WHATNOW/1mh/markdown) [WHATNOW(1mh)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/WHATNOW/1mh/markdown) ## NAME whatnow - prompting front-end for writing nmh messages ## SYNOPSIS **whatnow** [**-help**] [**-version**] [**-draftfolder** _+folder_] [**-draftmessage** _msg_] [**-nodraftfolder**] [**-edi**‐‐ **tor** _editor_] [**-noedit**] [**-prompt** _string_] [_file_] ## 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 un‐ less a profile entry “-next: ” 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_ com‐ mand (**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 _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** **[-v]** _files_ add the named files to the message as MIME attachments; -v displays the mhbuild directive that [_send_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/send/1/markdown) will use **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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/send/1/markdown) is valid (as **push** merely invokes **send** with the **-push** option). For the **whom** response, any valid switch to [_whom_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/whom/1/markdown) 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 argu‐ ment list given to the _lproc_ (this is useful for listing another **nmh** message). See [_mh-profile_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mh-profile/5/markdown) for further information about how editors are used by **nmh**. It also dis‐ cusses 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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mh-draft/5/markdown) man page for more information. If your **nmh** was configured with readline enabled, you'll be able to use filename completion and other readline features at the prompt. These are particularly useful with the **cd**, **ls**, **attach**, and **detach** commands for managing MIME attachments. ## FILES $HOME/.mh_profile The user profile /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 -next: To name an editor to be used after exit from 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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/send/1/markdown), [_whom_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/whom/1/markdown) ## DEFAULTS `**-prompt**' defaults to “What Now? ” ## BUGS 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. nmh-1.7.1 2014-01-23 [WHATNOW(1mh)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/WHATNOW/1mh/markdown)