{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "folder",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/folder/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-09-17T11:35:29Z",
    "synopsis": "folder [-help] [-version] [+folder] [msg] [-all | -noall] [-create | -nocreate] [-fast | -no‐\nfast] [-header | -noheader] [-recurse | -norecurse] [-total | -nototal] [-list | -no‐\nlist] [-push | -pop] [-pack | -nopack] [-print | -noprint] [-verbose | -noverbose]\nfolders is equivalent to folder -all",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "folder, folders - set/list current nmh folder/message\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "folder [-help] [-version] [+folder] [msg] [-all | -noall] [-create | -nocreate] [-fast | -no‐\nfast] [-header | -noheader] [-recurse | -norecurse] [-total | -nototal] [-list | -no‐\nlist] [-push | -pop] [-pack | -nopack] [-print | -noprint] [-verbose | -noverbose]\n\nfolders is equivalent to folder -all\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "When  folder is given the -print switch (the default), it lists: the current folder, the num‐\nber of messages in it and their range (low-high), the folder's current message, and an  indi‐\ncation of extra files, if any.  For example:\n\ninbox+            has  16 messages (  3- 22); cur=  5.\n\nIf  a  +folder  and/or msg are specified, they will become the current folder and/or message.\n(When a +folder argument is given, this corresponds to a “cd” operation in the shell; when no\n+folder argument is given, this corresponds roughly to a “pwd” operation in  the  shell.)  If",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "-noprint",
                    "content": "and/or message, but the folder summary will not be printed.\n\nIf the specified (or default) folder doesn't exist, folder will ask the user  if  the  folder\nshould  be created; when standard input is not a tty, the answer is assumed to be “yes”.  The"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-create",
                    "content": "create  an  empty  folder for later use.)  Specifying -nocreate will cause folder to print an\nerror message and exit without creating a folder.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "Multiple Folders",
                    "content": "Specifying -all will produce a summary line for each top-level folder in the user's  nmh  di‐\nrectory, sorted alphabetically.  (If folder is invoked by a name ending with “s” (e.g.  fold‐\ners),  -all is assumed.)  Specifying -recurse with -all will include a line for all sub-fold‐\ners.  These folders are all preceded by any read-only folders, which occur as “atr-cur-”  en‐\ntries in the user's nmh context.  For example:\n\nFOLDER                  # MESSAGES RANGE      CUR     (OTHERS)\n/var/work/folder  has  35 messages ( 1- 35);  cur=23.\n/usr/bugs/Mail    has  82 messages ( 1-108);  cur=82.\nff                has  no messages.\ninbox+            has  16 messages ( 3- 22);  cur= 5.\nmh                has  76 messages (15- 76);  cur=70.\nnotes             has   2 messages ( 1-  2);  cur= 1.\nucom              has 124 messages ( 1-124);  cur= 6; (others).\nTOTAL = 339 messages in 7 folders\n\nThe  “+”  after inbox indicates that it is the current folder.  The “(others)” indicates that\nthe folder ucom contains files which aren't messages; these may  either  be  sub-folders,  or\nfiles that don't belong under the nmh file naming scheme.\n\nThe  header is output if either the -all or -header switches are specified.  It is suppressed\nby -noheader.\n\nThe folder and message totals are output if either the -all or -total switches are specified.\nThey are suppressed by -nototal.\n\nIf -fast is given, only the folder name (or names, in the  case  of  -all)  will  be  listed.\n(This is faster because the folders need not be read.)\n\nIf  a  +folder is given with the -all switch, folder will, in addition to setting the current\nfolder, list the top-level sub-folders for the current folder (with -norecurse) or  list  all\nsub-folders under the current folder recursively (with -recurse).\n\nIf msg is supplied, together with +folder or without -all, it will become the current message\nof +folder (if it had been supplied) or the current folder.\n\nThe  -recurse  switch lists each folder recursively, so its use effectively defeats the speed\nenhancement of -fast, since each folder must be searched for sub-folders.  Nevertheless,  the\ncombination of these options is useful.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "Compacting a Folder",
                    "content": "The -pack switch will compress the message names in the designated folders, removing holes in\nmessage  numbering.   The -verbose switch directs folder to tell the user the general actions\nit is taking to compress the folder.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "The Folder Stack",
                    "content": "The -push switch directs folder to push the current folder onto the  folder-stack,  and  make\nthe +folder argument the current folder.  If +folder is not given, the current folder and the\ntop  of  the  folder-stack  are  exchanged.  This corresponds to the “pushd” operation in the\nshell.\n\nThe -pop switch directs folder to discard the top of the folder-stack, after setting the cur‐\nrent folder to that value.  No +folder argument is allowed.  This corresponds to  the  “popd”\noperation  in the shell.  The -push and -pop switches are mutually exclusive: the last occur‐\nrence of either one overrides any previous occurrence of the other.  The  use  of  either  of\nthese switches also sets -list, by default.\n\nThe  -list  switch  directs folder to list the folder-stack.  No +folder argument is allowed.\nAfter a successful -push or -pop, the -list action is taken, unless a -nolist switch  follows\nthem on the command line.  This corresponds to the “dirs” operation in the shell.  The -push,"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-pop -list  -print",
                    "content": ""
                }
            ]
        },
        "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.\nFolder-Protect:     To set mode when creating a new folder.\nFolder-Stack:       To determine the folder stack.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "mhpath(1), refile(1), rmf(1)\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DEFAULTS": {
            "content": "+folder             The current folder.\nmsg                 “none”",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "-nofast",
                    "content": ""
                },
                {
                    "name": "-noheader",
                    "content": ""
                },
                {
                    "name": "-nototal",
                    "content": ""
                },
                {
                    "name": "-nopack",
                    "content": ""
                },
                {
                    "name": "-norecurse",
                    "content": ""
                },
                {
                    "name": "-noverbose",
                    "content": "-print              is the default if none of -list, -push, or -pop are specified.\n-list               is the default if -push, or -pop is specified.\n"
                }
            ]
        },
        "CONTEXT": {
            "content": "If +folder and/or msg are given, they will become the current folder and/or message.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "BUGS": {
            "content": "There  is no way to restore the default behavior (to ask the user whether to create a non-ex‐\nistent folder) after -create or -nocreate is given.\n\nnmh-1.8                                      2016-08-29                                  FOLDER(1mh)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "folder, folders - set/list current nmh folder/message",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "and/or message, but the folder summary will not be printed. If the specified (or default) folder doesn't exist, folder will ask the user if the folder should be created; when standard input is not a tty, the answer is assumed to be “yes”. The"
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "create an empty folder for later use.) Specifying -nocreate will cause folder to print an error message and exit without creating a folder."
        },
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": ""
        }
    ],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "mhpath",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mhpath/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "refile",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/refile/1/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "rmf",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/rmf/1/json"
        }
    ]
}