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TextFile

Info file emacs, produced by texinfo-format-buffer -*-Text-*-
from file emacs.tex

This file documents the GNU Emacs editor.

Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
are preserved on all copies.

Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
sections entitled "The GNU Manifesto", "Distribution" and "GNU Emacs
General Public License" are included exactly as in the original, and
provided that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the
terms of a permission notice identical to this one.

Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
except that the sections entitled "The GNU Manifesto", "Distribution"
and "GNU Emacs General Public License" may be included in a translation
approved by the author instead of in the original English.

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File: emacs Node: Mail Format, Prev: Sending Mail, Up: Sending Mail, Next: Mail Headers

The Format of the Mail Buffer
=============================

In addition to the "text" or contents, a message has "header
fields" which say who sent it, when, to whom, why, and so on. Some header
fields such as the date and sender are created automatically after the
message is sent. Others, such as the recipient names, must be specified by
you in order to send the message properly.

Mail mode provides a few commands to help you edit some header fields,
and some are preinitialized in the buffer automatically at times. You can
insert or edit any header fields using ordinary editing commands.

The line in the buffer that says

--text follows this line--

is a special delimiter that separates the headers you have specified from
the text. Whatever follows this line is the text of the message; the
headers precede it. The delimiter line itself does not appear in the
message actually sent. The text used for the delimiter line is controlled
by the variable `mail-header-separator'.

Here is an example of what the headers and text in the `*mail*' buffer
might look like.

To: rms@mc
CC: mly@mc, rg@oz
Subject: The Emacs Manual
--Text follows this line--
Please ignore this message.

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File: emacs Node: Mail Headers, Prev: Mail Format, Up: Sending Mail, Next: Mail Mode

Mail Header Fields
==================

There are several header fields you can use in the `*mail*' buffer.
Each header field starts with a field name at the beginning of a line,
terminated by a colon. It does not matter whether you use upper or lower
case in the field name. After the colon and optional whitespace comes the
contents of the field.

`To'
This field contains the mailing addresses to which the message is
addressed.

`Subject'
The contents of the `Subject' field should be a piece of text
that says what the message is about. The reason `Subject' fields
are useful is that most mail-reading programs can provide a summary of
messages, listing the subject of each message but not its text.

`CC'
This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the message
to, but whose readers should not regard the message as addressed to
them.

`BCC'
This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the message
to, but which should not appear in the header of the message actually
sent.

`FCC'
This field contains the name of one file (in Unix mail file format) to
which a copy of the message should be appended when the message is
sent.

`From'
Use the `From' field to say who you are, when the account you are
using to send the mail is not your own. The contents of the
`From' field should be a valid mailing address, since replies
will normally go there.

`Reply-To'
Use the `Reply-to' field to direct replies to a different
address, not your own. There is no difference between `From' and
`Reply-to' in their effect on where replies go, but they convey a
different meaning to the human who reads the message.

`In-Reply-To'
This field contains a piece of text describing a message you are
replying to. Some mail systems can use this information to correlate
related pieces of mail. Normally this field is filled in by Rmail
when you are replying to a message in Rmail, and you never need to
think about it (*Note Rmail::).

The `To', `CC', `BCC' and `FCC' fields can appear
any number of times, to specify many places to send the message.

The `To', `CC', and `BCC' fields can have continuation lines. All the
lines starting with whitespace, following the line on which the field
starts, are considered part of the field. For example,

To: foo@here, this@there,
me@gnu.cambridge.mass.usa.earth.spiral3281

If you have a `~/.mailrc' file, Emacs will scan it for mail aliases
the first time you try to send mail in an Emacs session. Aliases found
in the `To', `CC', and `BCC' fields will be expanded where
appropriate.

If the variable `mail-archive-file-name' is non-`nil', it should be a
string naming a file; every time you start to edit a message to send,
an `FCC' field will be put in for that file. Unless you remove the
`FCC' field, every message will be written into that file when it is
sent.

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File: emacs Node: Mail Mode, Prev: Mail Headers, Up: Sending Mail

Mail Mode
=========

The major mode used in the `*mail*' buffer is Mail mode, which is
much like Text mode except that various special commands are provided on
the `C-c' prefix. These commands all have to do specifically with
editing or sending the message.

`C-c C-s'
Send the message, and leave the `*mail*' buffer selected
(`mail-send').
`C-c C-c'
Send the message, and select some other buffer (`mail-send-and-exit').
`C-c C-f C-t'
Move to the `To' header field, creating one if there is none
(`mail-to').
`C-c C-f C-s'
Move to the `Subject' header field, creating one if there is
none (`mail-subject').
`C-c C-f C-c'
Move to the `CC' header field, creating one if there is none
(`mail-cc').
`C-c C-w'
Insert the file `~/.signature' at the end of the message text
(`mail-signature').
`C-c C-y'
Yank the selected message from Rmail (`mail-yank-original').
This command does nothing unless your command to start sending a
message was issued with Rmail.
`C-c C-q'
Fill all paragraphs of yanked old messages, each individually
(`mail-fill-yanked-message').

There are two ways to send the message. `C-c C-s' (`mail-send')
sends the message and marks the `*mail*' buffer unmodified, but leaves
that buffer selected so that you can modify the message (perhaps with new
recipients) and send it again. `C-c C-c' (`mail-send-and-exit')
sends and then deletes the window (if there is another window) or switches
to another buffer. It puts the `*mail*' buffer at the lowest priority
for automatic reselection, since you are finished with using it. This is
the usual way to send the message.

Mail mode provides some other special commands that are useful for
editing the headers and text of the message before you send it. There are
three commands defined to move point to particular header fields, all based
on the prefix `C-c C-f' (`C-f' is for "field"). They are
`C-c C-f C-t' (`mail-to') to move to the `To' field, `C-c
C-f C-s' (`mail-subject') for the `Subject' field, and `C-c
C-f C-c' (`mail-cc') for the `CC' field. These fields have
special motion commands because they are the most common fields for the
user to want to edit.

`C-c C-w' (`mail-signature') adds a standard piece text at the end of the
message to say more about who you are. The text comes from the file
`.signature' in your home directory.

When mail sending is invoked from the Rmail mail reader using an Rmail
command, `C-c C-y' can be used inside the `*mail*' buffer to insert the
text of the message you are replying to. Normally it indents each line of
that message four spaces and eliminates most header fields. A numeric
argument specifies the number of spaces to indent. An argument of just
`C-u' says not to indent at all and not to eliminate anything. `C-c C-y'
always uses the current message from the `RMAIL' buffer, so you can insert
several old messages by selecting one in `RMAIL', switching to `*mail*' and
yanking it, then switching back to `RMAIL' to select another.

After using `C-c C-y', the command `C-c C-q' (`mail-fill-yanked-message') can
be used to fill the paragraphs of the yanked old message or messages. One
use of `C-c C-q' fills all such paragraphs, each one separately.

Turning on Mail mode (which `C-x m' does automatically) calls the
value of `text-mode-hook', if it is not void or `nil', and then calls
the value of `mail-mode-hook' if that is not void or `nil'.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail, Prev: Sending Mail, Up: Top, Next: Recursive Edit

Reading Mail with Rmail
***********************

Rmail is an Emacs subsystem for reading and disposing of mail that you
receive. Rmail stores mail messages in files called Rmail files. Reading
the message in an Rmail file is done in a special major mode, Rmail mode,
which redefines most letters to run commands for managing mail. To enter
Rmail, type `M-x rmail'. This reads your primary mail file, merges
new mail in from your inboxes, displays the first new message, and lets
you begin reading.

Using Rmail in the simplest fashion, you have one Rmail file `~/RMAIL'
in which all of your mail is saved. It is called your "primary mail
file". In more sophisticated usage, you can copy messages into other Rmail
files and then edit those files with Rmail.

Rmail displays only one message at a time. It is called the "current
message". Rmail mode's special commands can do such things as move to
another message, delete the message, copy the message into another file, or
send a reply.

Within the Rmail file, messages are arranged sequentially in order
of receipt. They are also assigned consecutive integers as their
"message numbers". The number of the current message is displayed
in Rmail's mode line, followed by the total number of messages in the
file. You can move to a message by specifying its message number
using the `j' key (*Note Rmail Motion::).

Following the usual conventions of Emacs, changes in an Rmail file become
permanent only when the file is saved. You can do this with `s'
(`rmail-save'), which also expunges deleted messages from the file
first (*Note Rmail Deletion::). To save the file without expunging, use
`C-x C-s'. Rmail saves the Rmail file spontaneously when moving new
mail from an inbox file (*Note Rmail Inbox::).

You can exit Rmail with `q' (`rmail-quit'); this expunges and saves the
Rmail file and then switches to another buffer. But there is no need to
`exit' formally. If you switch from Rmail to editing in other buffers, and
never happen to switch back, you have exited. Just make sure to save the
Rmail file eventually (like any other file you have changed). `C-x s'
is a good enough way to do this (*Note Saving::).

* Menu:

* Scroll: Rmail Scrolling. Scrolling through a message.
* Motion: Rmail Motion. Moving to another message.
* Deletion: Rmail Deletion. Deleting and expunging messages.
* Inbox: Rmail Inbox. How mail gets into the Rmail file.
* Files: Rmail Files. Using multiple Rmail files.
* Output: Rmail Output. Copying message out to files.
* Labels: Rmail Labels. Classifying messages by labeling them.
* Summary: Rmail Summary. Summaries show brief info on many messages.
* Reply: Rmail Reply. Sending replies to messages you are viewing.
* Editing: Rmail Editing. Editing message text and headers in Rmail.
* Digest: Rmail Digest. Extracting the messages from a digest message.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Scrolling, Prev: Rmail, Up: Rmail, Next: Rmail Motion

Scrolling Within a Message
==========================

When Rmail displays a message that does not fit on the screen, it is
necessary to scroll through it. This could be done with `C-v', `M-v'
and `M-<', but in Rmail scrolling is so frequent that it deserves to be
easier to type.

`SPC'
Scroll forward (`scroll-up').
`DEL'
Scroll backward (`scroll-down').
`.'
Scroll to start of message (`rmail-beginning-of-message').

Since the most common thing to do while reading a message is to scroll
through it by screenfuls, Rmail makes SPC and DEL synonyms of
`C-v' (`scroll-up') and `M-v' (`scroll-down')

The command `.' (`rmail-beginning-of-message') scrolls back to the
beginning of the selected message. This is not quite the same as `M-<':
for one thing, it does not set the mark; for another, it resets the buffer
boundaries to the current message if you have changed them.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Motion, Prev: Rmail Scrolling, Up: Rmail, Next: Rmail Deletion

Moving Among Messages
=====================

The most basic thing to do with a message is to read it. The way to do
this in Rmail is to make the message current. You can make any message
current given its message number using the `j' command, but the usual
thing to do is to move sequentially through the file, since this is the
order of receipt of messages. When you enter Rmail, you are positioned at
the first new message (new messages are those received since the previous
use of Rmail), or at the last message if there are no new messages this
time. Move forward to see the other new messages; move backward to
reexamine old messages.

`n'
Move to the next nondeleted message, skipping any intervening
deleted messages (`rmail-next-undeleted-message').
`p'
Move to the previous nondeleted message
(`rmail-previous-undeleted-message').
`M-n'
Move to the next message, including deleted messages
(`rmail-next-message').
`M-p'
Move to the previous message, including deleted messages
(`rmail-previous-message').
`j'
Move to the first message. With argument N, move to
message number N (`rmail-show-message').
`>'
Move to the last message (`rmail-last-message').

`M-s REGEXP RET'
Move to the next message containing a match for REGEXP
(`rmail-search'). If REGEXP is empty, the last regexp used is
used again.

`- M-s REGEXP RET'
Move to the previous message containing a match for REGEXP.
If REGEXP is empty, the last regexp used is used again.

`n' and `p' are the usual way of moving among messages in Rmail. They
move through the messages sequentially, but skip over deleted messages,
which is usually what you want to do. Their command definitions are named
`rmail-next-undeleted-message' and `rmail-previous-undeleted-message'. If
you do not want to skip deleted messages---for example, if you want to move
to a message to undelete it---use the variants `M-n' and `M-p'
(`rmail-next-message' and `rmail-previous-message'). A numeric argument to
any of these commands serves as a repeat count.

In Rmail, you can specify a numeric argument by typing the digits.
It is not necessary to type `C-u' first.

The `M-s' (`rmail-search') command is Rmail's version of search. The
usual incremental search command `C-s' works in Rmail, but it searches
only within the current message. The purpose of `M-s' is to search for
another message. It reads a regular expression (*Note Regexps::)
nonincrementally, then searches starting at the beginning of the following
message for a match. The message containing the match is selected.

To search backward in the file for another message, give `M-s' a
negative argument. In Rmail this can be done with `- M-s'.

It is also possible to search for a message based on labels.
*Note Rmail Labels::.

To move to a message specified by absolute message number, use `j'
(`rmail-show-message') with the message number as argument. With no
argument, `j' selects the first message. `>' (`rmail-last-message') selects
the last message.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Deletion, Prev: Rmail Motion, Up: Rmail, Next: Rmail Inbox

Deleting Messages
=================

When you no longer need to keep a message, you can "delete" it. This
flags it as ignorable, and some Rmail commands will pretend it is no longer
present; but it still has its place in the Rmail file, and still has its
message number.

"Expunging" the Rmail file actually removes the deleted messages.
The remaining messages are renumbered consecutively. Expunging is the only
action that changes the message number of any message, except for
undigestifying (*Note Rmail Digest::).

`d'
Delete the current message, and move to the next nondeleted message
(`rmail-delete-forward').
`C-d'
Delete the current message, and move to the previous nondeleted
message (`rmail-delete-backward').
`u'
Undelete the current message, or move back to a deleted message and
undelete it (`rmail-undelete-previous-message').
`x'
`e'
Expunge the Rmail file (`rmail-expunge'). These two
commands are synonyms.

There are two Rmail commands for deleting messages. Both delete the
current message and select another message. `d' (`rmail-delete-forward')
moves to the following message, skipping messages already deleted, while
`C-d' (`rmail-delete-backward') moves to the previous nondeleted message.
If there is no nondeleted message to move to in the specified direction,
the message that was just deleted remains current.

To make all the deleted messages finally vanish from the Rmail file,
type `e' (`rmail-expunge'). Until you do this, you can still "undelete"
the deleted messages.

To undelete, type
`u' (`rmail-undelete-previous-message'), which is designed to cancel the
effect of a `d' command (usually). It undeletes the current message
if the current message is deleted. Otherwise it moves backward to previous
messages until a deleted message is found, and undeletes that message.

You can usually undo a `d' with a `u' because the `u' moves back to and
undeletes the message that the `d' deleted. But this does not work when
the `d' skips a few already-deleted messages that follow the message being
deleted; then the `u' command will undelete the last of the messages that
were skipped. There is no clean way to avoid this problem. However, by
repeating the `u' command, you can eventually get back to the message that
you intended to undelete. You can also reach that message with `M-p'
commands and then type `u'.

A deleted message has the `deleted' attribute, and as a result
`deleted' appears in the mode line when the current message is
deleted. In fact, deleting or undeleting a message is nothing more than
adding or removing this attribute. *Note Rmail Labels::.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Inbox, Prev: Rmail Deletion, Up: Rmail, Next: Rmail Files

Rmail Files and Inboxes
=======================

Unix places incoming mail for you in a file that we call your "inbox".
When you start up Rmail, it copies the new messages from your inbox into
your primary mail file, an Rmail file, which also contains other messages
saved from previous Rmail sessions. It is in this file that you actually
read the mail with Rmail. This operation is called "getting new mail".
It can be repeated at any time using the `g' key in Rmail. The inbox
file name is `/usr/spool/mail/USERNAME' in Berkeley Unix,
`/usr/mail/USERNAME' in system V.

There are two reason for having separate Rmail files and inboxes.

1. The format in which Unix delivers the mail in the inbox is not
adequate for Rmail mail storage. It has no way to record attributes
(such as `deleted') or user-specified labels; it has no way to record
old headers and reformatted headers; it has no way to record cached
summary line information.

2. It is very cumbersome to access an inbox file without danger of losing
mail, because it is necessary to interlock with mail delivery.
Moreover, different Unix systems use different interlocking
techniques. The strategy of moving mail out of the inbox once and for
all into a separate Rmail file avoids the need for interlocking in all
the rest of Rmail, since only Rmail operates on the Rmail file.

When getting new mail, Rmail first copies the new mail from the inbox
file to the Rmail file; then it saves the Rmail file; then it deletes the
inbox file. This way, a system crash may cause duplication of mail between
the inbox and the Rmail file, but cannot lose mail.

Copying mail from an inbox in the system's mailer directory actually puts
it in an intermediate file `~/.newmail'. This is because the
interlocking is done by a C program that copies to another file.
`~/.newmail' is deleted after mail merging is successful. If there is
a crash at the wrong time, this file will continue to exist and will be
used as an inbox the next time you get new mail.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Files, Prev: Rmail Inbox, Up: Rmail, Next: Rmail Output

Multiple Mail Files
===================

Rmail operates by default on your "primary mail file", which is named
`~/RMAIL' and receives your incoming mail from your system inbox file.
But you can also have other mail files and edit them with Rmail. These
files can receive mail through their own inboxes, or you can move messages
into them by explicit command in Rmail (*Note Rmail Output::).

`i FILE RET'
Read FILE into Emacs and run Rmail on it (`rmail-input').

`M-x set-rmail-inbox-list RET FILES RET'
Specify inbox file names for current Rmail file to get mail from.

`g'
Merge new mail from current Rmail file's inboxes
(`rmail-get-new-mail').

`C-u g FILE'
Merge new mail from inbox file FILE.

To run Rmail on a file other than your primary mail file, you may use the
`i' (`rmail-input') command in Rmail. This visits the file, puts it in
Rmail mode, and then gets new mail from the file's inboxes if any.
You can also use `M-x rmail-input' even when not in Rmail.

The file you read with `i' does not have to be in Rmail file format.
It could also be Unix mail format, or mmdf format; or it could be a mixture
of all three, as long as each message belongs to one of the three formats.
Rmail recognizes all three and converts all the messages to proper Rmail
format before showing you the file.

Each Rmail file can contain a list of inbox file names; you can specify
this list with `M-x set-rmail-inbox-list RET FILES RET'. The argument can
contain any number of file names, separated by commas. It can also be
empty, which specifies that this file should have no inboxes. Once a list
of inboxes is specified, the Rmail file remembers it permanently until it
is explicitly changed.

If an Rmail file has inboxes, new mail is merged in from the inboxes when
the Rmail file is brought into Rmail, and when the `g' (`rmail-get-new-mail')
command is used. If the Rmail file specifies no inboxes, then no new mail
is merged in at these times. A special exception is made for your primary
mail file in using the standard system inbox for it if it does not specify
any.

To merge mail from a file that is not the usual inbox, give the `g'
key a numeric argument, as in `C-u g'. Then it reads a file name and
merges mail from that file. The inbox file is not deleted or changed in
any way when `g' with an argument is used. This is, therefore, a
general way of merging one file of messages into another.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Output, Prev: Rmail Files, Up: Rmail, Next: Rmail Labels

Copying Messages Out to Files
=============================

`o FILE RET'
Append a copy of the current message to the file FILE,
writing it in Rmail file format (`rmail-output-to-rmail-file').

`C-o FILE RET'
Append a copy of the current message to the file FILE,
writing it in Unix mail file format (`rmail-output').

If an Rmail file has no inboxes, how does it get anything in it? By
explicit `o' commands.

`o' (`rmail-output-to-rmail-file') appends the current message
in Rmail format to the end of the specified file. This is the best command
to use to move messages between Rmail files. If the other Rmail file is
currently visited, the copying is done into the other file's Emacs buffer
instead. You should eventually save it on disk.

The `C-o' (`rmail-output') command in Rmail appends a copy of the current
message to a specified file, in Unix mail file format. This is useful for
moving messages into files to be read by other mail processors that do not
understand Rmail format.

Copying a message with `o' or `C-o' gives the original copy of the
message the `filed' attribute, so that `filed' appears in the mode
line when such a message is current.

Normally you should use only `o' to output messages to other Rmail
files, never `C-o'. But it is also safe if you always use `C-o',
never `o'. When a file is visited in Rmail, the last message is
checked, and if it is in Unix format, the entire file is scanned and all
Unix-format messages are converted to Rmail format. (The reason for
checking the last message is that scanning the file is slow and most Rmail
files have only Rmail format messages.) If you use `C-o' consistently,
the last message is sure to be in Unix format, so Rmail will convert all
messages properly.

The case where you might want to use `C-o' always, instead of `o'
always, is when you or other users want to append mail to the same file
from other mail processors. Other mail processors probably do not know
Rmail format but do know Unix format.

In any case, always use `o' to add to an Rmail file that is being
visited in Rmail. Adding messages with `C-o' to the actual disk file
will trigger a "simultaneous editing" warning when you ask to save the
Emacs buffer, and will be lost if you do save.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Labels, Prev: Rmail Output, Up: Rmail, Next: Rmail Summary

Labels
======

Each message can have various "labels" assigned to it as a means of
classification. A label has a name; different names mean different labels.
Any given label is either present or absent on a particular message. A few
label names have standard meanings and are given to messages automatically
by Rmail when appropriate; these special labels are called "attributes".
All other labels are assigned by the user.

`a LABEL RET'
Assign the label LABEL to the current message (`rmail-add-label').
`k LABEL RET'
Remove the label LABEL from the current message (`rmail-kill-label').
`C-M-n LABELS RET'
Move to the next message that has one of the labels LABELS
(`rmail-next-labeled-message').
`C-M-p LABELS RET'
Move to the previous message that has one of the labels LABELS
(`rmail-previous-labeled-message').
`C-M-l LABELS RET'
Make a summary of all messages containing any of the labels LABELS
(`rmail-summary-by-labels').

Specifying an empty string for one these commands means to use the last
label specified for any of these commands.

The `a' (`rmail-add-label') and `k' (`rmail-kill-label') commands allow
you to assign or remove any label on the current message. If the LABEL
argument is empty, it means to assign or remove the same label most
recently assigned or removed.

Once you have given messages labels to classify them as you wish, there
are two ways to use the labels: in moving and in summaries.

The command `C-M-n LABELS RET' (`rmail-next-labeled-message') moves to
the next message that has one of the labels LABELS. LABELS is one or more
label names, separated by commas. `C-M-p'
(`rmail-previous-labeled-message') is similar, but moves backwards to
previous messages. A preceding numeric argument to either one serves as a
repeat count.

The command `C-M-l LABELS RET' (`rmail-summary-by-labels') displays a
summary containing only the messages that have at least one of a specified
set of messages. The argument LABELS is one or more label names, separated
by commas. *Note Rmail Summary::, for information on summaries.

If the LABELS argument to `C-M-n', `C-M-p' or `C-M-l' is empty, it means
to use the last set of labels specified for any of these commands.

Some labels such as `deleted' and `filed' have built-in meanings and
are assigned to or removed from messages automatically at appropriate
times; these labels are called "attributes". Here is a list of Rmail
attributes:

`unseen'
Means the message has never been current. Assigned to messages when
they come from an inbox file, and removed when a message is made
current.
`deleted'
Means the message is deleted. Assigned by deletion commands and
removed by undeletion commands (*Note Rmail Deletion::).
`filed'
Means the message has been copied to some other file. Assigned by the
file output commands (*Note Rmail Files::).
`answered'
Means you have mailed an answer to the message. Assigned by the `r'
command (`rmail-reply'). *Note Rmail Reply::.
`forwarded'
Means you have forwarded the message to other users. Assigned by the
`f' command (`rmail-forward'). *Note Rmail Reply::.
`edited'
Means you have edited the text of the message within Rmail.
*Note Rmail Editing::.

All other labels are assigned or removed only by the user, and it is up
to the user to decide what they mean.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Summary, Prev: Rmail Labels, Up: Rmail, Next: Rmail Reply

Summaries
=========

A "summary" is a buffer containing one line per message that Rmail
can make and display to give you an overview of the mail in an Rmail file.
Each line shows the message number, the sender, the labels, and the
subject. When the summary buffer is selected, various commands can be used
to select messages by moving in the summary buffer, or delete or undelete
messages.

A summary buffer applies to a single Rmail file only; if you are
editing multiple Rmail files, they have separate summary buffers. The
summary buffer name is made by appending `-summary' to the Rmail buffer's
name. Only one summary buffer will be displayed at a time unless you make
several windows and select the summary buffers by hand.

* Menu:

* Rmail Make Summary:: Making various sorts of summaries.
* Rmail Summary Edit:: Manipulating messages from the summary.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Make Summary, Prev: Rmail Summary, Up: Rmail Summary, Next: Rmail Summary Edit

Making Summaries
----------------

Here are the commands to create a summary for the current Rmail file.
Suymmaries do not update automatically; to make an updated summary, you
must use one of these commands again.

`h'
`C-M-h'
Summarize all messages (`rmail-summary').
`l LABELS RET'
`C-M-l LABELS RET'
Summarize message that have one or more of the specified labels
(`rmail-summary-by-labels').
`C-M-r RCPTS RET'
Summarize messages that have one or more of the specified recipients
(`rmail-summary-by-recipients')

The `h' or `C-M-h' (`rmail-summary') command fills the summary buffer
for the current Rmail file with a summary of all the messages in the file.
It then displays and selects the summary buffer in another window.

`C-M-l LABELS RET' (`rmail-summary-by-labels') makes a partial summary
mentioning only the messages that have one or more of the labels LABELS.
LABELS should contain label names separated by commas.

`C-M-r RCPTS RET' (`rmail-summary-by-recipients') makes a partial summary
mentioning only the messages that have one or more of the recipients RCPTS.
RCPTS should contain mailing addresses separated by commas.

Note that there is only one summary buffer for any Rmail file; making one
kind of summary discards any previously made summary.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Summary Edit, Prev: Rmail Make Summary, Up: Rmail Summary

Editing in Summaries
--------------------

Summary buffers are given the major mode Rmail Summary mode, which
provides the following special commands:

`j'
Select the message described by the line that point is on
(`rmail-summary-goto-msg').
`C-n'
Move to next line and select its message in Rmail
(`rmail-summary-next-all').
`C-p'
Move to previous line and select its message
(`rmail-summary-previous-all').
`n'
Move to next line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select its
message (`rmail-summary-next-msg').
`p'
Move to previous line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select
its message (`rmail-summary-previous-msg').
`d'
Delete the current line's message, then do like `n'
(`rmail-summary-delete-forward').
`u'
Undelete and select this message or the previous deleted message in
the summary (`rmail-summary-undelete').
`SPC'
Scroll the other window (presumably Rmail) forward
(`rmail-summary-scroll-msg-up').
`DEL'
Scroll the other window backward (`rmail-summary-scroll-msg-down').
`x'
Kill the summary window (`rmail-summary-exit').
`q'
Exit Rmail (`rmail-summary-quit').

The keys `C-n' and `C-p' are modified in Rmail Summary mode so that in
addition to moving point in the summary buffer they also cause the line's
message to become current in the associated Rmail buffer. That buffer is
also made visible in another window if it is not already so.

`n' and `p' are similar to `C-n' and `C-p', but skip lines that say
`message deleted'. They are like the `n' and `p' keys of Rmail itself.
Note, however, that in a partial summary these commands move only among the
message listed in the summary.

The other Emacs cursor motion commands are not changed in Rmail Summary
mode, so it is easy to get the point on a line whose message is not
selected in Rmail. This can also happen if you switch to the Rmail window
and switch messages there. To get the Rmail buffer back in sync with the
summary, use the `j' (`rmail-summary-goto-msg') command, which selects
in Rmail the message of the current summary line.

Deletion and undeletion can also be done from the summary buffer. They
always work based on where point is located in the summary buffer, ignoring
which message is selected in Rmail. `d' (`rmail-summary-delete-forward')
deletes the current line's message, then moves to the next line whose
message is not deleted and selects that message. The inverse of this is
`u' (`rmail-summary-undelete'), which moves back (if necessary) to a line
whose message is deleted, undeletes that message, and selects it in Rmail.

When moving through messages with the summary buffer, it is convenient to
be able to scroll the message while remaining in the summary window. The
commands SPC (`rmail-summary-scroll-up') and DEL
(`rmail-summary-scroll-down') do this. They scroll the message just as
those same keys do when the Rmail buffer is selected.

When you are finished using the summary, type `x' (`rmail-summary-exit')
to kill the summary buffer's window.

You can also exit Rmail while in the summary. `q' (`rmail-summary-quit')
kills the summary window, then saves the Rmail file and switches to another
buffer.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Reply, Prev: Rmail Summary, Up: Rmail, Next: Rmail Editing

Sending Replies
===============

Rmail has several commands that use Mail mode to send outgoing mail.
*Note Sending Mail::, for information on using Mail mode. What are
documented here are the special commands of Rmail for entering Mail mode.
Note that the usual keys for sending mail, `C-x m' and `C-x 4 m', are
available in Rmail mode and work just as they usually do.

`m'
Send a message (`rmail-mail').
`c'
Continue editing already started outgoing message (`rmail-continue').
`r'
Send a reply to the current Rmail message (`rmail-reply').
`f'
Forward current message to other users (`rmail-forward').

The most common reason to send a message while in Rmail is to reply to
the message you are reading. To do this, type `r' (`rmail-reply'). This
displays the `*mail*' buffer in another window, much like `C-x 4 m', but
preinitializes the `Subject', `To', `CC' and `In-reply-to' header fields
based on the message being replied to. The `To' field is given the sender
of that message, and the `CC' gets all the recipients of that message (but
recipients that match elements of the list `rmail-dont-reply-to' are
omitted; by default, this list contains your own mailing address).

Once you have initialized the `*mail*' buffer this way, sending the
mail goes as usual (*Note Sending Mail::). You can edit the presupplied
header fields if they are not right for you.

One additional Mail mode command is available when mailing is invoked
from Rmail: `C-c C-y' (`mail-yank-original') inserts into the outgoing
message a copy of the current Rmail message; normally this is the message
you are replying to, but you can also switch to the Rmail buffer, select a
different message, switch back, and yank new current message. Normally the
yanked message is indented four spaces and has most header fields deleted
from it; an argument to `C-c y' specifies the amount to indent, and `C-u
C-c C-y' does not indent at all and does not delete any header fields.

Another frequent reason to send mail in Rmail is to forward the current
message to other users. `f' (`rmail-forward') makes this easy by
preinitializing the `*mail*' buffer with the current message as the text,
and a subject designating a forwarded message. All you have to do is fill
in the recipients and send.

The `m' (`rmail-mail') command is used to start editing an outgoing
message that is not a reply. It leaves the header fields empty. Its only
difference from `C-x 4 m' is that it makes the Rmail buffer accessible for
`C-c y', just as `r' does. Thus, `m' can be used to reply to or forward a
message; it can do anything `r' or `f' can do.

The `c' (`rmail-continue') command resumes editing the `*mail*' buffer,
to finish editing an outgoing message you were already composing, or to
alter a message you have sent.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Editing, Prev: Rmail Reply, Up: Rmail, Next: Rmail Digest

Editing Within a Message
========================

Rmail mode provides a few special commands for moving within and editing
the current message. In addition, the usual Emacs commands are available
(except for a few, such as `C-M-n' and `C-M-h', that are redefined by Rmail for
other purposes). However, the Rmail buffer is normally read-only, and to
alter it you must use the Rmail command `w' described below.

`t'
Toggle display of original headers (`rmail-toggle-headers').
`w'
Edit current message (`rmail-edit-current-message').

Rmail reformats the header of each message before displaying it.
Normally this involves deleting most header fields, on the grounds that
they are not interesting. The variable `rmail-ignored-headers' should
contain a regexp that matches the header fields to discard in this way.
The original headers are saved permanently, and to see what they look like,
use the `t' (`rmail-toggle-headers') command. This discards the reformatted
headers of the current message and displays it with the original headers.
Repeating `t' reformats the message again. Selecting the message again
also reformats.

The Rmail buffer is normally read only, and most of the characters you
would type to modify it (including most letters) are redefined as Rmail
commands. This is usually not a problem since it is rare to want to change
the text of a message. When you do want to do this, the way is to type
`w' (`rmail-edit-current-message'), which changes from Rmail mode into
Rmail Edit mode, another major mode which is nearly the same as Text mode.
The mode line illustrates this change.

In Rmail Edit mode, letters insert themselves as usual and the Rmail
commands are not available. When you are finished editing the message and
are ready to go back to Rmail, type `C-c C-c', which switches back to
Rmail mode. Alternatively, you can return to Rmail mode but cancel all the
editing that you have done by typing `C-c C-]'.

Entering Rmail Edit mode calls with no arguments the value of the variable
`text-mode-hook', if that value exists and is not `nil'; then it
does the same with the variable `rmail-edit-mode-hook'. It adds the
attribute `edited' to the message.

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File: emacs Node: Rmail Digest, Prev: Rmail Editing, Up: Rmail

Digest Messages
===============

A "digest message" is a message which exists to contain and carry
several other messages. Digests are used on moderated mailing lists; all
the messages that arrive for the list during a period of time such as one
day are put inside a single digest which is then sent to the subscribers.
Transmitting the single digest uses much less computer time than
transmitting the individual messages even though the total size is the
same, because the per-message overhead in network mail transmission is
considerable.

When you receive a digest message, the most convenient way to read it is
to "undigestify" it: to turn it back into many individual messages.
Then you can read and delete the individual messages as it suits you.

To undigestify a message, select it and then type `M-x
undigestify-rmail-message'. This copies each submessage as a separate
Rmail message and inserts them all following the digest. The digest
message itself is flagged as deleted.

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File: emacs Node: Recursive Edit, Prev: Rmail, Up: Top, Next: Narrowing

Recursive Editing Levels
========================

A "recursive edit" is a situation in which you are using Emacs
commands to perform arbitrary editing while in the middle of another Emacs
command. For example, when you type `C-r' inside of a `query-replace',
you enter a recursive edit in which you can change the current buffer. On
exiting from the recursive edit, you go back to the `query-replace'.

"Exiting" the recursive edit means returning to the unfinished
command, which continues execution. For example, exiting the recursive
edit requested by `C-r' in `query-replace' causes query replacing
to resume. Exiting is done with `C-M-c' (`exit-recursive-edit').

You can also "abort" the recursive edit. This is like exiting, but
also quits the unfinished command immediately. Use the command `C-]'
(`abort-recursive-edit') for this. *Note Quitting::.

The mode line shows you when you are in a recursive edit by displaying
square brackets around the parentheses that always surround the major and
minor mode names. Every window's mode line shows this, in the same way,
since being in a recursive edit is true of Emacs as a whole rather than
any particular buffer.

It is possible to be in recursive edits within recursive edits. For
example, after typing `C-r' in a `query-replace', you might type a
command that entered the debugger. In such circumstances, two or more sets
of square brackets appear in the mode line. Exiting the inner recursive
edit (such as, with the debugger `c' command) would resume the command
where it called the debugger. After the end of this command, you would be
able to exit the first recursive edit. Aborting also gets out of only one
level of recursive edit; it returns immediately to the command level of the
previous recursive edit. So you could immediately abort that one too.

Alternatively, the command `M-x top-level' aborts all levels of
recursive edits, returning immediately to the top level command reader.

The text being edited inside the recursive edit need not be the same text
that you were editing at top level. It depends on what the recursive edit
is for. If the command that invokes the recursive edit selects a different
buffer first, that is the buffer you will edit recursively. In any case,
you can switch buffers within the recursive edit in the normal manner (as
long as the buffer-switching keys have not been rebound). You could
probably do all the rest of your editing inside the recursive edit,
visiting files and all. But this could have surprising effects (such as
stack overflow) from time to time. So remember to exit or abort the
recursive edit when you no longer need it.

In general, GNU Emacs tries to avoid using recursive edits. It is
usually preferable to allow the user to switch among the possible editing
modes in any order he likes. With recursive edits, the only way to get to
another state is to go "back" to the state that the recursive edit was
invoked from.

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File: emacs Node: Narrowing, Prev: Recursive Edit, Up: Top, Next: Sorting

Narrowing
=========

"Narrowing" means focusing in on some portion of the buffer, making
the rest temporarily invisible and inaccessible. Cancelling the narrowing,
and making the entire buffer once again visible, is called "widening".
The amount of narrowing in effect in a buffer at any time is called the
buffer's "restriction".

`C-x n'
Narrow down to between point and mark (`narrow-to-region').
`C-x w'
Widen to make the entire buffer visible again (`widen').

When you have narrowed down to a part of the buffer, that part appears to
be all there is. You can't see the rest, you can't move into it (motion
commands won't go outside the visible part), you can't change it in any
way. However, it is not gone, and if you save the file all the invisible
text will be saved. In addition to sometimes making it easier to
concentrate on a single subroutine or paragraph by eliminating clutter,
narrowing can be used to restrict the range of operation of a replace
command or repeating keyboard macro. The word `Narrow' appears in the
mode line whenever narrowing is in effect.

The primary narrowing command is `C-x n' (`narrow-to-region').
It sets the current buffer's restrictions so that the text in the current
region remains visible but all text before the region or after the region
is invisible. Point and mark do not change.

Because narrowing can easily confuse users who do not understand it,
`narrow-to-region' is normally a disabled command. Attempting to use
this command asks for confirmation and gives you the option of enabling it;
once you enable the command, confirmation will no longer be required for
it. *Note Disabling::.

The way to undo narrowing is to widen with `C-x w' (`widen').
This makes all text in the buffer accessible again.

You can get information on what part of the buffer you are narrowed down
to using the `C-x =' command. *Note Position Info::.

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File: emacs Node: Sorting, Prev: Narrowing, Up: Top, Next: Shell

Sorting Text
============

Emacs provides several commands for sorting text in the buffer. All
operate on the contents of the region (the text between point and the
mark). They divide the text of the region into many "sort records",
identify a "sort key" for each record, and then reorder the records
into the order determined by the sort keys. The records are ordered so
that their keys are in alphabetical order, or, for numeric sorting, in
numeric order. In alphabetic sorting, all upper case letters `A' through
`Z' come before lower case `a', in accord with the ANSII character
sequence.

The various sort commands differ in how they divide the text into sort
records and in which part of each record is used as the sort key. Most of
the commands make each line a separate sort record, but some commands use
paragraphs or pages as sort records. Most of the sort commands use each
entire sort record as its own sort key, but some use only a portion of the
record as the sort key.

`M-x sort-lines'
Divide the region into lines, and sort by comparing the entire
text of a line. A prefix argument means sort into descending order.

`M-x sort-paragraphs'
Divide the region into paragraphs, and sort by comparing the entire
text of a paragraph (except for leading blank lines). A prefix
argument means sort into descending order.

`M-x sort-pages'
Divide the region into pages, and sort by comparing the entire
text of a page (except for leading blank lines). A prefix
argument means sort into descending order.

`M-x sort-fields'
Divide the region into lines, and sort by comparing the contents of
one field in each line. Fields are defined as separated by
whitespace, so the first run of consecutive non-whitespace characters
in a line constitutes field 1, the second such run constitutes field
2, etc.

You specify which field to sort by with a numeric argument: 1 to sort
by field 1, etc. A negative argument means sort into descending
order. Thus, minus 2 means sort by field 2 in reverse-alphabetical
order.

`M-x sort-numeric-fields'
Like `M-x sort-fields' except the specified field is converted
to a number for each line, and the numbers are compared. `10'
comes before `2' when considered as text, but after it when
considered as a number.

`M-x sort-columns'
Like `M-x sort-fields' except that the text within each line
used for comparison comes from a fixed range of columns. See below
for an explanation.

For example, if the buffer contains

On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or
saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
the buffer.

then if you apply `M-x sort-lines' to the entire buffer you get

On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
the buffer.
whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or

where the upper case `O' comes before all lower case letters. If you apply
instead `C-u 2 M-x sort-fields' you get

implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
the buffer.
On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or

where the sort keys were `Emacs', `If', `buffer', `systems' and `the'.

`M-x sort-columns' requires more explanation. You specify the
columns by putting point at one of the columns and the mark at the other
column. Because this means you cannot put point or the mark at the
beginning of the first line to sort, this command uses an unusual
definition of `region': all of the line point is in is considered part of
the region, and so is all of the line the mark is in.

For example, to sort a table by information found in columns 10 to 15,
you could put the mark on column 10 in the first line of the table, and
point on column 15 in the last line of the table, and then use this command.
Or you could put the mark on column 15 in the first line and point on
column 10 in the last line.

This can be thought of as sorting the rectangle specified by point and
the mark, except that the text on each line to the left or right of the
rectangle moves along with the text inside the rectangle.
*Note Rectangles::.

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