# man > whatnow(1) [_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 unless a pro‐ file entry “-next: ” names an alternate editor. **edit _**editor_ Invoke _editor_ for further editing. **refile _**+folder_ Refile the draft into _folder_ _._ **mime **Process the draft as a MIME composition file using the _buildmimeproc_ command which defaults to [_mhbuild_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mhbuild/1/markdown). **display** List the message being replied to or distributed 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 to whom the message will go. **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. This does not change _whatnow_'s process's current working directory so it and child processes, e.g. _edit_'s, do not see the change. **pwd **Print the working directory for attachment files. **ls **[_ls-options_] List files in the attachment working directory using [_ls_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ls/1/markdown). **attach [-v] _**files_ Add the named files to the message as MIME attachments; **-v **displays the _mh‐_ [_build_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/build/1/markdown) directive that [_send_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/send/1/markdown) will use. **alist [-ln]** List the MIME attachments' filenames. **-l **gives a long listing showing their full path. **-n **numbers them for use with **detach .** **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 [_mh-draft_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mh-draft/5/markdown) 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 specify the default draftfolder 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 [_mh-draft_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mh-draft/5/markdown), [_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-1.8 2022-12-22 [_WHATNOW_(1mh)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/WHATNOW/1mh/markdown)