dxmail(1X)dxmail(1X)NAMEdxmail - DECwindows mail program
SYNOPSISdxmail [ flags ]
FLAGS
On color displays, specifies the color of highlighted folders. (Folders
containing unread messages are highlighted.) This overrides the system
default defined in the Session Manager's Customize Window dialog box.
On color displays, specifies the color of the window's background.
This overrides the system default defined in the Session Manager's Cus‐
tomize Window dialog box. Specifies the width (in pixels) of the win‐
dow's border. For debug purposes only. Specifies the display screen
where dxmail displays its window. If the display option is not speci‐
fied, dxmail uses the display screen specified by your DISPLAY environ‐
ment variable. The display option has the format hostname:number.
Using two colons (::) instead of one (:) indicates that DECnet is to be
used for transport. The default is :0. For more information, see
X(1X). Specifies the color of the text. This overrides the system
default defined in the Session Manager's Customize Window dialog box.
Specifies the font used as the output font. Any fixed-width font can
be used. The default is 6x13. Specifies the name that is to replace
the program name. Reverses the default color values (for example,
black becomes white and white becomes black). The default is On.
Specifies the title to be listed in the main window's title bar.
DESCRIPTION
The dxmail command provides a window-oriented interface to the mh Mail
Handler. The mh Mail Handler software must be installed on your system
before you can use dxmail.
When dxmail starts, it checks in your home directory for the file
.mh_profile. If the file is there, dxmail reads and uses the configu‐
ration information that the file contains. If the file is not there,
dxmail creates it and includes the minimum required default values.
MAIN WINDOW
At startup, the dxmail main window is displayed. It consists of seven
areas: Displays window manager icons that allow you to move and resize
the dxmail window and to shrink it to an icon. For more information,
see mwm(1X). Lists the available dxmail menus (for example, File or
Edit). See the section ``Menu Bar,'' below. Lists your current fold‐
ers. By default, dxmail puts your incoming mail in the inbox folder.
When you receive new mail, dxmail draws a border around the inbox
folder. Drafts of messages can be saved in the drafts folder and mes‐
sages to be deleted can be placed in the wastebasket folder. To select
a folder, click on the appropriate folder button. When a folder button
is selected, dxmail highlights that button. To view the contents of a
folder, double-click on the appropriate folder button. Contains but‐
tons that execute the general dxmail commands (for example, New mail or
Create-Send). See the section ``Global Commands Pane,'' below. Lists
the name of the currently opened folder. Lists the messages in the
currently opened folder. Initially, this window lists the messages
contained in the inbox folder. See the section ``Message Index and Mes‐
sage Commands Panes,'' below. Contains buttons that execute the com‐
monly used commands which affect the messages listed in the Message
Index Pane. Dimmed commands are disabled. See the section ``Message
Index and Message Commands Panes,'' below.
Menu Bar
The Main Window's Menu Bar provides access to both commonly and less
commonly used commands. (Access to the more commonly used commands is
made easier with the Global Commands and Message Commands Panes,
described later in this reference page.) The Menu Bar contains the fol‐
lowing menus:
File Edit Pick Create-Send Read Maintenance Customize Help
File Menu Moves the message to the selected folder. However, dxmail
does not remove the message from the original folder until you close
and reopen the folder, select the Commit Changes menu item or double-
click on the folder name. If the selected folder is the same as the
viewed folder, this command just beeps. Copies the selected messages
to the selected folder. Creates a file from the selected message.
Prints the selected messages. Opens the currently selected folder.
Opens the currently selected folder in a new main window. Incorporates
new mail into your inbox folder. Closes the main dxmail window. If
the main window being closed is the only main dxmail window on the
screen, invoking this menu item exits dxmail.
Edit Menu Places the selected messages in the wastebasket folder for
deletion; if no messages are currently selected, this item is disabled.
However, dxmail does not remove the messages from the current folder
until you close and reopen the original folder, select the Commit
Changes menu item, or double-click on the folder name. You can move
the messages back to their original folder by selecting the ``Undo
move/delete'' menu item. Undoes any move or delete operations for the
selected messages; if no messages are currently selected, this item is
disabled. Once you commit changes to messages by reopening the folder,
selecting the Commit Changes menu item, or double-clicking on the
folder name, you cannot undo the changes. Copies a mail message (or
part of one) to a clipboard, for example, a Create-Send Window. To
perform this operation, open the message you want to copy, mark the
beginning of the block of text by clicking on it with MB1, then drag
the end to the end of the block of text. Select Copy to Clipboard from
the Edit menu, then place the pointer in the clipboard (window) and
press MB2. Selects all messages from the Message Index pane.
Pick Menu
The Pick menu lets you select, define, and manipulate groups of mes‐
sages. Groups of messages, called sequences, further organize messages
within a folder. For example, you can create sequences that consist of
all of the messages that meet some common criterion (such as those to
or from a certain person, received on a certain date, pertaining to a
certain subject, or containing a specific word).
Message sequences and their names are specific to folders; therefore,
the same sequence name can exist in multiple folders. In each folder,
all messages belong to a predefined sequence called all. Only one
sequence can be displayed at a time; its name is next to the folder
name in the title bar above the message list, When you view messages,
the next and previous messages are defined in relation to the current
sequence.
The Pick menu contains the following items: Displays the Pick dialog
box, which lets you specify criteria for selecting messages from any
folder and creating a new sequence. Displays the Pick dialog box,
which lets you specify criteria for selecting messages from the cur‐
rent folder and creating a new sequence. Lets you specify the name of
a new sequence. The sequence does not contain messages until you
explicitly add some. The sequence name must begin with an alphabetic
character and should not contain any non-alphanumeric characters (such
as punctuation marks). Displays the last specified sequence or one
that you select from the submenu. This item is disabled until the
folder contains sequences other than all. Adds selected messages to a
sequence that you select from the submenu. This item is disabled until
the folder contains sequences other than all. Removes selected mes‐
sages from a sequence that you select from the submenu. This item is
disabled until the folder contains sequences other than all. Removes a
sequence that you select from the submenu. The messages themselves are
not deleted; they are still part of the folder's all sequence,
Create-Send Menu
The Create-Send menu contains the following items: Displays a Create-
Send Window that allows you to compose a new message. Displays the
File Selection dialog box, which lets you send an existing file as a
mail message. Once the File Selection dialog box is dismissed, dxmail
displays a Create-Send Window whose body is the specified file.
To send a DDIF or DTIF file, use the Create-Send menu option and
select the File option. (DDIF or DTIF files are displayed graph‐
ically and can not be edited.) Creates a Create-Send Window in
reply to the first selected message. Creates a Create-Send Win‐
dow that contains the contents of the selected message or mes‐
sages. Creates a Create-Send Window that contains the contents
of the selected message. This menu item is often used to com‐
pose a new message with the contents of a message previously
saved in the drafts folder.
Read Menu
The Read menu contains the following items: Displays the selected mes‐
sage in a new Read Window, regardless of whether a default Read Window
is already displayed. Displays the selected message in the default
Read Window. If a Read Window is not displayed, dxmail creates a new
Read Window automatically. You can also invoke this command by double-
clicking on the envelope icon for the appropriate message. Displays a
submenu that lets you display the selected message in one of several
already displayed Read Windows. Checks to see if any new mail has
arrived. If new mail has arrived, dxmail incorporates the new mail and
displays the first message in the automatically created default Read
Window. If no new mail has arrived, dxmail displays a dialog box that
says ``No new mail.'' The dxmail program beeps only if you have
selected the ``Beep instead of putting up a No New Mail dialog box''
option in Modify Mail Profile in the Customize Window. The default is
no beep. Checks to see if any new mail has arrived. If new mail has
arrived, dxmail incorporates the new mail and displays the first mes‐
sage in a new Read Window that is created automatically. If no new
mail has arrived, dxmail displays a dialog box that says "No new mail."
The dxmail program beeps only if you have selected the "Beep instead of
putting up a No New Mail dialog box" option in the Customize Window.
The default is no beep.
Maintenance Menu
The Maintenance menu contains the following items: Creates a new folder
and displays a dialog box that prompts for the new folder name.
Deletes the messages previously placed in the wastebasket folder with
the Delete command. Deletes the selected folder and displays a Caution
dialog box that prompts for verification. Opens a mail drawer to dis‐
play the folders contained there. Closes a mail drawer and makes the
folders contained there invisible. Removes from the message list of
the current folder any message that you previously marked to delete or
move. When you close and reopen a folder or double-click on a folder
name, dxmail invokes this command automatically. Renumbers the mes‐
sages in the viewed folder starting from 1 and incrementing by 1 for
each following message. Sorts the messages in the folder into increas‐
ing order by date. Causes dxmail to check and make sure its informa‐
tion about the folder is correct. This command can be useful if you
have invoked mh commands directly from the command line while dxmail is
running. Brings up a dialog box that allows you to rename a folder.
There must not already be a folder with the new name. It is possible
for a mail folder to get into a state in which the messages don't match
the numbers. (This could happen if dxmail and MH were run simultane‐
ously.) This option will correct this state once dxmail is exited and
restarted.
Customize Menu
The Customize menu contains the following item: Displays the Customize
dialog box, which lets you modify characteristics of dxmail. The cus‐
tomize options are: Skip to next message upon deleting current one.
Skip to next message upon moving current one. Commit changes in a
folder upon closing it. Renumber messages in a folder after every com‐
mit. Put deleted messages into wastebasket instead of deleting immedi‐
ately. Incorporate new messages when invoking Show Unopened Buttons
Affect the current message if no messages are selected. Beep instead
of putting up a No New Mail dialog box.
Global Commands Pane
Global Command buttons displayed in the dxmail window are: Checks to
see if any new mail has arrived. If new mail has arrived, dxmail adds
the new mail to the inbox folder and displays the first message in the
default Read Window. If the default Read Window does not exist, dxmail
creates one automatically. If no new mail has arrived, dxmail displays
a dialog box that says ``No new mail.'' The dxmail program beeps only
if you have selected the ``Beep instead of putting up a No New Mail
Dialog Box'' option in the Customize window. The default is no beep.
When a PostScript, DDIF, or DTIF message is read, you are given
the option of displaying it as a graphic. If you choose not to
read a PostScript message as a graphic, it is displayed as ASCII
text. If you choose not to read a DDIF or DTIF file as a
graphic, it is displayed as compressed uuencoded ASCII text.
Displays a Create-Send Window that allows you to compose a new
message.
You can use Create-Send to send a PostScript file. When the Cre‐
ate-Send Window appears, use the Include file... function of its
File pull-down menu to include the PostScript file below the
mail header. Removes from the message list of the current
folder any message that you previously marked to delete or move.
When you close and reopen a folder or double-click on a folder
name, dxmail invokes this command automatically. Causes dxmail
to check and make sure its information about the folder is cor‐
rect. This command can be useful if you have invoked mh com‐
mands directly from the command line while dxmail is running.
(See also ``Invalidate cache on exit,'' above.)
Message Index and Message Commands Panes
These Panes are parts of the dxmail window as described above in the
section ``MAIN WINDOW,'' above.
To specify the message or messages to be affected by commands in the
Message Commands Pane or in one of the several dxmail menus, first
select the message or messages in the Message Index Pane.
Message Index Pane
To select a single message in the Message Index Pane, click MB1 (mouse
button 1) on the message. To highlight a range of messages, you can
follow one of two procedures: Place the pointer on the first message to
be selected. Press MB1. Drag the pointer to the last message to be
selected. Release MB1.
Or: Place the pointer on the first message to be selected. Click MB1.
Place the pointer on the last message to be selected. Hold down the
Shift key and click MB1.
To add a message to the current selection, follow this procedure: Place
the pointer on the icon of the message to be included. Hold the Shift
key and click MB1.
To remove messages from the current selection, follow this procedure:
Place the pointer on the first message to be removed. Hold the Shift
key and drag MB1 up or down.
To view the contents of a message listed in the Message Index Pane,
place the pointer anywhere on the message and double-click MB1. he
contents of the message are displayed in a Read Window.
The selected messages are the same as the highlighted messages, if any.
The current message is marked with a plus sign (+), except when it is
open in a Read menu (when it is marked with an open envelope). The
current message is the last message viewed in the default Read Window
within the current folder.
Message Commands Pane
The Message Commands Pane contains command buttons that act on selected
messages: Incorporates new mail into your inbox folder. Creates a Cre‐
ate-Send Window in reply to the first selected message. Creates a Cre‐
ate-Send Window whose body is initialized to be the contents of the
selected messages. Prints the selected messages, using lpr, to the
default printer. Moves the message to the selected folder. However,
dxmail does not remove the message from the original folder until you
close and reopen the folder, select the Commit Changes menu item, or
double-click on the open folder name. For example, you can remove a
message moved out of inbox by closing and reopening inbox, selecting
Commit Changes, or by double-clicking on inbox. If the selected folder
is the same as the viewed folder, this command just beeps. You can
move the messages back to the current folder by selecting the Undo
move/delete menu item. Places the selected messages in the wastebasket
folder for deletion. However, dxmail does not remove the selected mes‐
sages from the current folder until you close and reopen the original
folder, select the Commit Changes menu item, or double-click on the
folder name. You can move the messages back to their original folder
by selecting the Undo move/delete menu item.
READ WINDOWS
Most Read Window command buttons are the same as the Message Command
Pane buttons of the same name. However, the Read Window command but‐
tons affect the viewed message instead of the selected message, and
there are three additional command buttons: Displays the message after
the message displayed currently. Displays the message before the mes‐
sage displayed currently. Closes the Read Window. Allows you to reply
to the message displayed in the Read Window. Allows you to forward the
message displayed in the Read Window. Allows you to print the message
displayed in the Read Window. Allows you to move the message displayed
in the Read Window to a mail folder. Allows you to delete the message
displayed in the Read Window.
Less commonly used functions are available only through the menu bar.
The menu bar contains the following menus:
File Edit Sequences Create-Send Read
File Menu
File menu items unique to the Read Window are as follows: Specifies
that the current Read Window is the default Read Window. Closes the
Read Window.
Edit Menu
Edit menu items unique to the Read Window are as follows: Selects all
text displayed in the Read Window. Specifies that the message in the
Read Window can be modified. Saves any changes made to the message
displayed in the Read Window after invoking the Edit message menu item.
Read Menu
Displays the next message selected from the main dxmail window in the
current Read Window. Displays the previous message selected from the
main dxmail window in the current Read Window. Displays the next mes‐
sage listed in the main dxmail window in the current Read Window. Dis‐
plays the previous message listed in the main dxmail window in the cur‐
rent Read Window.
CREATE-SEND WINDOWS
The buttons associated with Create-Send Windows are: Closes the Create-
Send Window without taking any further action. If changes have been
made, dxmail displays a Caution dialog box prompting for confirmation
or cancellation. Clears the Create-Send Window. Invokes the editor
specified in the resource file ~/dXMail. Saves the message contained
in the Create-Send Window in the drafts folder. You can later view,
edit, and send the message with the Use as comp command. Sends the
message contained in the Create-Send Window. If any errors appear in
the message header, dxmail displays a mail message containing this com‐
position and a description of the error. The Send command does not
close the Create-Send Window.
The menu bar in a Create-Send Window contains the following menus:
File Edit
File Menu
Performs the same function as the Send button. Performs the same func‐
tion as the Save button. Copies a message to a file. Inserts a file
into the message. Performs the same function as the Reset button.
Performs the same function as the Close button. Invokes the editor
specified in the resource file ~/dxMail.
Edit Menu
Selects all text displayed in the Create-Send Window.
CONVERTING OLD MAIL FOLDERS
If you have been using the mail(1) program to read your mail, you can
convert your existing folders into dxmail folders with the following
command:
inc +foldername -file filename Specifies the name that is to be used
for the dxmail folder. Specifies the name of the existing mail folder.
Note that you must run inc to access mail if you have been using the
Berkeley mail handler. For more information, see inc(1).
MAIL ALIASES
The dxmail command does not use your .mailrc file in your home direc‐
tory. Therefore, dxmail does not use the user mail aliases that you
have defined in that file. However, dxmail does make use of the global
alias files that sendmail uses.
To define an alias file to be used with dxmail, follow this procedure:
Create the Mail directory and a skeleton .mh_profile file by invoking
dxmail. This skeletal .mh_profile will contain the following line:
Path: Mail Edit the .mh_profile file to add the following three
lines:
ali: -alias aliases send: -alias aliases whom: -alias aliases
Create an alias file in your Mail directory with the name speci‐
fied in these lines. In your alias file, add lines in the fol‐
lowing format:
alias: person1, person2,....
The person to whom you assigned an alias can have another alias, and
you can mix previously defined aliases and people on the same line.
However, because the file is read from top to bottom, you must make
sure that aliases used in other aliases have already been defined in
the file.
X DEFAULTS
The dxmail application uses the values in the .Xdefaults file that were
active when you logged in and uses the appropriate resource specifica‐
tion to customize the appearance or characteristics of its displayed
dxmail window. The format for a resource specification in the .Xde‐
faults file is:
[name*]resource: value Specifies the application name or the name
string that restricts the resource assignment to that application or to
a component of an application. If you do not specify this argument,
the resource assignment is globally available to all X applications.
Specifies the resource. Specifies the value that is to be assigned to
the resource.
For more information, see X(1X).
Because each toolkit-based application can consist of a combination of
widgets (for example, push buttons and a scroll bar), you can form the
name string by adding widget class and name identifiers to the string.
For further information about adding class and name identifiers, see
X(1X).
For dxmail, the available class identifiers are:
XmMainWindow XmSeparatorGadget XmPanedWindow XmScrolledWindow
XmDrawingArea XmRowColumn Item XmScrollBar XmPushButton XmLabel XmForm
XmFrame XmBulletinBoard XmText XmSash XmCascadeButton XmSeparator
XmSash
For dxmail, the available name identifiers are:
mainWindow workArea folderArea innerFolderArea vScrollBar hScrollBar
folderCommandBar readNewMail createSend messagePane messageForm mes‐
sageArea messageButtonsArea messageButton messageScroll innerMsgArea
messageCommandBar menuBar sendWindow commandBar confirm createSend cus‐
tomize ddifHeaders pick prompt read titlebar
In addition to the general resources listed in X(1X), the resources
available for dxmail are: Specifies the initial geometry (window size
and screen location) for the Create-Send Window. For more information
about the geometry specification and screen coordinate system, see
X(1X). Specifies the initial geometry (window size and screen loca‐
tion) for the main dxmail window. Specifies the initial geometry (win‐
dow size and screen location) for the Read Window. Specifies the ini‐
tial geometry (window size and screen location) for the Pick window.
Specifies the command to be executed to print a message. (Standard out
and standard error must be redirected explicitly.) The default is:
lpr > /dev/null 2 > /dev/null
This command is used to print when the ``Entire Message'' option
is selected. It is also used for printing when ``Body Only''
option is selected if the StrippedPrintCommand resource is not
specified. Specifies the command to be executed if the ``Body
Only'' option is selected under ``Print''. It is also used for
executing the print command when ``Entire Message'' option is
selected if the PrintCommand resource is not specified.
Each specification included in the .Xdefaults file for the
translations resource modifies a key setting for the editor that
dxmail uses. For more information about key and mouse specifi‐
cations in the .Xdefaults file, see X(1X).
RESTRICTIONS
The dxmail application requires Version 6 of mh. If a line in the
.mh_profile starts with Current-Folder, you have been using Version 4
or earlier. To convert to Version 6, remove that line. For more
information, refer to mh(1).
Sequence names and message lists together cannot exceed 1024 charac‐
ters. In practice, this means that sequences can have a maximum of 200
messages.
When sending mail, the dashes under the Subject: line are required.
FILESRELATED INFORMATIONinc(1), mh(1), X(1X),
dxmail(1X)