@synindex fn cp
@synindex vr cp
@synindex pg cp
-@dircategory Emacs
-@direntry
-* Message: (message). Mail and news composition mode that goes with Gnus.
-@end direntry
-@iftex
-@finalout
-@end iftex
-@setchapternewpage odd
-
-@ifnottex
-
+@copying
This file documents Message, the Emacs message composition mode.
-Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
-Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
+2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@quotation
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
-under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
+under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or
any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
-@end ifnottex
+@end quotation
+@end copying
-@tex
+@dircategory Emacs
+@direntry
+* Message: (message). Mail and news composition mode that goes with Gnus.
+@end direntry
+@iftex
+@finalout
+@end iftex
+@setchapternewpage odd
@titlepage
@title Message Manual
@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-Copyright @copyright{} 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
- Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-
-Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
-under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
-any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
-Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
-Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
-license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
-License'' in the Emacs manual.
-
-(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
-this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
-Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
-
-This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
-Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
-separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
-license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
+@insertcopying
@end titlepage
@page
-@end tex
-
@node Top
@top Message
* Key Index:: List of Message mode keys.
@end menu
-This manual corresponds to Message v5.10.5. Message is distributed
-with the Gnus distribution bearing the same version number as this
-manual.
+@c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following lines:
+Message is distributed with Gnus. The Gnus distribution
+@c
+corresponding to this manual is No Gnus v0.4.
@node Interface
@chapter Interface
-When a program (or a person) wants to respond to a message -- reply,
-follow up, forward, cancel -- the program (or person) should just put
+When a program (or a person) wants to respond to a message---reply,
+follow up, forward, cancel---the program (or person) should just put
point in the buffer where the message is and call the required command.
@code{Message} will then pop up a new @code{message} mode buffer with
appropriate headers filled out, and the user can edit the message before
* Mailing Lists:: Send mail to mailing lists.
@end menu
+You can customize the Message Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
+customize-apropos RET message-tool-bar}. This feature is only available
+in Emacs.
@node New Mail Message
@section New Mail Message
This function will be called narrowed to the head of the article that is
being replied to.
-As you can see, this function should return a string if it has an
-opinion as to what the To header should be. If it does not, it should
-just return @code{nil}, and the normal methods for determining the To
-header will be used.
+As you can see, this function should return a list. In this case, it
+returns @code{((To . "Whom"))} if it has an opinion as to what the To
+header should be. If it does not, it should just return @code{nil}, and
+the normal methods for determining the To header will be used.
-This function can also return a list. In that case, each list element
-should be a cons, where the @sc{car} should be the name of a header
-(e.g. @code{Cc}) and the @sc{cdr} should be the header value
-(e.g. @samp{larsi@@ifi.uio.no}). All these headers will be inserted into
-the head of the outgoing mail.
+Each list element should be a cons, where the @sc{car} should be the
+name of a header (e.g. @code{Cc}) and the @sc{cdr} should be the header
+value (e.g. @samp{larsi@@ifi.uio.no}). All these headers will be
+inserted into the head of the outgoing mail.
@node Wide Reply
is that if you lose your @file{.emacs} file (which is where Gnus
stores the secret cancel lock password (which is generated
automatically the first time you use this feature)), you won't be
-able to cancel your message.
+able to cancel your message. If you want to manage a password yourself,
+you can put something like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+
+@lisp
+(setq canlock-password "geheimnis"
+ canlock-password-for-verify canlock-password)
+@end lisp
Whether to insert the header or not is controlled by the
@code{message-insert-canlock} variable.
Headers matching the @code{message-ignored-supersedes-headers} are
removed before popping up the new message buffer. The default is@*
@samp{^Path:\\|^Date\\|^NNTP-Posting-Host:\\|^Xref:\\|^Lines:\\|@*
-^Received:\\|^X-From-Line:\\|Return-Path:\\|^Supersedes:}.
+^Received:\\|^X-From-Line:\\|^X-Trace:\\|^X-Complaints-To:\\|@*
+Return-Path:\\|^Supersedes:\\|^NNTP-Posting-Date:\\|^X-Trace:\\|@*
+^X-Complaints-To:\\|^Cancel-Lock:\\|^Cancel-Key:\\|^X-Hashcash:\\|@*
+^X-Payment:\\|^Approved:}.
@vindex message-ignored-resent-headers
Headers that match the @code{message-ignored-resent-headers} regexp will
-be removed before sending the message. The default is
-@samp{^Return-receipt}.
+be removed before sending the message.
@node Bouncing
@vindex message-ignored-bounced-headers
Headers that match the @code{message-ignored-bounced-headers} regexp
will be removed before popping up the buffer. The default is
-@samp{^\\(Received\\|Return-Path\\):}.
+@samp{^\\(Received\\|Return-Path\\|Delivered-To\\):}.
@node Mailing Lists
@cindex Mail-Followup-To
Sometimes while posting to mailing lists, the poster needs to direct
followups to the post to specific places. The Mail-Followup-To (MFT)
-was created to enable just this. Two example scenarios where this is
+was created to enable just this. Three example scenarios where this is
useful:
@itemize @bullet
@vindex message-subscribed-address-file
@item message-subscribed-address-file
-You might be one organised human freak and have a list of addresses of
+You might be one organized human freak and have a list of addresses of
all subscribed mailing lists in a separate file! Then you can just
set this variable to the name of the file and life would be good.
@kindex C-c C-f x
@findex message-cross-post-followup-to
@vindex message-cross-post-default
+@vindex message-cross-post-note-function
@cindex X-Post
@cindex cross-post
-Ask for an additional @samp{Newsgroups} and @samp{FollowUp-To} for a
-cross-post. @code{message-cross-post-followup-to} mangles
-@samp{FollowUp-To} and @samp{Newsgroups} header to point to group.
-If @code{message-cross-post-default} is @code{nil} or if called with a
-prefix-argument @samp{Follow-Up} is set, but the message is not
-cross-posted.
+Set up the @samp{FollowUp-To} header with a target newsgroup for a
+cross-post, add that target newsgroup to the @samp{Newsgroups} header if
+it is not a member of @samp{Newsgroups}, and insert a note in the body.
+If @code{message-cross-post-default} is @code{nil} or if this command is
+called with a prefix-argument, only the @samp{FollowUp-To} header will
+be set but the the target newsgroup will not be added to the
+@samp{Newsgroups} header. The function to insert a note is controlled
+by the @code{message-cross-post-note-function} variable.
@item C-c C-f t
@kindex C-c C-f t
@findex message-reduce-to-to-cc
Replace contents of @samp{To} header with contents of @samp{Cc} or
-@samp{Bcc} header.
+@samp{Bcc} header. (Iff @samp{Cc} header is not present, @samp{Bcc}
+header will be used instead.)
@item C-c C-f w
@kindex C-c C-f w
@findex message-insert-wide-reply
Insert @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers as if you were doing a wide
-reply.
+reply even if the message was not made for a wide reply first.
@item C-c C-f a
@kindex C-c C-f a
@vindex message-beginning-of-line
If at beginning of header value, go to beginning of line, else go to
beginning of header value. (The header value comes after the header
-name and the colon.) This behaviour can be disabled by toggling
+name and the colon.) This behavior can be disabled by toggling
the variable @code{message-beginning-of-line}.
@end table
@item C-c M-m
@kindex C-c M-m
@findex message-mark-inserted-region
-Mark some region in the current article with enclosing tags.
-See @code{message-mark-insert-begin} and @code{message-mark-insert-end}.
+Mark some region in the current article with enclosing tags. See
+@code{message-mark-insert-begin} and @code{message-mark-insert-end}.
+When called with a prefix argument, use slrn style verbatim marks
+(@samp{#v+} and @samp{#v-}).
@item C-c M-f
@kindex C-c M-f
@findex message-mark-insert-file
Insert a file in the current article with enclosing tags.
See @code{message-mark-insert-begin} and @code{message-mark-insert-end}.
+When called with a prefix argument, use slrn style verbatim marks
+(@samp{#v+} and @samp{#v-}).
@end table
automatically add the @code{Content-Type} and
@code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} headers.
+@findex mml-attach
+@kindex C-c C-a
The most typical thing users want to use the multipart things in
-@acronym{MIME} for is to add ``attachments'' to mail they send out. This can
-be done with the @kbd{C-c C-a} command, which will prompt for a file
-name and a @acronym{MIME} type.
+@acronym{MIME} for is to add ``attachments'' to mail they send out.
+This can be done with the @kbd{C-c C-a} command (@kbd{M-x mml-attach}),
+which will prompt for a file name and a @acronym{MIME} type.
+
+@vindex mml-dnd-protocol-alist
+@vindex mml-dnd-attach-options
+If your Emacs supports drag and drop, you can also drop the file in the
+Message buffer. The variable @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} specifies
+what kind of action is done when you drop a file into the Message
+buffer. The variable @code{mml-dnd-attach-options} controls which
+@acronym{MIME} options you want to specify when dropping a file. If it
+is a list, valid members are @code{type}, @code{description} and
+@code{disposition}. @code{disposition} implies @code{type}. If it is
+@code{nil}, don't ask for options. If it is @code{t}, ask the user
+whether or not to specify options.
You can also create arbitrarily complex multiparts using the @acronym{MML}
language (@pxref{Composing, , Composing, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
The @code{message-use-idna} variable control whether @acronym{IDNA} is
used. If the variable is @code{nil} no @acronym{IDNA} encoding will
ever happen, if it is set to the symbol @code{ask} the user will be
-queried (the default), and if set to @code{t} @acronym{IDNA} encoding
-happens automatically.
+queried, and if set to @code{t} (which is the default if @acronym{IDNA}
+is fully available) @acronym{IDNA} encoding happens automatically.
@findex message-idna-to-ascii-rhs
If you want to experiment with the @acronym{IDNA} encoding, you can
invoke @kbd{M-x message-idna-to-ascii-rhs RET} in the message buffer
-to have the non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names encoded while you edit the message.
+to have the non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names encoded while you edit
+the message.
Note that you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU
Libidn} installed in order to use this functionality.
@code{message-elide-ellipsis}. The default value is to use an ellipsis
(@samp{[...]}).
+@item C-c M-k
+@kindex C-c M-k
+@findex message-kill-address
+Kill the address under point.
+
@item C-c C-z
-@kindex C-c C-x
+@kindex C-c C-z
@findex message-kill-to-signature
Kill all the text up to the signature, or if that's missing, up to the
end of the message (@code{message-kill-to-signature}).
@kindex TAB
@findex message-tab
@vindex message-tab-body-function
-If non-@code{nil} execute the function specified in
-@code{message-tab-body-function}. Otherwise use the function bound to
-@kbd{TAB} in @code{text-mode-map} or @code{global-map}.
+If @code{message-tab-body-function} is non-@code{nil}, execute the
+function it specifies. Otherwise use the function bound to @kbd{TAB} in
+@code{text-mode-map} or @code{global-map}.
@end table
@section Mail Aliases
@cindex mail aliases
@cindex aliases
+@cindex completion
+@cindex ecomplete
@vindex message-mail-alias-type
The @code{message-mail-alias-type} variable controls what type of mail
-alias expansion to use. Currently only one form is supported---Message
-uses @code{mailabbrev} to handle mail aliases. If this variable is
+alias expansion to use. Currently two forms are supported:
+@code{mailabbrev} and @code{ecomplete}. If this variable is
@code{nil}, no mail alias expansion will be performed.
@code{mailabbrev} works by parsing the @file{/etc/mailrc} and
No expansion will be performed upon sending of the message---all
expansions have to be done explicitly.
+If you're using @code{ecomplete}, all addresses from @code{To} and
+@code{Cc} headers will automatically be put into the
+@file{~/.ecompleterc} file. When you enter text in the @code{To} and
+@code{Cc} headers, @code{ecomplete} will check out the values stored
+there and ``electrically'' say what completions are possible. To
+choose one of these completions, use the @kbd{M-n} command to move
+down to the list. Use @kbd{M-n} and @kbd{M-p} to move down and up the
+list, and @kbd{RET} to choose a completion.
@node Spelling
@section Spelling
@section Message Headers
Message is quite aggressive on the message generation front. It has to
-be -- it's a combined news and mail agent. To be able to send combined
+be---it's a combined news and mail agent. To be able to send combined
messages, it has to generate all headers itself (instead of letting the
mail/news system do it) to ensure that mail and news copies of messages
look sufficiently similar.
@table @code
@item nil
-Just the address -- @samp{king@@grassland.com}.
+Just the address---@samp{king@@grassland.com}.
@item parens
@samp{king@@grassland.com (Elvis Parsley)}.
lines. If @code{nil}, leave the subject unchanged. If it is the symbol
@code{ask}, query the user what do do. In this case, the subject is
matched against @code{message-subject-trailing-was-ask-regexp}. If
-@code{message-subject-trailing-was-query} is t, always strip the
+@code{message-subject-trailing-was-query} is @code{t}, always strip the
trailing old subject. In this case,
@code{message-subject-trailing-was-regexp} is used.
@item message-alternative-emails
@vindex message-alternative-emails
-A regexp to match the alternative email addresses. The first matched
-address (not primary one) is used in the @code{From} field.
+Regexp matching alternative email addresses. The first address in the
+To, Cc or From headers of the original article matching this variable is
+used as the From field of outgoing messages, replacing the default From
+value.
+
+For example, if you have two secondary email addresses john@@home.net
+and john.doe@@work.com and want to use them in the From field when
+composing a reply to a message addressed to one of them, you could set
+this variable like this:
+
+@lisp
+(setq message-alternative-emails
+ (regexp-opt '("john@@home.net" "john.doe@@work.com")))
+@end lisp
+
+This variable has precedence over posting styles and anything that runs
+off @code{message-setup-hook}.
@item message-allow-no-recipients
@vindex message-allow-no-recipients
'(not "From" "Subject" "To" "Cc" "Newsgroups"))
@end lisp
+Headers are hidden using narrowing, you can use @kbd{M-x widen} to
+expose them in the buffer.
+
@item message-header-synonyms
@vindex message-header-synonyms
A list of lists of header synonyms. E.g., if this list contains a
@item message-required-mail-headers
@vindex message-required-mail-headers
@xref{News Headers}, for the syntax of this variable. It is
-@code{(From Date Subject (optional . In-Reply-To) Message-ID Lines
+@code{(From Subject Date (optional . In-Reply-To) Message-ID
(optional . User-Agent))} by default.
@item message-ignored-mail-headers
@vindex message-ignored-mail-headers
-Regexp of headers to be removed before mailing. The default is
-@samp{^[GF]cc:\\|^Resent-Fcc:\\|^Xref:\\|^X-Draft-From:}.
+Regexp of headers to be removed before mailing. The default is@*
+@samp{^[GF]cc:\\|^Resent-Fcc:\\|^Xref:\\|^X-Draft-From:\\|@*
+^X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information:}.
@item message-default-mail-headers
@vindex message-default-mail-headers
This string is inserted at the end of the headers in all message
buffers that are initialized as mail.
+@item message-generate-hashcash
+@vindex message-generate-hashcash
+Boolean variable that indicate whether @samp{X-Hashcash} headers
+should be computed for the message. @xref{Hashcash, ,Hashcash,gnus,
+The Gnus Manual}.
+
@end table
@findex smtpmail-send-it
@findex feedmail-send-it
Function used to send the current buffer as mail. The default is
-@code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}. Other valid values include
+@code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, or @code{smtpmail-send-it}
+according to the system. Other valid values include
@code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
-@code{message-smtpmail-send-it}, @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
-@code{feedmail-send-it}.
+@code{message-smtpmail-send-it} and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
@item message-mh-deletable-headers
@vindex message-mh-deletable-headers
@cindex Sun
@cindex i-did-not-set--mail-host-address--so-tickle-me
This required header will be generated by Message. A unique ID will be
-created based on the date, time, user name and system name. For the
-domain part, message will look (in this order) at
+created based on the date, time, user name (for the local part) and the
+domain part. For the domain part, message will look (in this order) at
@code{message-user-fqdn}, @code{system-name}, @code{mail-host-address}
and @code{message-user-mail-address} (i.e. @code{user-mail-address})
until a probably valid fully qualified domain name (FQDN) was found.
@item message-ignored-news-headers
@vindex message-ignored-news-headers
Regexp of headers to be removed before posting. The default is@*
-@samp{^NNTP-Posting-Host:\\|^Xref:\\|^[BGF]cc:\\|^Resent-Fcc:\\|^X-Draft-From:}.
+@samp{^NNTP-Posting-Host:\\|^Xref:\\|^[BGF]cc:\\|^Resent-Fcc:\\|@*
+^X-Draft-From:\\|^X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information:}.
@item message-default-news-headers
@vindex message-default-news-headers
Hallvard B Furuseth <h.b.furuseth@@usit.uio.no> writes:
@end example
+@c FIXME: Add `message-insert-formated-citation-line' and
+@c `message-citation-line-format'
+
Point will be at the beginning of the body of the message when this
function is called.
@cindex yanking
@cindex quoting
When you are replying to or following up an article, you normally want
-to quote the person you are answering. Inserting quoted text is done
-by @dfn{yanking}, and each line you yank will have
-@code{message-yank-prefix} prepended to it (except for quoted and
-empty lines which uses @code{message-yank-cited-prefix}). The default
-is @samp{> }.
+to quote the person you are answering. Inserting quoted text is done by
+@dfn{yanking}, and each line you yank will have
+@code{message-yank-prefix} prepended to it (except for quoted lines
+which use @code{message-yank-cited-prefix} and empty lines which use
+@code{message-yank-empty-prefix}). The default is @samp{> }.
@item message-yank-cited-prefix
@vindex message-yank-cited-prefix
@cindex yanking
@cindex cited
@cindex quoting
-When yanking text from an article which contains no text or already
-cited text, each line will be prefixed with the contents of this
-variable. The default is @samp{>}. See also
-@code{message-yank-prefix}.
+When yanking text from an article which contains already cited text,
+each line will be prefixed with the contents of this variable. The
+default is @samp{>}. See also @code{message-yank-prefix}.
+
+@item message-yank-empty-prefix
+@vindex message-yank-empty-prefix
+@cindex yanking
+@cindex quoting
+When yanking text from an article, each empty line will be prefixed with
+the contents of this variable. The default is @samp{>}. You can set
+this variable to an empty string to split the cited text into paragraphs
+automatically. See also @code{message-yank-prefix}.
@item message-indentation-spaces
@vindex message-indentation-spaces
@item message-default-charset
@vindex message-default-charset
@cindex charset
-Symbol naming a @acronym{MIME} charset. Non-@acronym{ASCII}
-characters in messages are assumed to be encoded using this charset.
-The default is @code{nil}, which means ask the user. (This variable
-is used only on non-@sc{mule} Emacsen. @xref{Charset Translation, ,
-Charset Translation, emacs-mime, Emacs MIME Manual}, for details on
-the @sc{mule}-to-@acronym{MIME} translation process.
+Symbol naming a @acronym{MIME} charset. Non-@acronym{ASCII} characters
+in messages are assumed to be encoded using this charset. The default
+is @code{iso-8859-1} on non-@sc{mule} Emacsen; otherwise @code{nil},
+which means ask the user. (This variable is used only on non-@sc{mule}
+Emacsen.) @xref{Charset Translation, , Charset Translation, emacs-mime,
+Emacs MIME Manual}, for details on the @sc{mule}-to-@acronym{MIME}
+translation process.
@item message-signature-separator
@vindex message-signature-separator
@item message-directory
@vindex message-directory
Directory used by many mailey things. The default is @file{~/Mail/}.
+All other mail file variables are derived from @code{message-directory}.
@item message-auto-save-directory
@vindex message-auto-save-directory
@vindex message-mode-syntax-table
Syntax table used in message mode buffers.
+@item message-cite-articles-with-x-no-archive
+@vindex message-cite-articles-with-x-no-archive
+If non-@code{nil}, don't strip quoted text from articles that have
+@samp{X-No-Archive} set. Even if this variable isn't set, you can
+undo the stripping by hitting the @code{undo} keystroke.
+
@item message-strip-special-text-properties
@vindex message-strip-special-text-properties
Emacs has a number of special text properties which can break message
@item message-send-method-alist
@vindex message-send-method-alist
-
-Alist of ways to send outgoing messages. Each element has the form
+@findex message-mail-p
+@findex message-news-p
+@findex message-send-via-mail
+@findex message-send-via-news
+Alist of ways to send outgoing messages. Each element has the form:
@lisp
(@var{type} @var{predicate} @var{function})
@item predicate
A function called without any parameters to determine whether the
-message is a message of type @var{type}.
+message is a message of type @var{type}. The function will be called in
+the buffer where the message is.
@item function
A function to be called if @var{predicate} returns non-@code{nil}.
-@var{function} is called with one parameter -- the prefix.
+@var{function} is called with one parameter---the prefix.
@end table
+The default is:
+
@lisp
((news message-news-p message-send-via-news)
(mail message-mail-p message-send-via-mail))
@end lisp
-
-
+The @code{message-news-p} function returns non-@code{nil} if the message
+looks like news, and the @code{message-send-via-news} function sends the
+message according to the @code{message-send-news-function} variable
+(@pxref{News Variables}). The @code{message-mail-p} function returns
+non-@code{nil} if the message looks like mail, and the
+@code{message-send-via-mail} function sends the message according to the
+@code{message-send-mail-function} variable (@pxref{Mail Variables}).
+
+All the elements in this alist will be tried in order, so a message
+containing both a valid @samp{Newsgroups} header and a valid @samp{To}
+header, for example, will be sent as news, and then as mail.
@end table
@bye
@c End:
+
+@ignore
+ arch-tag: 16ab76af-a281-4e34-aed6-5624569f7601
+@end ignore