\input texinfo
+@include gnus-overrides.texi
+
@setfilename gnus
@settitle Gnus Manual
@syncodeindex fn cp
@syncodeindex vr cp
@syncodeindex pg cp
-@documentencoding ISO-8859-1
+@documentencoding UTF-8
@copying
-Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
-2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1995-2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@quotation
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
\begin{document}
% Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
-\newcommand{\gnusversionname}{No Gnus v0.11}
+\newcommand{\gnusversionname}{Ma Gnus v0.2}
\newcommand{\gnuschaptername}{}
\newcommand{\gnussectionname}{}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
-@dircategory Emacs
+@dircategory Emacs network features
@direntry
* Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
@end direntry
@titlepage
+@ifset WEBHACKDEVEL
+@title Gnus Manual (DEVELOPMENT VERSION)
+@end ifset
+@ifclear WEBHACKDEVEL
@title Gnus Manual
+@end ifclear
@author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
@page
luck.
@c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
-This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
+This manual corresponds to Ma Gnus v0.2
@ifnottex
@insertcopying
the program.
@c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
-This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
+This manual corresponds to Ma Gnus v0.2
@heading Other related manuals
@itemize
* Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
* Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
* Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
+* Searching:: Mail and News search engines.
* Various:: General purpose settings.
* The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
* Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
Starting Gnus
* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
-* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
* Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
* Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
+* The Empty Backend:: The backend that never has any news.
Document Groups
* Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
* Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
+Searching
+
+* nnir:: Searching with various engines.
+* nnmairix:: Searching with Mairix.
+
+nnir
+
+* What is nnir?:: What does nnir do.
+* Basic Usage:: How to perform simple searches.
+* Setting up nnir:: How to set up nnir.
+
+Setting up nnir
+
+* Associating Engines:: How to associate engines.
+
Various
* Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
History
* Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
-* Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
* Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
* Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
-* No Gnus:: Very punny.
+* No Gnus:: Very punny. Gnus 5.12/5.13
+* Ma Gnus:: Celebrating 25 years of Gnus.
Customization
@menu
* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
-* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
* Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
* New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
you can press @kbd{RET} on a defined server to see all the groups it
serves (subscribed or not!). You can also add or delete servers, edit
a foreign server's definition, agentize or de-agentize a server, and
-do many other neat things. @xref{Server Buffer}.
+do many other neat things. @xref{Server Buffer}.
@xref{Foreign Groups}. @xref{Agent Basics}.
@vindex gnus-select-method
news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
@dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
-foreign groups.
+secondary or foreign groups.
For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
-@node The First Time
-@section The First Time
-@cindex first time usage
-
-If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
-determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
-
-@vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
-If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
-will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
-killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
-something useful.
-
-Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
-picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
-here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
-
-You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
-help you with most common problems.
-
-If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
-use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
-special.
-
-
@node The Server is Down
@section The Server is Down
@cindex server errors
@node Checking New Groups
@subsection Checking New Groups
-Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
-list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
-dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
-@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
-server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
-cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
-groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
-@code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
-Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
-Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
+Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing
+the list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of
+subscribed and dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method.
+If @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will
+ask the server for new groups since the last time. This is both
+faster and cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list
+of killed groups (@pxref{Group Levels}) altogether, so you may set
+@code{gnus-save-killed-list} to @code{nil}, which will save time both
+at startup, at exit, and all over. Saves disk space, too. Why isn't
+this the default, then? Unfortunately, not all servers support this
+command.
I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
@item gnus-subscribe-zombies
@vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
-Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
-zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
-(with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
+Make all new groups zombies (@pxref{Group Levels}). This is the
+default. You can browse the zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either
+kill them all off properly (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them
+(with @kbd{u}).
@item gnus-subscribe-randomly
@vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
+The ``options -n'' format is very simplistic. The syntax above is all
+that is supports -- you can force-subscribe hierarchies, or you can
+deny hierarchies, and that's it.
+
@vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
@vindex gnus-options-subscribe
If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
-@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
-subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
-@code{nil}.
-
-New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
+@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, @code{nnimap}, and
+@code{nnmaildir}) subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this
+variable to @code{nil}.
+
+@vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-categories
+As if that wasn't enough, @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-categories} also
+allows you to specify that new groups should be subscribed based on the
+category their select methods belong to. The default is @samp{(mail
+post-mail)}, meaning that all new groups from mail-like backends
+should be subscribed automatically.
+
+New groups that match these variables are subscribed using
@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
-If you want version control for this file, set
+If you want to keep multiple numbered backups of this file, set
@code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
@code{version-control} variable.
* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
* Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
-* Searching:: Mail search engines.
* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
@end menu
go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
groups are hidden, in a way.
+@cindex zombie groups
Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
@section Foreign Groups
@cindex foreign groups
+If you recall how to subscribe to servers (@pxref{Finding the News})
+you will remember that @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} and
+@code{gnus-select-method} let you write a definition in Emacs Lisp of
+what servers you want to see when you start up. The alternate
+approach is to use foreign servers and groups. ``Foreign'' here means
+they are not coming from the select methods. All foreign server
+configuration and subscriptions are stored only in the
+@file{~/.newsrc.eld} file.
+
Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
@code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
@code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
-@code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
+@code{cache}, @code{forward}, and @code{unseen}.
@end table
(to-group . "\\1"))
("mail\\.me"
- (gnus-use-scoring t))
+ (gnus-use-scoring t))
("list\\..*"
(total-expire . t)
(broken-reply-to . t))))
@end lisp
-String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
-the @code{to-group} example shows.
+All clauses that matches the group name will be used, but the last
+setting ``wins''. So if you have two clauses that both match the
+group name, and both set, say @code{display}, the last setting will
+override the first.
+
+Parameters that are strings will be subjected to regexp substitution,
+as the @code{to-group} example shows.
@vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
@findex gnus-group-list-dormant
List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
+@item A !
+@kindex A ! (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-ticked
+List all groups with ticked articles (@code{gnus-group-list-ticked}).
+
@item A /
@kindex A / (Group)
@findex gnus-group-list-limit
-List groups limited within the current selection
-(@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
+Further limit groups within the current selection
+(@code{gnus-group-list-limit}). If you've first limited to groups
+with dormant articles with @kbd{A ?}, you can then further limit with
+@kbd{A / c}, which will then limit to groups with cached articles,
+giving you the groups that have both dormant articles and cached
+articles.
@item A f
@kindex A f (Group)
header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
-@node Searching
-@section Searching
+@node Misc Group Stuff
+@section Misc Group Stuff
@menu
-* nnir:: Searching on IMAP, with swish, namazu, etc.
-* nnmairix:: Searching maildir, MH or mbox with Mairix.
+* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
+* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
+* Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
+* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
+* Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
@end menu
-@cindex Searching
+@table @kbd
-FIXME: This node is a stub.
+@item v
+@kindex v (Group)
+@cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
+The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
+command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
-FIXME: Add a brief overview of Gnus search capabilities. A brief
-comparison of nnir, nnmairix, contrib/gnus-namazu would be nice
-as well.
+@lisp
+(define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
+ (lambda ()
+ (interactive)
+ (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
+@end lisp
-FIXME: Explain difference to @ref{Searching for Articles}, add reference
-and back-reference.
+On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
+@xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
-@node nnir
-@subsection nnir
+@item ^
+@kindex ^ (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
+Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
+@xref{Server Buffer}.
-FIXME: As a first step, convert the commentary of @file{nnir} to texi.
-@cindex nnir
+@item a
+@kindex a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-post-news
+Start composing a message (a news by default)
+(@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
+under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
+Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
+article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
+with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
-@node nnmairix
-@subsection nnmairix
+@item m
+@kindex m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mail
+Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
+use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
+prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
+@xref{Composing Messages}.
-@cindex mairix
-@cindex nnmairix
-This paragraph describes how to set up mairix and the back end
-@code{nnmairix} for indexing and searching your mail from within
-Gnus. Additionally, you can create permanent ``smart'' groups which are
-bound to mairix searches and are automatically updated.
+@item i
+@kindex i (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-news
+Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
+post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
+for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
-@menu
-* About mairix:: About the mairix mail search engine
-* nnmairix requirements:: What you will need for using nnmairix
-* What nnmairix does:: What does nnmairix actually do?
-* Setting up mairix:: Set up your mairix installation
-* Configuring nnmairix:: Set up the nnmairix back end
-* nnmairix keyboard shortcuts:: List of available keyboard shortcuts
-* Propagating marks:: How to propagate marks from nnmairix groups
-* nnmairix tips and tricks:: Some tips, tricks and examples
-* nnmairix caveats:: Some more stuff you might want to know
-@end menu
+This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
+This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
+sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
+in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
+for this to work though.
-@c FIXME: The markup in this section might need improvement.
-@c E.g. adding @samp, @var, @file, @command, etc.
-@c Cf. (info "(texinfo)Indicating")
+@item G z
+@kindex G z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-compact-group
-@node About mairix
-@subsubsection About mairix
+Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
+Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
+gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
+count.
-Mairix is a tool for indexing and searching words in locally stored
-mail. It was written by Richard Curnow and is licensed under the
-GPL. Mairix comes with most popular GNU/Linux distributions, but it also
-runs under Windows (with cygwin), Mac OS X and Solaris. The homepage can
-be found at
-@uref{http://www.rpcurnow.force9.co.uk/mairix/index.html}
+@end table
-Though mairix might not be as flexible as other search tools like
-swish++ or namazu, which you can use via the @code{nnir} back end, it
-has the prime advantage of being incredibly fast. On current systems, it
-can easily search through headers and message bodies of thousands and
-thousands of mails in well under a second. Building the database
-necessary for searching might take a minute or two, but only has to be
-done once fully. Afterwards, the updates are done incrementally and
-therefore are really fast, too. Additionally, mairix is very easy to set
-up.
+Variables for the group buffer:
-For maximum speed though, mairix should be used with mails stored in
-@code{Maildir} or @code{MH} format (this includes the @code{nnml} back
-end), although it also works with mbox. Mairix presents the search
-results by populating a @emph{virtual} maildir/MH folder with symlinks
-which point to the ``real'' message files (if mbox is used, copies are
-made). Since mairix already presents search results in such a virtual
-mail folder, it is very well suited for using it as an external program
-for creating @emph{smart} mail folders, which represent certain mail
-searches.
+@table @code
-@node nnmairix requirements
-@subsubsection nnmairix requirements
+@item gnus-group-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
+is called after the group buffer has been
+created.
-Mairix searches local mail---that means, mairix absolutely must have
-direct access to your mail folders. If your mail resides on another
-server (e.g. an @acronym{IMAP} server) and you happen to have shell
-access, @code{nnmairix} supports running mairix remotely, e.g. via ssh.
+@item gnus-group-prepare-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
+is called after the group buffer is
+generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
+unnatural way.
-Additionally, @code{nnmairix} only supports the following Gnus back
-ends: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir}, and @code{nnimap}. You must use
-one of these back ends for using @code{nnmairix}. Other back ends, like
-@code{nnmbox}, @code{nnfolder} or @code{nnmh}, won't work.
+@item gnus-group-prepared-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
+is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
+generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
-If you absolutely must use mbox and still want to use @code{nnmairix},
-you can set up a local @acronym{IMAP} server, which you then access via
-@code{nnimap}. This is a rather massive setup for accessing some mbox
-files, so just change to MH or Maildir already... However, if you're
-really, really passionate about using mbox, you might want to look into
-the package @file{mairix.el}, which comes with Emacs 23.
+@item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
+whether they are empty or not.
-@node What nnmairix does
-@subsubsection What nnmairix does
+@end table
-The back end @code{nnmairix} enables you to call mairix from within Gnus,
-either to query mairix with a search term or to update the
-database. While visiting a message in the summary buffer, you can use
-several pre-defined shortcuts for calling mairix, e.g. to quickly
-search for all mails from the sender of the current message or to
-display the whole thread associated with the message, even if the
-mails are in different folders.
+@node Scanning New Messages
+@subsection Scanning New Messages
+@cindex new messages
+@cindex scanning new news
-Additionally, you can create permanent @code{nnmairix} groups which are bound
-to certain mairix searches. This way, you can easily create a group
-containing mails from a certain sender, with a certain subject line or
-even for one specific thread based on the Message-ID. If you check for
-new mail in these folders (e.g. by pressing @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g}), they
-automatically update themselves by calling mairix.
+@table @kbd
-You might ask why you need @code{nnmairix} at all, since mairix already
-creates the group, populates it with links to the mails so that you can
-then access it with Gnus, right? Well, this @emph{might} work, but often
-does not---at least not without problems. Most probably you will get
-strange article counts, and sometimes you might see mails which Gnus
-claims have already been canceled and are inaccessible. This is due to
-the fact that Gnus isn't really amused when things are happening behind
-its back. Another problem can be the mail back end itself, e.g. if you
-use mairix with an @acronym{IMAP} server (I had Dovecot complaining
-about corrupt index files when mairix changed the contents of the search
-group). Using @code{nnmairix} should circumvent these problems.
+@item g
+@kindex g (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-get-new-news
+@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
+Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
+this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
+(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
+command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
+back end(s).
-@code{nnmairix} is not really a mail back end---it's actually more like
-a wrapper, sitting between a ``real'' mail back end where mairix stores
-the searches and the Gnus front end. You can choose between three
-different mail back ends for the mairix folders: @code{nnml},
-@code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnimap}. @code{nnmairix} will call the mairix
-binary so that the search results are stored in folders named
-@code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>} on this mail back end, but it will
-present these folders in the Gnus front end only with @code{<NAME>}.
-You can use an existing mail back end where you already store your mail,
-but if you're uncomfortable with @code{nnmairix} creating new mail
-groups alongside your other mail, you can also create e.g. a new
-@code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml} server exclusively for mairix, but then
-make sure those servers do not accidentally receive your new mail
-(@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). A special case exists if you want to use
-mairix remotely on an IMAP server with @code{nnimap}---here the mairix
-folders and your other mail must be on the same @code{nnimap} back end.
+@item M-g
+@kindex M-g (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
+@vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
+@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
+Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
+@code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
+to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
-@node Setting up mairix
-@subsubsection Setting up mairix
+@findex gnus-activate-all-groups
+@cindex activating groups
+@item C-c M-g
+@kindex C-c M-g (Group)
+Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
-First: create a backup of your mail folders (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}).
+@item R
+@kindex R (Group)
+@cindex restarting
+@findex gnus-group-restart
+Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
+file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
+Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
-Setting up mairix is easy: simply create a @file{.mairixrc} file with
-(at least) the following entries:
+@end table
-@example
-# Your Maildir/MH base folder
-base=~/Maildir
-@end example
+@vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
-This is the base folder for your mails. All the following directories
-are relative to this base folder. If you want to use @code{nnmairix}
-with @code{nnimap}, this base directory has to point to the mail
-directory where the @acronym{IMAP} server stores the mail folders!
+@vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
+@code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
+news.
-@example
-maildir= ... your maildir folders which should be indexed ...
-mh= ... your nnml/mh folders which should be indexed ...
-mbox = ... your mbox files which should be indexed ...
-@end example
-This specifies all your mail folders and mbox files (relative to the
-base directory!) you want to index with mairix. Note that the
-@code{nnml} back end saves mails in MH format, so you have to put those
-directories in the @code{mh} line. See the example at the end of this
-section and mairixrc's man-page for further details.
+@node Group Information
+@subsection Group Information
+@cindex group information
+@cindex information on groups
-@example
-omit=zz_mairix-*
-@end example
+@table @kbd
-@vindex nnmairix-group-prefix
-This should make sure that you don't accidentally index the mairix
-search results. You can change the prefix of these folders with the
-variable @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
-@example
-mformat= ... 'maildir' or 'mh' ...
-database= ... location of database file ...
-@end example
+@item H d
+@itemx C-c C-d
+@c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
+@kindex H d (Group)
+@kindex C-c C-d (Group)
+@cindex describing groups
+@cindex group description
+@findex gnus-group-describe-group
+Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
+a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
-The @code{format} setting specifies the output format for the mairix
-search folder. Set this to @code{mh} if you want to access search results
-with @code{nnml}. Otherwise choose @code{maildir}.
+@item M-d
+@kindex M-d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
+Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
+prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
-To summarize, here is my shortened @file{.mairixrc} file as an example:
+@item H v
+@itemx V
+@kindex V (Group)
+@kindex H v (Group)
+@cindex version
+@findex gnus-version
+Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
-@example
-base=~/Maildir
-maildir=.personal:.work:.logcheck:.sent
-mh=../Mail/nnml/*...
-mbox=../mboxmail/mailarchive_year*
-mformat=maildir
-omit=zz_mairix-*
-database=~/.mairixdatabase
-@end example
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
+Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
-In this case, the base directory is @file{~/Maildir}, where all my Maildir
-folders are stored. As you can see, the folders are separated by
-colons. If you wonder why every folder begins with a dot: this is
-because I use Dovecot as @acronym{IMAP} server, which again uses
-@code{Maildir++} folders. For testing nnmairix, I also have some
-@code{nnml} mail, which is saved in @file{~/Mail/nnml}. Since this has
-to be specified relative to the @code{base} directory, the @code{../Mail}
-notation is needed. Note that the line ends in @code{*...}, which means
-to recursively scan all files under this directory. Without the three
-dots, the wildcard @code{*} will not work recursively. I also have some
-old mbox files with archived mail lying around in @file{~/mboxmail}.
-The other lines should be obvious.
+@item C-c C-i
+@kindex C-c C-i (Group)
+@cindex info
+@cindex manual
+@findex gnus-info-find-node
+Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
+@end table
-See the man page for @code{mairixrc} for details and further options,
-especially regarding wildcard usage, which may be a little different
-than you are used to.
-Now simply call @code{mairix} to create the index for the first time.
-Note that this may take a few minutes, but every following index will do
-the updates incrementally and hence is very fast.
+@node Group Timestamp
+@subsection Group Timestamp
+@cindex timestamps
+@cindex group timestamps
-@node Configuring nnmairix
-@subsubsection Configuring nnmairix
+It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
+group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
+@code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
-In group mode, type @kbd{G b c}
-(@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). This will ask you for all
-necessary information and create a @code{nnmairix} server as a foreign
-server. You will have to specify the following:
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
+@end lisp
-@itemize @bullet
+After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
-@item
-The @strong{name} of the @code{nnmairix} server---choose whatever you
-want.
+This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
+use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
-@item
-The name of the @strong{back end server} where mairix should store its
-searches. This must be a full server name, like @code{nnml:mymail}.
-Just hit @kbd{TAB} to see the available servers. Currently, servers
-which are accessed through @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnimap} and
-@code{nnml} are supported. As explained above, for locally stored
-mails, this can be an existing server where you store your mails.
-However, you can also create e.g. a new @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml}
-server exclusively for @code{nnmairix} in your secondary select methods
-(@pxref{Finding the News}). If you use a secondary @code{nnml} server
-just for mairix, make sure that you explicitly set the server variable
-@code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}, or you might lose mail
-(@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). If you want to use mairix remotely on an
-@acronym{IMAP} server, you have to choose the corresponding
-@code{nnimap} server here.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
+@end lisp
-@item
-@vindex nnmairix-mairix-search-options
-The @strong{command} to call the mairix binary. This will usually just
-be @code{mairix}, but you can also choose something like @code{ssh
-SERVER mairix} if you want to call mairix remotely, e.g. on your
-@acronym{IMAP} server. If you want to add some default options to
-mairix, you could do this here, but better use the variable
-@code{nnmairix-mairix-search-options} instead.
+This will result in lines looking like:
-@item
-The name of the @strong{default search group}. This will be the group
-where all temporary mairix searches are stored, i.e. all searches which
-are not bound to permanent @code{nnmairix} groups. Choose whatever you
-like.
+@example
+* 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
+ 0: custom 19961002T012713
+@end example
-@item
-If the mail back end is @code{nnimap} or @code{nnmaildir}, you will be
-asked if you work with @strong{Maildir++}, i.e. with hidden maildir
-folders (=beginning with a dot). For example, you have to answer
-@samp{yes} here if you work with the Dovecot @acronym{IMAP}
-server. Otherwise, you should answer @samp{no} here.
+As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
+may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
+something like:
-@end itemize
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
+@end lisp
-@node nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
-@subsubsection nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
+If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
+user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
+trick:
-In group mode:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
+(defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
+ (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
+ (if time
+ (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
+ "")))
+@end lisp
-@table @kbd
-@item G b c
-@kindex G b c (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group
-Creates @code{nnmairix} server and default search group for this server
-(@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). You should have done
-this by now (@pxref{Configuring nnmairix}).
+@node File Commands
+@subsection File Commands
+@cindex file commands
-@item G b s
-@kindex G b s (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-search
-Prompts for query which is then sent to the mairix binary. Search
-results are put into the default search group which is automatically
-displayed (@code{nnmairix-search}).
+@table @kbd
-@item G b m
-@kindex G b m (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-widget-search
-Allows you to create a mairix search or a permanent group more
-comfortably using graphical widgets, similar to a customization
-group. Just try it to see how it works (@code{nnmairix-widget-search}).
+@item r
+@kindex r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-read-init-file
+@vindex gnus-init-file
+@cindex reading init file
+Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
+@file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
-@item G b i
-@kindex G b i (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-search-interactive
-Another command for creating a mairix query more comfortably, but uses
-only the minibuffer (@code{nnmairix-search-interactive}).
+@item s
+@kindex s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
+@cindex saving .newsrc
+Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
+(@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
+file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
-@item G b g
-@kindex G b g (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-create-search-group
-Creates a permanent group which is associated with a search query
-(@code{nnmairix-create-search-group}). The @code{nnmairix} back end
-automatically calls mairix when you update this group with @kbd{g} or
-@kbd{M-g}.
+@c @item Z
+@c @kindex Z (Group)
+@c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
+@c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
-@item G b q
-@kindex G b q (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group
-Changes the search query for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor
-(@code{nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group}).
+@end table
-@item G b t
-@kindex G b t (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group
-Toggles the 'threads' parameter for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor,
-i.e. if you want see the whole threads of the found messages
-(@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group}).
-@item G b u
-@kindex G b u (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-update-database
-@vindex nnmairix-mairix-update-options
-Calls mairix binary for updating the database
-(@code{nnmairix-update-database}). The default parameters are @code{-F}
-and @code{-Q} for making this as fast as possible (see variable
-@code{nnmairix-mairix-update-options} for defining these default
-options).
-
-@item G b r
-@kindex G b r (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group
-Keep articles in this @code{nnmairix} group always read or unread, or leave the
-marks unchanged (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group}).
-
-@item G b d
-@kindex G b d (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group
-Recreate @code{nnmairix} group on the ``real'' mail back end
-(@code{nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group}). You can do this if
-you always get wrong article counts with a @code{nnmairix} group.
+@node Sieve Commands
+@subsection Sieve Commands
+@cindex group sieve commands
-@item G b a
-@kindex G b a (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group
-Toggles the @code{allow-fast} parameters for group under cursor
-(@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group}). The default
-behavior of @code{nnmairix} is to do a mairix search every time you
-update or enter the group. With the @code{allow-fast} parameter set,
-mairix will only be called when you explicitly update the group, but not
-upon entering. This makes entering the group faster, but it may also
-lead to dangling symlinks if something changed between updating and
-entering the group which is not yet in the mairix database.
+Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
+the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
+sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
+commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
+script that can be transferred to the server somehow.
-@item G b p
-@kindex G b p (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group
-Toggle marks propagation for this group
-(@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group}). (@pxref{Propagating
-marks}).
+@vindex gnus-sieve-file
+@vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
+@vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
+The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
+default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
+between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
+@code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
+outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
+regenerate the Sieve script.
-@item G b o
-@kindex G b o (Group)
-@findex nnmairix-propagate-marks
-Manually propagate marks (@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks}); needed only when
-@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} is set to @code{nil}.
+@vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
+The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
+is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
+placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
+is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
+example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
+"owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
+code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
+@code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
+except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
-@end table
+@example
+if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
+ fileinto "INBOX.ding";
+ stop;
+@}
+@end example
-In summary mode:
+@xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
@table @kbd
-@item $ m
-@kindex $ m (Summary)
-@findex nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article
-Allows you to create a mairix query or group based on the current
-message using graphical widgets (same as @code{nnmairix-widget-search})
-(@code{nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article}).
+@item D g
+@kindex D g (Group)
+@findex gnus-sieve-generate
+@vindex gnus-sieve-file
+@cindex generating sieve script
+Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
+put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
-@item $ g
-@kindex $ g (Summary)
-@findex nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message
-Interactively creates a new search group with query based on the current
-message, but uses the minibuffer instead of graphical widgets
-(@code{nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message}).
+@item D u
+@kindex D u (Group)
+@findex gnus-sieve-update
+@vindex gnus-sieve-file
+@cindex updating sieve script
+Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
+@code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
+server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
-@item $ t
-@kindex $ t (Summary)
-@findex nnmairix-search-thread-this-article
-Searches thread for the current article
-(@code{nnmairix-search-thread-this-article}). This is effectively a
-shortcut for calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{m:msgid} of the
-current article and enabled threads.
+@end table
-@item $ f
-@kindex $ f (Summary)
-@findex nnmairix-search-from-this-article
-Searches all messages from sender of the current article
-(@code{nnmairix-search-from-this-article}). This is a shortcut for
-calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{f:From}.
-@item $ o
-@kindex $ o (Summary)
-@findex nnmairix-goto-original-article
-(Only in @code{nnmairix} groups!) Tries determine the group this article
-originally came from and displays the article in this group, so that
-e.g. replying to this article the correct posting styles/group
-parameters are applied (@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article}). This
-function will use the registry if available, but can also parse the
-article file name as a fallback method.
+@node Summary Buffer
+@chapter Summary Buffer
+@cindex summary buffer
-@item $ u
-@kindex $ u (Summary)
-@findex nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article
-Remove possibly existing tick mark from original article
-(@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article}). (@pxref{nnmairix
-tips and tricks}).
+A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
+move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
-@end table
+The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
+group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
-@node Propagating marks
-@subsubsection Propagating marks
+You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
-First of: you really need a patched mairix binary for using the marks
-propagation feature efficiently. Otherwise, you would have to update
-the mairix database all the time. You can get the patch at
+You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
+customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
+available in Emacs.
-@uref{http://www.randomsample.de/mairix-maildir-patch.tar}
+@kindex v (Summary)
+@cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
+The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
+command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
+@lisp
+(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
+@end lisp
-You need the mairix v0.21 source code for this patch; everything else
-is explained in the accompanied readme file. If you don't want to use
-marks propagation, you don't have to apply these patches, but they also
-fix some annoyances regarding changing maildir flags, so it might still
-be useful to you.
+@menu
+* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
+* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
+* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
+* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
+* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
+* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
+* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
+* Threading:: How threads are made.
+* Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
+* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
+* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
+* Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
+* Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
+* Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
+* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
+* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
+* Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
+* MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
+* Charsets:: Character set issues.
+* Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
+* Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
+* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
+* Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
+* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
+* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
+* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
+* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
+ or reselecting the current group.
+* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
+* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
+* Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
+* Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
+@end menu
-With the patched mairix binary, you can use @code{nnmairix} as an
-alternative to mail splitting (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}). For
-example, instead of splitting all mails from @samp{david@@foobar.com}
-into a group, you can simply create a search group with the query
-@samp{f:david@@foobar.com}. This is actually what ``smart folders'' are
-all about: simply put everything in one mail folder and dynamically
-create searches instead of splitting. This is more flexible, since you
-can dynamically change your folders any time you want to. This also
-implies that you will usually read your mails in the @code{nnmairix}
-groups instead of your ``real'' mail groups.
-There is one problem, though: say you got a new mail from
-@samp{david@@foobar.com}; it will now show up in two groups, the
-``real'' group (your INBOX, for example) and in the @code{nnmairix}
-search group (provided you have updated the mairix database). Now you
-enter the @code{nnmairix} group and read the mail. The mail will be
-marked as read, but only in the @code{nnmairix} group---in the ``real''
-mail group it will be still shown as unread.
+@node Summary Buffer Format
+@section Summary Buffer Format
+@cindex summary buffer format
-You could now catch up the mail group (@pxref{Group Data}), but this is
-tedious and error prone, since you may overlook mails you don't have
-created @code{nnmairix} groups for. Of course, you could first use
-@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article} (@pxref{nnmairix keyboard
-shortcuts}) and then read the mail in the original group, but that's
-even more cumbersome.
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
+\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
+\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
+}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-Clearly, the easiest way would be if marks could somehow be
-automatically set for the original article. This is exactly what
-@emph{marks propagation} is about.
+@menu
+* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
+* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
+* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
+* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
+@end menu
-Marks propagation is deactivated by default. You can activate it for a
-certain @code{nnmairix} group with
-@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group} (bound to @kbd{G b
-p}). This function will warn you if you try to use it with your default
-search group; the reason is that the default search group is used for
-temporary searches, and it's easy to accidentally propagate marks from
-this group. However, you can ignore this warning if you really want to.
-
-With marks propagation enabled, all the marks you set in a @code{nnmairix}
-group should now be propagated to the original article. For example,
-you can now tick an article (by default with @kbd{!}) and this mark should
-magically be set for the original article, too.
-
-A few more remarks which you may or may not want to know:
-
-@vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close
-Marks will not be set immediately, but only upon closing a group. This
-not only makes marks propagation faster, it also avoids problems with
-dangling symlinks when dealing with maildir files (since changing flags
-will change the file name). You can also control when to propagate marks
-via @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} (see the doc-string for
-details).
-
-Obviously, @code{nnmairix} will have to look up the original group for every
-article you want to set marks for. If available, @code{nnmairix} will first use
-the registry for determining the original group. The registry is very
-fast, hence you should really, really enable the registry when using
-marks propagation. If you don't have to worry about RAM and disc space,
-set @code{gnus-registry-max-entries} to a large enough value; to be on
-the safe side, choose roughly the amount of mails you index with mairix.
-
-@vindex nnmairix-only-use-registry
-If you don't want to use the registry or the registry hasn't seen the
-original article yet, @code{nnmairix} will use an additional mairix
-search for determining the file name of the article. This, of course, is
-way slower than the registry---if you set hundreds or even thousands of
-marks this way, it might take some time. You can avoid this situation by
-setting @code{nnmairix-only-use-registry} to t.
-
-Maybe you also want to propagate marks the other way round, i.e. if you
-tick an article in a "real" mail group, you'd like to have the same
-article in a @code{nnmairix} group ticked, too. For several good
-reasons, this can only be done efficiently if you use maildir. To
-immediately contradict myself, let me mention that it WON'T work with
-@code{nnmaildir}, since @code{nnmaildir} stores the marks externally and
-not in the file name. Therefore, propagating marks to @code{nnmairix}
-groups will usually only work if you use an IMAP server which uses
-maildir as its file format.
-
-@vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups
-If you work with this setup, just set
-@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t} and see what
-happens. If you don't like what you see, just set it to @code{nil} again. One
-problem might be that you get a wrong number of unread articles; this
-usually happens when you delete or expire articles in the original
-groups. When this happens, you can recreate the @code{nnmairix} group on the
-back end using @kbd{G b d}.
-
-@node nnmairix tips and tricks
-@subsubsection nnmairix tips and tricks
-
-@itemize
-@item
-Checking Mail
-
-@findex nnmairix-update-groups
-I put all my important mail groups at group level 1. The mairix groups
-have group level 5, so they do not get checked at start up (@pxref{Group
-Levels}).
-
-I use the following to check for mails:
+@findex mail-extract-address-components
+@findex gnus-extract-address-components
+@vindex gnus-extract-address-components
+Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
+variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
+@code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
+@code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
+fast, and too simplistic solution; and
+@code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
+slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
+cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
@lisp
-(defun my-check-mail-mairix-update (level)
- (interactive "P")
- ;; if no prefix given, set level=1
- (gnus-group-get-new-news (or level 1))
- (nnmairix-update-groups "mairixsearch" t t)
- (gnus-group-list-groups))
-
-(define-key gnus-group-mode-map "g" 'my-check-mail-mairix-update)
+(setq gnus-extract-address-components
+ 'mail-extract-address-components)
@end lisp
-Instead of @samp{"mairixsearch"} use the name of your @code{nnmairix}
-server. See the doc string for @code{nnmairix-update-groups} for
-details.
+@vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
+@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
+article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
+with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
-@item
-Example: search group for ticked articles
-For example, you can create a group for all ticked articles, where the
-articles always stay unread:
+@node Summary Buffer Lines
+@subsection Summary Buffer Lines
-Hit @kbd{G b g}, enter group name (e.g. @samp{important}), use
-@samp{F:f} as query and do not include threads.
+@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
+You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
+the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
+lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
+(@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
-Now activate marks propagation for this group by using @kbd{G b p}. Then
-activate the always-unread feature by using @kbd{G b r} twice.
+There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
+the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
+performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
+possible to change this. Just write a new function
+@code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
+@xref{Positioning Point}.
-So far so good---but how do you remove the tick marks in the @code{nnmairix}
-group? There are two options: You may simply use
-@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article} (bound to @kbd{$ u}) to remove
-tick marks from the original article. The other possibility is to set
-@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t}, but see the above
-comments about this option. If it works for you, the tick marks should
-also exist in the @code{nnmairix} group and you can remove them as usual,
-e.g. by marking an article as read.
+The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
-When you have removed a tick mark from the original article, this
-article should vanish from the @code{nnmairix} group after you have updated the
-mairix database and updated the group. Fortunately, there is a function
-for doing exactly that: @code{nnmairix-update-groups}. See the previous code
-snippet and the doc string for details.
+The following format specification characters and extended format
+specification(s) are understood:
-@item
-Dealing with auto-subscription of mail groups
+@table @samp
+@item N
+Article number.
+@item S
+Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
+@code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
+@item s
+Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
+had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
+(@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
+@item F
+Full @code{From} header.
+@item n
+The name (from the @code{From} header).
+@item f
+The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
+From Newsgroups}).
+@item a
+The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
+spec in that it uses the function designated by the
+@code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
+may be more thorough.
+@item A
+The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
+the @code{a} spec.
+@item L
+Number of lines in the article.
+@item c
+Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
+in some methods (like nnfolder).
+@item k
+Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
+for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
+@item I
+Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item B
+A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
+lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
-As described before, all @code{nnmairix} groups are in fact stored on
-the mail back end in the form @samp{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can
-see them when you enter the back end server in the server buffer. You
-should not subscribe these groups! Unfortunately, these groups will
-usually get @emph{auto-subscribed} when you use @code{nnmaildir} or
-@code{nnml}, i.e. you will suddenly see groups of the form
-@samp{zz_mairix*} pop up in your group buffer. If this happens to you,
-simply kill these groups with C-k. For avoiding this, turn off
-auto-subscription completely by setting the variable
-@code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups} to @code{nil} (@pxref{Filtering New
-Groups}), or if you like to keep this feature use the following kludge
-for turning it off for all groups beginning with @samp{zz_}:
+@example
+>
++->
+| +->
+| | \->
+| | \->
+| \->
++->
+\->
+@end example
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
- "^\\(nnml\\|nnfolder\\|nnmbox\\|nnmh\\|nnbabyl\\|nnmaildir\\).*:\\([^z]\\|z$\\|\\z[^z]\\|zz$\\|zz[^_]\\|zz_$\\).*")
-@end lisp
+You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
+that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
+replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
+line-drawing glyphs.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
+Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
+instead. The default is @samp{> }.
-@end itemize
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
+Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
+@code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
-@node nnmairix caveats
-@subsubsection nnmairix caveats
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
+Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
+instead. The default is @samp{}.
-@itemize
-@item
-You can create a secondary @code{nnml} server just for nnmairix, but then
-you have to explicitly set the corresponding server variable
-@code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}. Otherwise, new mail might get
-put into this secondary server (and would never show up again). Here's
-an example server definition:
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
+Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
-@lisp
-(nnml "mairix" (nnml-directory "mairix") (nnml-get-new-mail nil))
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
+Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
-(The @code{nnmaildir} back end also has a server variabe
-@code{get-new-mail}, but its default value is @code{nil}, so you don't
-have to explicitly set it if you use a @code{nnmaildir} server just for
-mairix.)
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
+Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
-@item
-If you use the Gnus registry: don't use the registry with
-@code{nnmairix} groups (put them in
-@code{gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups}). Be @emph{extra careful} if
-you use @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}; mails which are
-split into @code{nnmairix} groups are usually gone for good as soon as
-you check the group for new mail (yes, it has happened to me...).
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
+Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
-@item
-Therefore: @emph{Never ever} put ``real'' mails into @code{nnmairix}
-groups (you shouldn't be able to, anyway).
+@end table
-@item
-If you use the Gnus agent (@pxref{Gnus Unplugged}): don't agentize
-@code{nnmairix} groups (though I have no idea what happens if you do).
+@item T
+Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
+pushes everything after it off the screen).
+@item [
+Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
+for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item ]
+Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
+for adopted articles.
+@item >
+One space for each thread level.
+@item <
+Twenty minus thread level spaces.
+@item U
+Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
-@item
-mairix does only support us-ascii characters.
+@item R
+This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
+mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
+or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
-@item
-@code{nnmairix} uses a rather brute force method to force Gnus to
-completely reread the group on the mail back end after mairix was
-called---it simply deletes and re-creates the group on the mail
-back end. So far, this has worked for me without any problems, and I
-don't see how @code{nnmairix} could delete other mail groups than its
-own, but anyway: you really should have a backup of your mail
-folders.
-
-@item
-All necessary information is stored in the group parameters
-(@pxref{Group Parameters}). This has the advantage that no active file
-is needed, but also implies that when you kill a @code{nnmairix} group,
-it is gone for good.
+@item i
+Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
+@item z
+@vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
+Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
+default level. If the difference between
+@code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
+@code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
+@item V
+Total thread score.
+@item x
+@code{Xref}.
+@item D
+@code{Date}.
+@item d
+The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
+@item o
+The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
+@item M
+@code{Message-ID}.
+@item r
+@code{References}.
+@item t
+Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
+down summary buffer generation somewhat.
+@item e
+An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
+article has any children.
+@item P
+The line number.
+@item O
+Download mark.
+@item *
+Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
+@item &user-date;
+Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
+@code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
+@item u
+User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
+be a letter. Gnus will call the function
+@code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
+following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
+argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
+into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
+@end table
-@item
-@findex nnmairix-purge-old-groups
-If you create and kill a lot of @code{nnmairix} groups, the
-``zz_mairix-*'' groups will accumulate on the mail back end server. To
-delete old groups which are no longer needed, call
-@code{nnmairix-purge-old-groups}. Note that this assumes that you don't
-save any ``real'' mail in folders of the form
-@code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can change the prefix of
-@code{nnmairix} groups by changing the variable
-@code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
+Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
+@code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
+There can only be one such area.
-@item
-The following only applies if you @emph{don't} use the mentioned patch
-for mairix (@pxref{Propagating marks}):
+The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
+have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
+compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
+that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
+variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
+buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
-A problem can occur when using @code{nnmairix} with maildir folders and
-comes with the fact that maildir stores mail flags like @samp{Seen} or
-@samp{Replied} by appending chars @samp{S} and @samp{R} to the message
-file name, respectively. This implies that currently you would have to
-update the mairix database not only when new mail arrives, but also when
-mail flags are changing. The same applies to new mails which are indexed
-while they are still in the @samp{new} folder but then get moved to
-@samp{cur} when Gnus has seen the mail. If you don't update the database
-after this has happened, a mairix query can lead to symlinks pointing to
-non-existing files. In Gnus, these messages will usually appear with
-``(none)'' entries in the header and can't be accessed. If this happens
-to you, using @kbd{G b u} and updating the group will usually fix this.
+The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
+(Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
-@end itemize
+This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
-@node Misc Group Stuff
-@section Misc Group Stuff
-@menu
-* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
-* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
-* Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
-* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
-* Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
-@end menu
+@node To From Newsgroups
+@subsection To From Newsgroups
+@cindex To
+@cindex Newsgroups
-@table @kbd
+In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
+isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
+you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
+headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
+gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
-@item v
-@kindex v (Group)
-@cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
-The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
-command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
+@enumerate
+@item
+@vindex gnus-extra-headers
+The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
+instance:
@lisp
-(define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
- (lambda ()
- (interactive)
- (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
+(setq gnus-extra-headers
+ '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
@end lisp
-On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
-@xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
+This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
+storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
-@item ^
-@kindex ^ (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
-Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
-@xref{Server Buffer}.
+@item
+@findex gnus-extra-header
+The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
+@code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
+access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
-@item a
-@kindex a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-post-news
-Start composing a message (a news by default)
-(@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
-under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
-Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
-article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
-with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
+@example
+"%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
+@end example
-@item m
-@kindex m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mail
-Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
-use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
-prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
-@xref{Composing Messages}.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
+The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
+summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
+@code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
+@code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
+headers are used instead.
-@item i
-@kindex i (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-news
-Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
-post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
-for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
+To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
+has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
+@code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
+@samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
+customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
+@code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
-This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
-This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
-sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
-in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
-for this to work though.
+@end enumerate
-@item G z
-@kindex G z (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-compact-group
+@vindex nnmail-extra-headers
+A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
+to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
+If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
+changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
+and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
+regeneration.
-Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
-Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
-gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
-count.
+@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
+You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
+@code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
-@end table
+In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
+@file{~/.gnus.el}:
-Variables for the group buffer:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extra-headers
+ '(To Newsgroups))
+(setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
+(setq gnus-summary-line-format
+ "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
+(setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
+ "Your Name Here")
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+(The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
+to fit your needs.)
-@item gnus-group-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
-is called after the group buffer has been
-created.
+A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
+convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
+support:
-@item gnus-group-prepare-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
-is called after the group buffer is
-generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
-unnatural way.
+The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
+the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
+nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
-@item gnus-group-prepared-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
-is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
-generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
+@example
+Newsgroups:full
+@end example
-@item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
-@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
-Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
-whether they are empty or not.
+to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
+as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
-@end table
-@node Scanning New Messages
-@subsection Scanning New Messages
-@cindex new messages
-@cindex scanning new news
+@node Summary Buffer Mode Line
+@subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
-@table @kbd
+@vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
+You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
+Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
+like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
+
+Here are the elements you can play with:
+@table @samp
+@item G
+Group name.
+@item p
+Unprefixed group name.
+@item A
+Current article number.
+@item z
+Current article score.
+@item V
+Gnus version.
+@item U
+Number of unread articles in this group.
+@item e
+Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
+summary buffer.
+@item Z
+A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
+either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
+articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
+and no unselected ones.
@item g
-@kindex g (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-get-new-news
-@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
-Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
-this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
-(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
-command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
-back end(s).
+Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
+shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
+@item S
+Subject of the current article.
+@item u
+User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
+@item s
+Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
+@item d
+Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
+@item t
+Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
+@item r
+Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
+@item E
+Number of articles expunged by the score files.
+@end table
-@item M-g
-@kindex M-g (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
-@vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
-@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
-Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
-@code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
-to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
-@findex gnus-activate-all-groups
-@cindex activating groups
-@item C-c M-g
-@kindex C-c M-g (Group)
-Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
+@node Summary Highlighting
+@subsection Summary Highlighting
-@item R
-@kindex R (Group)
-@cindex restarting
-@findex gnus-group-restart
-Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
-file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
-Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
+This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
+highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
+@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-update-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
+This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
+@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-selected-face
+@vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
+This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
+highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
+@item gnus-summary-highlight
+@vindex gnus-summary-highlight
+Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
+list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
+. @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
+italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
+to something like
+@lisp
+(((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
+ ((> score default) . bold))
+@end lisp
+As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
+@var{face} will be applied to the line.
@end table
-@vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
-@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
-@vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
-@code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
-news.
+@node Summary Maneuvering
+@section Summary Maneuvering
+@cindex summary movement
+All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
+behave pretty much as you'd expect.
-@node Group Information
-@subsection Group Information
-@cindex group information
-@cindex information on groups
+None of these commands select articles.
@table @kbd
+@item G M-n
+@itemx M-n
+@kindex M-n (Summary)
+@kindex G M-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
+Go to the next summary line of an unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
+@item G M-p
+@itemx M-p
+@kindex M-p (Summary)
+@kindex G M-p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
+Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
-@item H f
-@kindex H f (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
-@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
-@cindex FAQ
-@cindex ange-ftp
-Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
-from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
-a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
-In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
-between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
-used for fetching the file.
+@item G g
+@kindex G g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
+Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
+without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
+@end table
-If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
-through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
+If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
+can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
+buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
+to the group buffer.
-@item H d
-@itemx C-c C-d
-@c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
-@kindex H d (Group)
-@kindex C-c C-d (Group)
-@cindex describing groups
-@cindex group description
-@findex gnus-group-describe-group
-Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
-a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
+Variables related to summary movement:
-@item M-d
-@kindex M-d (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
-Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
-prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
+@table @code
-@item H v
-@itemx V
-@kindex V (Group)
-@kindex H v (Group)
-@cindex version
-@findex gnus-version
-Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-next
+@item gnus-auto-select-next
+If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
+no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
+the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
+empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
+this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
+next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
+is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
+confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
+will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
+Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
+command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
+@pxref{Group Levels}.
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
-Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
+@item gnus-auto-select-same
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-same
+If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
+article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
+mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
+for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
+articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
-@item C-c C-i
-@kindex C-c C-i (Group)
-@cindex info
-@cindex manual
-@findex gnus-info-find-node
-Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
-@end table
+This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
+@item gnus-summary-check-current
+@vindex gnus-summary-check-current
+If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
+to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
+Instead, they will choose the current article.
-@node Group Timestamp
-@subsection Group Timestamp
-@cindex timestamps
-@cindex group timestamps
+@item gnus-auto-center-summary
+@vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
+centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
+slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
+set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
+action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
+buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
+threads.
-It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
-group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
-@code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
+This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
+the given number of lines from the top.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
+@vindex gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
+If non-@code{nil}, don't go to the next article when hitting
+@kbd{SPC}, and you're at the end of the article.
-After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
+@end table
-This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
-use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-group-line-format
- "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
-@end lisp
+@node Choosing Articles
+@section Choosing Articles
+@cindex selecting articles
-This will result in lines looking like:
+@menu
+* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
+* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
+@end menu
-@example
-* 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
- 0: custom 19961002T012713
-@end example
-As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
-may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
-something like:
+@node Choosing Commands
+@subsection Choosing Commands
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-group-line-format
- "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
-@end lisp
+None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
+and they all select and display an article.
-If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
-user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
-trick:
+If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
+@ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-group-line-format
- "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
-(defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
- (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
- (if time
- (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
- "")))
-@end lisp
+@table @kbd
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-page
+Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
+unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
+again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
+@kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
-@node File Commands
-@subsection File Commands
-@cindex file commands
+@item G n
+@itemx n
+@kindex n (Summary)
+@kindex G n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
+Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
-@table @kbd
+@item G p
+@itemx p
+@kindex p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
+Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
-@item r
-@kindex r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-read-init-file
-@vindex gnus-init-file
-@cindex reading init file
-Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
-@file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
+@item G N
+@itemx N
+@kindex N (Summary)
+@kindex G N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-article
+Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
-@item s
-@kindex s (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
-@cindex saving .newsrc
-Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
-(@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
-file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
+@item G P
+@itemx P
+@kindex P (Summary)
+@kindex G P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-article
+Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
-@c @item Z
-@c @kindex Z (Group)
-@c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
-@c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
+@item G C-n
+@kindex G C-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
+Go to the next article with the same subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
-@end table
+@item G C-p
+@kindex G C-p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
+Go to the previous article with the same subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
+@item G f
+@itemx .
+@kindex G f (Summary)
+@kindex . (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
+Go to the first unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
-@node Sieve Commands
-@subsection Sieve Commands
-@cindex group sieve commands
+@item G b
+@itemx ,
+@kindex G b (Summary)
+@kindex , (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
+Go to the unread article with the highest score
+(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
+go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
-Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
-the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
-sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
-commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
-script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
+@item G l
+@itemx l
+@kindex l (Summary)
+@kindex G l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
+Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
-@vindex gnus-sieve-file
-@vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
-@vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
-The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
-default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
-between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
-@code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
-outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
-regenerate the Sieve script.
+@item G o
+@kindex G o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pop-article
+@cindex history
+@cindex article history
+Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
+(@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
+command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
+history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
+For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
+@pxref{Article Backlog}.
-@vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
-The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
-is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
-placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
-is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
-example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
-"owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
-code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
-@code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
-except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
+@item G j
+@itemx j
+@kindex j (Summary)
+@kindex G j (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-article
+Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
+article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
-@example
-if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
- fileinto "INBOX.ding";
- stop;
-@}
-@end example
+@end table
-@xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
-@table @kbd
+@node Choosing Variables
+@subsection Choosing Variables
-@item D g
-@kindex D g (Group)
-@findex gnus-sieve-generate
-@vindex gnus-sieve-file
-@cindex generating sieve script
-Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
-put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
+Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
-@item D u
-@kindex D u (Group)
-@findex gnus-sieve-update
-@vindex gnus-sieve-file
-@cindex updating sieve script
-Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
-@code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
-server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
+@vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
+All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
+article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
+this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
+the server and display it in the article buffer.
-@end table
+@item gnus-select-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-select-article-hook
+This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
+@code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
+you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
+hook will do so.
+@item gnus-mark-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
+@findex gnus-unread-mark
+This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
+be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
+mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
+articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
+expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
+marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
+instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
+@code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
-@node Summary Buffer
-@chapter Summary Buffer
-@cindex summary buffer
+@end table
-A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
-move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
-The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
-group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
+@node Paging the Article
+@section Scrolling the Article
+@cindex article scrolling
-You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
+@table @kbd
-You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
-customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
-available in Emacs.
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-page
+Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
+or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
+next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
-@kindex v (Summary)
-@cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
-The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
-command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
-@lisp
-(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
-@end lisp
-
-@menu
-* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
-* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
-* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
-* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
-* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
-* Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
-* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
-* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
-* Threading:: How threads are made.
-* Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
-* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
-* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
-* Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
-* Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
-* Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
-* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
-* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
-* Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
-* MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
-* Charsets:: Character set issues.
-* Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
-* Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
-* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
-* Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
-* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
-* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
-* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
-* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
- or reselecting the current group.
-* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
-* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
-* Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
-* Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
-@end menu
+@vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
+@vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
+If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
+the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
+skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
+what is considered uninteresting with
+@code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
+pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
+@item DEL
+@kindex DEL (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
+Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
-@node Summary Buffer Format
-@section Summary Buffer Format
-@cindex summary buffer format
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
+Scroll the current article one line forward
+(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
-\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
-\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
-}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@item M-RET
+@kindex M-RET (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
+Scroll the current article one line backward
+(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
-@menu
-* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
-* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
-* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
-* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
-@end menu
+@item A g
+@itemx g
+@kindex A g (Summary)
+@kindex g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-article
+@vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
+(Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
+given a prefix, show a completely ``raw'' article, just the way it
+came from the server. If given a prefix twice (i.e., @kbd{C-u C-u
+g'}), fetch the current article, but don't run any of the article
+treatment functions.
-@findex mail-extract-address-components
-@findex gnus-extract-address-components
-@vindex gnus-extract-address-components
-Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
-variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
-@code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
-@code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
-fast, and too simplistic solution; and
-@code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
-slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
-cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
+@cindex charset, view article with different charset
+If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
+@kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
+encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
@lisp
-(setq gnus-extract-address-components
- 'mail-extract-address-components)
+(setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
+ '((1 . cn-gb-2312)
+ (2 . big5)))
@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
-@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
-article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
-with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
-
+then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
-@node Summary Buffer Lines
-@subsection Summary Buffer Lines
+@item A <
+@itemx <
+@kindex < (Summary)
+@kindex A < (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
+Scroll to the beginning of the article
+(@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
-@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
-You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
-the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
-lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
-(@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
+@item A >
+@itemx >
+@kindex > (Summary)
+@kindex A > (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
+Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
-There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
-the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
-performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
-possible to change this. Just write a new function
-@code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
-@xref{Positioning Point}.
+@item A s
+@itemx s
+@kindex A s (Summary)
+@kindex s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
+Perform an isearch in the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
-The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
+@item h
+@kindex h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
+Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
-The following format specification characters and extended format
-specification(s) are understood:
+@end table
-@table @samp
-@item N
-Article number.
-@item S
-Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
-@code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
-@item s
-Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
-had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
-(@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
-@item F
-Full @code{From} header.
-@item n
-The name (from the @code{From} header).
-@item f
-The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
-From Newsgroups}).
-@item a
-The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
-spec in that it uses the function designated by the
-@code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
-may be more thorough.
-@item A
-The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
-the @code{a} spec.
-@item L
-Number of lines in the article.
-@item c
-Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
-in some methods (like nnfolder).
-@item k
-Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
-for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
-@item I
-Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
-@item B
-A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
-lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
-@example
->
-+->
-| +->
-| | \->
-| | \->
-| \->
-+->
-\->
-@end example
+@node Reply Followup and Post
+@section Reply, Followup and Post
-You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
-that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
-replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
-line-drawing glyphs.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
-@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
-Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
-instead. The default is @samp{> }.
+@menu
+* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
+* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
+* Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
+* Canceling and Superseding::
+@end menu
-@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
-@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
-Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
-@code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
-@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
-@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
-Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
-instead. The default is @samp{}.
+@node Summary Mail Commands
+@subsection Summary Mail Commands
+@cindex mail
+@cindex composing mail
-@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
-@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
-Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
+Commands for composing a mail message:
-@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
-@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
-Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
-@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
-Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
+@item S r
+@itemx r
+@kindex S r (Summary)
+@kindex r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
-@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
-@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
-Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
+@item S R
+@itemx R
+@kindex R (Summary)
+@kindex S R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
+original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
+command uses the process/prefix convention.
-@end table
+@item S w
+@kindex S w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
+Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
+goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
+@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
+present, that's used instead.
-@item T
-Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
-pushes everything after it off the screen).
-@item [
-Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
-for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
-@item ]
-Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
-for adopted articles.
-@item >
-One space for each thread level.
-@item <
-Twenty minus thread level spaces.
-@item U
-Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
-
-@item R
-This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
-mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
-or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
-
-@item i
-Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
-@item z
-@vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
-Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
-default level. If the difference between
-@code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
-@code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
-@item V
-Total thread score.
-@item x
-@code{Xref}.
-@item D
-@code{Date}.
-@item d
-The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
-@item o
-The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
-@item M
-@code{Message-ID}.
-@item r
-@code{References}.
-@item t
-Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
-down summary buffer generation somewhat.
-@item e
-An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
-article has any children.
-@item P
-The line number.
-@item O
-Download mark.
-@item *
-Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
-@item &user-date;
-Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
-@code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
-@item u
-User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
-be a letter. Gnus will call the function
-@code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
-following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
-argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
-into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
-@end table
-
-Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
-@code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
-There can only be one such area.
-
-The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
-have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
-compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
-that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
-variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
-buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
-
-The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
-(Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
-
-This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
-
-
-@node To From Newsgroups
-@subsection To From Newsgroups
-@cindex To
-@cindex Newsgroups
-
-In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
-isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
-you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
-headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
-gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
-
-@enumerate
-@item
-@vindex gnus-extra-headers
-The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
-instance:
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-extra-headers
- '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
-@end lisp
-
-This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
-storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
+@item S W
+@kindex S W (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
+Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
+message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
+the process/prefix convention, but only uses the headers from the
+first article to determine the recipients.
-@item
-@findex gnus-extra-header
-The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
-@code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
-access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
+@item S L
+@kindex S L (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-to-list-with-original
+When replying to a message from a mailing list, send a reply to that
+message to the mailing list, and include the original message
+(@code{gnus-summary-reply-to-list-with-original}).
-@example
-"%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
-@end example
+@item S v
+@kindex S v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
+Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
+that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
+@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
+articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
-@item
-@vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
-The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
-summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
-@code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
-@code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
-headers are used instead.
+@item S V
+@kindex S V (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
+Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
+original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
+command uses the process/prefix convention.
-To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
-has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
-@code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
-@samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
-customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
-@code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
+@item S B r
+@kindex S B r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
+@code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
+If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
+@code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
+the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
+correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
-@end enumerate
+@item S B R
+@kindex S B R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
+original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
+(@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
-@vindex nnmail-extra-headers
-A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
-to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
-If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
-changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
-and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
-regeneration.
+@item S o m
+@itemx C-c C-f
+@kindex S o m (Summary)
+@kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
+Forward the current article to some other person
+(@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
+is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
+and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
+message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
+as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
+forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
+directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
+but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
+default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
+section.
-@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
-You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
-@code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
-@code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
+@item S m
+@itemx m
+@kindex m (Summary)
+@kindex S m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
+Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
+the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
+If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
-In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
-@file{~/.gnus.el}:
+@item S i
+@kindex S i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
+Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
+post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
+prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-extra-headers
- '(To Newsgroups))
-(setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
-(setq gnus-summary-line-format
- "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
-(setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
- "Your Name Here")
-@end lisp
+This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
+This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
+sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
+in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
+for this to work though.
-(The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
-to fit your needs.)
+@item S D b
+@kindex S D b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
+@cindex bouncing mail
+If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
+reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
+resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
+will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
+sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
+the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
+that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
+very well fail, though.
-A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
-convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
-support:
+@item S D r
+@kindex S D r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-message
+Not to be confused with the previous command,
+@code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
+send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
+headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
+@code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
+means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
+header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
+So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
-The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
-the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
-nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
+This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
+ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
+@code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
+to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
+@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
-@example
-Newsgroups:full
-@end example
+This command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
-as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
+@item S D e
+@kindex S D e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
+Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
+if it were a new message before resending.
-@node Summary Buffer Mode Line
-@subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
+@item S O m
+@kindex S O m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
+Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
+result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
+uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
-You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
-Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
-like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
+@item S M-c
+@kindex S M-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
+@cindex crossposting
+@cindex excessive crossposting
+Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
+current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
-Here are the elements you can play with:
+@findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
+This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
+crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
+using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
+command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
-@table @samp
-@item G
-Group name.
-@item p
-Unprefixed group name.
-@item A
-Current article number.
-@item z
-Current article score.
-@item V
-Gnus version.
-@item U
-Number of unread articles in this group.
-@item e
-Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
-summary buffer.
-@item Z
-A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
-either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
-articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
-and no unselected ones.
-@item g
-Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
-shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
-@item S
-Subject of the current article.
-@item u
-User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
-@item s
-Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
-@item d
-Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
-@item t
-Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
-@item r
-Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
-@item E
-Number of articles expunged by the score files.
@end table
+Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
+Manual}, for more information.
-@node Summary Highlighting
-@subsection Summary Highlighting
-
-@table @code
-
-@item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
-This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
-highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
-@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
-
-@item gnus-summary-update-hook
-@vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
-This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
-@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
-
-@item gnus-summary-selected-face
-@vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
-This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
-highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
-
-@item gnus-summary-highlight
-@vindex gnus-summary-highlight
-Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
-list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
-. @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
-italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
-to something like
-@lisp
-(((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
- ((> score default) . bold))
-@end lisp
-As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
-@var{face} will be applied to the line.
-@end table
+@node Summary Post Commands
+@subsection Summary Post Commands
+@cindex post
+@cindex composing news
-@node Summary Maneuvering
-@section Summary Maneuvering
-@cindex summary movement
+Commands for posting a news article:
-All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
-behave pretty much as you'd expect.
+@table @kbd
+@item S p
+@itemx a
+@kindex a (Summary)
+@kindex S p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-post-news
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
+Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
+default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
+If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
-None of these commands select articles.
+@item S f
+@itemx f
+@kindex f (Summary)
+@kindex S f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
+Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
-@table @kbd
-@item G M-n
-@itemx M-n
-@kindex M-n (Summary)
-@kindex G M-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
-Go to the next summary line of an unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
+@item S F
+@itemx F
+@kindex S F (Summary)
+@kindex F (Summary)
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
+Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
+(@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
+process/prefix convention.
-@item G M-p
-@itemx M-p
-@kindex M-p (Summary)
-@kindex G M-p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
-Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
+@item S n
+@kindex S n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
+Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
+message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
-@item G g
-@kindex G g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
-Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
-without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
-@end table
+@item S N
+@kindex S N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
+Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
+message through mail and include the original message
+(@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
+the process/prefix convention.
-If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
-can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
-buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
-to the group buffer.
+@item S o p
+@kindex S o p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-post-forward
+Forward the current article to a newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
+ If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
+of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
+(@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
+message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
+as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
+forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
+directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
+but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
+default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
-Variables related to summary movement:
+@item S O p
+@kindex S O p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
+@cindex digests
+@cindex making digests
+Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
+process/prefix convention.
-@table @code
+@item S u
+@kindex S u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-post-news
+@c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
+Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
+(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-next
-@item gnus-auto-select-next
-If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
-no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
-the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
-empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
-this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
-next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
-is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
-confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
-will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
-Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
-command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
-@pxref{Group Levels}.
+Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
+Manual}, for more information.
-@item gnus-auto-select-same
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-same
-If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
-article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
-mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
-for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
-articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
-This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
+@node Summary Message Commands
+@subsection Summary Message Commands
-@item gnus-summary-check-current
-@vindex gnus-summary-check-current
-If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
-to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
-Instead, they will choose the current article.
+@table @kbd
+@item S y
+@kindex S y (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-yank-message
+Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
+buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
+what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@item gnus-auto-center-summary
-@vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
-centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
-slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
-set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
-action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
-buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
-threads.
+@end table
-This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
-the given number of lines from the top.
-@item gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
-@vindex gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
-If non-@code{nil}, don't go to the next article when hitting
-@kbd{SPC}, and you're at the end of the article.
+@node Canceling and Superseding
+@subsection Canceling Articles
+@cindex canceling articles
+@cindex superseding articles
-@end table
+Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
+really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
+Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
-@node Choosing Articles
-@section Choosing Articles
-@cindex selecting articles
+@findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
+@kindex C (Summary)
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
+Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
+articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
+c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
+canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
+This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@menu
-* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
-* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
-@end menu
+Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
+live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
+question.
+Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
+want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
+prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
-@node Choosing Commands
-@subsection Choosing Commands
+Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
+@code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
+message, Message Manual}).
-None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
-and they all select and display an article.
+If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
+corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
+your original article.
-If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
-@ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
+@findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
+@kindex S (Summary)
+Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
+(@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
+where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
+usual way.
-@table @kbd
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-page
-Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
-unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
+sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
+have posted almost the same article twice.
-If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
-again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
-@kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
+If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
+there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
+waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
+to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
+find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
+the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
+header by substituting one of those words for the word
+@code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
+you would do normally. The previous article will be
+canceled/superseded.
-@item G n
-@itemx n
-@kindex n (Summary)
-@kindex G n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
-Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
+Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
-@item G p
-@itemx p
-@kindex p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
-Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
+@node Delayed Articles
+@section Delayed Articles
+@cindex delayed sending
+@cindex send delayed
-@item G N
-@itemx N
-@kindex N (Summary)
-@kindex G N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-article
-Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
+Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
+example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
+to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
+there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
-@item G P
-@itemx P
-@kindex P (Summary)
-@kindex G P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-article
-Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
+@lisp
+(gnus-delay-initialize)
+@end lisp
-@item G C-n
-@kindex G C-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
-Go to the next article with the same subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
+@findex gnus-delay-article
+Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
+Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
+(@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
+message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
-@item G C-p
-@kindex G C-p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
-Go to the previous article with the same subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
+@code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
+(minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
+(months) and @code{Y} (years).
-@item G f
-@itemx .
-@kindex G f (Summary)
-@kindex . (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
-Go to the first unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
+@item
+A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
+delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
+See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
-@item G b
-@itemx ,
-@kindex G b (Summary)
-@kindex , (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
-Go to the unread article with the highest score
-(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
-go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
+@item
+A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
+stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
+already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
+o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
+is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
+that means a time tomorrow.
+@end itemize
-@item G l
-@itemx l
-@kindex l (Summary)
-@kindex G l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
-Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
+The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
+couple of variables:
-@item G o
-@kindex G o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-pop-article
-@cindex history
-@cindex article history
-Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
-(@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
-command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
-history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
-For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
-@pxref{Article Backlog}.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-delay-default-hour
+@vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
+When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
+on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
-@item G j
-@itemx j
-@kindex j (Summary)
-@kindex G j (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-goto-article
-Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
-article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
+@item gnus-delay-default-delay
+@vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
+This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
+formats described above.
-@end table
+@item gnus-delay-group
+@vindex gnus-delay-group
+Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
+they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
+value is @code{"delayed"}.
+@item gnus-delay-header
+@vindex gnus-delay-header
+The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
+is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
+change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
+@end table
-@node Choosing Variables
-@subsection Choosing Variables
+The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
+@code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
+calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
+@code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
+@code{nndraft:delayed} group.
-Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
+@findex gnus-delay-send-queue
+And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
+which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
+function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
+Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
+execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
@table @code
-@item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
-@vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
-All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
-article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
-this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
-the server and display it in the article buffer.
-
-@item gnus-select-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-select-article-hook
-This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
-@code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
-you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
-hook will do so.
-
-@item gnus-mark-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
-@findex gnus-unread-mark
-This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
-be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
-@code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
-mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
-articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
-expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
-marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
-instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
-@code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
+@item gnus-delay-initialize
+@findex gnus-delay-initialize
+By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
+argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
+argument is ignored.
+For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
+Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
+Just don't forget to set that up :-)
@end table
+When delaying an article with @kbd{C-c C-j}, Message mode will
+automatically add a @code{"Date"} header with the current time. In
+many cases you probably want the @code{"Date"} header to reflect the
+time the message is sent instead. To do this, you have to delete
+@code{Date} from @code{message-draft-headers}.
-@node Paging the Article
-@section Scrolling the Article
-@cindex article scrolling
-@table @kbd
+@node Marking Articles
+@section Marking Articles
+@cindex article marking
+@cindex article ticking
+@cindex marks
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-page
-Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
-or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
-next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+There are several marks you can set on an article.
-@vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
-@vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
-If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
-the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
-skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
-what is considered uninteresting with
-@code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
-pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
+You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
+neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
+@dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
-@item DEL
-@kindex DEL (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
-Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
+In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
-Scroll the current article one line forward
-(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
+@ifinfo
+There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
+@end ifinfo
-@item M-RET
-@kindex M-RET (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
-Scroll the current article one line backward
-(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
+@menu
+* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
+* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
+* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
+* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
+* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
+* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
+@end menu
-@item A g
-@itemx g
-@kindex A g (Summary)
-@kindex g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-article
-@vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
-(Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
-given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
-article treatment functions. If given a prefix twice (i.e., @kbd{C-u
-C-u g'}), show a completely ``raw'' article, just the way it came from
-the server.
-@cindex charset, view article with different charset
-If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
-@kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
-encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
+@node Unread Articles
+@subsection Unread Articles
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
- '((1 . cn-gb-2312)
- (2 . big5)))
-@end lisp
+The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
+other.
-then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
+@table @samp
+@item !
+@vindex gnus-ticked-mark
+Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
-@item A <
-@itemx <
-@kindex < (Summary)
-@kindex A < (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
-Scroll to the beginning of the article
-(@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
+@dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
+you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
+reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
+tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
+news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
+you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
+(@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
-@item A >
-@itemx >
-@kindex > (Summary)
-@kindex A > (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
-Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
+@item ?
+@vindex gnus-dormant-mark
+Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
-@item A s
-@itemx s
-@kindex A s (Summary)
-@kindex s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
-Perform an isearch in the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
+@dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
+are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
+followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
+Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
+messages.
-@item h
-@kindex h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
-Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
+@item SPACE
+@vindex gnus-unread-mark
+Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
+@dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
@end table
-@node Reply Followup and Post
-@section Reply, Followup and Post
-
-@menu
-* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
-* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
-* Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
-* Canceling and Superseding::
-@end menu
-
-
-@node Summary Mail Commands
-@subsection Summary Mail Commands
-@cindex mail
-@cindex composing mail
-
-Commands for composing a mail message:
-
-@table @kbd
+@node Read Articles
+@subsection Read Articles
+@cindex expirable mark
-@item S r
-@itemx r
-@kindex S r (Summary)
-@kindex r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reply
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
-Mail a reply to the author of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
+All the following marks mark articles as read.
-@item S R
-@itemx R
-@kindex R (Summary)
-@kindex S R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
-Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
-original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
-command uses the process/prefix convention.
+@table @samp
-@item S w
-@kindex S w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
-Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
-goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
-@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
-present, that's used instead.
+@item r
+@vindex gnus-del-mark
+These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
+command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
-@item S W
-@kindex S W (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
-Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
-message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
-the process/prefix convention, but only uses the headers from the
-first article to determine the recipients.
+@item R
+@vindex gnus-read-mark
+Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
-@item S v
-@kindex S v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
-Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
-that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
-@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
-articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
+@item O
+@vindex gnus-ancient-mark
+Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
+@dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
-@item S V
-@kindex S V (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
-Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
-original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
-command uses the process/prefix convention.
+@item K
+@vindex gnus-killed-mark
+Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
-@item S B r
-@kindex S B r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
-Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
-@code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
-If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
-@code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
-the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
-correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
+@item X
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
+Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
-@item S B R
-@kindex S B R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
-Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
-original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
-(@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
+@item Y
+@vindex gnus-low-score-mark
+Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
-@item S o m
-@itemx C-c C-f
-@kindex S o m (Summary)
-@kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
-Forward the current article to some other person
-(@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
-is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
-and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
-message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
-as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
-forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
-directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
-but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
-default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
-section.
+@item C
+@vindex gnus-catchup-mark
+Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
-@item S m
-@itemx m
-@kindex m (Summary)
-@kindex S m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
-Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
-the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
-If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
+@item G
+@vindex gnus-canceled-mark
+Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
-@item S i
-@kindex S i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
-Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
-post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
-prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
+@item Q
+@vindex gnus-sparse-mark
+Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
+Threading}.
-This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
-This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
-sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
-in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
-for this to work though.
+@item M
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
+Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
+(@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
-@item S D b
-@kindex S D b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
-@cindex bouncing mail
-If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
-reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
-resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
-will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
-sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
-the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
-that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
-very well fail, though.
+@end table
-@item S D r
-@kindex S D r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-resend-message
-Not to be confused with the previous command,
-@code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
-send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
-headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
-@code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
-means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
-header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
-So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
+All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
+They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
-This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
-ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
-@code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
-to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
-@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
+One more special mark, though:
-This command understands the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@table @samp
+@item E
+@vindex gnus-expirable-mark
+Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
-@item S D e
-@kindex S D e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
+Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
+automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
+control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
+articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
+any time.
+@end table
-Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
-if it were a new message before resending.
-@item S O m
-@kindex S O m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
-Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
-result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
-uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@node Other Marks
+@subsection Other Marks
+@cindex process mark
+@cindex bookmarks
-@item S M-c
-@kindex S M-c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
-@cindex crossposting
-@cindex excessive crossposting
-Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
-current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
+There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
+read or not.
-@findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
-This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
-crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
-using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
-command understands the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
+@itemize @bullet
-@end table
+@item
+You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
+long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
+before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
+in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
+encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
-Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
-Manual}, for more information.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-replied-mark
+All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
+answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
+@item
+@vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
+All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
+the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
-@node Summary Post Commands
-@subsection Summary Post Commands
-@cindex post
-@cindex composing news
+@item
+@vindex gnus-cached-mark
+Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
+the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
-Commands for posting a news article:
+@item
+@vindex gnus-saved-mark
+Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
+religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
-@table @kbd
-@item S p
-@itemx a
-@kindex a (Summary)
-@kindex S p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-post-news
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
-Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
-default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
-If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-unseen-mark
+Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
+with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
-@item S f
-@itemx f
-@kindex f (Summary)
-@kindex S f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
-Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
+@item
+@vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
+When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
+downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
+@samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
+(The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
+use.)
-@item S F
-@itemx F
-@kindex S F (Summary)
-@kindex F (Summary)
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
-Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
-(@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
-process/prefix convention.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
+When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
+not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
+are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
+articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
+@code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
-@item S n
-@kindex S n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
-Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
-message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
+@item
+@vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
+The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
+automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
+download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
+explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
+(The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
+use.)
-@item S N
-@kindex S N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
-Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
-message through mail and include the original message
-(@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
-the process/prefix convention.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
+@vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
+If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
+marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
+@code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
-@item S o p
-@kindex S o p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-post-forward
-Forward the current article to a newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
- If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
-of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
-(@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
-message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
-as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
-forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
-directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
-but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
-default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-process-mark
+Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
+variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
+instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
+all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
+marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
-@item S O p
-@kindex S O p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
-@cindex digests
-@cindex making digests
-Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
-process/prefix convention.
+@end itemize
-@item S u
-@kindex S u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-post-news
-@c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
-Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
-(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
-@end table
+You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
+appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
+replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
-Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
-Manual}, for more information.
+Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
+replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
+you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
-@node Summary Message Commands
-@subsection Summary Message Commands
+@node Setting Marks
+@subsection Setting Marks
+@cindex setting marks
+
+All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
@table @kbd
-@item S y
-@kindex S y (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-yank-message
-Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
-buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
-what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@item M c
+@itemx M-u
+@kindex M c (Summary)
+@kindex M-u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
+@cindex mark as unread
+Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
+article as unread.
-@end table
+@item M t
+@itemx !
+@kindex ! (Summary)
+@kindex M t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
+Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
+@xref{Article Caching}.
+@item M ?
+@itemx ?
+@kindex ? (Summary)
+@kindex M ? (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
+Mark the current article as dormant
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
-@node Canceling and Superseding
-@subsection Canceling Articles
-@cindex canceling articles
-@cindex superseding articles
+@item M d
+@itemx d
+@kindex M d (Summary)
+@kindex d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
+Mark the current article as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
-Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
-really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
+@item D
+@kindex D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
+Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
-Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
+@item M k
+@itemx k
+@kindex k (Summary)
+@kindex M k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
+Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
+and then select the next unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
-@findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
-@kindex C (Summary)
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
-Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
-articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
-c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
-canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
-This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@item M K
+@itemx C-k
+@kindex M K (Summary)
+@kindex C-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
+Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
-Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
-live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
-question.
+@item M C
+@kindex M C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
+Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
-Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
-want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
-prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
+@item M C-c
+@kindex M C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
+Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
+articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
-Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
-@code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
-message, Message Manual}).
+@item M H
+@kindex M H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
+Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
-If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
-corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
-your original article.
+@item M h
+@kindex M h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
+Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
-@findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
-@kindex S (Summary)
-Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
-(@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
-where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
-usual way.
+@item C-w
+@kindex C-w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
+Mark all articles between point and mark as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
-The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
-sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
-have posted almost the same article twice.
+@item M V k
+@kindex M V k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-below
+Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
+numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
-If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
-there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
-waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
-to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
-find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
-the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
-header by substituting one of those words for the word
-@code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
-you would do normally. The previous article will be
-canceled/superseded.
+@item M e
+@itemx E
+@kindex M e (Summary)
+@kindex E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
+Mark the current article as expirable
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
-Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
+@item M b
+@kindex M b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
+Set a bookmark in the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
-@node Delayed Articles
-@section Delayed Articles
-@cindex delayed sending
-@cindex send delayed
+@item M B
+@kindex M B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
+Remove the bookmark from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
-Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
-example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
-to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
-there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
+@item M V c
+@kindex M V c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-clear-above
+Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
+over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
-@lisp
-(gnus-delay-initialize)
-@end lisp
+@item M V u
+@kindex M V u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-tick-above
+Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
+numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
+
+@item M V m
+@kindex M V m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-above
+Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
+score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
+(@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
+The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
+be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
+the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
+one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
+@code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
+@kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
+The default is @code{t}.
-@findex gnus-delay-article
-Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
-Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
-(@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
-message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
-@code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
-(minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
-(months) and @code{Y} (years).
+@node Generic Marking Commands
+@subsection Generic Marking Commands
-@item
-A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
-delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
-See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
+Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
+the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
+article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
+even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
+previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
+well.
-@item
-A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
-stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
-already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
-o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
-is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
-that means a time tomorrow.
-@end itemize
+Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
+you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
+command should do.
-The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
-couple of variables:
+To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
+different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
+buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
+to list in this manual.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-delay-default-hour
-@vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
-When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
-on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
+While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
+altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
+@kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
+article, you could say something like:
-@item gnus-delay-default-delay
-@vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
-This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
-formats described above.
+@lisp
+@group
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
+(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
+ (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
+@end group
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-delay-group
-@vindex gnus-delay-group
-Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
-they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
-value is @code{"delayed"}.
+@noindent
+or
-@item gnus-delay-header
-@vindex gnus-delay-header
-The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
-is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
-change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
-@end table
+@lisp
+(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
+ (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
+@end lisp
-The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
-@code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
-calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
-@code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
-@code{nndraft:delayed} group.
-@findex gnus-delay-send-queue
-And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
-which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
-function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
-@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
-Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
-execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
+@node Setting Process Marks
+@subsection Setting Process Marks
+@cindex setting process marks
-@table @code
-@item gnus-delay-initialize
-@findex gnus-delay-initialize
-By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
-@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
-argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
-@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
-argument is ignored.
+Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
+used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
+process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
+articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
+articles into the cache. For more information,
+@pxref{Process/Prefix}.
-For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
-Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
-Just don't forget to set that up :-)
-@end table
+@table @kbd
-When delaying an article with @kbd{C-c C-j}, Message mode will
-automatically add a @code{"Date"} header with the current time. In
-many cases you probably want the @code{"Date"} header to reflect the
-time the message is sent instead. To do this, you have to delete
-@code{Date} from @code{message-draft-headers}.
+@item M P p
+@itemx #
+@kindex # (Summary)
+@kindex M P p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
+Mark the current article with the process mark
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
+
+@item M P u
+@itemx M-#
+@kindex M P u (Summary)
+@kindex M-# (Summary)
+Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
+@item M P U
+@kindex M P U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
+Remove the process mark from all articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
-@node Marking Articles
-@section Marking Articles
-@cindex article marking
-@cindex article ticking
-@cindex marks
+@item M P i
+@kindex M P i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
+Invert the list of process marked articles
+(@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
-There are several marks you can set on an article.
+@item M P R
+@kindex M P R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
+Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
+expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
-You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
-neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
-@dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
+@item M P G
+@kindex M P G (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
+Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
+expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
-In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
+@item M P r
+@kindex M P r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
+Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
-@ifinfo
-There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
-@end ifinfo
+@item M P g
+@kindex M P g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
+Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
-@menu
-* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
-* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
-* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
-* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
-* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
-* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
-@end menu
+@item M P t
+@kindex M P t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+@item M P T
+@kindex M P T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
-@node Unread Articles
-@subsection Unread Articles
+@item M P v
+@kindex M P v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-over
+Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
-The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
-other.
+@item M P s
+@kindex M P s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-series
+Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
-@table @samp
-@item !
-@vindex gnus-ticked-mark
-Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
+@item M P S
+@kindex M P S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
+Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
-@dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
-you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
-reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
-tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
-news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
-you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
-(@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
+@item M P a
+@kindex M P a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-all
+Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
-@item ?
-@vindex gnus-dormant-mark
-Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
+@item M P b
+@kindex M P b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
+Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
-@dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
-are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
-followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
-Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
-messages.
+@item M P k
+@kindex M P k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
+Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
-@item SPACE
-@vindex gnus-unread-mark
-Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
+@item M P y
+@kindex M P y (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
+Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
+(@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
+
+@item M P w
+@kindex M P w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
+Push the current process mark set onto the stack
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
-@dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
@end table
+Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
+set process marks based on article body contents.
-@node Read Articles
-@subsection Read Articles
-@cindex expirable mark
-All the following marks mark articles as read.
+@node Limiting
+@section Limiting
+@cindex limiting
-@table @samp
+It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
+subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
+commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
+buffer.
-@item r
-@vindex gnus-del-mark
-These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
-command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
+Limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched from
+the servers. These commands don't query the server for additional
+articles.
-@item R
-@vindex gnus-read-mark
-Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
+@table @kbd
-@item O
-@vindex gnus-ancient-mark
-Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
-@dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
+@item / /
+@itemx / s
+@kindex / / (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
-@item K
-@vindex gnus-killed-mark
-Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
+@item / a
+@kindex / a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
-@item X
-@vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
-Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
+@item / R
+@kindex / R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
-@item Y
-@vindex gnus-low-score-mark
-Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
+@item / A
+@kindex / A (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
+Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
+header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
+given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
-@item C
-@vindex gnus-catchup-mark
-Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
+@item / S
+@kindex / S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
+threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
+limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
-@item G
-@vindex gnus-canceled-mark
-Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
+@item / x
+@kindex / x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
+headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
-@item Q
-@vindex gnus-sparse-mark
-Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
-Threading}.
+@item / u
+@itemx x
+@kindex / u (Summary)
+@kindex x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
+Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
+buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
+dormant articles will also be excluded.
-@item M
-@vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
-Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
-(@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+@item / m
+@kindex / m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
+Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
+with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
-@end table
+@item / t
+@kindex / t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
+Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
+articles younger than that number of days.
-All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
-They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
+@item / n
+@kindex / n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
+With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
+articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
+instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
-One more special mark, though:
+@item / w
+@kindex / w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
+Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
+(@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
+the stack.
-@table @samp
-@item E
-@vindex gnus-expirable-mark
-Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
+@item / .
+@kindex / . (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
+Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
-Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
-automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
-control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
-articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
-any time.
-@end table
+@item / v
+@kindex / v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
+score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
+@item / p
+@kindex / p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
+group parameter predicate
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
+Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
-@node Other Marks
-@subsection Other Marks
-@cindex process mark
-@cindex bookmarks
+@item / r
+@kindex / r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
+Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
+replied articles.
-There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
-read or not.
+@item / E
+@itemx M S
+@kindex M S (Summary)
+@kindex / E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
+Include all expunged articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
-@itemize @bullet
+@item / D
+@kindex / D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
+Include all dormant articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
-@item
-You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
-long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
-before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
-in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
-encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
+@item / *
+@kindex / * (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
+Include all cached articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
-@item
-@vindex gnus-replied-mark
-All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
-answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
-(@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
+@item / d
+@kindex / d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
+Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
-@item
-@vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
-All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
-the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
+@item / M
+@kindex / M (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
+Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
-@item
-@vindex gnus-cached-mark
-Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
-the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
+@item / T
+@kindex / T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
+Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
-@item
-@vindex gnus-saved-mark
-Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
-religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
-(@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
+@item / c
+@kindex / c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
+Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
-@item
-@vindex gnus-recent-mark
-Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
-before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
-(@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
-mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
-@code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
+@item / C
+@kindex / C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
+Mark all excluded unread articles as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
+also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
-@item
-@vindex gnus-unseen-mark
-Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
-with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
-Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
+@item / b
+@kindex / b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
+certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
+prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
+requires selecting each article to find the matches.
-@item
-@vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
-When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
-downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
-@samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
-(The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
-use.)
+@item / h
+@kindex / h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
+Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
+
+@end table
-@item
-@vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
-When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
-not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
-are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
-articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
-@code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
-@item
-@vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
-The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
-automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
-download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
-explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
-(The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
-use.)
+The following commands aren't limiting commands, but use the @kbd{/}
+prefix as well.
-@item
-@vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
-@vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
-If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
-marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
-@code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
+@table @kbd
+@item / N
+@kindex / N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
+Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
+if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
-@item
-@vindex gnus-process-mark
-Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
-variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
-instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
-all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
-marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
+@item / o
+@kindex / o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
+Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
+prefix, fetch this number of articles.
-@end itemize
+@end table
-You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
-appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
-replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
-Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
-replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
-you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
+@node Threading
+@section Threading
+@cindex threading
+@cindex article threading
+Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
+to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
+hierarchical fashion.
-@node Setting Marks
-@subsection Setting Marks
-@cindex setting marks
+Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
+articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
+trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
+or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
+so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
+plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
+@ref{Customizing Threading}.
-All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
+First, a quick overview of the concepts:
-@table @kbd
-@item M c
-@itemx M-u
-@kindex M c (Summary)
-@kindex M-u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
-@cindex mark as unread
-Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
-article as unread.
+@table @dfn
+@item root
+The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
-@item M t
-@itemx !
-@kindex ! (Summary)
-@kindex M t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
-Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
-@xref{Article Caching}.
+@item thread
+A tree-like article structure.
-@item M ?
-@itemx ?
-@kindex ? (Summary)
-@kindex M ? (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
-Mark the current article as dormant
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
+@item sub-thread
+A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
-@item M d
-@itemx d
-@kindex M d (Summary)
-@kindex d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
-Mark the current article as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
+@item loose threads
+Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
+already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
+summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
+belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
+called loose threads.
-@item D
-@kindex D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
-Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
+@item thread gathering
+An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
-@item M k
-@itemx k
-@kindex k (Summary)
-@kindex M k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
-Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
-and then select the next unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
+@item sparse threads
+A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
+displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
-@item M K
-@itemx C-k
-@kindex M K (Summary)
-@kindex C-k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
-Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
+@end table
-@item M C
-@kindex M C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
-Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
-@item M C-c
-@kindex M C-c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
-Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
-articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
+@menu
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+@end menu
-@item M H
-@kindex M H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
-Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
-@item M h
-@kindex M h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
-Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
+@node Customizing Threading
+@subsection Customizing Threading
+@cindex customizing threading
-@item C-w
-@kindex C-w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
-Mark all articles between point and mark as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
+@menu
+* Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
+* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
+* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
+* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
+@end menu
-@item M V k
-@kindex M V k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-below
-Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
-numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
-@item M e
-@itemx E
-@kindex M e (Summary)
-@kindex E (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
-Mark the current article as expirable
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
+@node Loose Threads
+@subsubsection Loose Threads
+@cindex <
+@cindex >
+@cindex loose threads
-@item M b
-@kindex M b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
-Set a bookmark in the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-summary-make-false-root
+@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
+and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
+Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
+read or killed the root in a previous session.
-@item M B
-@kindex M B (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
-Remove the bookmark from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
+When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
+something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
+There are four possible values:
-@item M V c
-@kindex M V c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-clear-above
-Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
-over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
+\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
+\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
+}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@item M V u
-@kindex M V u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-tick-above
-Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
-numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
+@cindex adopting articles
-@item M V m
-@kindex M V m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-above
-Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
-score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
-(@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
-@end table
+@table @code
+
+@item adopt
+Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
+parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
+marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
+square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
+
+@item dummy
+@vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
+@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
+Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
+parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
+selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
+article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
+format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
+which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
+If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
+ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
-@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
-The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
-be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
-the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
-one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
-@code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
-@kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
-The default is @code{t}.
+@item empty
+Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
+subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
+use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
+Buffer Format}).)
+@item none
+Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
+display them after one another.
-@node Generic Marking Commands
-@subsection Generic Marking Commands
+@item nil
+Don't gather loose threads.
+@end table
-Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
-the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
-article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
-even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
-previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
-well.
+@item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
+@vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
+Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
+variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
+subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
+super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
+presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
+you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
+first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
+variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
+everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
-Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
-you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
-command should do.
+@cindex fuzzy article gathering
+If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
+use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
+Matching}).
-To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
-different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
-buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
-to list in this manual.
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
+@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
+This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
+that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
+simplification is used.
-While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
-altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
-@kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
-article, you could say something like:
+@item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+@vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
+as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
+@c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
@lisp
-@group
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
-(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
- (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
-@end group
+(setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+ (concat
+ "\\`\\[?\\("
+ (mapconcat
+ 'identity
+ '("looking"
+ "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
+ "help" "query" "problem" "question"
+ "answer" "reference" "announce"
+ "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
+ ;; ...
+ )
+ "\\|")
+ "\\)\\s *\\("
+ (mapconcat 'identity
+ '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
+ "\\|")
+ "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
@end lisp
-@noindent
-or
+All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
+subjects.
-@lisp
-(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
- (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
+@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
+If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
+@code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
+list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
+arrive at the simplified version of the string.
+Useful functions to put in this list include:
-@node Setting Process Marks
-@subsection Setting Process Marks
-@cindex setting process marks
+@table @code
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-re
+@findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
+Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
-Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
-used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
-process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
-articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
-articles into the cache. For more information,
-@pxref{Process/Prefix}.
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
+@findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
+Simplify fuzzily.
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-simplify-whitespace
+@findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
+Remove excessive whitespace.
-@item M P p
-@itemx #
-@kindex # (Summary)
-@kindex M P p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
-Mark the current article with the process mark
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
-@findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
+@item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
+@findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
+Remove all whitespace.
+@end table
-@item M P u
-@itemx M-#
-@kindex M P u (Summary)
-@kindex M-# (Summary)
-Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
+You may also write your own functions, of course.
-@item M P U
-@kindex M P U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
-Remove the process mark from all articles
-(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
-@item M P i
-@kindex M P i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
-Invert the list of process marked articles
-(@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
+@item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
+@vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
+Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
+to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
+@samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
+you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
+what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
+The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
-@item M P R
-@kindex M P R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
-Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
-expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
+@item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+@vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
+that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
+is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
+@code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
+This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
+articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
+newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
+cholera:
-@item M P G
-@kindex M P G (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
-Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
-expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
+@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
+This function is the default gathering function and looks at
+@code{Subject}s exclusively.
-@item M P r
-@kindex M P r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
-Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
+@item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
+@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
+This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
+@end table
-@item M P g
-@kindex M P g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
-Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
+If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
+something like:
-@item M P t
-@kindex M P t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
-Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+ 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
+@end lisp
-@item M P T
-@kindex M P T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
-Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+@end table
-@item M P v
-@kindex M P v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-over
-Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
-@item M P s
-@kindex M P s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-series
-Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+@node Filling In Threads
+@subsubsection Filling In Threads
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-fetch-old-headers
+@vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
+more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
+like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
+many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
+@code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
+number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
+old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
+files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
+@code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
+the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
+do about that.
+
+This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
+visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
+(@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+
+The server has to support @acronym{NOV} for any of this to work.
+
+@cindex Gmane, gnus-fetch-old-headers
+This feature can seriously impact performance it ignores all locally
+cached header entries. Setting it to @code{t} for groups for a server
+that doesn't expire articles (such as news.gmane.org), leads to very
+slow summary generation.
+
+@item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
+@vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
+Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
+newsgroups.
-@item M P S
-@kindex M P S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
-Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
+@item gnus-build-sparse-threads
+@vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
+Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
+gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
+the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
+together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
+@dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
+is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
+lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
+question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
+``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
+thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
+off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
+@code{nil} by default.
-@item M P a
-@kindex M P a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-all
-Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
+@item gnus-read-all-available-headers
+@vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
+This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
+intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
+quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
+go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
+web-based groups.
-@item M P b
-@kindex M P b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
-Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
+If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
+@code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
+that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
-@item M P k
-@kindex M P k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
-Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
+@end table
-@item M P y
-@kindex M P y (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
-Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
-(@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
-@item M P w
-@kindex M P w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
-Push the current process mark set onto the stack
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
+@node More Threading
+@subsubsection More Threading
-@end table
+@table @code
+@item gnus-show-threads
+@vindex gnus-show-threads
+If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
+the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
+off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
+slower and more awkward.
-Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
-set process marks based on article body contents.
+@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+@vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
+generated.
+This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
+Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
+@code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
-@node Limiting
-@section Limiting
-@cindex limiting
+Here's an example:
-It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
-subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
-commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
-buffer.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+ '(or gnus-article-unread-p
+ gnus-article-unseen-p))
+@end lisp
-Limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched from
-the servers. These commands don't query the server for additional
-articles.
+(It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
+unread, but you get my drift.)
-@table @kbd
-@item / /
-@itemx / s
-@kindex / / (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
-matching articles.
+@item gnus-thread-expunge-below
+@vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
+All threads that have a total score (as defined by
+@code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
+expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
+threads are expunged.
-@item / a
-@kindex / a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
-matching articles.
+@item gnus-thread-hide-killed
+@vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
+if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
+will be hidden.
-@item / R
-@kindex / R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
-matching articles.
+@item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
+@vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
+Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
+this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
+change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
+result in a new thread.
-@item / A
-@kindex / A (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
-Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
-header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
-given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
+@item gnus-thread-indent-level
+@vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
+This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
+The default is 4.
-@item / S
-@kindex / S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
-threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
-limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
+@item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
+@vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
+Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
+arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
+arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
+using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
+up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
+Setting this variable to an alternate value
+(e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
+appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
+more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
-@item / x
-@kindex / x (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
-headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
-matching articles.
+@end table
-@item / u
-@itemx x
-@kindex / u (Summary)
-@kindex x (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
-Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
-buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
-dormant articles will also be excluded.
-@item / m
-@kindex / m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
-Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
-with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
+@node Low-Level Threading
+@subsubsection Low-Level Threading
-@item / t
-@kindex / t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
-Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
-articles younger than that number of days.
+@table @code
-@item / n
-@kindex / n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
-With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
-articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
-instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
+@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
+@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
+Hook run before parsing any headers.
-@item / w
-@kindex / w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
-Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
-(@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
-the stack.
+@item gnus-alter-header-function
+@vindex gnus-alter-header-function
+If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
+article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
+the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
+if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
+in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
+variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
+meaningful. Here's one example:
-@item / .
-@kindex / . (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
-Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
-@item / v
-@kindex / v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
-score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
+(defun my-alter-message-id (header)
+ (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
+ (when (string-match
+ "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
+ (mail-header-set-id
+ (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
+ header))))
+@end lisp
-@item / p
-@kindex / p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
-group parameter predicate
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
-Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
+@end table
-@item / r
-@kindex / r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
-Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
-replied articles.
-@item / E
-@itemx M S
-@kindex M S (Summary)
-@kindex / E (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
-Include all expunged articles in the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
+@node Thread Commands
+@subsection Thread Commands
+@cindex thread commands
-@item / D
-@kindex / D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
-Include all dormant articles in the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
+@table @kbd
-@item / *
-@kindex / * (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
-Include all cached articles in the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
+@item T k
+@itemx C-M-k
+@kindex T k (Summary)
+@kindex C-M-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
+Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
+remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
+articles instead.
-@item / d
-@kindex / d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
-Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
+@item T l
+@itemx C-M-l
+@kindex T l (Summary)
+@kindex C-M-l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
+Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
-@item / M
-@kindex / M (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
-Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
+@item T i
+@kindex T i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
+Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
-@item / T
-@kindex / T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
-Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
+@item T #
+@kindex T # (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
-@item / c
-@kindex / c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
-Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
+@item T M-#
+@kindex T M-# (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
-@item / C
-@kindex / C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
-Mark all excluded unread articles as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
-also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
+@item T T
+@kindex T T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
+Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
-@item / b
-@kindex / b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
-certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
-prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
-requires selecting each article to find the matches.
+@item T s
+@kindex T s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-thread
+Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
+(@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
-@item / h
-@kindex / h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
-Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
+@item T h
+@kindex T h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
+Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
-@end table
+@item T S
+@kindex T S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
+Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
+@item T H
+@kindex T H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
+Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
-The following commands aren't limiting commands, but use the @kbd{/}
-prefix as well.
+@item T t
+@kindex T t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
+Re-thread the current article's thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
+summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
-@table @kbd
-@item / N
-@kindex / N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
-Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
-if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
+@item T ^
+@kindex T ^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
+Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
+(@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
-@item / o
-@kindex / o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
-Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
-prefix, fetch this number of articles.
+@item T M-^
+@kindex T M-^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
+Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
@end table
+The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
+understand the numeric prefix.
-@node Threading
-@section Threading
-@cindex threading
-@cindex article threading
+@table @kbd
-Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
-to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
-hierarchical fashion.
+@item T n
+@kindex T n (Summary)
+@itemx C-M-f
+@kindex C-M-n (Summary)
+@itemx M-down
+@kindex M-down (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
+Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
-Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
-articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
-trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
-or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
-so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
-plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
-@ref{Customizing Threading}.
+@item T p
+@kindex T p (Summary)
+@itemx C-M-b
+@kindex C-M-p (Summary)
+@itemx M-up
+@kindex M-up (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
+Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
-First, a quick overview of the concepts:
+@item T d
+@kindex T d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-down-thread
+Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
-@table @dfn
-@item root
-The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
+@item T u
+@kindex T u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-up-thread
+Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
-@item thread
-A tree-like article structure.
+@item T o
+@kindex T o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-top-thread
+Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
+@end table
-@item sub-thread
-A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
+@vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
+If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
+threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
+a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
+wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
+have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
+you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
+is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
+when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
+the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
+operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
+that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
+Matching}).
-@item loose threads
-Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
-already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
-summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
-belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
-called loose threads.
-@item thread gathering
-An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
+@node Sorting the Summary Buffer
+@section Sorting the Summary Buffer
-@item sparse threads
-A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
-displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
+@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
+If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
+setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
+function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
+@code{(not some-function)} elements.
-@end table
+By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
+predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
+Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
+thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
+normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. Exceptions
+to this rule are @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number} and
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date}.
-@menu
-* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
-* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
-@end menu
+If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
+last function in the list. You should probably always include
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
+functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
+equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
+ascending article order.
+
+If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
+by number, you could do something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
+ '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
+ (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
+@end lisp
+The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
+summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
+alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
+subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
+which the articles arrived.
-@node Customizing Threading
-@subsection Customizing Threading
-@cindex customizing threading
+If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
+say something like:
-@menu
-* Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
-* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
-* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
-* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
-@end menu
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
+ '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
+@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-thread-score-function
+The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
+@code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
+functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
+tickles your fancy.
-@node Loose Threads
-@subsubsection Loose Threads
-@cindex <
-@cindex >
-@cindex loose threads
+@findex gnus-article-sort-functions
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-date
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-number
+If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
+other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
+variable. It is very similar to the
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
+different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
+predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-summary-make-false-root
-@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
-and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
-Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
-read or killed the root in a previous session.
+If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
+say something like:
-When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
-something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
-There are four possible values:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-article-sort-functions
+ '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
+ gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
+@end lisp
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
-\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
-\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
-\put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
-\put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
-}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
+@xref{Group Parameters}.
-@cindex adopting articles
-@table @code
+@node Asynchronous Fetching
+@section Asynchronous Article Fetching
+@cindex asynchronous article fetching
+@cindex article pre-fetch
+@cindex pre-fetch
-@item adopt
-Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
-parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
-marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
-square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
+If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
+network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
+for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
+article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
+while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
-@item dummy
-@vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
-@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
-Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
-parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
-selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
-article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
-format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
-which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
-If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
-ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
+First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
+article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
-@item empty
-Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
-subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
-use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
-Buffer Format}).)
+Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
+quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
+know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
+article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
+connection is blocked.
-@item none
-Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
-display them after one another.
+To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
+connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
+thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
+extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
-@item nil
-Don't gather loose threads.
-@end table
+Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
+the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
+loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
+also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
+extra connection.
-@item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
-@vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
-Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
-variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
-subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
-super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
-presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
-you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
-first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
-variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
-everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
+Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
+you really want to.
-@cindex fuzzy article gathering
-If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
-use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
-Matching}).
+@vindex gnus-asynchronous
+Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
+happen automatically.
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
-@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
-This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
-that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
-simplification is used.
+@vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
+You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
+@code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
+that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
+the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
+pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
+@code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
-@item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
-@vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
-If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
-as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
+@vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
+@findex gnus-async-unread-p
+There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
+articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
+variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
+function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
+to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
+returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
+article data structure as the only parameter.
+
+If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
+than 100 lines, you could say something like:
-@c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
@lisp
-(setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
- (concat
- "\\`\\[?\\("
- (mapconcat
- 'identity
- '("looking"
- "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
- "help" "query" "problem" "question"
- "answer" "reference" "announce"
- "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
- ;; ...
- )
- "\\|")
- "\\)\\s *\\("
- (mapconcat 'identity
- '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
- "\\|")
- "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
+(defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
+ "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
+ (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
+ (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
+ 100)))
+
+(setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
@end lisp
-All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
-subjects.
+These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
+preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
+It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
-@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
-If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
-@code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
-list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
-arrive at the simplified version of the string.
+@vindex gnus-async-post-fetch-function
+@findex gnus-html-prefetch-images
+After an article has been prefetched, this
+@code{gnus-async-post-fetch-function} will be called. The buffer will
+be narrowed to the region of the article that was fetched. A useful
+value would be @code{gnus-html-prefetch-images}, which will prefetch
+and store images referenced in the article, so that you don't have to
+wait for them to be fetched when you read the article. This is useful
+for @acronym{HTML} messages that have external images.
-Useful functions to put in this list include:
+@vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
+Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
+@code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
+articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
@table @code
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-re
-@findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
-Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
+@item read
+Remove articles when they are read.
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
-@findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
-Simplify fuzzily.
+@item exit
+Remove articles when exiting the group.
+@end table
-@item gnus-simplify-whitespace
-@findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
-Remove excessive whitespace.
+The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
-@item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
-@findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
-Remove all whitespace.
-@end table
+@c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
+@c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
+@c from the next group.
-You may also write your own functions, of course.
+@node Article Caching
+@section Article Caching
+@cindex article caching
+@cindex caching
-@item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
-@vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
-Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
-to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
-@samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
-you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
-what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
-The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
+If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
+consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
+locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
+potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
+your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
-@item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
-@vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
-Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
-that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
-is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
-@code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
-This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
-articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
-newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
-cholera:
+Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
-@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
-This function is the default gathering function and looks at
-@code{Subject}s exclusively.
+@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
+@vindex gnus-cache-directory
+@vindex gnus-use-cache
+To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
+all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
+over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
+cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
-@item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
-@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
-This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
-@end table
+When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
+cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
+expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
+keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
+as dormant, and don't worry.
-If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
-something like:
+When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
- 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
-@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
+@vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
+The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
+variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
+dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
+put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
+articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
+symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
+@code{unread} and @code{read}.
-@end table
+@findex gnus-jog-cache
+So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
+picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
+subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
+store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
+command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
+really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
+Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
+to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
+not then be downloaded by this command.
+@vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
+@vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
+It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
+if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
+sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
+feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
-@node Filling In Threads
-@subsubsection Filling In Threads
+To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
+regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
+@code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
+Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
+variables, the group is not cached.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-fetch-old-headers
-@vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
-more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
-like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
-many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
-@code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
-number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
-old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
-files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
-@code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
-the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
-do about that.
+@findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
+@findex gnus-cache-generate-active
+@vindex gnus-cache-active-file
+The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
+file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
+of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
+offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
+gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
+files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
+file.
-This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
-visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
-(@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+@findex gnus-cache-move-cache
+@code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
+@code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
+where, isn't that cool?
-The server has to support @acronym{NOV} for any of this to work.
+@node Persistent Articles
+@section Persistent Articles
+@cindex persistent articles
-@cindex Gmane, gnus-fetch-old-headers
-This feature can seriously impact performance it ignores all locally
-cached header entries. Setting it to @code{t} for groups for a server
-that doesn't expire articles (such as news.gmane.org), leads to very
-slow summary generation.
+Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
+In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
+useful in my opinion.
-@item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
-@vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
-Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
-newsgroups.
+Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
+that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
+(using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
+that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
+the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
+the expiry going on at the news server.
-@item gnus-build-sparse-threads
-@vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
-Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
-gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
-the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
-together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
-@dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
-is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
-lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
-question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
-``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
-thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
-off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
-@code{nil} by default.
+This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
+be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
+you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
-@item gnus-read-all-available-headers
-@vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
-This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
-intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
-quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
-go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
-web-based groups.
+@table @kbd
-If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
-@code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
-that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
+@item *
+@kindex * (Summary)
+@findex gnus-cache-enter-article
+Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
+@item M-*
+@kindex M-* (Summary)
+@findex gnus-cache-remove-article
+Remove the current article from the persistent articles
+(@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
+article.
@end table
+Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
-@node More Threading
-@subsubsection More Threading
+To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
+you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
+interested in persistent articles:
-@table @code
-@item gnus-show-threads
-@vindex gnus-show-threads
-If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
-the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
-off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
-slower and more awkward.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
-@vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
-If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
-generated.
+@node Sticky Articles
+@section Sticky Articles
+@cindex sticky articles
-This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
-Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
-@code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
+When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
+according to the value of the variable
+@code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
+default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
+has its own article buffer.
-Here's an example:
+This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
+in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
+latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
+your 17 cousins to coordinate the next Christmas party.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
- '(or gnus-article-unread-p
- gnus-article-unseen-p))
-@end lisp
+That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
+basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
+select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
-(It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
-unread, but you get my drift.)
+@table @kbd
+@item A S
+@kindex A S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-sticky-article
+Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
+name for this sticky article buffer.
+@end table
+To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
-@item gnus-thread-expunge-below
-@vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
-All threads that have a total score (as defined by
-@code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
-expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
-threads are expunged.
+@table @kbd
+@item q
+@kindex q (Article)
+@findex bury-buffer
+Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
+
+@item k
+@kindex k (Article)
+@findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
+Kills this sticky article buffer.
+@end table
+
+To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
-@item gnus-thread-hide-killed
-@vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
-if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
-will be hidden.
+@defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
+Kill all sticky article buffers.
+If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
+@end defun
-@item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
-@vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
-Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
-this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
-change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
-result in a new thread.
+@node Article Backlog
+@section Article Backlog
+@cindex backlog
+@cindex article backlog
-@item gnus-thread-indent-level
-@vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
-This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
-The default is 4.
+If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
+unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
+by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
+already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
+you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
+re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
+that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
+increase memory usage some.
-@item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
-@vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
-Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
-arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
-arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
-using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
-up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
-Setting this variable to an alternate value
-(e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
-appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
-more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
+@vindex gnus-keep-backlog
+If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
+at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
+variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
+@emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
+bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
+that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
-@end table
+The default value is 20.
-@node Low-Level Threading
-@subsubsection Low-Level Threading
+@node Saving Articles
+@section Saving Articles
+@cindex saving articles
-@table @code
+Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
+for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
+processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
+approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
+(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
-@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
-@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
-Hook run before parsing any headers.
+For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
+save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
+command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
-@item gnus-alter-header-function
-@vindex gnus-alter-header-function
-If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
-article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
-the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
-if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
-in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
-variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
-meaningful. Here's one example:
+@vindex gnus-save-all-headers
+If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
+unwanted headers before saving the article.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
+@vindex gnus-saved-headers
+If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
+@code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
+deleted before saving.
-(defun my-alter-message-id (header)
- (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
- (when (string-match
- "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
- (mail-header-set-id
- (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
- header))))
-@end lisp
+@table @kbd
-@end table
+@item O o
+@itemx o
+@kindex O o (Summary)
+@kindex o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
+Save the current article using the default article saver
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
+@item O m
+@kindex O m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
+Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
-@node Thread Commands
-@subsection Thread Commands
-@cindex thread commands
+@item O r
+@kindex O r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
+Save the current article in Rmail format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}). This is mbox since Emacs 23,
+Babyl in older versions.
-@table @kbd
+@item O f
+@kindex O f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
+Save the current article in plain file format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
-@item T k
-@itemx C-M-k
-@kindex T k (Summary)
-@kindex C-M-k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
-Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
-remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
-articles instead.
+@item O F
+@kindex O F (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
+Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
+file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
-@item T l
-@itemx C-M-l
-@kindex T l (Summary)
-@kindex C-M-l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
-Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
+@item O b
+@kindex O b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
+Save the current article body in plain file format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
-@item T i
-@kindex T i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
-Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
+@item O h
+@kindex O h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
+Save the current article in mh folder format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
-@item T #
-@kindex T # (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
-Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+@item O v
+@kindex O v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
+Save the current article in a VM folder
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
-@item T M-#
-@kindex T M-# (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
-Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+@item O p
+@itemx |
+@kindex O p (Summary)
+@kindex | (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
+@vindex gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command
+Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
+the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
+If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
+complete headers in the piped output. The symbolic prefix @code{r} is
+special; it lets this command pipe a raw article including all headers.
+The @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} variable can be set
+to a string containing the default command and options (default
+@code{nil}).
-@item T T
-@kindex T T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
-Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
+@item O P
+@kindex O P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-muttprint
+@vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
+Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
+external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
+Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
+variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
+(@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
-@item T s
-@kindex T s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-thread
-Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
-(@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
+@end table
-@item T h
-@kindex T h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
-Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
+@vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
+All these commands use the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
+functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
+and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
+the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
+default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
+loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
+just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
+have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
+to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
+save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
+files.
-@item T S
-@kindex T S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
-Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
-@item T H
-@kindex T H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
-Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
+@vindex gnus-default-article-saver
+You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
+Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
+functions below, or you can create your own.
-@item T t
-@kindex T t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
-Re-thread the current article's thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
-summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
+@vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
+@findex gnus-plain-save-name
+This is the default format, that used by the Rmail package. Since Emacs
+23, Rmail uses standard mbox format. Before this, it used the
+@dfn{Babyl} format. Accordingly, this command writes mbox format since
+Emacs 23, unless appending to an existing Babyl file. In older versions
+of Emacs, it always uses Babyl format. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
-@item T ^
-@kindex T ^ (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
-Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
-(@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
+@vindex gnus-mail-save-name
+Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
-@item T M-^
-@kindex T M-^ (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
-Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
-(@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-file
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
+@vindex gnus-file-save-name
+@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
+Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
+the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
-@end table
+@item gnus-summary-write-to-file
+@findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
+Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
+overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
-The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
-understand the numeric prefix.
+@item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
+@findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
+Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
+@findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
+Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
+overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
-@item T n
-@kindex T n (Summary)
-@itemx C-M-f
-@kindex C-M-n (Summary)
-@itemx M-down
-@kindex M-down (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
-Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
+@findex gnus-folder-save-name
+@findex gnus-Folder-save-name
+@vindex gnus-folder-save-name
+@cindex rcvstore
+@cindex MH folders
+Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
+library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
+to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
+@code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
+@code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
-@item T p
-@kindex T p (Summary)
-@itemx C-M-b
-@kindex C-M-p (Summary)
-@itemx M-up
-@kindex M-up (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
-Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
+Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
+reader to use this setting.
-@item T d
-@kindex T d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-down-thread
-Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
+Pipe the article to a shell command. This function takes optional two
+arguments COMMAND and RAW. Valid values for COMMAND include:
-@item T u
-@kindex T u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-up-thread
-Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
+@itemize @bullet
+@item a string@*
+The executable command name and possibly arguments.
+@item @code{nil}@*
+You will be prompted for the command in the minibuffer.
+@item the symbol @code{default}@*
+It will be replaced with the command which the variable
+@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} holds or the command
+last used for saving.
+@end itemize
-@item T o
-@kindex T o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-top-thread
-Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
+Non-@code{nil} value for RAW overrides @code{:decode} and
+@code{:headers} properties (see below) and the raw article including all
+headers will be piped.
@end table
-@vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
-If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
-threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
-a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
-wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
-have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
-you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
-is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
-when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
-the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
-operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
-that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
-Matching}).
+The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
+@table @code
+@item :decode
+The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
+meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
+@code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
+@code{gnus-summary-write-to-file},
+@code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}, and
+@code{gnus-summary-save-in-pipe}.
-@node Sorting the Summary Buffer
-@section Sorting the Summary Buffer
+@item :function
+The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
+overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
+articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
+@code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
+meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
+@code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
-@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
-If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
-setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
-function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
-@code{(not some-function)} elements.
+@item :headers
+The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
+specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
+@code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
+headers should be saved.
+@end table
-By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
-predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
+@vindex gnus-article-save-directory
+All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
+in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
+@env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
+default.
-Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
-thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
-normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
+As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
+suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
+available functions that generate names:
-If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
-last function in the list. You should probably always include
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
-functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
-equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
-ascending article order.
+@table @code
-If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
-by number, you could do something like:
+@item gnus-Numeric-save-name
+@findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
- '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
- gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
- (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-numeric-save-name
+@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
-The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
-summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
-alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
-subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
-which the articles arrived.
+@item gnus-Plain-save-name
+@findex gnus-Plain-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
-If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
-say something like:
+@item gnus-plain-save-name
+@findex gnus-plain-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
+
+@item gnus-sender-save-name
+@findex gnus-sender-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-split-methods
+You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
+the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
+save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
+related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
+like:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
- '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
- gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
+(("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
+ ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
+ (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
+ ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-thread-score-function
-The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
-@code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
-functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
-tickles your fancy.
-
-@findex gnus-article-sort-functions
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-date
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-number
-If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
-other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
-variable. It is very similar to the
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
-different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
-predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
+We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
+elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
+a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
+head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
+group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
+@code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
+the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
+result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
+called returns a string or a list of strings.
-If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
-say something like:
+You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
+saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
+then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
+name completion over the results from applying this variable.
+
+This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
+means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
+@code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
+name.
+
+Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
+lots of mail groups called things like
+@samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
+these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
+following will do just that:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-article-sort-functions
- '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
- gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
+(defun my-save-name (group)
+ (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
+ (substring group (match-end 0))))
+
+(setq gnus-split-methods
+ '((gnus-article-archive-name)
+ (my-save-name)))
@end lisp
-You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
-@xref{Group Parameters}.
+@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
+Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
+@code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
+(@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
+the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
+all the files in the top level directory
+(@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
+@file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
+on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
+Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
-@node Asynchronous Fetching
-@section Asynchronous Article Fetching
-@cindex asynchronous article fetching
-@cindex article pre-fetch
-@cindex pre-fetch
+This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
+is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
+names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
+@code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
+contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
+for kill files.
-If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
-network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
-for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
-article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
-while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
+If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
+a spool, you could
-First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
-article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
+(setq gnus-default-article-saver
+ 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
+@end lisp
-Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
-quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
-know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
-article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
-connection is blocked.
+Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
+ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
+the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
+around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
-To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
-connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
-thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
-extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
-Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
-the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
-loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
-also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
-extra connection.
+@node Decoding Articles
+@section Decoding Articles
+@cindex decoding articles
-Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
-you really want to.
+Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
+encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
-@vindex gnus-asynchronous
-Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
-happen automatically.
+@menu
+* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
+* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
+* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
+* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
+* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
+* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
+@end menu
-@vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
-You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
-@code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
-that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
-the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
-pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
-@code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
+@cindex series
+@cindex article series
+All these functions use the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
+the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
+can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
+articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
-@vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
-@findex gnus-async-unread-p
-There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
-articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
-variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
-function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
-to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
-returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
-article data structure as the only parameter.
+Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
+simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
+last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
-If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
-than 100 lines, you could say something like:
+For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
+will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
+([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
-@lisp
-(defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
- "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
- (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
- (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
- 100)))
+Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
+series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
+commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
-(setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
-@end lisp
-These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
-preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
-It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
+@node Uuencoded Articles
+@subsection Uuencoded Articles
+@cindex uudecode
+@cindex uuencoded articles
-@vindex gnus-async-post-fetch-function
-@findex gnus-html-prefetch-images
-After an article has been prefetched, this
-@code{gnus-async-post-fetch-function} will be called. The buffer will
-be narrowed to the region of the article that was fetched. A useful
-value would be @code{gnus-html-prefetch-images}, which will prefetch
-and store images referenced in the article, so that you don't have to
-wait for them to be fetched when you read the article. This is useful
-for @acronym{HTML} messages that have external images.
+@table @kbd
-@vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
-Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
-@code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
-articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
+@item X u
+@kindex X u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
+@c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
+Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
-@table @code
-@item read
-Remove articles when they are read.
+@item X U
+@kindex X U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
+Uudecodes and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+
+@item X v u
+@kindex X v u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
+Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
+
+@item X v U
+@kindex X v U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
+Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
-@item exit
-Remove articles when exiting the group.
@end table
-The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
+Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
+the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
+entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
-@c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
-@c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
-@c from the next group.
+All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
+@sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
+the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
+articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
+@kbd{X u}.
+@vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
+Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
+@code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
+@samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
+automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
+you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
+off.
-@node Article Caching
-@section Article Caching
-@cindex article caching
-@cindex caching
-If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
-consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
-locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
-potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
-your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
+@node Shell Archives
+@subsection Shell Archives
+@cindex unshar
+@cindex shell archives
+@cindex shared articles
-Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
+Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
+sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
+some commands to deal with these:
-@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
-@vindex gnus-cache-directory
-@vindex gnus-use-cache
-To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
-all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
-over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
-cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
+@table @kbd
-When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
-cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
-expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
-keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
-as dormant, and don't worry.
+@item X s
+@kindex X s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
+Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
+
+@item X S
+@kindex X S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
+Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
-When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
+@item X v s
+@kindex X v s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
+Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
-@vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
-@vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
-The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
-variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
-dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
-put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
-articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
-symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
-@code{unread} and @code{read}.
+@item X v S
+@kindex X v S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
+Unshars, views and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
+@end table
-@findex gnus-jog-cache
-So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
-picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
-subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
-store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
-command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
-really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
-Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
-to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
-not then be downloaded by this command.
-@vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
-@vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
-It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
-if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
-sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
-feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
+@node PostScript Files
+@subsection PostScript Files
+@cindex PostScript
-To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
-regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
-@code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
-Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
-variables, the group is not cached.
+@table @kbd
-@findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
-@findex gnus-cache-generate-active
-@vindex gnus-cache-active-file
-The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
-file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
-of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
-offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
-gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
-files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
-file.
+@item X p
+@kindex X p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
+Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
-@findex gnus-cache-move-cache
-@code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
-@code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
-where, isn't that cool?
+@item X P
+@kindex X P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
+Unpack and save the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
-@node Persistent Articles
-@section Persistent Articles
-@cindex persistent articles
+@item X v p
+@kindex X v p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
+View the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
-Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
-In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
-useful in my opinion.
+@item X v P
+@kindex X v P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
+View and save the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
+@end table
-Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
-that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
-(using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
-that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
-the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
-the expiry going on at the news server.
-This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
-be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
-you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
+@node Other Files
+@subsection Other Files
@table @kbd
+@item X o
+@kindex X o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-save
+Save the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
-@item *
-@kindex * (Summary)
-@findex gnus-cache-enter-article
-Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
+@item X b
+@kindex X b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
+Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
+doesn't really work yet.
-@item M-*
-@kindex M-* (Summary)
-@findex gnus-cache-remove-article
-Remove the current article from the persistent articles
-(@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
-article.
+@item X Y
+@kindex X Y (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-yenc
+yEnc-decode the current series and save it (@code{gnus-uu-decode-yenc}).
@end table
-Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
-
-To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
-you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
-interested in persistent articles:
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
-@end lisp
-@node Sticky Articles
-@section Sticky Articles
-@cindex sticky articles
+@node Decoding Variables
+@subsection Decoding Variables
-When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
-according to the value of the variable
-@code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
-default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
-has its own article buffer.
+Adjective, not verb.
-This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
-in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
-latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
-your 17 cousins to coordinate the next christmas party.
+@menu
+* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
+* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
+* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
+@end menu
-That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
-basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
-select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
-@table @kbd
-@item A S
-@kindex A S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-sticky-article
-Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
-name for this sticky article buffer.
-@end table
+@node Rule Variables
+@subsubsection Rule Variables
+@cindex rule variables
-To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
+Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
+variables are of the form
-@table @kbd
-@item q
-@kindex q (Article)
-@findex bury-buffer
-Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
+@lisp
+ (list '(regexp1 command2)
+ '(regexp2 command2)
+ ...)
+@end lisp
-@item k
-@kindex k (Article)
-@findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
-Kills this sticky article buffer.
-@end table
+@table @code
-To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
+@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+@cindex sox
+This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
+for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
+say something like:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+ (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
+@end lisp
-@defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
-Kill all sticky article buffers.
-If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
-@end defun
+@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
+This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
+user and default view rules.
-@node Article Backlog
-@section Article Backlog
-@cindex backlog
-@cindex article backlog
+@item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
+This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
+archives.
+@end table
-If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
-unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
-by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
-already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
-you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
-re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
-that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
-increase memory usage some.
-@vindex gnus-keep-backlog
-If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
-at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
-variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
-@emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
-bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
-that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
+@node Other Decode Variables
+@subsubsection Other Decode Variables
-The default value is 20.
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
+@item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
+All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
+successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
+and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
+anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
-@node Saving Articles
-@section Saving Articles
-@cindex saving articles
+@table @code
-Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
-for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
-processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
-approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
-(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+@item gnus-uu-grab-view
+@findex gnus-uu-grab-view
+View the file.
-For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
-save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
-command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
+@item gnus-uu-grab-move
+@findex gnus-uu-grab-move
+Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-save-all-headers
-If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
-unwanted headers before saving the article.
+@item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
+@vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
+Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
+@code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
+that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
+time.
-@vindex gnus-saved-headers
-If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
-@code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
-deleted before saving.
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
+Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
+Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
+Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
+@code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
+kludgy.
-@item O o
-@itemx o
-@kindex O o (Summary)
-@kindex o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
-Save the current article using the default article saver
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
+@item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
+@vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
+Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
-@item O m
-@kindex O m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
-Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
+@item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
+@vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
+looking for files to display.
-@item O r
-@kindex O r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
-Save the current article in Rmail format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}). This is mbox since Emacs 23,
-Babyl in older versions.
+@item gnus-uu-view-and-save
+@vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
+Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
+after viewing it.
-@item O f
-@kindex O f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
-Save the current article in plain file format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
+rules.
-@item O F
-@kindex O F (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
-Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
-file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
+unpacking commands.
-@item O b
-@kindex O b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
-Save the current article body in plain file format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
+@item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
+@vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
+from articles.
-@item O h
-@kindex O h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
-Save the current article in mh folder format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
+@item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
+@vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
+decoded articles as unread.
-@item O v
-@kindex O v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
-Save the current article in a VM folder
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
+@item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
+@vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
+uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
-@item O p
-@itemx |
-@kindex O p (Summary)
-@kindex | (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
-@vindex gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command
-Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
-the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
-If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
-complete headers in the piped output. The symbolic prefix @code{r} is
-special; it lets this command pipe a raw article including all headers.
-The @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} variable can be set
-to a string containing the default command and options (default
-@code{nil}).
+@item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
+@vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
+Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
-@item O P
-@kindex O P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-muttprint
-@vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
-Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
-external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
-Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
-variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
-(@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
+@item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
+@vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
+@cindex metamail
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
+commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
+content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
+@code{metamail} for viewing.
-@end table
+@item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
+@vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
+decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
+embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
+to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
+simply dropped them.
-@vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
-All these commands use the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
-functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
-and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
-the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
-default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
-loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
-just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
-have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
-to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
-save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
-files.
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-default-article-saver
-You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
-Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
-functions below, or you can create your own.
+@node Uuencoding and Posting
+@subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
@table @code
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
-@vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
-@findex gnus-plain-save-name
-This is the default format, that used by the Rmail package. Since Emacs
-23, Rmail uses standard mbox format. Before this, it used the
-@dfn{Babyl} format. Accordingly, this command writes mbox format since
-Emacs 23, unless appending to an existing Babyl file. In older versions
-of Emacs, it always uses Babyl format. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
+@item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
+before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
+either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
+for you when you post the article.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
-@vindex gnus-mail-save-name
-Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
+@item gnus-uu-post-length
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-length
+Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
+many articles it takes to post the entire file.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-file
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
-@vindex gnus-file-save-name
-@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
-Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
-the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+@item gnus-uu-post-threaded
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
+thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
+to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
+seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
+think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
-@item gnus-summary-write-to-file
-@findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
-Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
-overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
+Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
+article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
+variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
+at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
+Default is @code{t}.
-@item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
-@findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
-Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+@end table
-@item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
-@findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
-Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
-overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
-@findex gnus-folder-save-name
-@findex gnus-Folder-save-name
-@vindex gnus-folder-save-name
-@cindex rcvstore
-@cindex MH folders
-Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
-library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
-to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
-@code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
-@code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
+@node Viewing Files
+@subsection Viewing Files
+@cindex viewing files
+@cindex pseudo-articles
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
-Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
-reader to use this setting.
+After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
+to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
+viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
+containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
+uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
+This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
+of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
+
+Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
+extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
+``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
+will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
-Pipe the article to a shell command. This function takes optional two
-arguments COMMAND and RAW. Valid values for COMMAND include:
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
+until the viewing is done before proceeding.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item a string@*
-The executable command name and possibly arguments.
-@item @code{nil}@*
-You will be prompted for the command in the minibuffer.
-@item the symbol @code{default}@*
-It will be replaced with the command which the variable
-@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} holds or the command
-last used for saving.
-@end itemize
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudos
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
+the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
+immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
+be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
-Non-@code{nil} value for RAW overrides @code{:decode} and
-@code{:headers} properties (see below) and the raw article including all
-headers will be piped.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
+pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
+@code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
+a list of parameters to that command.
-The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
+@vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
+If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
+pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
-@table @code
-@item :decode
-The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
-meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
-@code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
-@code{gnus-summary-write-to-file},
-@code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}, and
-@code{gnus-summary-save-in-pipe}.
+So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
+@emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
+Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
-@item :function
-The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
-overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
-articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
-@code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
-meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
-@code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
-@item :headers
-The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
-specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
-@code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
-headers should be saved.
-@end table
+@node Article Treatment
+@section Article Treatment
-@vindex gnus-article-save-directory
-All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
-in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
-@env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
-default.
+Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
+object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
+written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
+writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
+these articles easier.
-As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
-suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
-available functions that generate names:
+@menu
+* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
+* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
+* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
+* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
+* Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
+* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
+* Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
+* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
+* Article Display:: Display various stuff:
+ X-Face, Picons, Gravatars, Smileys.
+* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
+* Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
+@end menu
-@table @code
-@item gnus-Numeric-save-name
-@findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
+@node Article Highlighting
+@subsection Article Highlighting
+@cindex highlighting
-@item gnus-numeric-save-name
-@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
+Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
+you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
-@item gnus-Plain-save-name
-@findex gnus-Plain-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-plain-save-name
-@findex gnus-plain-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
+@item W H a
+@kindex W H a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight
+@findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
+Do much highlighting of the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
+text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
-@item gnus-sender-save-name
-@findex gnus-sender-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
-@end table
+@item W H h
+@kindex W H h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
+@vindex gnus-header-face-alist
+Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
+highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
+variable, which is a list where each element has the form
+@code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
+@var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
+header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
+(@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
+the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
+@var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
-@vindex gnus-split-methods
-You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
-the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
-save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
-related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
-like:
+@item W H c
+@kindex W H c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
+Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
-@lisp
-(("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
- ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
- (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
- ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
-@end lisp
+Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
-We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
-elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
-a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
-head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
-group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
-@code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
-the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
-result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
-called returns a string or a list of strings.
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
-You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
-saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
-then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
-name completion over the results from applying this variable.
+@item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
+If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
+25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
-This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
-means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
-@code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
-name.
+@item gnus-cite-max-prefix
+@vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
+Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
-Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
-lots of mail groups called things like
-@samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
-these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
-following will do just that:
+@item gnus-cite-face-list
+@vindex gnus-cite-face-list
+List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
+When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
+Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
+This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
-@lisp
-(defun my-save-name (group)
- (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
- (substring group (match-end 0))))
+@item gnus-supercite-regexp
+@vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
+Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
-(setq gnus-split-methods
- '((gnus-article-archive-name)
- (my-save-name)))
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
+@vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
+Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
+@item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
+@vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
+Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
+that it's a citation.
-@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
-Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
-@code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
-(@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
-the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
-all the files in the top level directory
-(@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
-@file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
-on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
-Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
+Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
-This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
-is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
-names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
-@code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
-contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
-for kill files.
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
+Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
-If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
-a spool, you could
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-face
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
+Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
+cited text belonging to the attribution.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
-(setq gnus-default-article-saver
- 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
+@vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
+If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
+beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
+in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
+is @code{t}.
-Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
-ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
-the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
-around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
+@end table
-@node Decoding Articles
-@section Decoding Articles
-@cindex decoding articles
+@item W H s
+@kindex W H s (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-signature-separator
+@vindex gnus-signature-face
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
+Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
+Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
+Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
+highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
+default.
+
+@end table
-Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
-encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
-@menu
-* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
-* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
-* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
-* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
-* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
-* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
-@end menu
-@cindex series
-@cindex article series
-All these functions use the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
-the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
-can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
-articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
+@node Article Fontisizing
+@subsection Article Fontisizing
+@cindex emphasis
+@cindex article emphasis
-Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
-simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
-last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
+@findex gnus-article-emphasize
+@kindex W e (Summary)
+People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
+like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
+this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
+(@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
-For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
-will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
-([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
+How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
+element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
+that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
+emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
+should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
+groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
+highlighting.
-Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
-series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
-commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-emphasis-alist
+ '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
+ ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
+@end lisp
+@cindex slash
+@cindex asterisk
+@cindex underline
+@cindex /
+@cindex *
-@node Uuencoded Articles
-@subsection Uuencoded Articles
-@cindex uudecode
-@cindex uuencoded articles
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
+By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
+@code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
-@table @kbd
+If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
+customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
+to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
+say something like:
-@item X u
-@kindex X u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
-@c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
-Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
+@lisp
+(copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
+@end lisp
-@item X U
-@kindex X U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
-Uudecodes and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+@vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
-@item X v u
-@kindex X v u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
-Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
+If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
+@code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
+syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
+parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
-@item X v U
-@kindex X v U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
-Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
-@end table
-Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
-the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
-entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+@node Article Hiding
+@subsection Article Hiding
+@cindex article hiding
-All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
-@sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
-the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
-articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
-@kbd{X u}.
+Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
+too much cruft in most articles.
-@vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
-Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
-@code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
-@samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
-automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
-you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
-off.
+@table @kbd
+@item W W a
+@kindex W W a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide
+Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
+(@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
+headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
-@node Shell Archives
-@subsection Shell Archives
-@cindex unshar
-@cindex shell archives
-@cindex shared articles
+@item W W h
+@kindex W W h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-headers
+Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
+Headers}.
-Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
-sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
-some commands to deal with these:
+@item W W b
+@kindex W W b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
+Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
-@table @kbd
+@item W W s
+@kindex W W s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-signature
+Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
+Signature}.
-@item X s
-@kindex X s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
-Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
+@item W W l
+@kindex W W l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
+@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
+Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
+are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
+@code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
+@samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
+may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
-@item X S
-@kindex X S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
-Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
+@table @code
-@item X v s
-@kindex X v s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
-Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
+@item gnus-list-identifiers
+@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
+A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
+subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
-@item X v S
-@kindex X v S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
-Unshars, views and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
@end table
+@item W W P
+@kindex W W P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-pem
+Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
-@node PostScript Files
-@subsection PostScript Files
-@cindex PostScript
+@item W W B
+@kindex W W B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-banner
+@vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
+@vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
+@cindex banner
+@cindex OneList
+@cindex stripping advertisements
+@cindex advertisements
+Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
+annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
+groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
+the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
+group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
+which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
+removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
+signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
+corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
+used.
-@table @kbd
+For instance:
-@item X p
-@kindex X p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
-Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-article-banner-alist
+ ((googleGroups .
+ "^\n*--~--~---------\\(.+\n\\)+")))
+@end lisp
-@item X P
-@kindex X P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
-Unpack and save the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
+Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
+the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
+@code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
+@vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
+Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
+@code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
+matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
+symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
+a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
+address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
+sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
+banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
+sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
-@item X v p
-@kindex X v p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
-View the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
+@lisp
+("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
+ "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
+@end lisp
-@item X v P
-@kindex X v P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
-View and save the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
@end table
+@item W W c
+@kindex W W c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
+Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
+customizing the hiding:
-@node Other Files
-@subsection Other Files
-
-@table @kbd
-@item X o
-@kindex X o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-save
-Save the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
+@table @code
-@item X b
-@kindex X b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
-Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
-doesn't really work yet.
+@item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
+@itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
+@vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
+@vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
+Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
+allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
+by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
+specs are valid:
-@item X Y
-@kindex X Y (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-yenc
-yEnc-decode the current series and save it (@code{gnus-uu-decode-yenc}).
+@table @samp
+@item b
+Starting point of the hidden text.
+@item e
+Ending point of the hidden text.
+@item l
+Number of characters in the hidden region.
+@item n
+Number of lines of hidden text.
@end table
+@item gnus-cited-lines-visible
+@vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
+The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
+shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
+and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
-@node Decoding Variables
-@subsection Decoding Variables
+@end table
-Adjective, not verb.
+@item W W C-c
+@kindex W W C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
-@menu
-* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
-* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
-* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
-@end menu
+Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
+following two variables:
+@table @code
+@item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
+@vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
+If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
+50), hide the cited text.
-@node Rule Variables
-@subsubsection Rule Variables
-@cindex rule variables
+@item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
+@vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
+The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
+is hidden.
+@end table
-Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
-variables are of the form
+@item W W C
+@kindex W W C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
+Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
+useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
+have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
-@lisp
- (list '(regexp1 command2)
- '(regexp2 command2)
- ...)
-@end lisp
+@end table
-@table @code
+All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
+prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
+hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
-@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
-@cindex sox
-This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
-for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
-say something like:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
- (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
-@end lisp
+Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
+citation customization.
-@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
-This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
-user and default view rules.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
+automatically.
-@item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
-This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
-archives.
-@end table
+@node Article Washing
+@subsection Article Washing
+@cindex washing
+@cindex article washing
-@node Other Decode Variables
-@subsubsection Other Decode Variables
+We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
+@kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
-@table @code
-@vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
+@dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
+something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
+Cleaner, perhaps.
-@item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
-All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
-successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
-and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
-anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
+articles by default.
-@table @code
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-uu-grab-view
-@findex gnus-uu-grab-view
-View the file.
+@item C-u g
+This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
+you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
+the server.
-@item gnus-uu-grab-move
-@findex gnus-uu-grab-move
-Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
-@end table
+@item g
+Force redisplaying of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
+If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
+interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
+(@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
-@item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
-@vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
-Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
-@code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
-that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
-time.
+@item W l
+@kindex W l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
+Remove page breaks from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
+delimiters.
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
-Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
+@item W r
+@kindex W r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
+Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
+Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
+(Typically offensive jokes and such.)
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
-Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
-Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
-@code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
-kludgey.
+It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
+positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
+#15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
+is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
-@item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
-@vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
-Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
+@item W m
+@kindex W m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-morse-message
+Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
-@item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
-@vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
-looking for files to display.
+@item W i
+@kindex W i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-idna-message
+Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
+encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
+unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
+string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
+(@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
+to work.
-@item gnus-uu-view-and-save
-@vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
-Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
-after viewing it.
+@item W t
+@item t
+@kindex W t (Summary)
+@kindex t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
+Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
-rules.
+@item W v
+@kindex W v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
+Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
+(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
-unpacking commands.
+@item W o
+@kindex W o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
+Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
+
+@item W d
+@kindex W d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
+@vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
+@cindex Smartquotes
+@cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
+@cindex Latin 1
+Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
+@code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
+(@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
+whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
+interactively.
-@item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
-@vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
-from articles.
+Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
+an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
+like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
+apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
-@item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
-@vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
-decoded articles as unread.
+@item W U
+@kindex W U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-non-ascii
+@cindex Unicode
+@cindex Non-@acronym{ASCII}
+Translate many non-@acronym{ASCII} characters into their
+@acronym{ASCII} equivalents (@code{gnus-article-treat-non-ascii}).
+This is mostly useful if you're on a terminal that has a limited font
+and doesn't show accented characters, ``advanced'' punctuation, and the
+like. For instance, @samp{»} is translated into @samp{>>}, and so on.
-@item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
-@vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
-uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
+@item W Y f
+@kindex W Y f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
+@cindex Outlook Express
+Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
+unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
-@item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
-@vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
-Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
+@item W Y u
+@kindex W Y u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
+@vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
+@vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
+Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
+what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
+@code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
+@code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
+maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
-@item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
-@vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
-@cindex metamail
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
-commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
-content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
-@code{metamail} for viewing.
+@item W Y a
+@kindex W Y a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
+Repair a broken attribution line.@*
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
-@item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
-@vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
-decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
-@code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
-embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
-to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
-simply dropped them.
+@item W Y c
+@kindex W Y c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
+Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
-@end table
+@item W w
+@kindex W w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
+Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
+You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
+when filling.
-@node Uuencoding and Posting
-@subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
+@item W Q
+@kindex W Q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
+Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
-@table @code
+@item W C
+@kindex W C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
+Capitalize the first word in each sentence
+(@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
-@item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
-before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
-either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
-for you when you post the article.
+@item W c
+@kindex W c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-cr
+Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
+(this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
+CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
-@item gnus-uu-post-length
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-length
-Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
-many articles it takes to post the entire file.
+@item W q
+@kindex W q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
+Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
+Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
+sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
+makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
+which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
+done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
+@code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
+has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
-@item gnus-uu-post-threaded
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
-thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
-to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
-seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
-think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
+@item W 6
+@kindex W 6 (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
+Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
+one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
+non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
+usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
+@code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
+has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
-@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
-Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
-article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
-variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
-at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
-Default is @code{t}.
+@item W Z
+@kindex W Z (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
+Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
+common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
+makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
-@end table
+@item W A
+@kindex W A (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
+@cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
+Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
+extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
+sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
+@item W u
+@kindex W u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
+Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
+outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
+split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
+the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
-@node Viewing Files
-@subsection Viewing Files
-@cindex viewing files
-@cindex pseudo-articles
+@item W h
+@kindex W h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-wash-html
+Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
+usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
+@code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
-After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
-to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
-viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
-containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
-uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
-This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
-of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
+If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
+the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
+(@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
-Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
-extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
-``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
-will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
+The default is to use the function specified by
+@code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
+Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
+@acronym{HTML}. Pre-defined functions you can use include:
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
-until the viewing is done before proceeding.
+@table @code
+@item shr
+Use Gnus simple html renderer.
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudos
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
-the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
-immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
-be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
+@item gnus-w3m
+Use Gnus rendered based on w3m.
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
-pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
-@code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
-a list of parameters to that command.
+@item w3
+Use Emacs/W3.
-@vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
-If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
-pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
+@item w3m
+Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
-So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
-@emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
-Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
+@item w3m-standalone
+Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
+@item links
+Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
-@node Article Treatment
-@section Article Treatment
+@item lynx
+Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
-Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
-object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
-written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
-writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
-these articles easier.
+@item html2text
+Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
-@menu
-* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
-* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
-* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
-* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
-* Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
-* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
-* Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
-* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
-* Article Display:: Display various stuff:
- X-Face, Picons, Gravatars, Smileys.
-* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
-* Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
-@end menu
+@end table
+@item W b
+@kindex W b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-add-buttons
+Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
+@xref{Article Buttons}.
-@node Article Highlighting
-@subsection Article Highlighting
-@cindex highlighting
+@item W B
+@kindex W B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
+Add clickable buttons to the article headers
+(@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
-Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
-you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
+@item W p
+@kindex W p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
+Verify a signed control message
+(@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
+@code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
+hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
+the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
+message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
+available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
-@table @kbd
+@item W s
+@kindex W s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
+Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
+@acronym{S/MIME}) message
+(@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
-@item W H a
-@kindex W H a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-highlight
-@findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
-Do much highlighting of the current article
-(@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
-text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
+@item W a
+@kindex W a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
+Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
+article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
-@item W H h
-@kindex W H h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
-@vindex gnus-header-face-alist
-Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
-highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
-variable, which is a list where each element has the form
-@code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
-@var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
-header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
-(@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
-the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
-@var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
+@item W E l
+@kindex W E l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
-@item W H c
-@kindex W H c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
-Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
+@item W E m
+@kindex W E m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
+Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
+lines with a single empty line.
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
-Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
+@item W E t
+@kindex W E t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
-@table @code
-@vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
+@item W E a
+@kindex W E a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
+Do all the three commands above
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
-@item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
-If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
-25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
+@item W E A
+@kindex W E A (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
-@item gnus-cite-max-prefix
-@vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
-Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
+@item W E s
+@kindex W E s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
+Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
+body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
-@item gnus-cite-face-list
-@vindex gnus-cite-face-list
-List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
-When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
-Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
-This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
+@item W E e
+@kindex W E e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
+Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
+body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
-@item gnus-supercite-regexp
-@vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
-Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
+@end table
-@item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
-@vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
-Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
-@item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
-@vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
-Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
-that it's a citation.
-@item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
-@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
-Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
+@node Article Header
+@subsection Article Header
-@item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
-@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
-Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
+These commands perform various transformations of article header.
-@item gnus-cite-attribution-face
-@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
-Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
-cited text belonging to the attribution.
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
-@vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
-If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
-beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
-in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
-is @code{t}.
+@item W G u
+@kindex W G u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
+Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
-@end table
+@item W G n
+@kindex W G n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
+Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
+(@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
+@item W G f
+@kindex W G f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
+Fold all the message headers
+(@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
-@item W H s
-@kindex W H s (Summary)
-@vindex gnus-signature-separator
-@vindex gnus-signature-face
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
-Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
-Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
-Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
-highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
-default.
+@item W E w
+@kindex W E w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
+Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
@end table
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
+@node Article Buttons
+@subsection Article Buttons
+@cindex buttons
-@node Article Fontisizing
-@subsection Article Fontisizing
-@cindex emphasis
-@cindex article emphasis
+People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
+be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
+with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
+button on these references.
-@findex gnus-article-emphasize
-@kindex W e (Summary)
-People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
-like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
-this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
-(@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
+@vindex gnus-button-man-handler
+Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
+Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
+Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
+one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
-How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
-element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
-that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
-emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
-should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
-groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
-highlighting.
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-button-alist
+@vindex gnus-button-alist
+This is an alist where each entry has this form:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-emphasis-alist
- '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
- ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
+(@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
@end lisp
-@cindex slash
-@cindex asterisk
-@cindex underline
-@cindex /
-@cindex *
+@table @var
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
-By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
-@code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
+@item regexp
+All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
+considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
+embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
+variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
+@code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
+
+@item button-par
+Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
+is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
+highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
+
+@item use-p
+This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
+this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
+avoid false matches. Often variables named
+@code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
+Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
+
+@c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
+
+@item function
+This function will be called when you click on this button.
-If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
-customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
-to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
-say something like:
+@item data-par
+As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
+says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
+
+@end table
+
+So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
@lisp
-(copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
+("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
+@item gnus-header-button-alist
+@vindex gnus-header-button-alist
+This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
+article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
+used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
-If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
-@code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
-syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
-parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
+@lisp
+(@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
+@end lisp
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
+@var{header} is a regular expression.
+@end table
+@subsubsection Related variables and functions
-@node Article Hiding
-@subsection Article Hiding
-@cindex article hiding
+@table @code
+@item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
+@xref{Article Button Levels}.
-Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
-too much cruft in most articles.
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-button-url-regexp
+@vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
+A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
+default values of the variables above.
-@item W W a
-@kindex W W a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide
-Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
-(@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
-headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
-@item W W h
-@kindex W W h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-headers
-Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
-Headers}.
+@item gnus-button-man-handler
+@vindex gnus-button-man-handler
+The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
+argument with a string naming the man page.
-@item W W b
-@kindex W W b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
-Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
-(@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
-@item W W s
-@kindex W W s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-signature
-Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
-Signature}.
+@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
+@vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
+Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
-@item W W l
-@kindex W W l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
-@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
-Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
-are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
-@code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
-@samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
-may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
+@item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
+@vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
+This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
+@samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
+message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
+@code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
+a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
+@code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
+function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
+function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
+@code{ask}. The default value is the function
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
-@table @code
+@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
+@findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
+Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
+address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
+it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
+string is invalid.
-@item gnus-list-identifiers
-@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
-A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
-subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
+@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
+@vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
+An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
+
+@c Misc stuff
+
+@item gnus-article-button-face
+@vindex gnus-article-button-face
+Face used on buttons.
+
+@item gnus-article-mouse-face
+@vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
+Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
@end table
-@item W W P
-@kindex W W P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-pem
-Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
-(@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
-@item W W B
-@kindex W W B (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-banner
-@vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
-@vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
-@cindex banner
-@cindex OneList
-@cindex stripping advertisements
-@cindex advertisements
-Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
-annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
-groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
-the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
-group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
-which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
-removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
-signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
-corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
-used.
-For instance:
+@node Article Button Levels
+@subsection Article button levels
+@cindex button levels
+The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
+the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
+buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
+already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
+more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
+you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
+specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
+variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-article-banner-alist
- ((googleGroups .
- "^\n*--~--~---------\\(.+\n\\)+")))
+;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
+(setq gnus-parameters
+ '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
+ ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
+ ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
@end lisp
-Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
-the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
-@code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
-
@table @code
-@item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
-@vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
-Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
-@code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
-matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
-symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
-a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
-address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
-sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
-banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
-sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
+@item gnus-button-browse-level
+@vindex gnus-button-browse-level
+Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
+news URLs. Related variables and functions include
+@code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
+@code{browse-url-browser-function}.
-@lisp
-("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
- "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-button-emacs-level
+@vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
+Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
+@code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
+@code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
+
+@item gnus-button-man-level
+@vindex gnus-button-man-level
+Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
+See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
+
+@item gnus-button-message-level
+@vindex gnus-button-message-level
+Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
+Related variables and functions include
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
+@code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
@end table
-@item W W c
-@kindex W W c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
-Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
-customizing the hiding:
-@table @code
+@node Article Date
+@subsection Article Date
-@item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
-@itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
-@vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
-@vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
-Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
-allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
-by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
-specs are valid:
+The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
+heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
+when the article was sent.
-@table @samp
-@item b
-Starting point of the hidden text.
-@item e
-Ending point of the hidden text.
-@item l
-Number of characters in the hidden region.
-@item n
-Number of lines of hidden text.
-@end table
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-cited-lines-visible
-@vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
-The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
-shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
-and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
+@item W T u
+@kindex W T u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-ut
+Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
+(@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
-@end table
+@item W T i
+@kindex W T i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
+@cindex ISO 8601
+Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
+(@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
-@item W W C-c
-@kindex W W C-c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
+@item W T l
+@kindex W T l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-local
+Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
-Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
-following two variables:
+@item W T p
+@kindex W T p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-english
+Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
+(@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
-@table @code
-@item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
-@vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
-If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
-50), hide the cited text.
+@item W T s
+@kindex W T s (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-article-time-format
+@findex gnus-article-date-user
+@findex format-time-string
+Display the date using a user-defined format
+(@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
+@code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
+to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
+for a list of possible format specs.
-@item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
-@vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
-The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
-is hidden.
-@end table
+@item W T e
+@kindex W T e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
+@findex gnus-start-date-timer
+@findex gnus-stop-date-timer
+Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
+(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
-@item W W C
-@kindex W W C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
-Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
-(@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
-useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
-have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
+@example
+Date: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
+@end example
-@end table
+This line is updated continually by default. The frequency (in
+seconds) is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-update-date-headers}
+variable.
-All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
-prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
-hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
+If you wish to switch updating off, say:
-Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
-citation customization.
+@vindex gnus-article-update-date-headers
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-article-update-date-headers nil)
+@end lisp
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
-automatically.
+in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
+@item W T o
+@kindex W T o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-original
+Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
+be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
+worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
+that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
+@emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
-@node Article Washing
-@subsection Article Washing
-@cindex washing
-@cindex article washing
+@end table
-We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
-@kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
+preferred format automatically.
-@dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
-something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
-Cleaner, perhaps.
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
-articles by default.
+@node Article Display
+@subsection Article Display
+@cindex picons
+@cindex x-face
+@cindex smileys
+@cindex gravatars
-@table @kbd
+These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
+buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
-@item C-u g
-This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
-you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
-the server.
+@code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
+message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
-@item g
-Force redisplaying of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
-If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
-interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
-(@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
+@code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
+headers (@pxref{Face}).
-@item W l
-@kindex W l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
-Remove page breaks from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
-delimiters.
+Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
+their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
-@item W r
-@kindex W r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
-Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
-Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
-(Typically offensive jokes and such.)
+Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
+try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
-It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
-positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
-#15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
-is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
+Gravatars reside on-line and are fetched from
+@uref{http://www.gravatar.com/} (@pxref{Gravatars}).
-@item W m
-@kindex W m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-morse-message
-Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
+All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
+they'll be removed.
-@item W i
-@kindex W i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-idna-message
-Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
-encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
-unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
-string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
-(@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
-to work.
+@table @kbd
+@item W D x
+@kindex W D x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
+Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
+(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
-@item W t
-@item t
-@kindex W t (Summary)
-@kindex t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
-Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
+@item W D d
+@kindex W D d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-display-face
+Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
+(@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
-@item W v
-@kindex W v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
-Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
-(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
+@item W D s
+@kindex W D s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-smiley
+Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
-@item W o
-@kindex W o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
-Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
+@item W D f
+@kindex W D f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-from-picon
+Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
-@item W d
-@kindex W d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
-@vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
-@cindex Smartquotes
-@cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
-@cindex Latin 1
-Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
-@code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
-(@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
-whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
-interactively.
+@item W D m
+@kindex W D m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
+Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
+(@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
-Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
-an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
-like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
-apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
+@item W D n
+@kindex W D n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
+Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
+@code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
-@item W U
-@kindex W U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-non-ascii
-@cindex Unicode
-@cindex Non-@acronym{ASCII}
-Translate many non-@acronym{ASCII} characters into their
-@acronym{ASCII} equivalents (@code{gnus-article-treat-non-ascii}).
-This is mostly useful if you're on a terminal that has a limited font
-and does't show accented characters, ``advanced'' punctuation, and the
-like. For instance, @samp{»} is tranlated into @samp{>>}, and so on.
+@item W D g
+@kindex W D g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-from-gravatar
+Gravatarify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-gravatar}).
-@item W Y f
-@kindex W Y f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
-@cindex Outlook Express
-Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
-unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
-(@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
+@item W D h
+@kindex W D h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-mail-gravatar
+Gravatarify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
+(@code{gnus-treat-from-gravatar}).
-@item W Y u
-@kindex W Y u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
-@vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
-@vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
-Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
-what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
-@code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
-@code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
-maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
-(@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
+@item W D D
+@kindex W D D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-images
+Remove all images from the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
-@item W Y a
-@kindex W Y a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
-Repair a broken attribution line.@*
-(@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
+@item W D W
+@kindex W D W (Summary)
+@findex gnus-html-show-images
+If you're reading an @acronym{HTML} article rendered with
+@code{gnus-article-html}, then you can insert any blocked images in
+the buffer with this command.
+(@code{gnus-html-show-images}).
-@item W Y c
-@kindex W Y c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
-Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
-(@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
+@end table
-@item W w
-@kindex W w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
-Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
-You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
-when filling.
-@item W Q
-@kindex W Q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
-Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
+@node Article Signature
+@subsection Article Signature
+@cindex signatures
+@cindex article signature
-@item W C
-@kindex W C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
-Capitalize the first word in each sentence
-(@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
+@vindex gnus-signature-separator
+Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
+body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
+that says what is to be considered a signature is
+@code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
+@samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
+non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
+of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
+from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
-@item W c
-@kindex W c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-remove-cr
-Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
-(this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
-CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
-(@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-signature-separator
+ '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
+ "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
+ "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
+ ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
+ "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
+ "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
+ "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
+@end lisp
-@item W q
-@kindex W q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
-Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
-Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
-sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
-makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
-which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
-done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
-@code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
-has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
+The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
+positives.
-@item W 6
-@kindex W 6 (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
-Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
-one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
-non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
-usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
-@code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
-has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
+@vindex gnus-signature-limit
+@code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
+signature when displaying articles.
-@item W Z
-@kindex W Z (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
-Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
-common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
-makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
+@enumerate
+@item
+If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
+that integer.
+@item
+If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
+than that number.
+@item
+If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
+and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
+@item
+If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
+in question is not a signature.
+@end enumerate
-@item W A
-@kindex W A (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
-@cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
-Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
-extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
-sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
+This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
+listed above. Here's an example:
-@item W u
-@kindex W u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
-Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
-outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
-split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
-the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-signature-limit
+ '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
+@end lisp
-@item W h
-@kindex W h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-wash-html
-Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
-usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
-@code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
+This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
+separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
+the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
+signature after all.
-If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
-the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
-(@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
-The default is to use the function specified by
-@code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
-Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
-@acronym{HTML}. Pre-defined functions you can use include:
+@node Article Miscellanea
+@subsection Article Miscellanea
-@table @code
-@item shr
-Use Gnus simple html renderer.
+@table @kbd
+@item A t
+@kindex A t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-babel
+Translate the article from one language to another
+(@code{gnus-article-babel}).
-@item gnus-w3m
-Use Gnus rendered based on w3m.
+@end table
-@item w3
-Use Emacs/W3.
-@item w3m
-Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
+@node MIME Commands
+@section MIME Commands
+@cindex MIME decoding
+@cindex attachments
+@cindex viewing attachments
-@item w3m-standalone
-Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
+The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
+instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
-@item links
-Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
+@table @kbd
+@item b
+@itemx K v
+@kindex b (Summary)
+@kindex K v (Summary)
+View the @acronym{MIME} part.
-@item lynx
-Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
+@item K o
+@kindex K o (Summary)
+Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
-@item html2text
-Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
+@item K O
+@kindex K O (Summary)
+Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
+from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
+via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
-@end table
+@item K r
+@kindex K r (Summary)
+Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
-@item W b
-@kindex W b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-add-buttons
-Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
-@xref{Article Buttons}.
+@item K d
+@kindex K d (Summary)
+Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
+removed part.
-@item W B
-@kindex W B (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
-Add clickable buttons to the article headers
-(@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
+@item K c
+@kindex K c (Summary)
+Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
-@item W p
-@kindex W p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
-Verify a signed control message
-(@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
-@code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
-hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
-the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
-message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
-available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
+@item K e
+@kindex K e (Summary)
+View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
-@item W s
-@kindex W s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
-Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
-@acronym{S/MIME}) message
-(@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
+@item K i
+@kindex K i (Summary)
+View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
-@item W a
-@kindex W a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
-Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
-article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
+@item K |
+@kindex K | (Summary)
+Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
+@end table
+
+The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
+the same manner:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item K H
+@kindex K H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-browse-html-article
+View @samp{text/html} parts of the current article with a WWW browser.
+Inline images embedded in a message using the @code{cid} scheme, as they
+are generally considered to be safe, will be processed properly. The
+message header is added to the beginning of every @acronym{HTML} part
+unless the prefix argument is given.
-@item W E l
-@kindex W E l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
-Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
+Warning: Spammers use links to images (using the @code{http} scheme) in
+@acronym{HTML} articles to verify whether you have read the message. As
+this command passes the @acronym{HTML} content to the browser without
+eliminating these ``web bugs'' you should only use it for mails from
+trusted senders.
-@item W E m
-@kindex W E m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
-Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
-lines with a single empty line.
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
+If you always want to display @acronym{HTML} parts in the browser, set
+@code{mm-text-html-renderer} to @code{nil}.
-@item W E t
-@kindex W E t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
-Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
-(@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
+This command creates temporary files to pass @acronym{HTML} contents
+including images if any to the browser, and deletes them when exiting
+the group (if you want).
-@item W E a
-@kindex W E a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
-Do all the three commands above
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
+@item K b
+@kindex K b (Summary)
+Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
+mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
+parts.
-@item W E A
-@kindex W E A (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
-Remove all blank lines
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
+@item K m
+@kindex K m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
+Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
+This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
+be viewed in a more pleasant manner
+(@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
-@item W E s
-@kindex W E s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
-Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
-body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
+@item X m
+@kindex X m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-parts
+Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@item W E e
-@kindex W E e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
-Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
-body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
+@item M-t
+@kindex M-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
+Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
-@end table
+@item W M w
+@kindex W M w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
+Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
+(@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
+@item W M c
+@kindex W M c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-decode-charset
+Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
+(@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
+This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
+charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
+prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
+groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
+include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
+parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
-@node Article Header
-@subsection Article Header
+@item W M v
+@kindex W M v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
+View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
-These commands perform various transformations of article header.
+@end table
-@table @kbd
+Relevant variables:
-@item W G u
-@kindex W G u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
-Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-ignored-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
+this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
+@code{nil}.
-@item W G n
-@kindex W G n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
-Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
-(@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
+To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
-@item W G f
-@kindex W G f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
-Fold all the message headers
-(@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
+ '("text/x-vcard"))
+@end lisp
-@item W E w
-@kindex W E w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
-Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
-(@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
+@item gnus-article-loose-mime
+@vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
+before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
+when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
+default is @code{t}.
-@end table
+@item gnus-article-emulate-mime
+@vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
+@cindex uuencode
+@cindex yEnc
+There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
+is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
+this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
+see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
+Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
+single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
+for encoding in Gnus.
+@item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
+this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
+displayed or this variable is overridden by
+@code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
+@code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
+@code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
-@node Article Buttons
-@subsection Article Buttons
-@cindex buttons
+@item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
+this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
+displayed. This variable overrides
+@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
+This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
+is @code{nil}.
-People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
-be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
-with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
-button on these references.
+To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
+variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
+@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
-@vindex gnus-button-man-handler
-Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
-Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
-Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
-one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
+You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
+display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
+those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
+(@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
+Emacs MIME Manual}).
-@table @code
+@item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
+If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
+default value is @code{nil}.
-@item gnus-button-alist
-@vindex gnus-button-alist
-This is an alist where each entry has this form:
+@item gnus-article-mime-part-function
+@vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
+For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
+handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
+users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
+the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
+save all jpegs into some directory).
+
+Here's an example function the does the latter:
@lisp
-(@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
+(defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
+ (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
+ (with-temp-buffer
+ (insert (mm-get-part handle))
+ (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
+ (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
+(setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
+ 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
@end lisp
-@table @var
-
-@item regexp
-All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
-considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
-embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
-variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
-@code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
-
-@item button-par
-Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
-is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
-highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
+@vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
+@item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
+Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
-@item use-p
-This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
-this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
-avoid false matches. Often variables named
-@code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
-Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
+@vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
+@item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
+Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
-@c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
+@vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
+@item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
+Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
-@item function
-This function will be called when you click on this button.
+If displaying @samp{text/html} is discouraged, see
+@code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
+"multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
+@code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
+emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
-@item data-par
-As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
-says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
+@vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
+@item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
+Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
+overrides @code{nil} values of
+@code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
+@code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
-@end table
+@vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
+@item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
+List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
+Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
-So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
+Ready-made functions include@*
+@code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
+@code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
+@code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
+@code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
+the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
+whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
+is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
+@findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
+@findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
+@findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
+@findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
+@vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
-@lisp
-("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
-@end lisp
+The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
+@code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
-@item gnus-header-button-alist
-@vindex gnus-header-button-alist
-This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
-article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
-used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
+Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
+except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
+such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
@lisp
-(@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
+(setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
+ '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
+ mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
+ mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
@end lisp
-@var{header} is a regular expression.
+@noindent
+to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
+
@end table
-@subsubsection Related variables and functions
-@table @code
-@item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
-@xref{Article Button Levels}.
+@node Charsets
+@section Charsets
+@cindex charsets
-@c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
+People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
+charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
+newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
+just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
+help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
+what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
+hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
-@item gnus-button-url-regexp
-@vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
-A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
-default values of the variables above.
+@vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
+This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
+variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
+group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
-@c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
+@vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
+In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
+aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
+even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
+@code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
+charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
+set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
+Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
+which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
-@item gnus-button-man-handler
-@vindex gnus-button-man-handler
-The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
-argument with a string naming the man page.
+@vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
+When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
+determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
+encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
+quoted-printable header encoding.
-@c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
+This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
+for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
+header body-list}@code{)}, where:
-@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
-@vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
-Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
+@table @var
+@item test
+is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
+variable to query,
+@item header
+is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
+means encode all charsets),
+@item body-list
+is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
+encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
+encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
+@end table
-@item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
-@vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
-This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
-@samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
-message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
-@code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
-a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
-@code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
-function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
-function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
-@code{ask}. The default value is the function
-@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
+@cindex Russian
+@cindex koi8-r
+@cindex koi8-u
+@cindex iso-8859-5
+@cindex coding system aliases
+@cindex preferred charset
-@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
-@findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
-Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
-address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
-it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
-string is invalid.
+@xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
+The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
+MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
-@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
-@vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
-An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
-@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
+Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
-@c Misc stuff
+If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
+charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
-@item gnus-article-button-face
-@vindex gnus-article-button-face
-Face used on buttons.
+@lisp
+(put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
+ 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-article-mouse-face
-@vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
-Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
+This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
+the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
-@end table
+If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
+@lisp
+(define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
+@end lisp
+This will almost do the right thing.
-@node Article Button Levels
-@subsection Article button levels
-@cindex button levels
-The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
-the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
-buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
-already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
-more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
-you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
-specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
-variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
+And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
+something like
@lisp
-;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
-(setq gnus-parameters
- '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
- ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
- ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
+(codepage-setup 1251)
+(define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item gnus-button-browse-level
-@vindex gnus-button-browse-level
-Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
-news URLs. Related variables and functions include
-@code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
-@code{browse-url-browser-function}.
+@node Article Commands
+@section Article Commands
-@item gnus-button-emacs-level
-@vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
-Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
-@code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
-@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
-@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
-@code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
-@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
-@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
-@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
-@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
-@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
-@code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-button-man-level
-@vindex gnus-button-man-level
-Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
-See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
+@item A P
+@cindex PostScript
+@cindex printing
+@kindex A P (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
+@findex gnus-summary-print-article
+Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
+be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
+article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
-@item gnus-button-message-level
-@vindex gnus-button-message-level
-Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
-Related variables and functions include
-@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
-@code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
-@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
-@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
+@item A C
+@vindex gnus-fetch-partial-articles
+@findex gnus-summary-show-complete-article
+If @code{<backend>-fetch-partial-articles} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
+fetch partial articles, if the backend it fetches them from supports
+it. Currently only @code{nnimap} does. If you're looking at a
+partial article, and want to see the complete article instead, then
+the @kbd{A C} command (@code{gnus-summary-show-complete-article}) will
+do so.
@end table
-@node Article Date
-@subsection Article Date
+@node Summary Sorting
+@section Summary Sorting
+@cindex summary sorting
-The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
-heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
-when the article was sent.
+You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
+can't really see why you'd want that.
@table @kbd
-@item W T u
-@kindex W T u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-ut
-Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
-(@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
-
-@item W T i
-@kindex W T i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
-@cindex ISO 8601
-Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
-(@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
-
-@item W T l
-@kindex W T l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-local
-Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
-
-@item W T p
-@kindex W T p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-english
-Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
-(@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
+@item C-c C-s C-n
+@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
+Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
-@item W T s
-@kindex W T s (Summary)
-@vindex gnus-article-time-format
-@findex gnus-article-date-user
-@findex format-time-string
-Display the date using a user-defined format
-(@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
-@code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
-to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
-for a list of possible format specs.
+@item C-c C-s C-m C-n
+@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number
+Sort by most recent article number
+(@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number}).
-@item W T e
-@kindex W T e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
-@findex gnus-start-date-timer
-@findex gnus-stop-date-timer
-Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
-(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
+@item C-c C-s C-a
+@kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
+Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
-@example
-X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
-@end example
+@item C-c C-s C-t
+@kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
+Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
-@vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
-The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
-whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
-replace it.
+@item C-c C-s C-s
+@kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
+Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
-An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
-into wonderful absurdities.
+@item C-c C-s C-d
+@kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
+Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
-If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
+@item C-c C-s C-m C-d
+@kindex C-c C-s C-m C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date
+Sort by most recent date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date}).
-@lisp
-(gnus-start-date-timer)
-@end lisp
+@item C-c C-s C-l
+@kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
+Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
-in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
-you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
-command.
+@item C-c C-s C-c
+@kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
+Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
-@item W T o
-@kindex W T o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-original
-Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
-be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
-worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
-that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
-@emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
+@item C-c C-s C-i
+@kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
+Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-r
+@kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
+Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
+@item C-c C-s C-o
+@kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
+Sort using the default sorting method
+(@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
@end table
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
-preferred format automatically.
+These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
+use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
+line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
+root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
+toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
+Commands}).
+If a prefix argument if given, the sort order is reversed.
-@node Article Display
-@subsection Article Display
-@cindex picons
-@cindex x-face
-@cindex smileys
-@cindex gravatars
-These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
-buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
+@node Finding the Parent
+@section Finding the Parent
+@cindex parent articles
+@cindex referring articles
-@code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
-message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
+@table @kbd
+@item ^
+@kindex ^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
+If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
+displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
+if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
+and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
+can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
+you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
+summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
-@code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
-headers (@pxref{Face}).
+If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
+the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
+ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
+grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
+@kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
+article.
-Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
-their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
+@item A R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-references
+@kindex A R (Summary)
+Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
+article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
-Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
-try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
+@item A T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
+@kindex A T (Summary)
+Display the full thread where the current article appears
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
+headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
+you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
+to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
+visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
+faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
-Gravatars reside on-line and are fetched from
-@uref{http://www.gravatar.com/} (@pxref{Gravatars}).
+@vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
+The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
+articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
+fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
+the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
+by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
-All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
-they'll be removed.
+@item M-^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-article
+@kindex M-^ (Summary)
+@cindex Message-ID
+@cindex fetching by Message-ID
+You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
+belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
+for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
+thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
+You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
-@table @kbd
-@item W D x
-@kindex W D x (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
-Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
-(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
+Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
+been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
+@code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
+@end table
-@item W D d
-@kindex W D d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-display-face
-Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
-(@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
+@vindex gnus-refer-article-method
+If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
+support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
+you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
+would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
+updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
+necessary.
-@item W D s
-@kindex W D s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-treat-smiley
-Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
+It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
+@code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
+is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
+match.
-@item W D f
-@kindex W D f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-treat-from-picon
-Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
+Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
+then ask Google if that fails:
-@item W D m
-@kindex W D m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
-Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
-(@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-refer-article-method
+ '(current
+ (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
+@end lisp
-@item W D n
-@kindex W D n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
-Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
-@code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
+Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
+do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
+@code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
+articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
+only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
+group. @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
-@item W D g
-@kindex W D g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-treat-from-gravatar
-Gravatarify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-gravatar}).
+Fortunately, the special @code{nnregistry} back end is able to locate
+articles in any groups, regardless of their back end (@pxref{Registry
+Article Refer Method, fetching by @code{Message-ID} using the
+registry}).
-@item W D h
-@kindex W D h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-treat-mail-gravatar
-Gravatarify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
-(@code{gnus-treat-from-gravatar}).
+@node Alternative Approaches
+@section Alternative Approaches
-@item W D D
-@kindex W D D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-remove-images
-Remove all images from the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
+Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
+Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
-@item W D W
-@kindex W D W (Summary)
-@findex gnus-html-show-images
-If you're reading an @acronym{HTML} article rendered with
-@code{gnus-article-html}, then you can insert any blocked images in
-the buffer with this command.
-(@code{gnus-html-show-images}).
+@menu
+* Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
+* Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
+@end menu
-@end table
+@node Pick and Read
+@subsection Pick and Read
+@cindex pick and read
+Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
+a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
+buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
+articles with just an article buffer displayed.
-@node Article Signature
-@subsection Article Signature
-@cindex signatures
-@cindex article signature
+@findex gnus-pick-mode
+@kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
+Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
+this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
+mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
+it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
-@vindex gnus-signature-separator
-Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
-body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
-that says what is to be considered a signature is
-@code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
-@samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
-non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
-of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
-from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
+Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-signature-separator
- '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
- "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
- "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
- ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
- "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
- "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
- "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
-@end lisp
+@table @kbd
+@item .
+@kindex . (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
+Pick the article or thread on the current line
+(@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
+@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
+entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
+it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
+thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
+at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
-The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
-positives.
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-next-page
+Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
+at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
-@vindex gnus-signature-limit
-@code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
-signature when displaying articles.
+@item u
+@kindex u (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
+Unpick the thread or article
+(@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
+@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
+thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
+just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
+the thread or article at that line.
-@enumerate
-@item
-If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
-that integer.
-@item
-If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
-than that number.
-@item
-If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
-and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
-@item
-If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
-in question is not a signature.
-@end enumerate
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-start-reading
+@vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
+Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
+given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
+@code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
+will still be visible when you are reading.
-This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
-listed above. Here's an example:
+@end table
+
+All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
+pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
+which is mapped to the same function
+@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
+
+If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-signature-limit
- '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
@end lisp
-This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
-separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
-the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
-signature after all.
+@vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
+@vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
+If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
+all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
-@node Article Miscellanea
-@subsection Article Miscellanea
+@vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
+The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
+standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
+displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
+Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
-@table @kbd
-@item A t
-@kindex A t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-babel
-Translate the article from one language to another
-(@code{gnus-article-babel}).
-@end table
+@node Binary Groups
+@subsection Binary Groups
+@cindex binary groups
+@findex gnus-binary-mode
+@kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
+If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
+@kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
+is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
+selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
+instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
-@node MIME Commands
-@section MIME Commands
-@cindex MIME decoding
-@cindex attachments
-@cindex viewing attachments
+@kindex g (Binary)
+@findex gnus-binary-show-article
+The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
+command, when you have turned on this mode
+(@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
-The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
-instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
+@vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
-@table @kbd
-@item b
-@itemx K v
-@kindex b (Summary)
-@kindex K v (Summary)
-View the @acronym{MIME} part.
-@item K o
-@kindex K o (Summary)
-Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
+@node Tree Display
+@section Tree Display
+@cindex trees
-@item K O
-@kindex K O (Summary)
-Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
-from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
-via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
+@vindex gnus-use-trees
+If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
+@code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
+additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
+in the tree buffer.
-@item K r
-@kindex K r (Summary)
-Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
+There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
-@item K d
-@kindex K d (Summary)
-Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
-removed part.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-tree-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
+A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
-@item K c
-@kindex K c (Summary)
-Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
+@item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
+@vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
+A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
+Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
+of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
-@item K e
-@kindex K e (Summary)
-View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
+@item gnus-selected-tree-face
+@vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
+Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
+default is @code{modeline}.
-@item K i
-@kindex K i (Summary)
-View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
+@item gnus-tree-line-format
+@vindex gnus-tree-line-format
+A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
+though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
+is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
+the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
+length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
-@item K |
-@kindex K | (Summary)
-Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
+Valid specs are:
+
+@table @samp
+@item n
+The name of the poster.
+@item f
+The @code{From} header.
+@item N
+The number of the article.
+@item [
+The opening bracket.
+@item ]
+The closing bracket.
+@item s
+The subject.
@end table
-The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
-the same manner:
+@xref{Formatting Variables}.
-@table @kbd
-@item K H
-@kindex K H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-browse-html-article
-View @samp{text/html} parts of the current article with a WWW browser.
-Inline images embedded in a message using the @code{cid} scheme, as they
-are generally considered to be safe, will be processed properly. The
-message header is added to the beginning of every @acronym{HTML} part
-unless the prefix argument is given.
+Variables related to the display are:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-tree-brackets
+@vindex gnus-tree-brackets
+This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
+``sparse'' articles. The format is
+@example
+((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
+ (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
+ (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
+@end example
+and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
-Warning: Spammers use links to images (using the @code{http} scheme) in
-@acronym{HTML} articles to verify whether you have read the message. As
-this command passes the @acronym{HTML} content to the browser without
-eliminating these ``web bugs'' you should only use it for mails from
-trusted senders.
+@item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
+@vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
+This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
+nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
-If you always want to display @acronym{HTML} parts in the browser, set
-@code{mm-text-html-renderer} to @code{nil}.
+@end table
-This command creates temporary files to pass @acronym{HTML} contents
-including images if any to the browser, and deletes them when exiting
-the group (if you want).
+@item gnus-tree-minimize-window
+@vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
+buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
+windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
+higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
+have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
+buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
+other windows displayed next to it.
-@item K b
-@kindex K b (Summary)
-Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
-mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
-parts.
+You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
+at all times:
-@item K m
-@kindex K m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
-Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
-This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
-be viewed in a more pleasant manner
-(@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
+ 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
+@end lisp
-@item X m
-@kindex X m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-parts
-Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
-convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@item gnus-generate-tree-function
+@vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
+@findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
+@findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
+The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
+functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
+@code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
-@item M-t
-@kindex M-t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
-Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
+@end table
-@item W M w
-@kindex W M w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
-Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
-(@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
+Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
-@item W M c
-@kindex W M c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-decode-charset
-Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
-(@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
+@example
+@{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
+ | \[Jan]
+ | \[odd]-[Eri]
+ | \(***)-[Eri]
+ | \[odd]-[Paa]
+ \[Bjo]
+ \[Gun]
+ \[Gun]-[Jor]
+@end example
-This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
-charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
-prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
-groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
-include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
-parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
-@item W M v
-@kindex W M v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
-View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
-(@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
+@example
+@group
+@{***@}
+ |--------------------------\-----\-----\
+(***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
+ |--\-----\-----\ |
+[odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
+ | | |--\
+[Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
+ |
+ [Paa]
+@end group
+@end example
-@end table
+If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
+side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
+following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
-Relevant variables:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-trees t
+ gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
+ gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
+(gnus-add-configuration
+ '(article
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (horizontal 0.25
+ (summary 0.75 point)
+ (tree 1.0))
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item gnus-ignored-mime-types
-@vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
-This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
-this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
-@code{nil}.
+@xref{Window Layout}.
-To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
- '("text/x-vcard"))
-@end lisp
+@node Mail Group Commands
+@section Mail Group Commands
+@cindex mail group commands
-@item gnus-article-loose-mime
-@vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
-before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
-when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
-default is @code{t}.
+Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
+invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
-@item gnus-article-emulate-mime
-@vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
-@cindex uuencode
-@cindex yEnc
-There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
-is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
-this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
-see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
-Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
-single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
-for encoding in Gnus.
+All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
-@vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
-This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
-this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
-displayed or this variable is overridden by
-@code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
-@code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
-@code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
-@vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
-This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
-this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
-displayed. This variable overrides
-@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
-This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
-is @code{nil}.
+@item B e
+@kindex B e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
+@cindex expiring mail
+Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
+process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
+expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
-To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
-variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
-@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
+@item B C-M-e
+@kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
+@cindex expiring mail
+Delete all the expirable articles in the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
+articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
+disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
-You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
-display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
-those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
-(@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
-Emacs MIME Manual}).
+@item B DEL
+@kindex B DEL (Summary)
+@cindex deleting mail
+@findex gnus-summary-delete-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
+Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
+disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
+(@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
-@item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
-@vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
-If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
-default value is @code{nil}.
+@item B m
+@kindex B m (Summary)
+@cindex move mail
+@findex gnus-summary-move-article
+@vindex gnus-preserve-marks
+Move the article from one mail group to another
+(@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
+@code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
-@item gnus-article-mime-part-function
-@vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
-For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
-handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
-users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
-the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
-save all jpegs into some directory).
+@item B c
+@kindex B c (Summary)
+@cindex copy mail
+@findex gnus-summary-copy-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
+Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
+(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
+@code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
-Here's an example function the does the latter:
+@item B B
+@kindex B B (Summary)
+@cindex crosspost mail
+@findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
+Crosspost the current article to some other group
+(@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
+the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
+be properly updated.
-@lisp
-(defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
- (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
- (with-temp-buffer
- (insert (mm-get-part handle))
- (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
- (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
-(setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
- 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
-@end lisp
+@item B i
+@kindex B i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-import-article
+Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
+name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
-@vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
-@item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
-Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
+@item B I
+@kindex B I (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-create-article
+Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
+(@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
+@code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
-@vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
-@item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
-Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
+@item B r
+@kindex B r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
+@vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
+Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
+@code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
+select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
+which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
+Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
+(which is the default).
-@vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
-@item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
-Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
+@item B w
+@itemx e
+@kindex B w (Summary)
+@kindex e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
+@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
+Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
+editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
+(@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
+@kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
-If displaying @samp{text/html} is discouraged, see
-@code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
-"multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
-@code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
-emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
+@item B q
+@kindex B q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-query
+If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
+the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
+will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
-@vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
-@item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
-Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
-overrides @code{nil} values of
-@code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
-@code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
+@item B t
+@kindex B t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
+Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
+when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
-@vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
-@item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
-List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
-Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
+@item B p
+@kindex B p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
+Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
+follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
+@code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
+(@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
+article from your news server (or rather, from
+@code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
+report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
+it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
+propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
+just not have arrived yet.
-Ready-made functions include@*
-@code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
-@code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
-@code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
-@code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
-the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
-whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
-is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
-@findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
-@findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
-@findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
-@findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
-@vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
+@item K E
+@kindex K E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
+@vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
+Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
+The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
+variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
-The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
-@code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
+@end table
-Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
-except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
-such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
+@vindex gnus-move-split-methods
+@cindex moving articles
+If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
+suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
+variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
+(@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
+suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
+@code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
+@code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
@lisp
-(setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
- '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
- mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
- mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
+(setq gnus-move-split-methods
+ '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
+ ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
+ (".*" "nnml:misc")))
@end lisp
-@noindent
-to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
-
-@end table
-
-@node Charsets
-@section Charsets
-@cindex charsets
+@node Various Summary Stuff
+@section Various Summary Stuff
-People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
-charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
-newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
-just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
-help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
-what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
-hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
+@menu
+* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
+* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
+* Summary Generation Commands::
+* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
+@end menu
-@vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
-This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
-variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
-group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
+@item gnus-summary-display-while-building
+If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
+built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
+If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
+lines. The default is @code{nil}.
-@vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
-In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
-aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
-even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
-@code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
-charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
-set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
-Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
-which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
+@vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
+@item gnus-summary-display-arrow
+If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
+current article.
-@vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
-When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
-determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
-encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
-quoted-printable header encoding.
+@vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
+@item gnus-summary-mode-hook
+This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
-This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
-for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
-header body-list}@code{)}, where:
+@vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
+@item gnus-summary-generate-hook
+This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
+generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
+the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
+is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
+have been set.
-@table @var
-@item test
-is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
-variable to query,
-@item header
-is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
-means encode all charsets),
-@item body-list
-is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
-encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
-encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
+@item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
+It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
+it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
+some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
-@cindex Russian
-@cindex koi8-r
-@cindex koi8-u
-@cindex iso-8859-5
-@cindex coding system aliases
-@cindex preferred charset
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
+@item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
+A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
+generated.
-@xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
-The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
-MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
+@vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
+@item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
+When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
+it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
+same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
+sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
+If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
+@code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
+any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
+article---it'll be as if it never existed.
-Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
+@vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
+@item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
+This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
+of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
+list of articles to be selected.
-If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
-charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
+For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
+the list in one particular group:
@lisp
-(put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
- 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
+(defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
+ (if (string= group "some.group")
+ (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
+ articles))
@end lisp
-This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
-the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
+@vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
+@item gnus-newsgroup-variables
+A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
+variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
+values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
+buffer is active.
+
+Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
+@code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
+assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
+that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
+variable will be used instead.
-If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
+These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
+while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
+buffers. For example:
@lisp
-(define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
+(setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
+ '(message-use-followup-to
+ (gnus-visible-headers .
+ "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
@end lisp
-This will almost do the right thing.
+Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
-And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
-something like
+@vindex gnus-propagate-marks
+@item gnus-propagate-marks
+If non-@code{nil}, propagate marks to the backends for possible
+storing. @xref{NNTP marks}, and friends, for a more fine-grained
+sieve.
-@lisp
-(codepage-setup 1251)
-(define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
-@end lisp
+@end table
-@node Article Commands
-@section Article Commands
+@node Summary Group Information
+@subsection Summary Group Information
@table @kbd
-@item A P
-@cindex PostScript
-@cindex printing
-@kindex A P (Summary)
-@vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
-@findex gnus-summary-print-article
-Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
-be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
-article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
+@item H d
+@kindex H d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-describe-group
+Give a brief description of the current group
+(@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
+rereading the description from the server.
-@item A C
-@vindex gnus-fetch-partial-articles
-@findex gnus-summary-show-complete-article
-If @code{<backend>-fetch-partial-articles} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
-fetch partial articles, if the backend it fetches them from supports
-it. Currently only @code{nnimap} does. If you're looking at a
-partial article, and want to see the complete article instead, then
-the @kbd{A C} command (@code{gnus-summary-show-complete-article}) will
-do so.
+@item H h
+@kindex H h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
+Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
+keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
+@item H i
+@kindex H i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-info-find-node
+Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
@end table
-@node Summary Sorting
-@section Summary Sorting
-@cindex summary sorting
-
-You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
-can't really see why you'd want that.
+@node Searching for Articles
+@subsection Searching for Articles
@table @kbd
-@item C-c C-s C-n
-@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
-Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
+@item M-s
+@kindex M-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
+Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
+(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
-@item C-c C-s C-m C-n
-@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number
-Sort by most recent article number
-(@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number}).
+@item M-r
+@kindex M-r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
+Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
+(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
-@item C-c C-s C-a
-@kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
-Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
+@item M-S
+@kindex M-S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
+Repeat the previous search forwards
+(@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
-@item C-c C-s C-t
-@kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
-Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
+@item M-R
+@kindex M-R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
+Repeat the previous search backwards
+(@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
-@item C-c C-s C-s
-@kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
-Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
+@item &
+@kindex & (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-execute-command
+This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
+on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
+(@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
+string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
+search backward instead.
-@item C-c C-s C-d
-@kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
-Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
+For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
+all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
-@item C-c C-s C-m C-d
-@kindex C-c C-s C-m C-d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date
-Sort by most recent date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date}).
+@item M-&
+@kindex M-& (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
+Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
+the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
+@end table
-@item C-c C-s C-l
-@kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
-Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
+@node Summary Generation Commands
+@subsection Summary Generation Commands
-@item C-c C-s C-c
-@kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
-Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
+@table @kbd
-@item C-c C-s C-i
-@kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
-Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
+@item Y g
+@kindex Y g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prepare
+Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
-@item C-c C-s C-r
-@kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
-Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
+@item Y c
+@kindex Y c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
+Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
-@item C-c C-s C-o
-@kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
-Sort using the default sorting method
-(@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
-@end table
+@item Y d
+@kindex Y d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
+Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
-These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
-use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
-line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
-root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
-toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
-Commands}).
+@item Y t
+@kindex Y t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
+Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
-If a prefix argument if given, the sort order is reversed.
+@end table
-@node Finding the Parent
-@section Finding the Parent
-@cindex parent articles
-@cindex referring articles
+@node Really Various Summary Commands
+@subsection Really Various Summary Commands
@table @kbd
-@item ^
-@kindex ^ (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
-If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
-displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
-if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
-and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
-can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
-you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
-summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
-
-If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
-the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
-ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
-grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
-@kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
-article.
-
-@item A R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-references
-@kindex A R (Summary)
-Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
-article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
-
-@item A T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
-@kindex A T (Summary)
-Display the full thread where the current article appears
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
-headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
-you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
-to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
-visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
-faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
-
-@vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
-The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
-articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
-fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
-the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
-by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
-@item M-^ (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-article
-@kindex M-^ (Summary)
-@cindex Message-ID
-@cindex fetching by Message-ID
-You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
-belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
-for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
-thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
-You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
+@item A D
+@itemx C-d
+@kindex C-d (Summary)
+@kindex A D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
+If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
+a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
+article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
+guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
+to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
+whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
+some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
+fashion.
-Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
-been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
-@code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
+The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
+article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
+include:
-@vindex gnus-refer-article-method
-If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
-support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
-you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
-would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
-updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
-necessary.
+@table @code
+@item next
+Select the next article.
-It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
-@code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
-is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
-match.
+@item next-unread
+Select the next unread article.
-Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
-then ask Google if that fails:
+@item next-noselect
+Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-refer-article-method
- '(current
- (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
-@end lisp
+@item next-unread-noselect
+Move the cursor to the next unread article.
+@end table
-Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
-do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
-@code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
-articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
-only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
-group. @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
+If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
+article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
-Fortunately, the special @code{nnregistry} back end is able to locate
-articles in any groups, regardless of their back end (@pxref{Registry
-Article Refer Method, fetching by @code{Message-ID} using the
-registry}).
+@item C-M-d
+@kindex C-M-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-read-document
+This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
+several documents into one biiig group
+(@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
+@code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
+@code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
+command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@node Alternative Approaches
-@section Alternative Approaches
+@item C-t
+@kindex C-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
+Toggle truncation of summary lines
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
+line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
+to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
-Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
-Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
+@item =
+@kindex = (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expand-window
+Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
+If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
-@menu
-* Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
-* Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
-@end menu
+@item C-M-e
+@kindex C-M-e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
+Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
+group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
+@item C-M-a
+@kindex C-M-a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
+Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
+group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
-@node Pick and Read
-@subsection Pick and Read
-@cindex pick and read
+@end table
-Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
-a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
-buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
-articles with just an article buffer displayed.
-@findex gnus-pick-mode
-@kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
-Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
-this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
-mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
-it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
+@node Exiting the Summary Buffer
+@section Exiting the Summary Buffer
+@cindex summary exit
+@cindex exiting groups
-Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
+Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
+group and return you to the group buffer.
@table @kbd
-@item .
-@kindex . (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
-Pick the article or thread on the current line
-(@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
-@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
-entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
-it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
-thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
-at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-next-page
-Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
-at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
+@item Z Z
+@itemx Z Q
+@itemx q
+@kindex Z Z (Summary)
+@kindex Z Q (Summary)
+@kindex q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-exit
+@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
+Exit the current group and update all information on the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
+called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
+@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
+@code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
+process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
+group mode having no more (unread) groups.
-@item u
-@kindex u (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
-Unpick the thread or article
-(@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
-@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
-thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
-just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
-the thread or article at that line.
+@item Z E
+@itemx Q
+@kindex Z E (Summary)
+@kindex Q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
+Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-start-reading
-@vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
-Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
-given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
-@code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
-will still be visible when you are reading.
+@item Z c
+@itemx c
+@kindex Z c (Summary)
+@kindex c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
+Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
-@end table
+@item Z C
+@kindex Z C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
+Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
-All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
-pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
-which is mapped to the same function
-@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
+@item Z n
+@kindex Z n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
+Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
-If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
+@item Z p
+@kindex Z p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
+Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
-@end lisp
+@item Z R
+@itemx C-x C-s
+@kindex Z R (Summary)
+@kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
+Exit this group, and then enter it again
+(@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
+all articles, both read and unread.
-@vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
+@item Z G
+@itemx M-g
+@kindex Z G (Summary)
+@kindex M-g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
+Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
+group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
+articles, both read and unread.
-@vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
-If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
-all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
+@item Z N
+@kindex Z N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-group
+Exit the group and go to the next group
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
-@vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
-The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
-standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
-displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
-Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
-@code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
+@item Z P
+@kindex Z P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-group
+Exit the group and go to the previous group
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
+
+@item Z s
+@kindex Z s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
+Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
+and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
+given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
+command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
+@code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
+with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
+
+@findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
+@findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
+@vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
+If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
+about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
+If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
+(Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
+something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
+called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
+buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
+@code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
+summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
+There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
-@node Binary Groups
-@subsection Binary Groups
-@cindex binary groups
+@vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
+The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
+read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
+summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
+@code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
+this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
+other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
+neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
+both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
-@findex gnus-binary-mode
-@kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
-If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
-@kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
-is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
-selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
-instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
-@kindex g (Binary)
-@findex gnus-binary-show-article
-The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
-command, when you have turned on this mode
-(@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
+@node Crosspost Handling
+@section Crosspost Handling
-@vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
+@cindex velveeta
+@cindex spamming
+Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
+read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
+posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
+several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
+by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
+heinous crime.
+Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
+separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
+@dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
+@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
+excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
-@node Tree Display
-@section Tree Display
-@cindex trees
+@cindex cross-posting
+@cindex Xref
+@cindex @acronym{NOV}
+One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
+correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
+(which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
+does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
+Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
+even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
+articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
+them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
+the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
+the cross reference mechanism.
-@vindex gnus-use-trees
-If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
-@code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
-additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
-in the tree buffer.
+@cindex LIST overview.fmt
+@cindex overview.fmt
+To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
+in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
+@samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
+overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
+get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
+your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
+overview files.
-There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
+If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
+set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
+considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-tree-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
-A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
+C'est la vie.
-@item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
-@vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
-A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
-Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
-of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
+For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
-@item gnus-selected-tree-face
-@vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
-Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
-default is @code{modeline}.
-@item gnus-tree-line-format
-@vindex gnus-tree-line-format
-A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
-though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
-is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
-the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
-length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
+@node Duplicate Suppression
+@section Duplicate Suppression
-Valid specs are:
+By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
+article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
+(@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
+approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
+reasons.
-@table @samp
-@item n
-The name of the poster.
-@item f
-The @code{From} header.
-@item N
-The number of the article.
-@item [
-The opening bracket.
-@item ]
-The closing bracket.
-@item s
-The subject.
-@end table
+@enumerate
+@item
+The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
+is evil and not very common.
-@xref{Formatting Variables}.
+@item
+The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
+@file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
-Variables related to the display are:
+@item
+You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
+different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-tree-brackets
-@vindex gnus-tree-brackets
-This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
-``sparse'' articles. The format is
-@example
-((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
- (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
- (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
-@end example
-and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
+@item
+You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
+@end enumerate
-@item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
-@vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
-This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
-nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
+I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
+well, but these four are the most common situations.
-@end table
+If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
+consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
+will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
+otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
+all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
+mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
+so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
+once.
-@item gnus-tree-minimize-window
-@vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
-buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
-windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
-higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
-have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
-buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
-other windows displayed next to it.
+Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
+sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
+fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
+to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
+article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
+saw the article in.
-You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
-at all times:
+@table @code
+@item gnus-suppress-duplicates
+@vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
+If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
- 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-save-duplicate-list
+@vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
+If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
+make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
+However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
+session are suppressed.
-@item gnus-generate-tree-function
-@vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
-@findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
-@findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
-The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
-functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
-@code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
+@item gnus-duplicate-list-length
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
+This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
+suppression list. The default is 10000.
+@item gnus-duplicate-file
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-file
+The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
+default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
@end table
-Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
-
-@example
-@{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
- | \[Jan]
- | \[odd]-[Eri]
- | \(***)-[Eri]
- | \[odd]-[Paa]
- \[Bjo]
- \[Gun]
- \[Gun]-[Jor]
-@end example
+If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
+@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
+you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
+the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
+so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
+@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
+to you to figure out, I think.
-Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
+@node Security
+@section Security
-@example
-@group
-@{***@}
- |--------------------------\-----\-----\
-(***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
- |--\-----\-----\ |
-[odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
- | | |--\
-[Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
- |
- [Paa]
-@end group
-@end example
+Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
+The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
+and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
+things to work:
-If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
-side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
-following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+@enumerate
+@item
+To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
+install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
+to GnuPG included with Emacs is called EasyPG (@pxref{Top, ,EasyPG,
+epa, EasyPG Assistant user's manual}), but PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg,
+PGG Manual}), and Mailcrypt are also supported.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-trees t
- gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
- gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
-(gnus-add-configuration
- '(article
- (vertical 1.0
- (horizontal 0.25
- (summary 0.75 point)
- (tree 1.0))
- (article 1.0))))
-@end lisp
+@item
+To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
+or newer is recommended.
-@xref{Window Layout}.
+@end enumerate
+The variables that control security functionality on reading/composing
+messages include:
-@node Mail Group Commands
-@section Mail Group Commands
-@cindex mail group commands
+@table @code
+@item mm-verify-option
+@vindex mm-verify-option
+Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
+@code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
+protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
-Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
-invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
+@item mm-decrypt-option
+@vindex mm-decrypt-option
+Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
+@code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
+protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
-All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@item mm-sign-option
+@vindex mm-sign-option
+Option of creating signed parts. @code{nil}, use default signing
+keys; @code{guided}, ask user to select signing keys from the menu.
-@table @kbd
+@item mm-encrypt-option
+@vindex mm-encrypt-option
+Option of creating encrypted parts. @code{nil}, use the first
+public-key matching the @samp{From:} header as the recipient;
+@code{guided}, ask user to select recipient keys from the menu.
-@item B e
-@kindex B e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
-@cindex expiring mail
-Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
-process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
-expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
-(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
+@item mml1991-use
+@vindex mml1991-use
+Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
+@acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but @code{pgg},
+and @code{mailcrypt} are also supported although
+deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available interface in
+this order.
-@item B C-M-e
-@kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
-@cindex expiring mail
-Delete all the expirable articles in the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
-articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
-disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
+@item mml2015-use
+@vindex mml2015-use
+Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
+@acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but
+@code{pgg}, and @code{mailcrypt} are also supported
+although deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available
+interface in this order.
-@item B DEL
-@kindex B DEL (Summary)
-@cindex deleting mail
-@findex gnus-summary-delete-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
-Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
-disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
-(@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
+@end table
-@item B m
-@kindex B m (Summary)
-@cindex move mail
-@findex gnus-summary-move-article
-@vindex gnus-preserve-marks
-Move the article from one mail group to another
-(@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
-@code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
+By default the buttons that display security information are not
+shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
+@kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
+@code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
+@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
+permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
+how to customize these variables to always display security
+information.
-@item B c
-@kindex B c (Summary)
-@cindex copy mail
-@findex gnus-summary-copy-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
-Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
-(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
-@code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
+@cindex snarfing keys
+@cindex importing PGP keys
+@cindex PGP key ring import
+Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
+key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
+rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
+allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
+through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
+@file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
+Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
+Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
+(@pxref{Using MIME}).
-@item B B
-@kindex B B (Summary)
-@cindex crosspost mail
-@findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
-Crosspost the current article to some other group
-(@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
-the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
-be properly updated.
+@example
+application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
+@end example
+@noindent
+This happens to also be the default action defined in
+@code{mailcap-mime-data}.
-@item B i
-@kindex B i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-import-article
-Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
-name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
+encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
+(@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
-@item B I
-@kindex B I (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-create-article
-Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
-(@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
-@code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+@node Mailing List
+@section Mailing List
+@cindex mailing list
+@cindex RFC 2396
-@item B r
-@kindex B r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
-@vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
-Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
-@code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
-select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
-which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
-Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
-(which is the default).
+@kindex A M (summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
+Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
+add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
+possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
+summary buffer.
-@item B w
-@itemx e
-@kindex B w (Summary)
-@kindex e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
-@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
-Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
-editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
-(@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
-@kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
+That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
-@item B q
-@kindex B q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-respool-query
-If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
-the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
-will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
+@table @kbd
-@item B t
-@kindex B t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
-Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
-when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
+@item C-c C-n h
+@kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-help
+Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
-@item B p
-@kindex B p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
-Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
-follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
-@code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
-(@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
-article from your news server (or rather, from
-@code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
-report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
-it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
-propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
-just not have arrived yet.
+@item C-c C-n s
+@kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
+Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
-@item K E
-@kindex K E (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
-@vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
-Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
-The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
-variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
+@item C-c C-n u
+@kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
+Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
+field exists.
-@end table
+@item C-c C-n p
+@kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-post
+Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
-@vindex gnus-move-split-methods
-@cindex moving articles
-If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
-suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
-variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
-(@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
-suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
-@code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
-@code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
+@item C-c C-n o
+@kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
+Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-move-split-methods
- '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
- ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
- (".*" "nnml:misc")))
-@end lisp
+@item C-c C-n a
+@kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
+Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
+
+@end table
-@node Various Summary Stuff
-@section Various Summary Stuff
+@node Article Buffer
+@chapter Article Buffer
+@cindex article buffer
+
+The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
+one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
+tell Gnus otherwise.
@menu
-* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
-* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
-* Summary Generation Commands::
-* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
+* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
+* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
+* HTML:: Reading @acronym{HTML} messages.
+* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
+* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
+* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
@end menu
-@table @code
-@vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
-@item gnus-summary-display-while-building
-If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
-built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
-If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
-lines. The default is @code{nil}.
-
-@vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
-@item gnus-summary-display-arrow
-If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
-current article.
-@vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
-@item gnus-summary-mode-hook
-This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
+@node Hiding Headers
+@section Hiding Headers
+@cindex hiding headers
+@cindex deleting headers
-@vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
-@item gnus-summary-generate-hook
-This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
-generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
-the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
-is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
-have been set.
+The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
+@dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
-@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
-@item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
-It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
-it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
-some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
+@vindex gnus-show-all-headers
+There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
+who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
+article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
+most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
+through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
+@code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
+of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
+article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
-@vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
-@item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
-A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
-generated.
+Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
-@vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
-@item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
-When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
-it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
-same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
-sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
-If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
-@code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
-any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
-article---it'll be as if it never existed.
+@table @code
-@vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
-@item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
-This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
-of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
-list of articles to be selected.
+@item gnus-visible-headers
+@vindex gnus-visible-headers
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
+that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
+headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
-For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
-the list in one particular group:
+For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
+the article and the subject, you'd say:
@lisp
-(defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
- (if (string= group "some.group")
- (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
- articles))
+(setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
-@item gnus-newsgroup-variables
-A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
-variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
-values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
-buffer is active.
+This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
+remain visible.
-Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
-@code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
-assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
-that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
-variable will be used instead.
+@item gnus-ignored-headers
+@vindex gnus-ignored-headers
+This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
+variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
+should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
+hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
-These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
-while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
-buffers. For example:
+For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
+and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
- '(message-use-followup-to
- (gnus-visible-headers .
- "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
+(setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
@end lisp
-Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
-
-@vindex gnus-propagate-marks
-@item gnus-propagate-marks
-If non-@code{nil}, propagate marks to the backends for possible
-storing. @xref{NNTP marks}, and friends, for a more fine-grained
-sieve.
-
-@end table
-
-
-@node Summary Group Information
-@subsection Summary Group Information
-
-@table @kbd
-
-@item H d
-@kindex H d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-describe-group
-Give a brief description of the current group
-(@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
-rereading the description from the server.
+This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
+be removed.
-@item H h
-@kindex H h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
-Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
-keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
+Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
+variable will have no effect.
-@item H i
-@kindex H i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-info-find-node
-Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
@end table
+@vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
+Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
+can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
+variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
+the headers are to be displayed.
-@node Searching for Articles
-@subsection Searching for Articles
-
-@table @kbd
-
-@item M-s
-@kindex M-s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
-Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
-(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
-
-@item M-r
-@kindex M-r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
-Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
-(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
-
-@item M-S
-@kindex M-S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
-Repeat the previous search forwards
-(@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
+For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
+and then the subject, you might say something like:
-@item M-R
-@kindex M-R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
-Repeat the previous search backwards
-(@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
+@end lisp
-@item &
-@kindex & (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-execute-command
-This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
-on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
-(@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
-string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
-search backward instead.
+Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
+variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
-For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
-all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
+@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
+@vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
+You can hide further boring headers by setting
+@code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
+does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
+list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
+lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
+from sight.
-@item M-&
-@kindex M-& (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
-Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
-the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
+These conditions are:
+@table @code
+@item empty
+Remove all empty headers.
+@item followup-to
+Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
+@code{Newsgroups} header.
+@item reply-to
+Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
+the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
+parameter is set.
+@item newsgroups
+Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
+name.
+@item to-address
+Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
+the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
+@item to-list
+Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
+the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
+@item cc-list
+Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
+the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
+@item date
+Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
+old.
+@item long-to
+Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
+@item many-to
+Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
@end table
-@node Summary Generation Commands
-@subsection Summary Generation Commands
+To include these three elements, you could say something like:
-@table @kbd
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-boring-article-headers
+ '(empty followup-to reply-to))
+@end lisp
-@item Y g
-@kindex Y g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prepare
-Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
+This is also the default value for this variable.
-@item Y c
-@kindex Y c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
-Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
-@item Y d
-@kindex Y d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
-Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
+@node Using MIME
+@section Using MIME
+@cindex @acronym{MIME}
-@item Y t
-@kindex Y t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
-Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
+Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
+while people stand around yawning.
-@end table
+@acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
+while all newsreaders die of fear.
+
+@acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
+of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
+other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
+@vindex gnus-display-mime-function
+@findex gnus-display-mime
+Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
+to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
+default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
+display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
-@node Really Various Summary Commands
-@subsection Really Various Summary Commands
+The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
+@acronym{MIME} button:
@table @kbd
+@findex gnus-article-press-button
+@item RET (Article)
+@kindex RET (Article)
+@itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
+Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
+(@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
+the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
+files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
+object is displayed inline.
-@item A D
-@itemx C-d
-@kindex C-d (Summary)
-@kindex A D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
-If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
-a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
-article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
-guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
-to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
-whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
-some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
-fashion.
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part
+@item M-RET (Article)
+@kindex M-RET (Article)
+@itemx v (Article)
+Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
+method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
-The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
-article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
-include:
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
+@item t (Article)
+@kindex t (Article)
+View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
-@table @code
-@item next
-Select the next article.
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
+@item C (Article)
+@kindex C (Article)
+Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
+charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
-@item next-unread
-Select the next unread article.
+@findex gnus-mime-save-part
+@item o (Article)
+@kindex o (Article)
+Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
+(@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
-@item next-noselect
-Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
+@findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
+@item C-o (Article)
+@kindex C-o (Article)
+Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
+the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
+suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
+like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
+message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
+(@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
-@item next-unread-noselect
-Move the cursor to the next unread article.
-@end table
+@findex gnus-mime-replace-part
+@item r (Article)
+@kindex r (Article)
+Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
+external body referring to the file via the message/external-body
+@acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
-If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
-article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
+@findex gnus-mime-delete-part
+@item d (Article)
+@kindex d (Article)
+Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
+information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
+(@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
-@item C-M-d
-@kindex C-M-d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-read-document
-This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
-several documents into one biiig group
-(@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
-@code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
-@code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
-command understands the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
-@item C-t
-@kindex C-t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
-Toggle truncation of summary lines
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
-line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
-to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
+@findex gnus-mime-copy-part
+@item c (Article)
+@kindex c (Article)
+Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
+(@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
+without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
+charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
+@ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
+@file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
+@code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
+Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
-@item =
-@kindex = (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expand-window
-Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
-If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
+@findex gnus-mime-print-part
+@item p (Article)
+@kindex p (Article)
+Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
+command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
+@file{.mailcap} file.
-@item C-M-e
-@kindex C-M-e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
-Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
-group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
+@findex gnus-mime-inline-part
+@item i (Article)
+@kindex i (Article)
+Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
+(@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as @samp{text/plain}. If given a prefix, insert
+the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
+do semi-manual charset stuff (see
+@code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
+Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
+automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
+@code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
+Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
-@item C-M-a
-@kindex C-M-a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
-Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
-group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
+@item E (Article)
+@kindex E (Article)
+View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
+viewer is available, use an external viewer
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
-@end table
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
+@item e (Article)
+@kindex e (Article)
+View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
+@findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
+@item | (Article)
+@kindex | (Article)
+Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
-@node Exiting the Summary Buffer
-@section Exiting the Summary Buffer
-@cindex summary exit
-@cindex exiting groups
+@findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
+@item . (Article)
+@kindex . (Article)
+Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
+(@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
-Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
-group and return you to the group buffer.
+@end table
-@table @kbd
+Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
+determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
+@acronym{MIME} manual.
-@item Z Z
-@itemx Z Q
-@itemx q
-@kindex Z Z (Summary)
-@kindex Z Q (Summary)
-@kindex q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-exit
-@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
-@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
-Exit the current group and update all information on the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
-called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
-@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
-@code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
-process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
-group mode having no more (unread) groups.
+It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
+buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
+group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
+decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
+comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
+because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
+try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
+to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
+to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
-@item Z E
-@itemx Q
-@kindex Z E (Summary)
-@kindex Q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
-Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
+Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
-@item Z c
-@itemx c
-@kindex Z c (Summary)
-@kindex c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
-Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
+Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
-@item Z C
-@kindex Z C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
-Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
-@item Z n
-@kindex Z n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
-Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
+@node HTML
+@section @acronym{HTML}
+@cindex @acronym{HTML}
-@item Z p
-@kindex Z p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
-Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
+If you have @code{w3m} installed on your system, Gnus can display
+@acronym{HTML} articles in the article buffer. There are many Gnus
+add-ons for doing this, using various approaches, but there's one
+(sort of) built-in method that's used by default.
-@item Z R
-@itemx C-x C-s
-@kindex Z R (Summary)
-@kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
-Exit this group, and then enter it again
-(@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
-all articles, both read and unread.
+For a complete overview, consult @xref{Display Customization,
+,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. This
+section only describes the default method.
-@item Z G
-@itemx M-g
-@kindex Z G (Summary)
-@kindex M-g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
-Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
-group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
-articles, both read and unread.
+@table @code
+@item mm-text-html-renderer
+@vindex mm-text-html-renderer
+If set to @code{gnus-article-html}, Gnus will use the built-in method,
+that's based on @code{w3m}.
-@item Z N
-@kindex Z N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-group
-Exit the group and go to the next group
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
+@item gnus-blocked-images
+@vindex gnus-blocked-images
+External images that have @acronym{URL}s that match this regexp won't
+be fetched and displayed. For instance, do block all @acronym{URL}s
+that have the string ``ads'' in them, do the following:
-@item Z P
-@kindex Z P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-group
-Exit the group and go to the previous group
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-blocked-images "ads")
+@end lisp
-@item Z s
-@kindex Z s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
-Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
-and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
-given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
-command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
-@end table
+This can also be a function to be evaluated. If so, it will be
+called with the group name as the parameter. The default value is
+@code{gnus-block-private-groups}, which will return @samp{"."} for
+anything that isn't a newsgroup. This means that no external images
+will be fetched as a result of reading mail, so that nobody can use
+web bugs (and the like) to track whether you've read email.
-@vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
-@code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
-with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
-(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
+Also @pxref{Misc Article} for @code{gnus-inhibit-images}.
-@findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
-@findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
-@vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
-If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
-about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
-If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
-(Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
-something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
-called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
-buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
-@code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
-summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
+@item gnus-html-cache-directory
+@vindex gnus-html-cache-directory
+Gnus will download and cache images according to how
+@code{gnus-blocked-images} is set. These images will be stored in
+this directory.
-There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
+@item gnus-html-cache-size
+@vindex gnus-html-cache-size
+When @code{gnus-html-cache-size} bytes have been used in that
+directory, the oldest files will be deleted. The default is 500MB.
-@vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
-The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
-read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
-summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
-@code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
-this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
-other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
-neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
-both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
+@item gnus-html-frame-width
+@vindex gnus-html-frame-width
+The width to use when rendering HTML. The default is 70.
+@item gnus-max-image-proportion
+@vindex gnus-max-image-proportion
+How big pictures displayed are in relation to the window they're in.
+A value of 0.7 (the default) means that they are allowed to take up
+70% of the width and height of the window. If they are larger than
+this, and Emacs supports it, then the images will be rescaled down to
+fit these criteria.
-@node Crosspost Handling
-@section Crosspost Handling
+@end table
-@cindex velveeta
-@cindex spamming
-Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
-read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
-posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
-several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
-by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
-heinous crime.
+To use this, make sure that you have @code{w3m} and @code{curl}
+installed. If you have, then Gnus should display @acronym{HTML}
+automatically.
-Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
-separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
-@dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
-@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
-excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
-@cindex cross-posting
-@cindex Xref
-@cindex @acronym{NOV}
-One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
-correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
-(which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
-does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
-Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
-even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
-articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
-them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
-the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
-the cross reference mechanism.
-@cindex LIST overview.fmt
-@cindex overview.fmt
-To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
-in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
-@samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
-overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
-get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
-your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
-overview files.
+@node Customizing Articles
+@section Customizing Articles
+@cindex article customization
-If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
-set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
-considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
+A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
+exist. You can call these functions interactively
+(@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
+called automatically when you select the articles.
-C'est la vie.
+To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
+``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
+@code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
+be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
-For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
+for sensible values.
+@enumerate
+@item
+@code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
-@node Duplicate Suppression
-@section Duplicate Suppression
+@item
+@code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
-By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
-article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
-(@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
-approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
-reasons.
+@item
+@code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
-@enumerate
@item
-The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
-is evil and not very common.
+@code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
@item
-The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
-@file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
+@code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
@item
-You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
-different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
+An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
+than this number.
@item
-You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
-@end enumerate
+A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
+articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
+regexps in the list.
-I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
-well, but these four are the most common situations.
+@item
+A list where the first element is not a string:
-If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
-consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
-will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
-otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
-all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
-mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
-so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
-once.
+The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
+predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
+@code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
-Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
-sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
-fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
-to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
-article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
-saw the article in.
+@lisp
+(or last
+ (typep "text/x-vcard"))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item gnus-suppress-duplicates
-@vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
-If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
+@end enumerate
-@item gnus-save-duplicate-list
-@vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
-If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
-make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
-However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
-session are suppressed.
+You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
+to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
+be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
+considered to contain just a single part.
-@item gnus-duplicate-list-length
-@vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
-This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
-suppression list. The default is 10000.
+@vindex gnus-article-treat-types
+Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
+want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
+treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
+variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
+type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
+controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
-@item gnus-duplicate-file
-@vindex gnus-duplicate-file
-The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
-default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
-@end table
+@ifinfo
+@c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
+@c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
+@c `i foo-bar'.
+@vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
+@vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
+@vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
+@vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
+@vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
+@vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
+@vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
+@vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
+@vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
+@vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
+@vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
+@vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
+@vindex gnus-treat-date
+@vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
+@vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
+@vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
+@vindex gnus-treat-from-gravatar
+@vindex gnus-treat-mail-gravatar
+@vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
+@vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
+@vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
+@vindex gnus-treat-display-face
+@vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
+@vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
+@vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
+@vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
+@vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
+@vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
+@vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
+@vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
+@vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
+@vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
+@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
+@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
+@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
+@vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
+@vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
+@vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
+@vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
+@vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
+@vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
+@end ifinfo
-If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
-@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
-you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
-the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
-so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
-@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
-to you to figure out, I think.
+The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
+customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
+group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
+possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
-@node Security
-@section Security
+@table @code
+@item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
-Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
-The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
-and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
-things to work:
+@xref{Article Buttons}.
-@enumerate
-@item
-To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
-install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
-to GnuPG included with Emacs is called EasyPG (@pxref{Top, ,EasyPG,
-epa, EasyPG Assistant user's manual}), but PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg,
-PGG Manual}), and Mailcrypt are also supported.
+@item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
-@item
-To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
-or newer is recommended.
+@xref{Article Washing}.
-@end enumerate
+@item gnus-treat-date (head)
-The variables that control security functionality on reading/composing
-messages include:
+This will transform/add date headers according to the
+@code{gnus-article-date-headers} variable. This is a list of Date
+headers to display. The formats available are:
@table @code
-@item mm-verify-option
-@vindex mm-verify-option
-Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
-@code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
-protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
+@item ut
+Universal time, aka GMT, aka ZULU.
-@item mm-decrypt-option
-@vindex mm-decrypt-option
-Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
-@code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
-protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
+@item local
+The user's local time zone.
-@item mm-sign-option
-@vindex mm-sign-option
-Option of creating signed parts. @code{nil}, use default signing
-keys; @code{guided}, ask user to select signing keys from the menu.
+@item english
+A semi-readable English sentence.
-@item mm-encrypt-option
-@vindex mm-encrypt-option
-Option of creating encrypted parts. @code{nil}, use the first
-public-key matching the @samp{From:} header as the recipient;
-@code{guided}, ask user to select recipient keys from the menu.
+@item lapsed
+The time elapsed since the message was posted.
-@item mml1991-use
-@vindex mml1991-use
-Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
-@acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but @code{pgg},
-and @code{mailcrypt} are also supported although
-deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available interface in
-this order.
+@item combined-lapsed
+Both the original date header and a (shortened) elapsed time.
-@item mml2015-use
-@vindex mml2015-use
-Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
-@acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but
-@code{pgg}, and @code{mailcrypt} are also supported
-although deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available
-interface in this order.
+@item original
+The original date header.
+
+@item iso8601
+ISO8601 format, i.e., ``2010-11-23T22:05:21''.
+
+@item user-defined
+A format done according to the @code{gnus-article-time-format}
+variable.
@end table
-By default the buttons that display security information are not
-shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
-@kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
-@code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
-@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
-permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
-how to customize these variables to always display security
-information.
+@xref{Article Date}.
-@cindex snarfing keys
-@cindex importing PGP keys
-@cindex PGP key ring import
-Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
-key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
-rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
-allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
-through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
-@file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
-Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
-Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
-(@pxref{Using MIME}).
+@item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
+@item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
+@item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
-@example
-application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
-@end example
-@noindent
-This happens to also be the default action defined in
-@code{mailcap-mime-data}.
+@xref{Picons}.
-More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
-encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
-(@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
+@item gnus-treat-from-gravatar (head)
+@item gnus-treat-mail-gravatar (head)
-@node Mailing List
-@section Mailing List
-@cindex mailing list
-@cindex RFC 2396
+@xref{Gravatars}.
-@kindex A M (summary)
-@findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
-Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
-add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
-possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
-summary buffer.
+@item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
-That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
+@item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
-@table @kbd
+@vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
+Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
+is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
-@item C-c C-n h
-@kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-mailing-list-help
-Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
+@xref{Smileys}.
-@item C-c C-n s
-@kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
-Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
+@vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
+@item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
-@item C-c C-n u
-@kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
-Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
-field exists.
+@xref{X-Face}.
-@item C-c C-n p
-@kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-mailing-list-post
-Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
+@vindex gnus-treat-display-face
+@item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
-@item C-c C-n o
-@kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
-Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
+@xref{Face}.
+
+@vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
+@item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
+@vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
+@item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
+@vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
+@item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
+@vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
+@item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
+@vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
+@item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
+@vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
+@item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
+@vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
+@item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
+@vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
+@item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
+@vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
+@item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
+@vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
+@item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
-@item C-c C-n a
-@kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
-Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
+@xref{Article Hiding}.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
+@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
+@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
+@xref{Article Highlighting}.
-@node Article Buffer
-@chapter Article Buffer
-@cindex article buffer
+@vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
+@item gnus-treat-play-sounds
+@item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
+@vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
+@item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
-The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
-one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
-tell Gnus otherwise.
+@vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
+@item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
+@vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
+@item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
+@vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
+@item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
+@vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
+@item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
-@menu
-* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
-* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
-* HTML:: Reading @acronym{HTML} messages.
-* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
-* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
-* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
-@end menu
+@xref{Article Header}.
-@node Hiding Headers
-@section Hiding Headers
-@cindex hiding headers
-@cindex deleting headers
+@end table
-The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
-@dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
+@vindex gnus-part-display-hook
+You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
+@code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
+part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
+information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
+everything.
-@vindex gnus-show-all-headers
-There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
-who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
-article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
-most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
-through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
-@code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
-of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
-article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
-Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
+@node Article Keymap
+@section Article Keymap
-@table @code
+Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
+article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
+buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
+buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
+buffer.
-@item gnus-visible-headers
-@vindex gnus-visible-headers
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
-that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
-headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
+@kindex v (Article)
+@cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
+The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
+command or better use it as a prefix key.
-For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
-the article and the subject, you'd say:
+A few additional keystrokes are available:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
-@end lisp
+@table @kbd
-This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
-remain visible.
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-next-page
+Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
+This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
-@item gnus-ignored-headers
-@vindex gnus-ignored-headers
-This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
-variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
-should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
-hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
+@item DEL
+@kindex DEL (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-prev-page
+Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
+This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
-For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
-and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
+@item C-c ^
+@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-refer-article
+If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
+@kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
+(@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
-@end lisp
+@item C-c C-m
+@kindex C-c C-m (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-mail
+Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
+given a prefix, include the mail.
-This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
-be removed.
+@item s
+@kindex s (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-show-summary
+Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
+(@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
-Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
-variable will have no effect.
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
+Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
+(@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
-@end table
+@item TAB
+@kindex TAB (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-next-button
+Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
+only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
-@vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
-Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
-can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
-variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
-the headers are to be displayed.
+@item M-TAB
+@kindex M-TAB (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-prev-button
+Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
-For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
-and then the subject, you might say something like:
+@item R
+@kindex R (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
+Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If the region is active,
+only yank the text in the region.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
-@end lisp
+@item S W
+@kindex S W (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original
+Send a wide reply to the current article and yank the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original}). If the region is
+active, only yank the text in the region.
-Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
-variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
+@item F
+@kindex F (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
+Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If the region is active,
+only yank the text in the region.
-@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
-@vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
-You can hide further boring headers by setting
-@code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
-does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
-list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
-lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
-from sight.
-These conditions are:
-@table @code
-@item empty
-Remove all empty headers.
-@item followup-to
-Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
-@code{Newsgroups} header.
-@item reply-to
-Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
-the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
-parameter is set.
-@item newsgroups
-Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
-name.
-@item to-address
-Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
-the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
-@item to-list
-Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
-the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
-@item cc-list
-Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
-the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
-@item date
-Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
-old.
-@item long-to
-Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
-@item many-to
-Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
@end table
-To include these three elements, you could say something like:
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-boring-article-headers
- '(empty followup-to reply-to))
-@end lisp
-
-This is also the default value for this variable.
-
-
-@node Using MIME
-@section Using MIME
-@cindex @acronym{MIME}
-
-Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
-while people stand around yawning.
-@acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
-while all newsreaders die of fear.
+@node Misc Article
+@section Misc Article
-@acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
-of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
-other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
+@table @code
-@vindex gnus-display-mime-function
-@findex gnus-display-mime
-Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
-to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
-default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
-display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
+@item gnus-single-article-buffer
+@vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
+@cindex article buffers, several
+If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
+(This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
+article buffer.
-The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
-@acronym{MIME} button:
+@item gnus-widen-article-window
+@cindex gnus-widen-article-window
+If non-@code{nil}, selecting the article buffer with the @kbd{h}
+command will ``widen'' the article window to take the entire frame.
-@table @kbd
-@findex gnus-article-press-button
-@item RET (Article)
-@kindex RET (Article)
-@itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
-Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
-(@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
-the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
-files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
-object is displayed inline.
+@vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
+@item gnus-article-decode-hook
+@cindex @acronym{MIME}
+Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
+@code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
-@findex gnus-mime-view-part
-@item M-RET (Article)
-@kindex M-RET (Article)
-@itemx v (Article)
-Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
-method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
+@vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
+@item gnus-article-prepare-hook
+This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
+article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
+depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
+the contents of the article buffer.
-@findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
-@item t (Article)
-@kindex t (Article)
-View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
-(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
+@item gnus-article-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
+Hook called in article mode buffers.
-@findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
-@item C (Article)
-@kindex C (Article)
-Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
-charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
+@item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
+Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
+@code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
-@findex gnus-mime-save-part
-@item o (Article)
-@kindex o (Article)
-Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
-(@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
+@vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
+@item gnus-article-over-scroll
+If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
+no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
-@findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
-@item C-o (Article)
-@kindex C-o (Article)
-Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
-the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
-suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
-like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
-message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
-(@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
+@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
+This variable is a format string along the same lines as
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
+Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
+with two extensions:
-@findex gnus-mime-replace-part
-@item r (Article)
-@kindex r (Article)
-Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
-external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
-@acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
+@table @samp
-@findex gnus-mime-delete-part
-@item d (Article)
-@kindex d (Article)
-Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
-information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
-(@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
+@item w
+The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
+character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
+performed. The characters and their meaning:
-@c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
+@table @samp
-@findex gnus-mime-copy-part
-@item c (Article)
-@kindex c (Article)
-Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
-(@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
-without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
-charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
-@ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
-@file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
-@code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
-Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
+@item c
+Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
-@findex gnus-mime-print-part
-@item p (Article)
-@kindex p (Article)
-Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
-command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
-@file{.mailcap} file.
+@item h
+Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
-@findex gnus-mime-inline-part
-@item i (Article)
-@kindex i (Article)
-Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
-(@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as @samp{text/plain}. If given a prefix, insert
-the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
-do semi-manual charset stuff (see
-@code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
-Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
-automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
-@code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
-Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
+@item p
+Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
+hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
+security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
-@findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
-@item E (Article)
-@kindex E (Article)
-View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
-viewer is available, use an external viewer
-(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
+@item s
+Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
-@findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
-@item e (Article)
-@kindex e (Article)
-View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
-(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
+@item o
+Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
-@findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
-@item | (Article)
-@kindex | (Article)
-Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
+@item e
+Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasized strings in the article buffer.
-@findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
-@item . (Article)
-@kindex . (Article)
-Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
-(@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
+@end table
+
+@item m
+The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
@end table
-Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
-determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
-@acronym{MIME} manual.
+@vindex gnus-break-pages
-It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
-buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
-group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
-decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
-comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
-because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
-try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
-to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
-to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
+@item gnus-break-pages
+Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
+is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
+page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
+paging will not be done.
-Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
+@item gnus-page-delimiter
+@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
+This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
+(formfeed).
-Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
+@cindex IDNA
+@cindex internationalized domain names
+@vindex gnus-use-idna
+@item gnus-use-idna
+This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
+internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
+@samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
+for how to compose such messages. This requires
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
+variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-images
+@item gnus-inhibit-images
+If this is non-@code{nil}, inhibit displaying of images inline in the
+article body. It is effective to images that are in articles as
+@acronym{MIME} parts, and images in @acronym{HTML} articles rendered
+when @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization,
+,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) is
+@code{shr} or @code{gnus-w3m}.
-@node HTML
-@section @acronym{HTML}
-@cindex @acronym{HTML}
+@end table
-If you have @code{w3m} installed on your system, Gnus can display
-@acronym{HTML} articles in the article buffer. There are many Gnus
-add-ons for doing this, using various approaches, but there's one
-(sort of) built-in method that's used by default.
-For a complete overview, consult @xref{Display Customization,
-,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. This
-section only describes the default method.
+@node Composing Messages
+@chapter Composing Messages
+@cindex composing messages
+@cindex messages
+@cindex mail
+@cindex sending mail
+@cindex reply
+@cindex followup
+@cindex post
+@cindex using gpg
+@cindex using s/mime
+@cindex using smime
-@table @code
-@item mm-text-html-renderer
-@vindex mm-text-html-renderer
-If set to @code{gnus-article-html}, Gnus will use the built-in method,
-that's based on @code{w3m}.
+@kindex C-c C-c (Post)
+All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
+where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
+article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
+Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
+on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
-@item gnus-blocked-images
-@vindex gnus-blocked-images
-External images that have @acronym{URL}s that match this regexp won't
-be fetched and displayed. For instance, do block all @acronym{URL}s
-that have the string ``ads'' in them, do the following:
+@menu
+* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
+* Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
+* POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
+* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
+* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
+* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
+* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
+* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
+* Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
+@end menu
+
+Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
+remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-blocked-images "ads")
-@end lisp
-This can also be a function to be evaluated. If so, it will be
-called with the group name as the parameter. The default value is
-@code{gnus-block-private-groups}, which will return @samp{"."} for
-anything that isn't a newsgroup. This means that no external images
-will be fetched as a result of reading mail, so that nobody can use
-web bugs (and the like) to track whether you've read email.
+@node Mail
+@section Mail
-Also @pxref{Misc Article} for @code{gnus-inhibit-images}.
+Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
-@item gnus-html-cache-directory
-@vindex gnus-html-cache-directory
-Gnus will download and cache images according to how
-@code{gnus-blocked-images} is set. These images will be stored in
-this directory.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-uu-digest-headers
+@vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
+List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
+headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
+@code{nil} include all headers.
-@item gnus-html-cache-size
-@vindex gnus-html-cache-size
-When @code{gnus-html-cache-size} bytes have been used in that
-directory, the oldest files will be deleted. The default is 500MB.
+@item gnus-add-to-list
+@vindex gnus-add-to-list
+If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
+that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
-@item gnus-html-frame-width
-@vindex gnus-html-frame-width
-The width to use when rendering HTML. The default is 70.
+@item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
+@vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
+about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
+interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
+receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
+non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
+matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
-@item gnus-max-image-proportion
-@vindex gnus-max-image-proportion
-How big pictures displayed are in relation to the window they're in.
-A value of 0.7 (the default) means that they are allowed to take up
-70% of the width and height of the window. If they are larger than
-this, and Emacs supports it, then the images will be rescaled down to
-fit these criteria.
+If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
+press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
+
+@item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
+@vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
+@code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
+useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
@end table
-To use this, make sure that you have @code{w3m} and @code{curl}
-installed. If you have, then Gnus should display @acronym{HTML}
-automatically.
+@node Posting Server
+@section Posting Server
+When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
+(extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
-@node Customizing Articles
-@section Customizing Articles
-@cindex article customization
+Thank you for asking. I hate you.
-A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
-exist. You can call these functions interactively
-(@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
-called automatically when you select the articles.
+It can be quite complicated.
-To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
-``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
-@code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
-be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
+@vindex gnus-post-method
+When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
+(@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
+Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
+reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
+groups from different private servers). However. If the server
+you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
+want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
+fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
+@code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
-Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
-for sensible values.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
+@end lisp
-@enumerate
-@item
-@code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
+Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
+this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
+can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
+the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
-@item
-@code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
+If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
+Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
-@item
-@code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
+You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
+If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
+for posting.
-@item
-@code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
+Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
+you can set this variable to @code{native}.
-@item
-@code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
+@vindex message-send-mail-function
+When sending mail, Message invokes the function specified by the
+variable @code{message-send-mail-function}. Gnus tries to set it to a
+value suitable for your system.
+@xref{Mail Variables, ,Mail Variables,message,Message manual}, for more
+information.
-@item
-An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
-than this number.
+@node POP before SMTP
+@section POP before SMTP
+@cindex pop before smtp
+@findex message-smtpmail-send-it
+@findex mail-source-touch-pop
-@item
-A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
-articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
-regexps in the list.
+Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
+authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
+mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
+a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
-@item
-A list where the first element is not a string:
+@lisp
+(setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
+(add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
+@end lisp
-The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
-predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
-@code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
+@noindent
+It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
+whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
+does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
+@code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
+Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
+@code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
+set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
+correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
+
+If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
+@code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
+@code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
+used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
+is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
+mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
@lisp
-(or last
- (typep "text/x-vcard"))
+(setq mail-source-primary-source
+ '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :password "secret"))
@end lisp
-@end enumerate
+@noindent
+Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
+@acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
-You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
-to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
-be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
-considered to contain just a single part.
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
+ (lambda ()
+ (let ((mail-source-primary-source
+ '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :password "secret")))
+ (mail-source-touch-pop))))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-article-treat-types
-Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
-want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
-treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
-variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
-type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
-controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
+@node Mail and Post
+@section Mail and Post
-@ifinfo
-@c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
-@c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
-@c `i foo-bar'.
-@vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
-@vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
-@vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
-@vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
-@vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
-@vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
-@vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
-@vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
-@vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
-@vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
-@vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
-@vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
-@vindex gnus-treat-date-english
-@vindex gnus-treat-date-iso8601
-@vindex gnus-treat-date-lapsed
-@vindex gnus-treat-date-local
-@vindex gnus-treat-date-original
-@vindex gnus-treat-date-user-defined
-@vindex gnus-treat-date-ut
-@vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
-@vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
-@vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
-@vindex gnus-treat-from-gravatar
-@vindex gnus-treat-mail-gravatar
-@vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
-@vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
-@vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
-@vindex gnus-treat-display-face
-@vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
-@vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
-@vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
-@vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
-@vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
-@vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
-@vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
-@vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
-@vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
-@vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
-@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
-@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
-@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
-@vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
-@vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
-@vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
-@vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
-@vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
-@vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
-@end ifinfo
+Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
+posting:
-The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
-customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
-group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
-possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-mailing-list-groups
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
+@cindex mailing lists
+
+If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
+gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
+problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
+One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
+@code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
+really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
+lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
+still a pain, though.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
+@item gnus-user-agent
+@vindex gnus-user-agent
+@cindex User-Agent
-@xref{Article Buttons}.
+This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
+User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
+symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
+version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
+(show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
+configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
+string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
-@item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
+@end table
-@xref{Article Washing}.
+You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
+you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
+spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
-@item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
-@item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
-@item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
-@item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
-@item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
-@item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
-@item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
+@cindex ispell
+@findex ispell-message
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
+@end lisp
-@xref{Article Date}.
+If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
+you're in, you could say something like the following:
-@item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
-@item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
-@item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
+ (lambda ()
+ (cond
+ ((string-match
+ "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
+ (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
+ (t
+ (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
+@end lisp
-@xref{Picons}.
+Modify to suit your needs.
-@item gnus-treat-from-gravatar (head)
-@item gnus-treat-mail-gravatar (head)
+@vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
+If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
+citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
+mode buffers.
-@xref{Gravatars}.
+@node Archived Messages
+@section Archived Messages
+@cindex archived messages
+@cindex sent messages
-@item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
+Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
+send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
+store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
+@code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
+is the default.
-@item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
+For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
+@kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
+Group Commands}).
-@vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
-Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
-is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
+@vindex gnus-message-archive-method
+@code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
+use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
+actually being used it is expanded into:
-@xref{Smileys}.
+@lisp
+(nnfolder "archive"
+ (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
+ (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
+ (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
+ (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
-@item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
+@quotation
+@vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
+Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
+so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
+@code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
+@code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
+since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
+even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
+afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
+mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
+saved method to reflect always the value of
+@code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
+@code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
+value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
+@end quotation
-@xref{X-Face}.
+You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
+@code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
+for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
+directory chosen, you could say something like:
-@vindex gnus-treat-display-face
-@item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-method
+ '(nnfolder "archive"
+ (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
+ (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
+ (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
+@end lisp
-@xref{Face}.
+@vindex gnus-message-archive-group
+@cindex Gcc
+Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
+to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
+determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
-@vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
-@item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
-@vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
-@item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
-@vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
-@item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
-@vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
-@item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
-@vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
-@item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
-@vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
-@item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
-@vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
-@item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
-@vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
-@item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
-@vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
-@item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
-@vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
-@item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
+This variable can be used to do the following:
-@xref{Article Hiding}.
+@table @asis
+@item a string
+Messages will be saved in that group.
-@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
-@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
-@vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
+Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
+message will not be stored in the select method given by
+@code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
+by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
+has the default value shown above. Then setting
+@code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
+messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
+value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
+@samp{nnml:foo}.
-@xref{Article Highlighting}.
+@item a list of strings
+Messages will be saved in all those groups.
-@vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
-@item gnus-treat-play-sounds
-@item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
-@vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
-@item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
+@item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
+When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
-@vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
-@item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
-@vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
-@item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
-@vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
-@item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
-@vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
-@item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
+@item @code{nil}
+No message archiving will take place.
+@end table
-@xref{Article Header}.
+Let's illustrate:
+Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
+@end lisp
-@end table
+Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-part-display-hook
-You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
-@code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
-part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
-information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
-everything.
+Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
+ ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
+ (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
+@end lisp
+More complex stuff:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '((if (message-news-p)
+ "misc-news"
+ "misc-mail")))
+@end lisp
-@node Article Keymap
-@section Article Keymap
+How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
+messages in one file per month:
-Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
-article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
-buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
-buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
-buffer.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '((if (message-news-p)
+ "misc-news"
+ (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
+@end lisp
-@kindex v (Article)
-@cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
-The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
-command or better use it as a prefix key.
+Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
+group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
+you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
+archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
+Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
+enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
+group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
+if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
+nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
+continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
-A few additional keystrokes are available:
+@table @code
+@item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
+@vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
+If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
+@vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
+If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
+and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
+@code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
+non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
+changed in the future.
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-next-page
-Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
-This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
+@end table
-@item DEL
-@kindex DEL (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-prev-page
-Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
-This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
-@item C-c ^
-@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-refer-article
-If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
-@kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
-(@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
+@node Posting Styles
+@section Posting Styles
+@cindex posting styles
+@cindex styles
-@item C-c C-m
-@kindex C-c C-m (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-mail
-Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
-given a prefix, include the mail.
+All them variables, they make my head swim.
-@item s
-@kindex s (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-show-summary
-Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
-(@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
+So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
+on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
+and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
+on?
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
-Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
-(@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
+@vindex gnus-posting-styles
+One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
+variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
+came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
+a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
+variable:
-@item TAB
-@kindex TAB (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-next-button
-Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
-only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
+@lisp
+((".*"
+ (signature "Peace and happiness")
+ (organization "What me?"))
+ ("^comp"
+ (signature "Death to everybody"))
+ ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
+ (organization "Emacs is it")))
+@end lisp
-@item M-TAB
-@kindex M-TAB (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-prev-button
-Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
+As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
+@dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
+``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
+over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
+applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
+the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
+@samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
+signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
-@item R
-@kindex R (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
-Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
-(@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If the region is active,
-only yank the text in the region.
+The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
+string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
+If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
+will look in the original article for a header whose name is
+@var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
+@var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
+replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
+followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
+@code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
+no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
+referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
+any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
+said to @dfn{match}.
-@item S W
-@kindex S W (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original
-Send a wide reply to the current article and yank the current article
-(@code{gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original}). If the region is
-active, only yank the text in the region.
+Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
+attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
+addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
+form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
+@code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
+contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
+@var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
+name can be one of:
-@item F
-@kindex F (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
-Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
-(@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If the region is active,
-only yank the text in the region.
+@itemize @bullet
+@item @code{signature}
+@item @code{signature-file}
+@item @code{x-face-file}
+@item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
+@item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
+@item @code{body}
+@end itemize
+Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
+@code{message-signature-directory}.
-@end table
+The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
+this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
+the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
+name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
+is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
+The attribute value can be a string, a function with zero arguments
+(the return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used)
+or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be
+used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
+message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current
+article are available through the @code{message-reply-headers}
+variable, which is a vector of the following headers: number subject
+from date id references chars lines xref extra.
-@node Misc Article
-@section Misc Article
+In the case of a string value, if the @code{match} is a regular
+expression, a @samp{gnus-match-substitute-replacement} is proceed on
+the value to replace the positional parameters @samp{\@var{n}} by the
+corresponding parenthetical matches (see @xref{Replacing the Text that
+Matched, , Text Replacement, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.)
-@table @code
+@vindex message-reply-headers
-@item gnus-single-article-buffer
-@vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
-@cindex article buffers, several
-If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
-(This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
-article buffer.
+If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
+meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
+of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
-@item gnus-widen-article-window
-@cindex gnus-widen-article-window
-If non-@code{nil}, selecting the article buffer with the @kbd{h}
-command will ``widen'' the article window to take the entire frame.
+@findex message-mail-p
+@findex message-news-p
-@vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
-@item gnus-article-decode-hook
-@cindex @acronym{MIME}
-Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
-@code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
+So here's a new example:
-@vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
-@item gnus-article-prepare-hook
-This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
-article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
-depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
-the contents of the article buffer.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-posting-styles
+ '((".*"
+ (signature-file "~/.signature")
+ (name "User Name")
+ (x-face-file "~/.xface")
+ (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
+ (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
+ ("^rec.humor"
+ (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
+ ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
+ (signature my-quote-randomizer))
+ (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
+ (signature my-news-signature))
+ (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
+ ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
+ ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
+ ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
+ (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
+ ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
+ (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
+ (address "user@@bar.foo")
+ (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
+ (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
+ ("nnml:.*"
+ (From (with-current-buffer gnus-article-buffer
+ (message-fetch-field "to"))))
+ ("^nn.+:"
+ (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-article-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
-Hook called in article mode buffers.
+The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
+@code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
+if you fill many roles.
+You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
+@xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
-@item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
-@vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
-Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
-@code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
+@node Drafts
+@section Drafts
+@cindex drafts
-@vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
-@item gnus-article-over-scroll
-If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
-no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
+If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
+you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
+craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
+the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
+other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
-@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
-@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
-This variable is a format string along the same lines as
-@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
-Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
-with two extensions:
+Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
+some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
+automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
+If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
+article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
+group.)
-@table @samp
+@cindex nndraft
+@vindex nndraft-directory
+The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
+@code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
+@samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
+@code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
+that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
+read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
-@item w
-The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
-character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
-performed. The characters and their meaning:
+If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
+to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
+unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
+a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
+behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
+be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
+simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
+Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
+correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
-@table @samp
+@c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
+@c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
+@c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
+@c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
+@c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
+@c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
+@c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
+@c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
+@c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
+@c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
+@c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
+@c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
+@c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
+@c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
+@c
+@c @vindex gnus-use-draft
+@c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
+@c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
-@item c
-Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
+@findex gnus-draft-edit-message
+@kindex D e (Draft)
+When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
+draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
+that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
-@item h
-Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
+Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
+Articles}).
-@item p
-Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
-hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
-security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
+@findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
+@kindex D s (Draft)
+@findex gnus-draft-send-message
+@kindex D S (Draft)
+If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
+doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
+(@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
+command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
+in the buffer.
-@item s
-Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
+@findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
+@kindex D t (Draft)
+If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
+@kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
+as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
-@item o
-Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
+Finally, if you want to delete a draft, use the normal @kbd{B DEL}
+command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
-@item e
-Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasized strings in the article buffer.
-@end table
+@node Rejected Articles
+@section Rejected Articles
+@cindex rejected articles
-@item m
-The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
+Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
+doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
+@emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
+Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
-@end table
+These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
+(Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
+fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
+you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
+articles until some later time when the server feels better.
-@vindex gnus-break-pages
+The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
+(@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
+typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
-@item gnus-break-pages
-Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
-is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
-page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
-paging will not be done.
+@node Signing and encrypting
+@section Signing and encrypting
+@cindex using gpg
+@cindex using s/mime
+@cindex using smime
-@item gnus-page-delimiter
-@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
-This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
-(formfeed).
+Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
+@acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
+decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
+@code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
-@cindex IDNA
-@cindex internationalized domain names
-@vindex gnus-use-idna
-@item gnus-use-idna
-This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
-internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
-@samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
-for how to compose such messages. This requires
-@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
-variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
+@vindex gnus-message-replysign
+@vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
+@vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
+Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
+messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
+are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
+@code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
+@code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
+@code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
+automatically encrypted messages.
-@vindex gnus-inhibit-images
-@item gnus-inhibit-images
-If this is non-@code{nil}, inhibit displaying of images inline in the
-article body. It is effective to images that are in articles as
-@acronym{MIME} parts, and images in @acronym{HTML} articles rendered
-when @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization,
-,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) is
-@code{shr} or @code{gnus-w3m}.
+Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
+@acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
+signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
-@end table
+@table @kbd
+@item C-c C-m s s
+@kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
-@node Composing Messages
-@chapter Composing Messages
-@cindex composing messages
-@cindex messages
-@cindex mail
-@cindex sending mail
-@cindex reply
-@cindex followup
-@cindex post
-@cindex using gpg
-@cindex using s/mime
-@cindex using smime
+Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
-@kindex C-c C-c (Post)
-All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
-where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
-article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
-Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
-on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
+@item C-c C-m s o
+@kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
-@menu
-* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
-* Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
-* POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
-* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
-* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
-* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
-* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
-* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
-* Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
-@end menu
+Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
-Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
-remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
+@item C-c C-m s p
+@kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
+Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
-@node Mail
-@section Mail
+@item C-c C-m c s
+@kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
-Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
+Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-uu-digest-headers
-@vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
-List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
-headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
-@code{nil} include all headers.
+@item C-c C-m c o
+@kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
-@item gnus-add-to-list
-@vindex gnus-add-to-list
-If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
-that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
+Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
-@item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
-@vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
-about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
-interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
-receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
-non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
-matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
+@item C-c C-m c p
+@kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
-If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
-press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
+Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
-@item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
-@vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
-@code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
-useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
+@item C-c C-m C-n
+@kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
+@findex mml-unsecure-message
+Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
@end table
+@xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
-@node Posting Server
-@section Posting Server
-
-When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
-(extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
+@node Select Methods
+@chapter Select Methods
+@cindex foreign groups
+@cindex select methods
-Thank you for asking. I hate you.
+A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
+default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
+@acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
+personal mail group.
-It can be quite complicated.
+A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
+a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
+list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
+@code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
+name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
+value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
-@vindex gnus-post-method
-When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
-(@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
-Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
-reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
-groups from different private servers). However. If the server
-you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
-want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
-fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
-@code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
+One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
+we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
-@end lisp
+The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
+group as.
-Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
-this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
-can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
-the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
+For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
+@samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
+method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
+@samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
+back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
-If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
-Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
+The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
-You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
-If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
-for posting.
+@menu
+* Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
+* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
+* Using IMAP:: Reading mail from @acronym{IMAP}.
+* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
+* Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
+* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files.
+* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
+* Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
+* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
+@end menu
-Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
-you can set this variable to @code{native}.
-@vindex message-send-mail-function
-When sending mail, Message invokes the function specified by the
-variable @code{message-send-mail-function}. Gnus tries to set it to a
-value suitable for your system.
-@xref{Mail Variables, ,Mail Variables,message,Message manual}, for more
-information.
+@node Server Buffer
+@section Server Buffer
-@node POP before SMTP
-@section POP before SMTP
-@cindex pop before smtp
-@findex message-smtpmail-send-it
-@findex mail-source-touch-pop
+Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
+one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
+connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
+one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
+the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
+back end represents a virtual server.
-Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
-authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
-mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
-a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
-@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
+different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
+on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
+use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
-@lisp
-(setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
-(add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
-@end lisp
+These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
+complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
+@acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
+hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
+Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
+server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
+select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
-@noindent
-It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
-whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
-does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
-@code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
-Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
-@code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
-set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
-correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
+To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
+(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
-If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
-@code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
-@code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
-used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
-is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
-mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
+@menu
+* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
+* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
+* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
+* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
+* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
+* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
+* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
+@end menu
-@lisp
-(setq mail-source-primary-source
- '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
- :password "secret"))
-@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
-@noindent
-Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
-@acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
- (lambda ()
- (let ((mail-source-primary-source
- '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
- :password "secret")))
- (mail-source-touch-pop))))
-@end lisp
+@node Server Buffer Format
+@subsection Server Buffer Format
+@cindex server buffer format
-@node Mail and Post
-@section Mail and Post
+@vindex gnus-server-line-format
+You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
+@code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
+variable, with some simple extensions:
-Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
-posting:
+@table @samp
-@table @code
-@item gnus-mailing-list-groups
-@findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
-@cindex mailing lists
+@item h
+How the news is fetched---the back end name.
-If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
-gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
-problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
-One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
-(@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
-@code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
-really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
-lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
-still a pain, though.
+@item n
+The name of this server.
-@item gnus-user-agent
-@vindex gnus-user-agent
-@cindex User-Agent
+@item w
+Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
-This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
-User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
-symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
-version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
-(show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
-configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
-string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
+@item s
+The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
+@item a
+Whether this server is agentized.
@end table
-You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
-you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
-spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
+@vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
+The mode line can also be customized by using the
+@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
+Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
-@cindex ispell
-@findex ispell-message
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
-@end lisp
+@table @samp
+@item S
+Server name.
-If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
-you're in, you could say something like the following:
+@item M
+Server method.
+@end table
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
- (lambda ()
- (cond
- ((string-match
- "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
- (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
- (t
- (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
-@end lisp
+Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
-Modify to suit your needs.
-@vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
-If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
-citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
-mode buffers.
+@node Server Commands
+@subsection Server Commands
+@cindex server commands
-@node Archived Messages
-@section Archived Messages
-@cindex archived messages
-@cindex sent messages
+@table @kbd
-Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
-send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
-store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
-@code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
-is the default.
+@item v
+@kindex v (Server)
+@cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
+The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
+command or better use it as a prefix key.
-For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
-@kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
-Group Commands}).
+@item a
+@kindex a (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-add-server
+Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
-@vindex gnus-message-archive-method
-@code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
-use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
-actually being used it is expanded into:
+@item e
+@kindex e (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-edit-server
+Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
-@lisp
-(nnfolder "archive"
- (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
- (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
- (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
- (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
-@end lisp
+@item S
+@kindex S (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-show-server
+Show the definition of a server (@code{gnus-server-show-server}).
-@quotation
-@vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
-Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
-so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
-@code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
-@code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
-since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
-even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
-afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
-mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
-saved method to reflect always the value of
-@code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
-@code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
-value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
-@end quotation
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-read-server
+Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
-You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
-@code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
-for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
-directory chosen, you could say something like:
+@item q
+@kindex q (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-exit
+Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-method
- '(nnfolder "archive"
- (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
- (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
- (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
-@end lisp
+@item k
+@kindex k (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-kill-server
+Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
-@vindex gnus-message-archive-group
-@cindex Gcc
-Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
-to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
-determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
+@item y
+@kindex y (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-yank-server
+Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
-This variable can be used to do the following:
+@item c
+@kindex c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-copy-server
+Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
-@table @asis
-@item a string
-Messages will be saved in that group.
+@item l
+@kindex l (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-list-servers
+List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
-Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
-message will not be stored in the select method given by
-@code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
-by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
-has the default value shown above. Then setting
-@code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
-messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
-value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
-@samp{nnml:foo}.
+@item s
+@kindex s (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-scan-server
+Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
+(@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
+servers.
-@item a list of strings
-Messages will be saved in all those groups.
+@item g
+@kindex g (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
+Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
+(@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
+a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
-@item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
-When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
+@item z
+@kindex z (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-compact-server
+
+Compact all groups in the server under point
+(@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
+nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
+hence getting a correct total article count.
-@item @code{nil}
-No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
@end table
-Let's illustrate:
+Some more commands for closing, disabling, and re-opening servers are
+listed in @ref{Unavailable Servers}.
-Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
-@end lisp
-Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
-@end lisp
+@node Example Methods
+@subsection Example Methods
+
+Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
-Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group
- '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
- ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
- (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
+(nntp "news.funet.fi")
@end lisp
-More complex stuff:
+Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
+
@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group
- '((if (message-news-p)
- "misc-news"
- "misc-mail")))
+(nnspool "")
@end lisp
-How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
-messages in one file per month:
+As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
+back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
+will.
+
+After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
+@code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
+
+To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
+port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
+look like then:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group
- '((if (message-news-p)
- "misc-news"
- (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
+(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
@end lisp
-@c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
-@c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
+You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
+variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
-Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
-group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
-you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
-archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
-Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
-enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
-group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
-if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
-nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
-continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
+@code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
+you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
+mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
+your private mail:
-That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
-different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
-case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
-this will disable archiving.
+@lisp
+(nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item gnus-outgoing-message-group
-@vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
-All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
-all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
-you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
-group names.
+(This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
+that.)
-If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
-message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
-current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
-of names).
+Here's the method for a public spool:
-This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
-but the latter is the preferred method.
+@lisp
+(nnmh "public"
+ (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
+ (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
-@vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
-If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
+@cindex proxy
+@cindex firewall
-@item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
-@vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
-If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
-and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
-@code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
-non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
-changed in the future.
+If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
+server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
+on the firewall machine and connect with
+@uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} from there to the
+@acronym{NNTP} server.
+Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
+should probably look something like this:
-@end table
+@lisp
+(nntp "firewall"
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)
+ (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
+ (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host"))
+@end lisp
+If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
+compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
+configuration to the example above:
-@node Posting Styles
-@section Posting Styles
-@cindex posting styles
-@cindex styles
+@lisp
+ (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
+@end lisp
-All them variables, they make my head swim.
+See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
+an indirect connection:
-So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
-on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
-and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
-on?
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method
+ '(nntp "indirect"
+ (nntp-address "news.server.example")
+ (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
+ (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
+ (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
+ (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C"))
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-posting-styles
-One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
-variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
-came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
-a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
-variable:
+This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
+provide automatic authorization, of course.
+
+If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
+through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
+netcat connection to the news server as follows:
@lisp
-((".*"
- (signature "Peace and happiness")
- (organization "What me?"))
- ("^comp"
- (signature "Death to everybody"))
- ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
- (organization "Emacs is it")))
+(nntp "outside"
+ (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
+ (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
@end lisp
-As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
-@dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
-``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
-over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
-applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
-the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
-@samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
-signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
-The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
-string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
-If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
-will look in the original article for a header whose name is
-@var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
-@var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
-replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
-followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
-@code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
-no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
-referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
-any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
-said to @dfn{match}.
+@node Creating a Virtual Server
+@subsection Creating a Virtual Server
-Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
-attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
-addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
-form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
-@code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
-contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
-@var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
-name can be one of:
+If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
+articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item @code{signature}
-@item @code{signature-file}
-@item @code{x-face-file}
-@item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
-@item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
-@item @code{body}
-@end itemize
+First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
+would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
+could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
-Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
-@code{message-signature-directory}.
+Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
-The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
-this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
-the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
-name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
-is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
+You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
+@samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
+Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
+will contain the following:
-The attribute value can be a string, a function with zero arguments
-(the return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used)
-or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be
-used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
-message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current
-article are available through the @code{message-reply-headers}
-variable, which is a vector of the following headers: number subject
-from date id references chars lines xref extra.
+@lisp
+(nnml "cache")
+@end lisp
-In the case of a string value, if the @code{match} is a regular
-expression, a @samp{gnus-match-substitute-replacement} is proceed on
-the value to replace the positional parameters @samp{\@var{n}} by the
-corresponding parenthetical matches (see @xref{Replacing the Text that
-Matched, , Text Replacement, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.)
+Change that to:
-@vindex message-reply-headers
+@lisp
+(nnml "cache"
+ (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
+ (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
+@end lisp
-If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
-meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
-of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
+Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
+@kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
+buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
-@findex message-mail-p
-@findex message-news-p
-So here's a new example:
+@node Server Variables
+@subsection Server Variables
+@cindex server variables
+@cindex server parameters
+
+One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
+in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
+variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
+change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
+won't change the ``derived'' variables.
+
+This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
+@code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
+directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
+@code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
+new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
+@code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
+variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
+variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
+manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-posting-styles
- '((".*"
- (signature-file "~/.signature")
- (name "User Name")
- (x-face-file "~/.xface")
- (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
- (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
- ("^rec.humor"
- (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
- ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
- (signature my-quote-randomizer))
- (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
- (signature my-news-signature))
- (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
- ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
- ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
- ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
- (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
- ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
- (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
- (address "user@@bar.foo")
- (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
- (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
- ("nnml:.*"
- (From (with-current-buffer gnus-article-buffer
- (message-fetch-field "to"))))
- ("^nn.+:"
- (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
+(nnml "public"
+ (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
+ (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
+ (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
@end lisp
-The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
-@code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
-if you fill many roles.
-You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
-@xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
+Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
-@node Drafts
-@section Drafts
-@cindex drafts
+@node Servers and Methods
+@subsection Servers and Methods
-If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
-you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
-craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
-the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
-other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
+Wherever you would normally use a select method
+(e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
+when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
+instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
+over.
-Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
-some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
-automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
-If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
-article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
-group.)
-@cindex nndraft
-@vindex nndraft-directory
-The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
-@code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
-@samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
-@code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
-that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
-read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
+@node Unavailable Servers
+@subsection Unavailable Servers
-If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
-to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
-unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
-a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
-behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
-be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
-simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
-Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
-correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
+If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
+@code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
+with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
+will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
+actually the case or not.
-@c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
-@c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
-@c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
-@c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
-@c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
-@c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
-@c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
-@c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
-@c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
-@c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
-@c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
-@c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
-@c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
-@c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
-@c
-@c @vindex gnus-use-draft
-@c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
-@c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
+That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
+Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
+@samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
+away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
+to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
+attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
+attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
+it will regard that server as ``down''.
-@findex gnus-draft-edit-message
-@kindex D e (Draft)
-When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
-draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
-that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
+So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
+How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
-Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
-Articles}).
+You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
+with the following commands:
-@findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
-@kindex D s (Draft)
-@findex gnus-draft-send-message
-@kindex D S (Draft)
-If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
-doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
-(@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
-command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
-in the buffer.
+@table @kbd
-@findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
-@kindex D t (Draft)
-If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
-@kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
-as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
+@item O
+@kindex O (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-open-server
+Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
+(@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
-Finally, if you want to delete a draft, use the normal @kbd{B DEL}
-command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
+@item C
+@kindex C (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-close-server
+Close the connection (if any) to the server
+(@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
+@item D
+@kindex D (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-deny-server
+Mark the current server as unreachable
+(@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
-@node Rejected Articles
-@section Rejected Articles
-@cindex rejected articles
+@item M-o
+@kindex M-o (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
+Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
+(@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
-Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
-doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
-@emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
-Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
+@item M-c
+@kindex M-c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
+Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
+(@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
-These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
-(Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
-fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
-you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
-articles until some later time when the server feels better.
+@item R
+@kindex R (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-remove-denials
+Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
+(@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
-The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
-(@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
-typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
+@item c
+@kindex c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-copy-server
+Copy a server and give it a new name
+(@code{gnus-server-copy-server}). This can be useful if you have a
+complex method definition, and want to use the same definition towards
+a different (physical) server.
-@node Signing and encrypting
-@section Signing and encrypting
-@cindex using gpg
-@cindex using s/mime
-@cindex using smime
+@item L
+@kindex L (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-offline-server
+Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
-Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
-@acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
-decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
-@code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-message-replysign
-@vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
-@vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
-Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
-messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
-are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
-@code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
-@code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
-@code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
-automatically encrypted messages.
-Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
-@acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
-signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
+@node Getting News
+@section Getting News
+@cindex reading news
+@cindex news back ends
-@table @kbd
+A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
+only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
+or it can read from a local spool.
-@item C-c C-m s s
-@kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
-@findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
+@menu
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
+@end menu
-Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
-@item C-c C-m s o
-@kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
-@findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
+@node NNTP
+@subsection NNTP
+@cindex nntp
-Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
+Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
+You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
+server as the, uhm, address.
-@item C-c C-m s p
-@kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
-@findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
+If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
+third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
+to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
+that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
-Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
+The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
+fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
+you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
-@item C-c C-m c s
-@kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
-@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
+The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
+server:
-Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
+@table @code
-@item C-c C-m c o
-@kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
-@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
+@item nntp-server-opened-hook
+@vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
+@cindex @sc{mode reader}
+@cindex authinfo
+@cindex authentication
+@cindex nntp authentication
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo
+@findex nntp-send-mode-reader
+is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
+commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
+default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
+@code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
+present in this hook.
-Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
+@item nntp-authinfo-function
+@vindex nntp-authinfo-function
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo
+@vindex nntp-authinfo-file
+This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
+server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
+through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
+@code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
+are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
+format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
+@code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
+manual page, but here are the salient facts:
-@item C-c C-m c p
-@kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
-@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
+@enumerate
+@item
+The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
-Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
+@item
+Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
-@item C-c C-m C-n
-@kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
-@findex mml-unsecure-message
-Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
+The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
+@samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
+in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
+@samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
+deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
+indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
+@samp{force} is explained below.
-@end table
+@end enumerate
-@xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
+Here's an example file:
-@node Select Methods
-@chapter Select Methods
-@cindex foreign groups
-@cindex select methods
+@example
+machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
+machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
+@end example
-A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
-default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
-@acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
-personal mail group.
+The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
+have to be first, for instance.
-A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
-a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
-list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
-@code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
-name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
-value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
+In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
+former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
+user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
+@samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
+@var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
+@samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
+until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
-One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
-we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
+You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
+that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
-The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
-group as.
+@example
+default force yes
+@end example
-For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
-@samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
-method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
-@samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
-back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
+This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
+previously mentioned.
-The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
+Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
-@menu
-* Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
-* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
-* Using IMAP:: Reading mail from @acronym{IMAP}.
-* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
-* Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
-* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files.
-* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
-* Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
-* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
-@end menu
+@item nntp-server-action-alist
+@vindex nntp-server-action-alist
+This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
+taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
+every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
+@lisp
+(setq nntp-server-action-alist
+ '(("innd" (ding))))
+@end lisp
-@node Server Buffer
-@section Server Buffer
+You probably don't want to do that, though.
-Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
-one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
-connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
-one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
-the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
-back end represents a virtual server.
+The default value is
-For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
-different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
-on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
-use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
+@lisp
+'(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
+ (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
+ 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
+@end lisp
-These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
-complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
-@acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
-hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
-Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
-server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
-select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
+This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
+nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
-To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
-(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
+@item nntp-maximum-request
+@vindex nntp-maximum-request
+If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
+will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
+speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
+waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
+by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
+your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
-@menu
-* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
-* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
-* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
-* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
-* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
-* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
-* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
-@end menu
+@item nntp-connection-timeout
+@vindex nntp-connection-timeout
+If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
+regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
+responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
+time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
+somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
+that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
+connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
+no timeouts are done.
-@vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
+@item nntp-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
+If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
+variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
+can be used.
+@item nntp-xover-commands
+@vindex nntp-xover-commands
+@cindex @acronym{NOV}
+@cindex XOVER
+List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
+server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
+"XOVERVIEW")}.
-@node Server Buffer Format
-@subsection Server Buffer Format
-@cindex server buffer format
+@item nntp-nov-gap
+@vindex nntp-nov-gap
+@code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
+the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
+if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
+article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
+lines that you will not need. This variable says how
+big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
+@code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
+network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
+that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
-@vindex gnus-server-line-format
-You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
-@code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
-variable, with some simple extensions:
+@item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
+@vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
+When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
+specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
+current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
+command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
+returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
+in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
+refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
+current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
+some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
+having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
+between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
+@code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
+to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
+you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
+value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
-@table @samp
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method
+ '(nntp "newszilla"
+ (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
+ (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
+ @dots{}))
+@end lisp
-@item h
-How the news is fetched---the back end name.
+The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
-@item n
-The name of this server.
+@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
+A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
-@item w
-Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
+@item nntp-record-commands
+@vindex nntp-record-commands
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
+@acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
+buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
+that doesn't seem to work.
-@item s
-The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
+@item nntp-open-connection-function
+@vindex nntp-open-connection-function
+It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
+be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
+parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
+Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
+in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
+indirect ones (three pre-made).
-@item a
-Whether this server is agentized.
-@end table
+@item nntp-never-echoes-commands
+@vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
+Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
+reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
+to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
+@code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
+example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
+@code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
+overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
-@vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
-The mode line can also be customized by using the
-@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
-Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
+@item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
+@vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
+List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
+you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
+not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
+@code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
+default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
-@table @samp
-@item S
-Server name.
+@item nntp-prepare-post-hook
+@vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
+A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
+@code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
+recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
+hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
+inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
-@item M
-Server method.
-@end table
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
+@end lisp
-Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
+Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
+INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
+
+@item nntp-server-list-active-group
+If @code{nil}, then always use @samp{GROUP} instead of @samp{LIST
+ACTIVE}. This is usually slower, but on misconfigured servers that
+don't update their active files often, this can help.
-@node Server Commands
-@subsection Server Commands
-@cindex server commands
+@end table
-@table @kbd
+@menu
+* Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
+* Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
+* Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
+* NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
+@end menu
-@item v
-@kindex v (Server)
-@cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
-The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
-command or better use it as a prefix key.
-@item a
-@kindex a (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-add-server
-Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
+@node Direct Functions
+@subsubsection Direct Functions
+@cindex direct connection functions
-@item e
-@kindex e (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-edit-server
-Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
+These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
+between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
+functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
+(@pxref{Common Variables}).
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-read-server
-Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
+@table @code
+@findex nntp-open-network-stream
+@item nntp-open-network-stream
+This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
+remote system. If both Emacs and the server supports it, the
+connection will be upgraded to an encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS}
+connection automatically.
-@item q
-@kindex q (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-exit
-Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
+@item network-only
+The same as the above, but don't do automatic @acronym{STARTTLS} upgrades.
-@item k
-@kindex k (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-kill-server
-Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
+@findex nntp-open-tls-stream
+@item nntp-open-tls-stream
+Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
+this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GnuTLS}
+installed. You then define a server as follows:
-@item y
-@kindex y (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-yank-server
-Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
+@lisp
+;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
+;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
+;;
+(nntp "snews.bar.com"
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
+ (nntp-port-number 563)
+ (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
+@end lisp
-@item c
-@kindex c (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-copy-server
-Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
+@findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
+@item nntp-open-ssl-stream
+Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
+this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
+@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
+then define a server as follows:
-@item l
-@kindex l (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-list-servers
-List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
+@lisp
+;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
+;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
+;;
+(nntp "snews.bar.com"
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
+ (nntp-port-number 563)
+ (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
+@end lisp
-@item s
-@kindex s (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-scan-server
-Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
-(@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
-servers.
+@findex nntp-open-netcat-stream
+@item nntp-open-netcat-stream
+Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server using the @code{netcat}
+program. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have
+the default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
+of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
+connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
+@code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
-@item g
-@kindex g (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
-Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
-(@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
-a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
+@lisp
+(nntp "socksified"
+ (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
+ (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
+@end lisp
-@item z
-@kindex z (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-compact-server
+With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
+session, which is not a good idea.
-Compact all groups in the server under point
-(@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
-nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
-hence getting a correct total article count.
+@findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
+@item nntp-open-telnet-stream
+Like @code{nntp-open-netcat-stream}, but uses @code{telnet} rather than
+@code{netcat}. @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things
+like line-end-conversion, but sometimes netcat is simply
+not available. The previous example would turn into:
+@lisp
+(nntp "socksified"
+ (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
+ (nntp-address "the.news.server")
+ (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
+@end lisp
@end table
-@node Example Methods
-@subsection Example Methods
-
-Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
+@node Indirect Functions
+@subsubsection Indirect Functions
+@cindex indirect connection functions
-@lisp
-(nntp "news.funet.fi")
-@end lisp
+These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
+intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
+All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
+the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
+things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
+commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
-Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
+@table @code
+@item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
+@findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
+Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then uses @code{netcat} to connect
+to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
+you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
-@lisp
-(nnspool "")
-@end lisp
+@code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
-As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
-back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
-will.
+@table @code
+@item nntp-via-rlogin-command
+@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
+Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
+@samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
-After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
-@code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
+@item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
+@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to
+@code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
+@samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
+@samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections.
+@end table
-To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
-port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
-look like then:
+@item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
+@findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
+Does essentially the same, but uses @code{telnet} instead of @samp{netcat}
+to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
+@code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things like
+line-end-conversion, but sometimes @code{netcat} is simply not available.
-@lisp
-(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
-@end lisp
+@code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
-You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
-variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
+@table @code
+@item nntp-telnet-command
+@vindex nntp-telnet-command
+Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
+intermediate host. The default is @samp{telnet}.
-@code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
-you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
-mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
-your private mail:
+@item nntp-telnet-switches
+@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to the
+@code{nntp-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{("-8")}.
-@lisp
-(nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
-@end lisp
+@item nntp-via-rlogin-command
+@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
+Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
+@samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
-(This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
-that.)
+@item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
+@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to
+@code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. If you use @samp{ssh}, you may need to set
+this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
+the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
+host. The default is @code{nil}.
+@end table
-Here's the method for a public spool:
+Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
+to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
-@lisp
-(nnmh "public"
- (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
- (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
-@end lisp
+@item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
+@findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
+Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
+@samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
-@cindex proxy
-@cindex firewall
+@code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
-If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
-server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
-on the firewall machine and connect with
-@uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} from there to the
-@acronym{NNTP} server.
-Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
-should probably look something like this:
+@table @code
+@item nntp-via-telnet-command
+@vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
+Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
+@samp{telnet}.
-@lisp
-(nntp "firewall"
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)
- (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
- (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host"))
-@end lisp
+@item nntp-via-telnet-switches
+@vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to the
+@code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
-If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
-compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
-configuration to the example above:
+@item nntp-via-user-password
+@vindex nntp-via-user-password
+Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
-@lisp
- (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
-@end lisp
+@item nntp-via-envuser
+@vindex nntp-via-envuser
+If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
+server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
+login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
-See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
-an indirect connection:
+@item nntp-via-shell-prompt
+@vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
+Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
+is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method
- '(nntp "indirect"
- (nntp-address "news.server.example")
- (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
- (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
- (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
- (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C"))
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)))
-@end lisp
+@end table
-This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
-provide automatic authorization, of course.
+Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
+to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
+@end table
-If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
-through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
-netcat connection to the news server as follows:
-@lisp
-(nntp "outside"
- (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
- (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
-@end lisp
+Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
+functions:
+@table @code
-@node Creating a Virtual Server
-@subsection Creating a Virtual Server
+@item nntp-via-user-name
+@vindex nntp-via-user-name
+User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
-If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
-articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
+@item nntp-via-address
+@vindex nntp-via-address
+Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
-First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
-would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
-could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
+@end table
-Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
-You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
-@samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
-Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
-will contain the following:
+@node Common Variables
+@subsubsection Common Variables
-@lisp
-(nnml "cache")
-@end lisp
+The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
+pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
+affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
+default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
+variables individually).
-Change that to:
+@table @code
-@lisp
-(nnml "cache"
- (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
- (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
-@end lisp
+@item nntp-pre-command
+@vindex nntp-pre-command
+A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
+connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
+@code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
+where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
-Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
-@kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
-buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
+@item nntp-address
+@vindex nntp-address
+The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
+@item nntp-port-number
+@vindex nntp-port-number
+Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
+@samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
+@acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
+than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
+@samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
+not work with named ports.
-@node Server Variables
-@subsection Server Variables
-@cindex server variables
-@cindex server parameters
+@item nntp-end-of-line
+@vindex nntp-end-of-line
+String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
+server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
+using a non native telnet connection function.
-One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
-in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
-variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
-change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
-won't change the ``derived'' variables.
+@item nntp-netcat-command
+@vindex nntp-netcat-command
+Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
+@samp{netcat}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
+just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
+@samp{nc}.
-This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
-@code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
-directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
-@code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
-new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
-@code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
-variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
-variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
-manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
+@item nntp-netcat-switches
+@vindex nntp-netcat-switches
+A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-netcat-command}. The default
+is @samp{()}.
-@lisp
-(nnml "public"
- (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
- (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
- (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
-@end lisp
+@end table
-Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
+@node NNTP marks
+@subsubsection NNTP marks
+@cindex storing NNTP marks
-@node Servers and Methods
-@subsection Servers and Methods
+Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
+servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
+in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
+Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
+(@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
+that of a news server, for example marks for the group
+@samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
+the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
-Wherever you would normally use a select method
-(e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
-when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
-instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
-over.
+Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
+directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
+and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
+in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
+@file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
+Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
+the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
+installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
+servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
+However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
+D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
+get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
-@node Unavailable Servers
-@subsection Unavailable Servers
+Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
+if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
+variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
-If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
-@code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
-with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
-will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
-actually the case or not.
+Related variables:
-That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
-Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
-@samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
-away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
-to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
-attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
-attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
-it will regard that server as ``down''.
+@table @code
-So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
-How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
+@item nntp-marks-is-evil
+@vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
-You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
-with the following commands:
+@item nntp-marks-directory
+@vindex nntp-marks-directory
+The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
-@table @kbd
+@end table
-@item O
-@kindex O (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-open-server
-Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
-(@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
-@item C
-@kindex C (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-close-server
-Close the connection (if any) to the server
-(@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
+@node News Spool
+@subsection News Spool
+@cindex nnspool
+@cindex news spool
-@item D
-@kindex D (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-deny-server
-Mark the current server as unreachable
-(@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
+Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
+and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
+contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
+instance.
-@item M-o
-@kindex M-o (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
-Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
-(@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
+Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
+anything else) as the address.
-@item M-c
-@kindex M-c (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
-Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
-(@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
+If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
+native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
+than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
+You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
-@item R
-@kindex R (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-remove-denials
-Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
-(@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
+@table @code
-@item c
-@kindex c (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-copy-server
-Copy a server and give it a new name
-(@code{gnus-server-copy-server}). This can be useful if you have a
-complex method definition, and want to use the same definition towards
-a different (physical) server.
+@item nnspool-inews-program
+@vindex nnspool-inews-program
+Program used to post an article.
-@item L
-@kindex L (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-offline-server
-Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
+@item nnspool-inews-switches
+@vindex nnspool-inews-switches
+Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
-@end table
+@item nnspool-spool-directory
+@vindex nnspool-spool-directory
+Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
+@file{/usr/spool/news/}.
+@item nnspool-nov-directory
+@vindex nnspool-nov-directory
+Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
+@file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
-@node Getting News
-@section Getting News
-@cindex reading news
-@cindex news back ends
+@item nnspool-lib-dir
+@vindex nnspool-lib-dir
+Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
-A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
-only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
-or it can read from a local spool.
+@item nnspool-active-file
+@vindex nnspool-active-file
+The name of the active file.
-@menu
-* NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
-* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
-@end menu
+@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
+The name of the group descriptions file.
+@item nnspool-history-file
+@vindex nnspool-history-file
+The name of the news history file.
-@node NNTP
-@subsection NNTP
-@cindex nntp
+@item nnspool-active-times-file
+@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
+The name of the active date file.
-Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
-You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
-server as the, uhm, address.
+@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
+that it finds.
-If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
-third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
-to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
-that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+@item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
+@vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
+@cindex sed
+If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
+relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
+@code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
+there.
-The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
-fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
-you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
+@end table
-The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
-server:
-@table @code
+@node Using IMAP
+@section Using IMAP
+@cindex imap
-@item nntp-server-opened-hook
-@vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
-@cindex @sc{mode reader}
-@cindex authinfo
-@cindex authentication
-@cindex nntp authentication
-@findex nntp-send-authinfo
-@findex nntp-send-mode-reader
-is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
-commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
-default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
-@code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
-present in this hook.
+The most popular mail backend is probably @code{nnimap}, which
+provides access to @acronym{IMAP} servers. @acronym{IMAP} servers
+store mail remotely, so the client doesn't store anything locally.
+This means that it's a convenient choice when you're reading your mail
+from different locations, or with different user agents.
-@item nntp-authinfo-function
-@vindex nntp-authinfo-function
-@findex nntp-send-authinfo
-@vindex nntp-authinfo-file
-This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
-server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
-through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
-@code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
-are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
-format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
-@code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
-manual page, but here are the salient facts:
+@menu
+* Connecting to an IMAP Server:: Getting started with @acronym{IMAP}.
+* Customizing the IMAP Connection:: Variables for @acronym{IMAP} connection.
+* Client-Side IMAP Splitting:: Put mail in the correct mail box.
+@end menu
-@enumerate
-@item
-The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
-@item
-Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
+@node Connecting to an IMAP Server
+@subsection Connecting to an IMAP Server
-The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
-@samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
-in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
-@samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
-deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
-indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
-@samp{force} is explained below.
+Connecting to an @acronym{IMAP} can be very easy. Type @kbd{B} in the
+group buffer, or (if your primary interest is reading email), say
+something like:
-@end enumerate
+@example
+(setq gnus-select-method
+ '(nnimap "imap.gmail.com"))
+@end example
-Here's an example file:
+You'll be prompted for a user name and password. If you grow tired of
+that, then add the following to your @file{~/.authinfo} file:
@example
-machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
-machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
+machine imap.gmail.com login <username> password <password> port imap
@end example
-The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
-have to be first, for instance.
+That should basically be it for most users.
-In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
-former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
-user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
-@samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
-@var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
-@samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
-until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
-You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
-that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
+@node Customizing the IMAP Connection
+@subsection Customizing the IMAP Connection
+
+Here's an example method that's more complex:
@example
-default force yes
+(nnimap "imap.gmail.com"
+ (nnimap-inbox "INBOX")
+ (nnimap-split-methods default)
+ (nnimap-expunge t)
+ (nnimap-stream ssl))
@end example
-This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
-previously mentioned.
+@table @code
+@item nnimap-address
+The address of the server, like @samp{imap.gmail.com}.
-Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
+@item nnimap-server-port
+If the server uses a non-standard port, that can be specified here. A
+typical port would be @code{"imap"} or @code{"imaps"}.
-@item nntp-server-action-alist
-@vindex nntp-server-action-alist
-This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
-taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
-every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
+@item nnimap-stream
+How @code{nnimap} should connect to the server. Possible values are:
-@lisp
-(setq nntp-server-action-alist
- '(("innd" (ding))))
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@item undecided
+This is the default, and this first tries the @code{ssl} setting, and
+then tries the @code{network} setting.
-You probably don't want to do that, though.
+@item ssl
+This uses standard @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
-The default value is
+@item network
+Non-encrypted and unsafe straight socket connection, but will upgrade
+to encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS} if both Emacs and the server
+supports it.
-@lisp
-'(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
- (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
- 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
-@end lisp
+@item starttls
+Encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS} over the normal @acronym{IMAP} port.
-This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
-nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
+@item shell
+If you need to tunnel via other systems to connect to the server, you
+can use this option, and customize @code{nnimap-shell-program} to be
+what you need.
-@item nntp-maximum-request
-@vindex nntp-maximum-request
-If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
-will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
-speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
-waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
-by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
-your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
+@end table
-@item nntp-connection-timeout
-@vindex nntp-connection-timeout
-If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
-regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
-responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
-time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
-somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
-that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
-connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
-no timeouts are done.
+@item nnimap-authenticator
+Some @acronym{IMAP} servers allow anonymous logins. In that case,
+this should be set to @code{anonymous}.
-@item nntp-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
-If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
-variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
-can be used.
+@item nnimap-expunge
+If non-@code{nil}, expunge articles after deleting them. This is always done
+if the server supports UID EXPUNGE, but it's not done by default on
+servers that doesn't support that command.
-@item nntp-xover-commands
-@vindex nntp-xover-commands
-@cindex @acronym{NOV}
-@cindex XOVER
-List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
-server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
-"XOVERVIEW")}.
+@item nnimap-streaming
+Virtually all @code{IMAP} server support fast streaming of data. If
+you have problems connecting to the server, try setting this to @code{nil}.
-@item nntp-nov-gap
-@vindex nntp-nov-gap
-@code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
-the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
-if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
-article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
-lines that you will not need. This variable says how
-big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
-@code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
-network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
-that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
-@code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
+@item nnimap-fetch-partial-articles
+If non-@code{nil}, fetch partial articles from the server. If set to
+a string, then it's interpreted as a regexp, and parts that have
+matching types will be fetched. For instance, @samp{"text/"} will
+fetch all textual parts, while leaving the rest on the server.
-@item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
-@vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
-When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
-specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
-current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
-command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
-returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
-in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
-refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
-current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
-some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
-having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
-between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
-@code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
-to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
-you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
-value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method
- '(nntp "newszilla"
- (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
- (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
- @dots{}))
-@end lisp
-The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
+@node Client-Side IMAP Splitting
+@subsection Client-Side IMAP Splitting
-@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
-@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
-A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
+Many people prefer to do the sorting/splitting of mail into their mail
+boxes on the @acronym{IMAP} server. That way they don't have to
+download the mail they're not all that interested in.
-@item nntp-record-commands
-@vindex nntp-record-commands
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
-@acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
-buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
-that doesn't seem to work.
+If you do want to do client-side mail splitting, then the following
+variables are relevant:
-@item nntp-open-connection-function
-@vindex nntp-open-connection-function
-It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
-be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
-parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
-Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
-in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
-indirect ones (three pre-made).
+@table @code
+@item nnimap-inbox
+This is the @acronym{IMAP} mail box that will be scanned for new mail.
-@item nntp-never-echoes-commands
-@vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
-Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
-reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
-to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
-@code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
-example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
-@code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
-overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
+@item nnimap-split-methods
+Uses the same syntax as @code{nnmail-split-methods} (@pxref{Splitting
+Mail}), except the symbol @code{default}, which means that it should
+use the value of the @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable.
-@item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
-@vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
-List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
-you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
-not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
-@code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
-default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
+@item nnimap-split-fancy
+Uses the same syntax as @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
-@item nntp-prepare-post-hook
-@vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
-A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
-@code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
-recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
-hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
-inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
+@item nnimap-unsplittable-articles
+List of flag symbols to ignore when doing splitting. That is,
+articles that have these flags won't be considered when splitting.
+The default is @samp{(%Deleted %Seen)}.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
-@end lisp
+@end table
-Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
-INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
+Here's a complete example @code{nnimap} backend with a client-side
+``fancy'' splitting method:
-@item nntp-server-list-active-group
-If @code{nil}, then always use @samp{GROUP} instead of @samp{LIST
-ACTIVE}. This is usually slower, but on misconfigured servers that
-don't update their active files often, this can help.
+@example
+(nnimap "imap.example.com"
+ (nnimap-inbox "INBOX")
+ (nnimap-split-methods
+ (| ("MailScanner-SpamCheck" "spam" "spam.detected")
+ (to "foo@@bar.com" "foo")
+ "undecided")))
+@end example
-@end table
+@node Getting Mail
+@section Getting Mail
+@cindex reading mail
+@cindex mail
+
+Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
+course.
@menu
-* Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
-* Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
-* Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
-* NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
+* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
+* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
+* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
+* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
+* Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
+* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
+* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
+* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
+* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
+* Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
+* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
+* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
+* Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
@end menu
-@node Direct Functions
-@subsubsection Direct Functions
-@cindex direct connection functions
-
-These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
-between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
-functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
-(@pxref{Common Variables}).
+@node Mail in a Newsreader
+@subsection Mail in a Newsreader
-@table @code
-@findex nntp-open-network-stream
-@item nntp-open-network-stream
-This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
-remote system.
+If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
+to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
+of a culture shock.
-@findex nntp-open-tls-stream
-@item nntp-open-tls-stream
-Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
-this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
-installed. You then define a server as follows:
+Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
+it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
-@lisp
-;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
-;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
-;;
-(nntp "snews.bar.com"
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
- (nntp-port-number 563)
- (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
-@end lisp
+Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
+approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
+messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
+you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
-@findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
-@item nntp-open-ssl-stream
-Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
-this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
-@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
-then define a server as follows:
+In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
-@lisp
-;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
-;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
-;;
-(nntp "snews.bar.com"
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
- (nntp-port-number 563)
- (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
-@end lisp
+Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
+deleted? How awful!
-@findex nntp-open-netcat-stream
-@item nntp-open-netcat-stream
-Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server using the @code{netcat}
-program. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have
-the default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
-of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
-connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
-@code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
+But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
+scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
+the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
+you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
+Mail}.
-@lisp
-(nntp "socksified"
- (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
- (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
-@end lisp
+What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
+mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
+they want to treat a message.
-With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
-session, which is not a good idea.
+Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
+via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
+answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
+need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
+archived somewhere else.
-@findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
-@item nntp-open-telnet-stream
-Like @code{nntp-open-netcat-stream}, but uses @code{telnet} rather than
-@code{netcat}. @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things
-like line-end-conversion, but sometimes netcat is simply
-not available. The previous example would turn into:
+Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
+These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
+to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
+order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
+to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
-@lisp
-(nntp "socksified"
- (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
- (nntp-address "the.news.server")
- (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
-@end lisp
-@end table
+The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
+but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
+or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
+Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
+like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
+differently.
-@node Indirect Functions
-@subsubsection Indirect Functions
-@cindex indirect connection functions
+Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
+that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
+to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
+not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
+instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
-These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
-intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
-All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
-the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
-things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
-commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
+I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
+may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
+you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
+guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
+Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
+Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
+You Do.)
-@table @code
-@item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
-@findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
-Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then uses @code{netcat} to connect
-to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
-you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
-@code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
+@node Getting Started Reading Mail
+@subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
-@table @code
-@item nntp-via-rlogin-command
-@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
-Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
-@samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
+It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
+mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
+and things will happen automatically.
-@item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
-@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
-List of strings to be used as the switches to
-@code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
-@samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
-@samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections.
-@end table
+For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
+mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
-@item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
-@findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
-Does essentially the same, but uses @code{telnet} instead of @samp{netcat}
-to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
-@code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things like
-line-end-conversion, but sometimes @code{netcat} is simply not available.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
+@end lisp
-@code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
+Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
+articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
+directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
+be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
+like any other group.
-@table @code
-@item nntp-telnet-command
-@vindex nntp-telnet-command
-Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
-intermediate host. The default is @samp{telnet}.
+You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
-@item nntp-telnet-switches
-@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
-List of strings to be used as the switches to the
-@code{nntp-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{("-8")}.
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
+ ("other" "")))
+@end lisp
-@item nntp-via-rlogin-command
-@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
-Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
-@samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
+This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
+@samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
+mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
+last group.
-@item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
-@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
-List of strings to be used as the switches to
-@code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. If you use @samp{ssh}, you may need to set
-this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
-the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
-host. The default is @code{nil}.
-@end table
+This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
+give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
+Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
-Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
-to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
-@item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
-@findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
-Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
-@samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
+@node Splitting Mail
+@subsection Splitting Mail
+@cindex splitting mail
+@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex mail filtering (splitting)
-@code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
+@vindex nnmail-split-methods
+The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
+to be split into groups.
-@table @code
-@item nntp-via-telnet-command
-@vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
-Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
-@samp{telnet}.
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
+ ("mail.other" "")))
+@end lisp
-@item nntp-via-telnet-switches
-@vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
-List of strings to be used as the switches to the
-@code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
+This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
+these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
+something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
+element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
+determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
+contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
+insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
-@item nntp-via-user-password
-@vindex nntp-via-user-password
-Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
+@lisp
+("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
+@end lisp
-@item nntp-via-envuser
-@vindex nntp-via-envuser
-If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
-server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
-login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
+@noindent
+In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
+the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
-@item nntp-via-shell-prompt
-@vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
-Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
-is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
+The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
+called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
+argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
+mail belongs in that group.
-@end table
+@cindex @samp{bogus} group
+The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
+expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
+that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
+processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
+to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
+that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
+will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
+splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
+see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
-Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
-to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
-@end table
+If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
+function of your choice. This function will be called without any
+arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
+message. The function should return a list of group names that it
+thinks should carry this mail message.
+This variable can also be a fancy split method. For the syntax,
+see @ref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
-Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
-functions:
+Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
+incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
+some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
+@code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
-@table @code
+@vindex nnmail-crosspost
+The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
+the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
+@code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
+that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
-@item nntp-via-user-name
-@vindex nntp-via-user-name
-User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
+@vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
+@cindex crosspost
+@cindex links
+@code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
+the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
+links. If that's the case for you, set
+@code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
+variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
-@item nntp-via-address
-@vindex nntp-via-address
-Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
+@kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
+@findex nnmail-split-history
+If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
+can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
+where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
+@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
+Group Commands}).
-@end table
+@vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
+Header lines longer than the value of
+@code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
+function.
+@vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
+@vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
+By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
+non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
+articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
+@code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
+In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
+variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
+@code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
+value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
+string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
+charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
-@node Common Variables
-@subsubsection Common Variables
+@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
+By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
+specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
+(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
+@emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
+@code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
+splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
+other kinds of entries.)
-The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
-pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
-affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
-default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
-variables individually).
+Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
+yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
+all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
+unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
+boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
+that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
+come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
+you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
+month's rent money.
-@table @code
-@item nntp-pre-command
-@vindex nntp-pre-command
-A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
-connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
-@code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
-where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
+@node Mail Sources
+@subsection Mail Sources
-@item nntp-address
-@vindex nntp-address
-The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
+Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
+a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
+maildir, for instance.
-@item nntp-port-number
-@vindex nntp-port-number
-Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
-@samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
-@acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
-than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
-@samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
-not work with named ports.
+@menu
+* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
+* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
+* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
+@end menu
-@item nntp-end-of-line
-@vindex nntp-end-of-line
-String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
-server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
-using a non native telnet connection function.
-@item nntp-netcat-command
-@vindex nntp-netcat-command
-Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
-@samp{netcat}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
-just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
-@samp{nc}.
+@node Mail Source Specifiers
+@subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
+@cindex POP
+@cindex mail server
+@cindex procmail
+@cindex mail spool
+@cindex mail source
-@item nntp-netcat-switches
-@vindex nntp-netcat-switches
-A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-netcat-command}. The default
-is @samp{()}.
+You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
+(@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
-@end table
+Here's an example:
-@node NNTP marks
-@subsubsection NNTP marks
-@cindex storing NNTP marks
+@lisp
+(pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
+@end lisp
-Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
-servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
-in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
-Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
-(@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
-that of a news server, for example marks for the group
-@samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
-the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
+As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
+element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
+@dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
+default values.
-Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
-directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
-and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
-in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
-@file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
+The @code{mail-sources} is global for all mail groups. You can specify
+an additional mail source for a particular group by including the
+@code{group} mail specifier in @code{mail-sources}, and setting a
+@code{mail-source} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) specifying
+a single mail source. When this is used, @code{mail-sources} is
+typically just @code{(group)}; the @code{mail-source} parameter for a
+group might look like this:
-Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
-the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
-installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
-servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
-However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
-D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
-get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
+@lisp
+(mail-source . (file :path "home/user/spools/foo.spool"))
+@end lisp
-Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
-if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
-variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
+This means that the group's (and only this group's) messages will be
+fetched from the spool file @samp{/user/spools/foo.spool}.
-Related variables:
+The following mail source types are available:
@table @code
+@item file
+Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
-@item nntp-marks-is-evil
-@vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
-default is @code{nil}.
+Keywords:
-@item nntp-marks-directory
-@vindex nntp-marks-directory
-The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
+@table @code
+@item :path
+The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
+environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
+(usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
+@item :prescript
+@itemx :postscript
+Script run before/after fetching mail.
@end table
+An example file mail source:
-@node News Spool
-@subsection News Spool
-@cindex nnspool
-@cindex news spool
+@lisp
+(file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
+@end lisp
-Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
-and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
-contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
-instance.
+Or using the default file name:
-Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
-anything else) as the address.
+@lisp
+(file)
+@end lisp
+
+If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
+to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
+You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
+mail spool while moving the mail.
+
+If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
-If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
-native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
-than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
-You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
-@item nnspool-inews-program
-@vindex nnspool-inews-program
-Program used to post an article.
+@example
+#!/bin/sh
+# getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
+# flu@@iki.fi
-@item nnspool-inews-switches
-@vindex nnspool-inews-switches
-Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
+MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
+TMP=$HOME/Mail/tmp
+rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
+@end example
-@item nnspool-spool-directory
-@vindex nnspool-spool-directory
-Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
-@file{/usr/spool/news/}.
+Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
+file you want to use.
-@item nnspool-nov-directory
-@vindex nnspool-nov-directory
-Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
-@file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
-@item nnspool-lib-dir
-@vindex nnspool-lib-dir
-Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
+@item directory
+@vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
+Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
+when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
+That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
+directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
+will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
+to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
+@code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
+Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
+if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
-@item nnspool-active-file
-@vindex nnspool-active-file
-The name of the active file.
+@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
+There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
+that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
+applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
-@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
-The name of the group descriptions file.
+Keywords:
-@item nnspool-history-file
-@vindex nnspool-history-file
-The name of the news history file.
+@table @code
+@item :path
+The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
+value.
-@item nnspool-active-times-file
-@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
-The name of the active date file.
+@item :suffix
+Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
+@samp{.spool}.
-@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
-that it finds.
+@item :predicate
+Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
+The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
+filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
+predicate are considered.
-@item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
-@vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
-@cindex sed
-If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
-relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
-@code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
-there.
+@item :prescript
+@itemx :postscript
+Script run before/after fetching mail.
@end table
+An example directory mail source:
-@node Using IMAP
-@section Using IMAP
-@cindex imap
+@lisp
+(directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
+ :suffix ".prcml")
+@end lisp
-The most popular mail backend is probably @code{nnimap}, which
-provides access to @acronym{IMAP} servers. @acronym{IMAP} servers
-store mail remotely, so the client doesn't store anything locally.
-This means that it's a convenient choice when you're reading your mail
-from different locations, or with different user agents.
+@item pop
+Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
-@menu
-* Connecting to an IMAP Server:: Getting started with @acronym{IMAP}.
-* Customizing the IMAP Connection:: Variables for @acronym{IMAP} connection.
-* Client-Side IMAP Splitting:: Put mail in the correct mail box.
-@end menu
+Keywords:
+@table @code
+@item :server
+The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
+@env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
-@node Connecting to an IMAP Server
-@subsection Connecting to an IMAP Server
+@item :port
+The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
+@samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
+string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
+Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
+need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
-Connecting to an @acronym{IMAP} can be very easy. Type @kbd{B} in the
-group buffer, or (if your primary interest is reading email), say
-something like:
+@item :user
+The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
+name.
-@example
-(setq gnus-select-method
- '(nnimap "imap.gmail.com"))
-@end example
+@item :password
+The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
+the user is prompted.
-You'll be prompted for a user name and password. If you grow tired of
-that, then add the following to your @file{~/.authinfo} file:
+@item :program
+The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
+should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
@example
-machine imap.gmail.com login <username> password <password> port imap
+fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
@end example
-That should basically be it for most users.
-
+The valid format specifier characters are:
-@node Customizing the IMAP Connection
-@subsection Customizing the IMAP Connection
+@table @samp
+@item t
+The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
+included in this string.
-Here's an example method that's more complex:
+@item s
+The name of the server.
-@example
-(nnimap "imap.gmail.com"
- (nnimap-inbox "INBOX")
- (nnimap-split-methods default)
- (nnimap-expunge t)
- (nnimap-stream ssl))
-@end example
+@item P
+The port number of the server.
-@table @code
-@item nnimap-address
-The address of the server, like @samp{imap.gmail.com}.
+@item u
+The user name to use.
-@item nnimap-server-port
-If the server uses a non-standard port, that can be specified here. A
-typical port would be @code{"imap"} or @code{"imaps"}.
+@item p
+The password to use.
+@end table
-@item nnimap-stream
-How @code{nnimap} should connect to the server. Possible values are:
+The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
+corresponding keywords.
-@table @code
-@item ssl
-This is the default, and this uses standard
-@acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connection.
+@item :prescript
+A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
+the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
-@item network
-Non-encrypted and unsafe straight socket connection.
+@item :postscript
+A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
+the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
-@item starttls
-Encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS} over the normal @acronym{IMAP} port.
+@item :function
+The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
+function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
+mail should be moved to.
-@item shell
-If you need to tunnel via other systems to connect to the server, you
-can use this option, and customize @code{nnimap-shell-program} to be
-what you need.
+@item :authentication
+This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
+and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
+@code{password}.
@end table
-@item nnimap-authenticator
-Some @acronym{IMAP} servers allow anonymous logins. In that case,
-this should be set to @code{anonymous}.
+@vindex pop3-movemail
+@vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
+If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
+@code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
+is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
+after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
+maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
+believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
+do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
+apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
-@item nnimap-expunge
-If non-@code{nil}, expunge articles after deleting them. This is always done
-if the server supports UID EXPUNGE, but it's not done by default on
-servers that doesn't support that command.
+Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
+Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
+name, and default fetcher:
-@item nnimap-streaming
-Virtually all @code{IMAP} server support fast streaming of data. If
-you have problems connecting to the server, try setting this to @code{nil}.
+@lisp
+(pop)
+@end lisp
-@item nnimap-fetch-partial-articles
-If non-@code{nil}, fetch partial articles from the server. If set to
-a string, then it's interpreted as a regexp, and parts that have
-matching types will be fetched. For instance, @samp{"text/"} will
-fetch all textual parts, while leaving the rest on the server.
+Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
-@end table
+@lisp
+(pop :server "my.pop.server"
+ :user "user-name" :password "secret")
+@end lisp
+Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
-@node Client-Side IMAP Splitting
-@subsection Client-Side IMAP Splitting
+@lisp
+(pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
+@end lisp
-Many people prefer to do the sorting/splitting of mail into their mail
-boxes on the @acronym{IMAP} server. That way they don't have to
-download the mail they're not all that interested in.
+@item maildir
+Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
+at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
+contains exactly one mail.
-If you do want to do client-side mail splitting, then the following
-variables are relevant:
+Keywords:
@table @code
-@item nnimap-inbox
-This is the @acronym{IMAP} mail box that will be scanned for new mail.
-
-@item nnimap-split-methods
-Uses the same syntax as @code{nnmail-split-methods} (@pxref{Splitting
-Mail}), except the symbol @code{default}, which means that it should
-use the value of the @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable.
+@item :path
+The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
+taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
+@file{~/Maildir/}.
+@item :subdirs
+The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
+@samp{("new" "cur")}.
-@item nnimap-split-fancy
-Uses the same syntax as @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
+@c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
+@c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
+@c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
+@c below.
-@item nnimap-unsplittable-articles
-List of flag symbols to ignore when doing splitting. That is,
-articles that have these flags won't be considered when splitting.
-The default is @samp{(%Deleted %Seen)}.
+You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
+from locking problems).
@end table
+Two example maildir mail sources:
-@node Getting Mail
-@section Getting Mail
-@cindex reading mail
-@cindex mail
-
-Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
-course.
-
-@menu
-* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
-* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
-* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
-* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
-* Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
-* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
-* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
-* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
-* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
-* Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
-* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
-* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
-* Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
-@end menu
+@lisp
+(maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
+ :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
+@end lisp
+@lisp
+(maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
+ :subdirs ("new"))
+@end lisp
-@node Mail in a Newsreader
-@subsection Mail in a Newsreader
+@item imap
+Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
+@acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
+with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
+to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
+@acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{Using IMAP}, for more information.
-If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
-to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
-of a culture shock.
+Keywords:
-Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
-it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
+@table @code
+@item :server
+The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
+@env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
-Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
-approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
-messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
-you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
+@item :port
+The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
+@samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
-In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
+@item :user
+The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
+name.
-Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
-deleted? How awful!
+@item :password
+The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
+prompted.
-But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
-scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
-the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
-you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
-Mail}.
+@item :stream
+What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
+symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
+@samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
+@samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
-What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
-mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
-they want to treat a message.
+@item :authentication
+Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
+one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
+this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
+@samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
-Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
-via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
-answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
-need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
-archived somewhere else.
+@item :program
+When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
+mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
+@code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
-Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
-These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
-to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
-order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
-to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
+@example
+ssh %s imapd
+@end example
-The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
-but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
-or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
+Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
+don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
+specifier characters are:
-Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
-like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
-differently.
+@table @samp
+@item s
+The name of the server.
-Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
-that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
-to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
-not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
-instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
+@item l
+User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
-I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
-may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
-you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
-guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
-Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
-Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
-You Do.)
+@item p
+The port number of the server.
+@end table
+The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
+corresponding keywords.
-@node Getting Started Reading Mail
-@subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
+@item :mailbox
+The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
+which normally is the mailbox which receives incoming mail.
-It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
-mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
-and things will happen automatically.
+@item :predicate
+The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
+UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
+sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
+articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
+Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
+complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
-For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
-mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+@item :fetchflag
+How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
+will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
+would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
+but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
-@end lisp
+@item :dontexpunge
+If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
+mailbox after finishing the fetch.
-Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
-articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
-directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
-be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
-like any other group.
+@end table
-You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
+An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
- ("other" "")))
+(imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
+ :stream kerberos4
+ :fetchflag "\\Seen")
@end lisp
-This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
-@samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
-mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
-last group.
+@item group
+Get the actual mail source from the @code{mail-source} group parameter,
+@xref{Group Parameters}.
-This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
-give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
-Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
+@end table
+@table @dfn
+@item Common Keywords
+Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
-@node Splitting Mail
-@subsection Splitting Mail
-@cindex splitting mail
-@cindex mail splitting
-@cindex mail filtering (splitting)
+Keywords:
-@vindex nnmail-split-methods
-The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
-to be split into groups.
+@table @code
+@item :plugged
+If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
+use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
+example:
@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
- ("mail.other" "")))
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
+ :suffix ""
+ :plugged t)))
@end lisp
-This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
-these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
-something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
-element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
-determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
-contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
-insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
+Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
+useful when you use local mail and news.
+
+@end table
+@end table
+
+@subsubsection Function Interface
+
+Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
+For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
+the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
+consider the following mail-source setting:
@lisp
-("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
+(setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
+ :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
@end lisp
-@noindent
-In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
-the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
+While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
+is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
+@code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
+@code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
+and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
-The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
-called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
-argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
-mail belongs in that group.
+See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
-@cindex @samp{bogus} group
-The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
-expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
-that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
-processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
-to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
-that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
-will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
-splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
-see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
-If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
-function of your choice. This function will be called without any
-arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
-message. The function should return a list of group names that it
-thinks should carry this mail message.
+@node Mail Source Customization
+@subsubsection Mail Source Customization
-This variable can also be a fancy split method. For the syntax,
-see @ref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
+The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
+fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
+variables.
-Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
-incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
-some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
-@code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
+@table @code
+@item mail-source-crash-box
+@vindex mail-source-crash-box
+File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
+@file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
-@vindex nnmail-crosspost
-The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
-the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
-@code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
-that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
+@cindex Incoming*
+@item mail-source-delete-incoming
+@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
+If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
+@code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
+files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
+(the deletion will only happen when receiving new mail). You may also
+set @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
+@code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
+@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{10} in alpha Gnusae
+and @code{2} in released Gnusae. @xref{Gnus Development}.
-@vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
-@cindex crosspost
-@cindex links
-@code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
-the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
-links. If that's the case for you, set
-@code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
-variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
+@item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
+@vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
+If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
+files. This variable only applies when
+@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
-@kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
-@findex nnmail-split-history
-If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
-can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
-where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
-@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
-Group Commands}).
+@item mail-source-ignore-errors
+@vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
+If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
-@vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
-Header lines longer than the value of
-@code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
-function.
+@item mail-source-directory
+@vindex mail-source-directory
+Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
+default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
+is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
+@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
-@vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
-@vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
-By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
-non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
-articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
-@code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
-In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
-variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
-@code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
-value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
-string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
-charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
+@item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
+@vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
+Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
+@file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
+@file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
+relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
+number.
-@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
-By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
-specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
-(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
-@emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
-@code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
-splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
-other kinds of entries.)
+@item mail-source-default-file-modes
+@vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
+All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is @code{#o600}.
-Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
-yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
-all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
-unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
-boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
-that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
-come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
-you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
-month's rent money.
+@item mail-source-movemail-program
+@vindex mail-source-movemail-program
+If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
+@code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
+@end table
-@node Mail Sources
-@subsection Mail Sources
-Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
-a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
-maildir, for instance.
+@node Fetching Mail
+@subsubsection Fetching Mail
-@menu
-* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
-* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
-* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
-@end menu
+@vindex mail-sources
+The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
+@code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
+(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
+If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to
+fetch mail by themselves.
-@node Mail Source Specifiers
-@subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
-@cindex POP
-@cindex mail server
-@cindex procmail
-@cindex mail spool
-@cindex mail source
+If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
+@acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
-You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
-(@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file)
+ (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :password "secret")))
+@end lisp
-Here's an example:
+Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
@lisp
-(pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
+ (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :user "user-name"
+ :port "pop3"
+ :password "secret")))
@end lisp
-As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
-element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
-@dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
-default values.
-The @code{mail-sources} is global for all mail groups. You can specify
-an additional mail source for a particular group by including the
-@code{group} mail specifier in @code{mail-sources}, and setting a
-@code{mail-source} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) specifying
-a single mail source. When this is used, @code{mail-sources} is
-typically just @code{(group)}; the @code{mail-source} parameter for a
-group might look like this:
+When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
+inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
+mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
+invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
+pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
+shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
+
+
+
+@node Mail Back End Variables
+@subsection Mail Back End Variables
+
+These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
+mail back ends.
+
+@table @code
+@vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
+@item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
+The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
+use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-hook
+@item nnmail-split-hook
+@findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
+@cindex RFC 1522 decoding
+@cindex RFC 2047 decoding
+Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
+just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
+free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
+is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
+in the buffer will show up in any files.
+@code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
+to this hook.
+
+@vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+@vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+@item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+@itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
+mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
+starting to handle the new mail) and
+@code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
+is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
+default file modes the new mail files get:
@lisp
-(mail-source . (file :path "home/user/spools/foo.spool"))
+(add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+ (lambda () (set-default-file-modes #o700)))
+
+(add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+ (lambda () (set-default-file-modes #o775)))
@end lisp
-This means that the group's (and only this group's) messages will be
-fetched from the spool file @samp{/user/spools/foo.spool}.
+@item nnmail-use-long-file-names
+@vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
+If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
+names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
+(assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
+@code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
+the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
-The following mail source types are available:
+@item nnmail-delete-file-function
+@vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
+@findex delete-file
+Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
-@table @code
-@item file
-Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
+@item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
+@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
+If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
+the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
+discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
-Keywords:
+@item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
+@vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
+This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
+Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
+recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
-@table @code
-@item :path
-The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
-environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
-(usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
+This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
+(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
-@item :prescript
-@itemx :postscript
-Script run before/after fetching mail.
@end table
-An example file mail source:
-@lisp
-(file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
-@end lisp
+@node Fancy Mail Splitting
+@subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
+@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex fancy mail splitting
-Or using the default file name:
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy
+@findex nnmail-split-fancy
+If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
+doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
+play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
+
+Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
@lisp
-(file)
+;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
+;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
+;; @r{from real errors.}
+(| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
+ "mail.misc"))
+ ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
+ ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
+ ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
+ (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
+ ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
+ ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
+ (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
+ (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
+ ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
+ ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
+ ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
+ ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
+ (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
+ (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
+ ;; @r{People@dots{}}
+ (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
+ ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
+ "misc.misc")
@end lisp
-If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
-to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
-You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
-mail spool while moving the mail.
+This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
+(possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
+splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
-If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
+@table @code
-@lisp
-(setq mail-sources
- '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
-@end lisp
+@item group
+If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
+regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
-The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
+@c Don't fold this line.
+@item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
+The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
+first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
+@var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
+@var{split}.
-@example
-#!/bin/sh
-# getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
-# flu@@iki.fi
+If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
+@var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
+@var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
+@var{split} is processed.
-MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
-TMP=$HOME/Mail/tmp
-rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
-@end example
+The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
+non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
+variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
+be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
-Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
-file you want to use.
+@item (| @var{split} @dots{})
+If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
+bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
+@var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
+stored in one or more groups.
+@item (& @var{split} @dots{})
+If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
+process all @var{split}s in the list.
-@item directory
-@vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
-Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
-when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
-That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
-directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
-will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
-to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
-@code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
-Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
-if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
+@item junk
+If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
+this message. Use with extreme caution.
-@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
-There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
-that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
-applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
+@item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
+If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
+second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
+arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
-Keywords:
+@cindex body split
+For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
+body of the messages:
-@table @code
-@item :path
-The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
-value.
+@lisp
+(defun split-on-body ()
+ (save-excursion
+ (save-restriction
+ (widen)
+ (goto-char (point-min))
+ (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
+ "string.group"))))
+@end lisp
-@item :suffix
-Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
-@samp{.spool}.
+The buffer is narrowed to the header of the message in question when
+@var{function} is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called
+after @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
+above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
+not be downloaded by default. You need to set
+@code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
+(@pxref{Client-Side IMAP Splitting}).
-@item :predicate
-Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
-The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
-filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
-predicate are considered.
+@item (! @var{func} @var{split})
+If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
+@var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
+function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
+should return a split.
-@item :prescript
-@itemx :postscript
-Script run before/after fetching mail.
+@item nil
+If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
@end table
-An example directory mail source:
+In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
-@lisp
-(directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
- :suffix ".prcml")
-@end lisp
+Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
+according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
+@var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
+which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
+for example,
-@item pop
-Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
+@example
+(any "joe" "joemail")
+@end example
-Keywords:
+@noindent
+messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
+in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
+of the following three ways:
-@table @code
-@item :server
-The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
-@env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
+@enumerate
+@item
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
+You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
+to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
+match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
+words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
+@code{nil}.
-@item :port
-The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
-@samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
-string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
-Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
-need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
+Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
-@item :user
-The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
-name.
+@item
+@var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
+a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
+in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
+@code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
+@code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
+
+@item
+You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
+@samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
+section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
+are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
+@code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
+ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
+non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
+@end enumerate
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
+@var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
+they are expanded as specified by the variable
+@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
+where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
+contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
+@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
+
+@table @code
+@item from
+Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
+@item to
+Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
+@samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
+@item any
+Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
+@end table
-@item :password
-The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
-the user is prompted.
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
+when all this splitting is performed.
-@item :program
-The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
-should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
+If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
+information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
+substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
@example
-fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
+(any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
@end example
-The valid format specifier characters are:
+In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
+will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
-@table @samp
-@item t
-The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
-included in this string.
+If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
+matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
+up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
+groupings 1 through 9.
-@item s
-The name of the server.
+@vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
+Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
+lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
+Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
+groups when users send to an address using different case
+(i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
+is @code{t}.
-@item P
-The port number of the server.
+@findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
+split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
+you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
+boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
+working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
+string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
+messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
+it once per thread.
-@item u
-The user name to use.
+To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
+and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
+value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
+using the colon feature, like so:
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
+ nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
+ nnmail-split-fancy
+ '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
+ ;; @r{other splits go here}
+ ))
+@end lisp
-@item p
-The password to use.
-@end table
+This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
+non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
+in the file specified by the variable
+@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
+(the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
+invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
+at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
+and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
+for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
+corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
+recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
+somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
+still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
+300 kBytes in size.)
+@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
+When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
+also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
+messages goes into the new group.
-The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
-corresponding keywords.
+Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
+want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
+outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
+@code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
+Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
+``outgoing'' group.
-@item :prescript
-A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
-the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
-@item :postscript
-A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
-the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
+@node Group Mail Splitting
+@subsection Group Mail Splitting
+@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex group mail splitting
-@item :function
-The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
-function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
-mail should be moved to.
+@findex gnus-group-split
+If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
+maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
+You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
+parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
+@code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
+for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
+from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
+@code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
-@item :authentication
-This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
-and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
-@code{password}.
+Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
+splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
+parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
+rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
-@end table
+All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
+the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
+@code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
+matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
+group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
+@code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
-@vindex pop3-movemail
-@vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
-If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
-@code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
-is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
-after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
-maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
-believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
-do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
-apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
+If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
+parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
+parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
+this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
+@code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
+@code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
+@code{gnus-group-split}.
-Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
-Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
-name, and default fetcher:
+@vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
+@code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
+by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
+group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
+group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
+some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
+that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
+often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
+complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
+may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
+personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
+element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
+with the rules extracted from group parameters.
-@lisp
-(pop)
-@end lisp
+It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
+been defined:
-Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
+@example
+nnml:mail.bar:
+((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
+ (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
+nnml:mail.foo:
+((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
+ (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
+ (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
+ (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
+nnml:mail.others:
+((split-spec . catch-all))
+@end example
+
+Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
+behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
@lisp
-(pop :server "my.pop.server"
- :user "user-name" :password "secret")
+(| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
+ (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
+ - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
+ "mail.others")
@end lisp
-Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
+@findex gnus-group-split-fancy
+If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
+may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
+splits like this:
@lisp
-(pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
+(: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
@end lisp
-@item maildir
-Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
-at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
-contains exactly one mail.
+@var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
+parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
+@var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
+single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
+fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
+If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
+empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
+Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
+this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
-Keywords:
+@findex gnus-group-split-setup
+Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
+slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
+But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
+used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
+sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
+@code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
+scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
-@table @code
-@item :path
-The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
-taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
-@file{~/Maildir/}.
-@item :subdirs
-The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
-@samp{("new" "cur")}.
+@findex gnus-group-split-update
+However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
+@code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
+automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
+you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
-@c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
-@c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
-@c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
-@c below.
+@lisp
+(gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
+@end lisp
-You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
-from locking problems).
+If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
+will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
+have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
+don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
+@code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
+value.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
+Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
+by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
+@code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
+
+@node Incorporating Old Mail
+@subsection Incorporating Old Mail
+@cindex incorporating old mail
+@cindex import old mail
-Two example maildir mail sources:
+Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
+you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
+back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
+your mail groups.
-@lisp
-(maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
- :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
-@end lisp
+Doing so can be quite easy.
-@lisp
-(maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
- :subdirs ("new"))
-@end lisp
+To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
+(@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
+satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
+file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
+your @code{nnml} groups.
-@item imap
-Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
-@acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
-with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
-to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
-@acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{Using IMAP}, for more information.
+Here's how:
-Keywords:
+@enumerate
+@item
+Go to the group buffer.
-@table @code
-@item :server
-The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
-@env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
+@item
+Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
+@code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
-@item :port
-The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
-@samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
+@item
+Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
-@item :user
-The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
-name.
+@item
+Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
+(@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
-@item :password
-The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
-prompted.
+@item
+Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
+@samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
+@end enumerate
-@item :stream
-What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
-symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
-@samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
-@samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
+All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
+all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
+have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
+deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
+sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
-@item :authentication
-Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
-one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
-this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
-@samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
+Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
+back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
+using the new mail back end.
-@item :program
-When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
-mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
-@code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
-@example
-ssh %s imapd
-@end example
+@node Expiring Mail
+@subsection Expiring Mail
+@cindex article expiry
+@cindex expiring mail
-Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
-don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
-specifier characters are:
+Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
+you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
+different approach to mail reading.
-@table @samp
-@item s
-The name of the server.
+Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
+a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
+actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
+mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
+fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
+Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
+course.
-@item l
-User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
+To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
+articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
+that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
+will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
+deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
+more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
+will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
+repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
+NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
-@item p
-The port number of the server.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-auto-expirable-marks
+You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
+two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
+with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
+for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
+considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
+the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
+@samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} (and so on) are considered
+expirable. @code{gnus-auto-expirable-marks} has the full list of
+these marks.
-The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
-corresponding keywords.
+When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
+who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
+and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
+(@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
+into its own group.)
-@item :mailbox
-The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
-which normally is the mailbox which receives incoming mail.
+Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
+answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
+advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
+the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
+between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
+only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
+total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
+Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
+scoring.
-@item :predicate
-The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
-UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
-sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
-articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
-Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
-complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
+@vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
+Groups that match the regular expression
+@code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
+read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
+expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
-@item :fetchflag
-How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
-will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
-would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
-but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
+By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
+articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
+before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
+automatically, you can put something like the following in your
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
-@item :dontexpunge
-If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
-mailbox after finishing the fetch.
+@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
+@lisp
+(remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
+ 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
+(add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
+@end lisp
-@end table
+Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
+articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
+will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
+articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
+mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
-An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
+Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
+articles you have read to disappear after a while:
@lisp
-(imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
- :stream kerberos4
- :fetchflag "\\Seen")
+(setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
+ "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
@end lisp
-@item group
-Get the actual mail source from the @code{mail-source} group parameter,
-@xref{Group Parameters}.
-
-@end table
+Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
+@code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
-@table @dfn
-@item Common Keywords
-Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
+If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
+auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
+don't really mix very well.
-Keywords:
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
+expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
+message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
+days.
-@table @code
-@item :plugged
-If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
-use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
-example:
+Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
+are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
+have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
+expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
+everywhere else:
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
@lisp
-(setq mail-sources
- '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
- :suffix ""
- :plugged t)))
+(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+ (lambda (group)
+ (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
+ 31)
+ ((string= group "mail.junk")
+ 1)
+ ((string= group "important")
+ 'never)
+ (t
+ 6))))
@end lisp
-Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
-useful when you use local mail and news.
+The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
+names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
-@end table
-@end table
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
+necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
+@code{never}.
+
+You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
+change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-target
+The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
+However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
+to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
+@code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
+parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
+all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
+parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
+string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
+moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
+the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
+from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
+name or @code{delete}.
-@subsubsection Function Interface
+Here's an example for specifying a group name:
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
+@end lisp
-Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
-For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
-the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
-consider the following mail-source setting:
+@findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
+@vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
+Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
+expire mail to groups according to the variable
+@code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
@lisp
-(setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
- :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
+ (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
+ nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
+ '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
+ ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
+ ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
@end lisp
-While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
-is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
-@code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
-@code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
-and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
+With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
+header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
+get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
+From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
+to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
+@code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
-See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
+@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
+If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
+expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
+easier for procmail users.
+@vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
+By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
+articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
+parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
+articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
+caution. Even more dangerous is the
+@code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
+this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
+which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
+will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
+crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
+wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
+@emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
+with! So there!
-@node Mail Source Customization
-@subsubsection Mail Source Customization
+Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
-The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
-fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
-variables.
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
+If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
+commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
+auto-expire turned on.
-@table @code
-@item mail-source-crash-box
-@vindex mail-source-crash-box
-File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
-@file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
+@vindex gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable
+The expirable marks of articles will be removed when copying or moving
+them to a group in which auto-expire is not turned on. This is for
+preventing articles from being expired unintentionally. On the other
+hand, to a group that has turned auto-expire on, the expirable marks of
+articles that are copied or moved will not be changed by default. I.e.,
+when copying or moving to such a group, articles that were expirable
+will be left expirable and ones that were not expirable will not be
+marked as expirable. So, even though in auto-expire groups, some
+articles will never get expired (unless you read them again). If you
+don't side with that behavior that unexpirable articles may be mixed
+into auto-expire groups, you can set
+@code{gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable} to a
+non-@code{nil} value. In that case, articles that have been read will
+be marked as expirable automatically when being copied or moved to a
+group that has auto-expire turned on. The default value is @code{nil}.
-@cindex Incoming*
-@item mail-source-delete-incoming
-@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
-If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
-@code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
-files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
-(the deletion will only happen when receiving new mail). You may also
-set @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
-@code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
-@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{10} in alpha Gnusae
-and @code{2} in released Gnusae. @xref{Gnus Development}.
-@item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
-@vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
-If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
-files. This variable only applies when
-@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
+@node Washing Mail
+@subsection Washing Mail
+@cindex mail washing
+@cindex list server brain damage
+@cindex incoming mail treatment
-@item mail-source-ignore-errors
-@vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
-If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
+Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
+really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
+prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
+end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
+Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
+considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
-@item mail-source-directory
-@vindex mail-source-directory
-Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
-default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
-is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
-@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
+Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
+} to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
+be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
+laugh.
-@item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
-@vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
-Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
-@file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
-@file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
-relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
-number.
+Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
+displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
+storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
+various functions that can be put in these hooks.
-@item mail-source-default-file-modes
-@vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
-All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
+@table @code
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
+This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
+grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
+the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
-@item mail-source-movemail-program
-@vindex mail-source-movemail-program
-If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
-@code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
+@table @code
+@item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
+@findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
+Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
+Emacs running on MS machines.
@end table
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
+This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
+cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
-@node Fetching Mail
-@subsubsection Fetching Mail
+@table @code
+@item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
+@findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
+Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
+headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
-@vindex mail-sources
-The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
-@code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
-(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
+(Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
+messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
+of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
+rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
+into a feature by documenting it.)
-If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to
-fetch mail by themselves.
+@item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
+@findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
+Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
+beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
+people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
+strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
+also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
+@code{\\(..\\)}.
-If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
-@acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
+For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
+@samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
@lisp
-(setq mail-sources
- '((file)
- (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
- :password "secret")))
+(setq nnmail-list-identifiers
+ '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
@end lisp
-Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
+This can also be done non-destructively with
+@code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
-@lisp
-(setq mail-sources
- '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
- (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
- :user "user-name"
- :port "pop3"
- :password "secret")))
-@end lisp
+@item nnmail-remove-tabs
+@findex nnmail-remove-tabs
+Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
+
+@item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
+@findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
+@c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
+@cindex Eudora
+@cindex Pegasus
+Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
+@code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
+function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
+contain a line matching the regular expression
+@code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
+@end table
-When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
-inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
-mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
-invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
-pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
-shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
+This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
+include:
+
+@table @code
+@item article-de-quoted-unreadable
+@findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
+Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
+@end table
+@end table
-@node Mail Back End Variables
-@subsection Mail Back End Variables
+@node Duplicates
+@subsection Duplicates
-These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
-mail back ends.
+@vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
+@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
+@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
+@cindex duplicate mails
+If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
+receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
+@code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
+this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
+@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
+default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
+there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
+variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
+stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
+@code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
+default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
+will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
+that this is a duplicate of a different message.
-@table @code
-@vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
-@item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
-The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
-use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
+This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
+will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
+the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
+@code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
-@vindex nnmail-split-hook
-@item nnmail-split-hook
-@findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
-@cindex RFC 1522 decoding
-@cindex RFC 2047 decoding
-Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
-just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
-free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
-is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
-in the buffer will show up in any files.
-@code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
-to this hook.
+You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
+@code{nil}.
-@vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
-@vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
-@item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
-@itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
-These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
-mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
-starting to handle the new mail) and
-@code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
-is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
-default file modes the new mail files get:
+If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
+@dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
+methods:
@lisp
-(add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
- (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
-
-(add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
- (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
+ ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
+ ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
+ (any mail "mail.misc")
+ ;; @r{Other rules.}
+ [...] ))
+@end lisp
+@noindent
+Or something like:
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
+ ;; @r{Other rules.}
+ [...]))
@end lisp
-@item nnmail-use-long-file-names
-@vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
-If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
-names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
-(assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
-@code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
-the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
+Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
+with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
+@code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
+using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
+received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
-@item nnmail-delete-file-function
-@vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
-@findex delete-file
-Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
-@item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
-@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
-If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
-the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
-discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
+@node Not Reading Mail
+@subsection Not Reading Mail
-@item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
-@vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
-This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
-Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
-recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
+If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
+habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
+be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
-This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
-(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
+If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
+@code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
+mail, which should help.
-@end table
+@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
+This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
+happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old (pre-Emacs
+23) Rmail file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
+variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
+the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
+group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
+All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
+narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
+incoming mail.
-@node Fancy Mail Splitting
-@subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
-@cindex mail splitting
-@cindex fancy mail splitting
-@vindex nnmail-split-fancy
-@findex nnmail-split-fancy
-If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
-doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
-@code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
-play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
+@node Choosing a Mail Back End
+@subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
-Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
+Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
+file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
+depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
-@lisp
-;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
-;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
-;; @r{from real errors.}
-(| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
- "mail.misc"))
- ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
- ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
- ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
- (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
- ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
- ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
- (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
- (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
- ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
- ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
- ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
- ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
- (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
- (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
- ;; @r{People@dots{}}
- (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
- ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
- "misc.misc")
-@end lisp
+There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
+back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
+(because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
+Spool}).
-This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
-(possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
-splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
+@menu
+* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
+* Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
+* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
+* Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
+* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
+* Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
+@end menu
-@table @code
-@item group
-If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
-regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
-@c Don't fold this line.
-@item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
-The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
-first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
-@var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
-@var{split}.
+@node Unix Mail Box
+@subsubsection Unix Mail Box
+@cindex nnmbox
+@cindex unix mail box
-If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
-@var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
-@var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
-@var{split} is processed.
+@vindex nnmbox-active-file
+@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
+The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
+mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
+which group it belongs in.
-The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
-non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
-variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
-be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
+Virtual server settings:
-@item (| @var{split} @dots{})
-If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
-bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
-@var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
-stored in one or more groups.
+@table @code
+@item nnmbox-mbox-file
+@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
+The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
+@file{~/mbox}.
-@item (& @var{split} @dots{})
-If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
-process all @var{split}s in the list.
+@item nnmbox-active-file
+@vindex nnmbox-active-file
+The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
+@file{~/.mbox-active}.
-@item junk
-If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
-this message. Use with extreme caution.
+@item nnmbox-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
+into groups. Default is @code{t}.
+@end table
-@item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
-If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
-second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
-arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
-@cindex body split
-For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
-body of the messages:
+@node Babyl
+@subsubsection Babyl
+@cindex nnbabyl
-@lisp
-(defun split-on-body ()
- (save-excursion
- (save-restriction
- (widen)
- (goto-char (point-min))
- (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
- "string.group"))))
-@end lisp
+@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
+The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box to store mail.
+@code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail article to say which
+group it belongs in.
-The buffer is narrowed to the header of the message in question when
-@var{function} is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called
-after @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
-above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
-not be downloaded by default. You need to set
-@code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
-(@pxref{Client-Side IMAP Splitting}).
+Virtual server settings:
-@item (! @var{func} @var{split})
-If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
-@var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
-function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
-should return a split.
+@table @code
+@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
+The name of the Babyl file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
-@item nil
-If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
+@item nnbabyl-active-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
+The name of the active file for the Babyl file. The default is
+@file{~/.rmail-active}
+@item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
+@code{t}
@end table
-In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
-Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
-according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
-@var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
-which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
-for example,
+@node Mail Spool
+@subsubsection Mail Spool
+@cindex nnml
+@cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
-@example
-(any "joe" "joemail")
-@end example
+The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
+format. It should be used with some caution.
-@noindent
-messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
-in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
-of the following three ways:
+@vindex nnml-directory
+If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
+one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
+directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
+variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
-@enumerate
-@item
-@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
-You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
-to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
-match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
-words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
-@code{nil}.
+You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
+care of all that.
-Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
+If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
+in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
+own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
+weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
+having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
+shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
+know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
+to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
-@item
-@var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
-a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
-in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
-@code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
-@code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
+@code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
+splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
+@acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
+fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
-@item
-You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
-@samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
-section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
-are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
-@code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
-ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
-non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
-@end enumerate
+@cindex self contained nnml servers
+@cindex marks
+When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
+servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
+similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
+proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
+for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
+@code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
+Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
+to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
+directory).
-@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
-@var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
-they are expanded as specified by the variable
-@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
-where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
-contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
-@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
+If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
+up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
+them next time it starts.
+
+Virtual server settings:
@table @code
-@item from
-Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
-@item to
-Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
-@samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
-@item any
-Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
-@end table
+@item nnml-directory
+@vindex nnml-directory
+All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
+default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
+is @file{~/Mail}).
-@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
-when all this splitting is performed.
+@item nnml-active-file
+@vindex nnml-active-file
+The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
+@file{~/Mail/active}.
-If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
-information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
-substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
+@item nnml-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
+The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
+Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
-@example
-(any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
-@end example
+@item nnml-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
+@code{t}.
-In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
-will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
+@item nnml-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
-If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
-matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
-up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
-groupings 1 through 9.
+@item nnml-nov-file-name
+@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
+The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
-@vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
-Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
-lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
-Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
-groups when users send to an address using different case
-(i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
-is @code{t}.
+@item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
+@vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
+Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
-@findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
-split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
-you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
-boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
-working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
-string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
-messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
-it once per thread.
+@item nnml-marks-is-evil
+@vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
-To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
-and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
-value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
-using the colon feature, like so:
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
- nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
- nnmail-split-fancy
- '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
- ;; @r{other splits go here}
- ))
-@end lisp
+@item nnml-marks-file-name
+@vindex nnml-marks-file-name
+The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
-This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
-non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
-in the file specified by the variable
-@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
-(the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
-invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
-at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
-and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
-for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
-corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
-recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
-somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
-still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
-300 kBytes in size.)
-@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
-When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
-also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
-messages goes into the new group.
+@item nnml-use-compressed-files
+@vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
+files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
+(@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
+If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
+as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
+to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
+equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
-Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
-want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
-outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
-@code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
-Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
-``outgoing'' group.
+@item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
+@vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
+Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
+bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
+if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
+@end table
-@node Group Mail Splitting
-@subsection Group Mail Splitting
-@cindex mail splitting
-@cindex group mail splitting
+@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
+If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
+whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
+nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
+entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
+might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
+functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
+Commands}).
+
+
+@node MH Spool
+@subsubsection MH Spool
+@cindex nnmh
+@cindex mh-e mail spool
+
+@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
+@acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
+file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
+@code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
+for.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnmh-directory
+@vindex nnmh-directory
+All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
+default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
+@file{~/Mail})
+
+@item nnmh-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
+@code{t}.
-@findex gnus-group-split
-If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
-maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
-You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
-parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
-@code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
-for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
-from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
-@code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
+@item nnmh-be-safe
+@vindex nnmh-be-safe
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
+sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
+they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
+setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
+use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
+have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
+@end table
-Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
-splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
-parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
-rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
-All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
-the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
-@code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
-matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
-group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
-@code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
+@node Maildir
+@subsubsection Maildir
+@cindex nnmaildir
+@cindex maildir
-If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
-parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
-parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
-this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
-@code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
-@code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
-@code{gnus-group-split}.
+@code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
+corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
+@uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
+@uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
+also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
+within a maildir.
-@vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
-@code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
-by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
-group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
-group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
-some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
-that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
-often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
-complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
-may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
-personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
-element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
-with the rules extracted from group parameters.
+Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
+reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
+your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
+configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
+can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
+configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
+that appear as group in Gnus.
-It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
-been defined:
+@code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
+never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
+corrupt its data in the filesystem.
-@example
-nnml:mail.bar:
-((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
- (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
-nnml:mail.foo:
-((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
- (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
- (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
- (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
-nnml:mail.others:
-((split-spec . catch-all))
-@end example
+@code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
+maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
+another, and you will keep your marks.
-Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
-behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
+Virtual server settings:
-@lisp
-(| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
- (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
- - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
- "mail.others")
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@item directory
+For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
+you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
+it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
+choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
+will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
+filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
+in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
+scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
+the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
+@code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
-@findex gnus-group-split-fancy
-If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
-may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
-splits like this:
+The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
+which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
+the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
+only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
+server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
+don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
+optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
+@code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
+use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
+if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
+value.
-@lisp
-(: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
-@end lisp
+@item target-prefix
+This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
+@code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
+server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
+closed.
-@var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
-parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
-@var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
-single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
-fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
-If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
-empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
-Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
-this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
+When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
+created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
+pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
+So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
+@code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
+the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
+@file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
+@file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
+@file{../maildirs/foo}.
-@findex gnus-group-split-setup
-Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
-slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
-But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
-used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
-sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
-@code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
-scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
+You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
+create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
+this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
+with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
+symlinks pointing to them will be).
-@findex gnus-group-split-update
-However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
-@code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
-automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
-you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
+As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
+then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
+@code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
+cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
+@code{force} argument.
-@lisp
-(gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
-@end lisp
+@item directory-files
+This should be a function with the same interface as
+@code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
+used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
+parameter is optional; the default is
+@code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
+@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
+@code{directory-files} otherwise.
+(@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
+server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
+scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
-If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
-will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
-have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
-don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
-@code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
-value.
+@item get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
+maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
+the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
+value is @code{nil}.
-@vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
-Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
-by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
-@code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
+Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
+an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
+that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
+different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
+remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
+@end table
-@node Incorporating Old Mail
-@subsection Incorporating Old Mail
-@cindex incorporating old mail
-@cindex import old mail
+@subsubsection Group parameters
-Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
-you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
-back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
-your mail groups.
+@code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
+all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
+default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
+one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
+functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
+you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
+another back end.
-Doing so can be quite easy.
+If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
+is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
+original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
+evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
+different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
+back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
+numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
+@code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
+quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
-To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
-(@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
-satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
-file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
-your @code{nnml} groups.
+@table @code
+@item expire-age
+An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
+before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
+articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
+@code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
+@code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
+and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
+wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
+60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
+An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
+modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
+delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
+article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
-Here's how:
+@item expire-group
+If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
+@example
+"backend+server.address.string:group.name"
+@end example
+and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
+to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
+before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
+group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
+was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
+destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
+the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
+you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
+article. So that form can refer to
+@code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
+article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
+does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
+@code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
-@enumerate
-@item
-Go to the group buffer.
+@item read-only
+If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
+in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
+from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
+@file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
+cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
+@file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
+containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
+maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
+a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
+have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
+contain extra copies of the articles.
-@item
-Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
-@code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+@item directory-files
+A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
+used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
+group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
+server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
-@item
-Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
+@item distrust-Lines:
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
+article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
+@code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
-@item
-Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
-(@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+@item always-marks
+A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
+Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
+say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
+marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
+feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
+in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
-@item
-Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
-@samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
-@end enumerate
+@item never-marks
+A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
+Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
+say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
+stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
+@code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
+probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
+abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
-All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
-all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
-have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
-deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
-sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
+@item nov-cache-size
+An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
+speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
+for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
+worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
+parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
+the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
+The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
+and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
+that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
+that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
+@code{read}, plus a little extra.
+@end table
-Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
-back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
-using the new mail back end.
+@subsubsection Article identification
+Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
+Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
+contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
+@code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
+the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
+identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
+@file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
+about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
+available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
+request the article in the summary buffer.
+@subsubsection NOV data
+An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
+to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
+@code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
+@code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
+need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
+when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
+force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
+single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
+file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
+assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
+with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
-@node Expiring Mail
-@subsection Expiring Mail
-@cindex article expiry
-@cindex expiring mail
+@subsubsection Article marks
+An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
+@code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
+When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
+looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
+asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
+creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
+rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
+links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
-Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
-you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
-different approach to mail reading.
+You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
+@file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
+your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
+remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
+this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
+it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
+type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
+@kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
+pick up the changes, and might undo them.
-Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
-a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
-actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
-mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
-fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
-Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
-course.
-To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
-articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
-that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
-will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
-deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
-more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
-will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
-repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
-NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
+@node Mail Folders
+@subsubsection Mail Folders
+@cindex nnfolder
+@cindex mbox folders
+@cindex mail folders
-You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
-two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
-with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
-for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
-considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
-the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
-@samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
-expirable.
+@code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
+separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
+@code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
+numbers and arrival dates.
-When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
-who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
-and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
-(@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
-into its own group.)
+@cindex self contained nnfolder servers
+@cindex marks
+When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
+servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
+similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
+proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
+Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
+with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
+@code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
+directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
+backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
+into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
-Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
-answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
-advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
-the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
-between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
-only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
-total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
-Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
-scoring.
+Virtual server settings:
-@vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
-Groups that match the regular expression
-@code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
-read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
-expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
+@table @code
+@item nnfolder-directory
+@vindex nnfolder-directory
+All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
+directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
+(whose default is @file{~/Mail})
-By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
-articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
-before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
-automatically, you can put something like the following in your
-@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+@item nnfolder-active-file
+@vindex nnfolder-active-file
+The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
-@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
-@lisp
-(remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
- 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
-(add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
-@end lisp
+@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
+The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
+Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
-Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
-articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
-will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
-articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
-mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
+@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
+default is @code{t}
-Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
-articles you have read to disappear after a while:
+@item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
+@vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
+@cindex backup files
+Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
+backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
+you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
+following in your @file{.emacs} file:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
- "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
-@end lisp
-
-Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
-@code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
+(defun turn-off-backup ()
+ (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
-If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
-auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
-don't really mix very well.
+(add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+@end lisp
-@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
-The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
-expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
-message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
-days.
+@item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
+@vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
+Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
+This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
+extract some information from it before removing it.
-Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
-are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
-have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
-expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
-everywhere else:
+@item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
-@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
- (lambda (group)
- (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
- 31)
- ((string= group "mail.junk")
- 1)
- ((string= group "important")
- 'never)
- (t
- 6))))
-@end lisp
+@item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
+@vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
+The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
-The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
-names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
+@item nnfolder-nov-directory
+@vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
+The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
+@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
-The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
-@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
-necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
-@code{never}.
+@item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
+@vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
-You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
-change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+@item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
+@vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
+The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
-@vindex nnmail-expiry-target
-The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
-However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
-to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
-@code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
-parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
-all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
-parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
-string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
-moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
-the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
-from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
-name or @code{delete}.
+@item nnfolder-marks-directory
+@vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
+The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
+@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
-Here's an example for specifying a group name:
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
-@end lisp
+@end table
-@findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
-@vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
-Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
-expire mail to groups according to the variable
-@code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
-@lisp
- (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
- nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
- '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
- ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
- ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
-@end lisp
+@findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
+@kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
+If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
+@code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
+command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
+@code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
+though.
-With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
-header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
-get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
-From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
-to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
-@code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
+@node Comparing Mail Back Ends
+@subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
-@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
-If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
-expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
-easier for procmail users.
+First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
+low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
+is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
+and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
+mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
-@vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
-By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
-articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
-parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
-articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
-caution. Even more dangerous is the
-@code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
-this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
-which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
-will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
-crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
-wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
-@emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
-with! So there!
+The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
+typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
+in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
+articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
+access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
+area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
+@code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
+actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
+via NFS).
-Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
+The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
+simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
+format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
+future. Here are some high and low points on each:
-@vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
-If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
-commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
-auto-expire turned on.
+@table @code
+@item nnmbox
-@vindex gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable
-The expirable marks of articles will be removed when copying or moving
-them to a group in which auto-expire is not turned on. This is for
-preventing articles from being expired unintentionally. On the other
-hand, to a group that has turned auto-expire on, the expirable marks of
-articles that are copied or moved will not be changed by default. I.e.,
-when copying or moving to such a group, articles that were expirable
-will be left expirable and ones that were not expirable will not be
-marked as expirable. So, even though in auto-expire groups, some
-articles will never get expired (unless you read them again). If you
-don't side with that behavior that unexpirable articles may be mixed
-into auto-expire groups, you can set
-@code{gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable} to a
-non-@code{nil} value. In that case, articles that have been read will
-be marked as expirable automatically when being copied or moved to a
-group that has auto-expire turned on. The default value is @code{nil}.
+UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
+defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
+they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
+@samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
+to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
+@samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
+historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
+mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
+this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
+area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
+(appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
+to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
+fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
+what's where.
+@item nnbabyl
-@node Washing Mail
-@subsection Washing Mail
-@cindex mail washing
-@cindex list server brain damage
-@cindex incoming mail treatment
+Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
+systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
+reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
+was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
+format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
+spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
+headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
+Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
+and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
+to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
+VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
+perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
+headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
+course, and is still maintained within Emacs. Since Emacs 23, it
+uses standard mbox format rather than Babyl.
-Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
-really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
-prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
-end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
-Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
-considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
+Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
+file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
+look at your mail.
-Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
-} to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
-be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
-laugh.
+@item nnml
-Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
-displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
-storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
-various functions that can be put in these hooks.
+@code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
+actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
+fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
+lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
+and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
+Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
+CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
+or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
+@dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
+@acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
+due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
+file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
+extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
+provided by the active file and overviews.
-@table @code
-@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
-This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
-grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
-the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
+@code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
+resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
+files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
+tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
+the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
+wins big.
-@table @code
-@item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
-@findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
-Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
-Emacs running on MS machines.
+It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
+FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
+tiny files.
-@end table
+@item nnmh
-@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
-This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
-cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
+The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
+long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
+individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
+is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
+active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
+one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
+slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
-@table @code
-@item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
-@findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
-Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
-headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
+@item nnfolder
-(Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
-messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
-of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
-rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
-into a feature by documenting it.)
+Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
+method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
+itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
+little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
+a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
+can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
+format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
+it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
+out how many messages there are in each separate group.
-@item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
-@findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
-Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
-beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
-people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
-strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
-also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
-@code{\\(..\\)}.
+If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
+messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
+only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
+friendly mail back end all over.
-For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
-@samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
+@item nnmaildir
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-list-identifiers
- '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
-@end lisp
+For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
+incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
+mail back ends.
-This can also be done non-destructively with
-@code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
+@code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
+differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
+filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
+also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
+per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}.
+(Use @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this
+slows you down or takes up very much space, a non-block-structured
+file system.
-@item nnmail-remove-tabs
-@findex nnmail-remove-tabs
-Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
+Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
+as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
+This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
+organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
+entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
+require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
+thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
+whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
+@code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
+@code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
+undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
-@item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
-@findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
-@c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
-@cindex Eudora
-@cindex Pegasus
-Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
-@code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
-function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
-contain a line matching the regular expression
-@code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
+@code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
+corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
+them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
+else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
+it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
+@code{nnmaildir}.
-@end table
+@code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
+(It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
+and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
+is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
+parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
+would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
+removed in the future.
-@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
-This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
-include:
+Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
+back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
+on your file system.
-@table @code
-@item article-de-quoted-unreadable
-@findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
-Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
+@code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
+to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
@end table
-@end table
-@node Duplicates
-@subsection Duplicates
+@node Browsing the Web
+@section Browsing the Web
+@cindex web
+@cindex browsing the web
+@cindex www
+@cindex http
-@vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
-@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
-@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
-@cindex duplicate mails
-If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
-receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
-@code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
-this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
-@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
-default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
-there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
-variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
-stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
-@code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
-default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
-will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
-that this is a duplicate of a different message.
+Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
+subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
+eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
+is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
+and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
+go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
+even know what a news group is.
-This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
-will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
-the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
-@code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
+The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
+being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
+they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
+not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
+you mad in the end.
-You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
-@code{nil}.
+So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
+to do it instead?
-If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
-@dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
-methods:
+Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
+interfaces to these sources.
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-fancy
- '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
- ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
- ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
- (any mail "mail.misc")
- ;; @r{Other rules.}
- [...] ))
-@end lisp
-@noindent
-Or something like:
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
- ;; @r{Other rules.}
- [...]))
-@end lisp
+@menu
+* Archiving Mail::
+* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
+* RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
+* Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
+@end menu
-Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
-with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
-@code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
-using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
-received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
+All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
+alternatives to work.
+The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
+work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
+is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
+will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
+though, you should be ok.
-@node Not Reading Mail
-@subsection Not Reading Mail
+One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
+are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
+cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
+Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
+leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
-If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
-habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
-be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
+@node Archiving Mail
+@subsection Archiving Mail
+@cindex archiving mail
+@cindex backup of mail
-If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
-@code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
-mail, which should help.
+Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
+@code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
+For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
+marks is fairly simple.
-@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
-This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
-happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old (pre-Emacs
-23) Rmail file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
-variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
-the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
-group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
+(Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
+requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
+though.)
-All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
-narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
-incoming mail.
+To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
+server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
+to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
+similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
+adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
+@ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
+might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
+before you restore the data.
+
+It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
+@code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
+For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
+directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
+file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
+this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
+buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
+@code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
+is unnecessary in that case.
+@node Web Searches
+@subsection Web Searches
+@cindex nnweb
+@cindex Google
+@cindex dejanews
+@cindex gmane
+@cindex Usenet searches
+@cindex searching the Usenet
-@node Choosing a Mail Back End
-@subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
+It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
+string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
+those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
+the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
+searches without having to use a browser.
-Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
-file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
-depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
+The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
+engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
+then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
+group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
+Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
-There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
-back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
-(because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
-Spool}).
+@code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
+groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
+each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
+pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
+manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
+Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
+@code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
+engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
+of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
+header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
+group as read.
-@menu
-* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
-* Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
-* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
-* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
-* Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
-* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
-* Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
-@end menu
+If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
+won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
+providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
+make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
+community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
+might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
+You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
+(try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
+installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
+Virtual server variables:
-@node Unix Mail Box
-@subsubsection Unix Mail Box
-@cindex nnmbox
-@cindex unix mail box
+@table @code
+@item nnweb-type
+@vindex nnweb-type
+What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
+are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
+@code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
-@vindex nnmbox-active-file
-@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
-mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
-which group it belongs in.
+@item nnweb-search
+@vindex nnweb-search
+The search string to feed to the search engine.
-Virtual server settings:
+@item nnweb-max-hits
+@vindex nnweb-max-hits
+Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
+999.
-@table @code
-@item nnmbox-mbox-file
-@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
-@file{~/mbox}.
+@item nnweb-type-definition
+@vindex nnweb-type-definition
+Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
+with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
+present:
-@item nnmbox-active-file
-@vindex nnmbox-active-file
-The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
-@file{~/.mbox-active}.
+@table @code
+@item article
+Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
+understands.
-@item nnmbox-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
-into groups. Default is @code{t}.
-@end table
+@item map
+Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
+@item search
+Function to send the search string to the search engine.
-@node Babyl
-@subsubsection Babyl
-@cindex nnbabyl
+@item address
+The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
+to.
-@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box to store mail.
-@code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail article to say which
-group it belongs in.
+@item id
+Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
+@end table
-Virtual server settings:
+@end table
-@table @code
-@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The name of the Babyl file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
-@item nnbabyl-active-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
-The name of the active file for the Babyl file. The default is
-@file{~/.rmail-active}
+@node RSS
+@subsection RSS
+@cindex nnrss
+@cindex RSS
-@item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
-@code{t}
-@end table
+Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
+@acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
+sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
+presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
+changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
+@acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
+possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
-@node Mail Spool
-@subsubsection Mail Spool
-@cindex nnml
-@cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
+Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
+system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
+text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
+group names.
-The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
-format. It should be used with some caution.
+@kindex G R (Group)
+Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
+prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
+The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
+and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
-@vindex nnml-directory
-If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
-one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
-directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
-variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
+An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
+the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
+subscribe to groups.
-You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
-care of all that.
+The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
+@code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
+names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
+coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
+variable or other. Also @xref{Non-ASCII Group Names}, for more
+information.
-If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
-in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
-own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
-weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
-having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
-shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
-know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
-to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
+The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
+@acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
+and a @samp{text/html} part.
-@code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
-splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
-@acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
-fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
+@cindex OPML
+You can also use the following commands to import and export your
+subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
+Markup Language).
-@cindex self contained nnml servers
-@cindex marks
-When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
-servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
-similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
-proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
-for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
-@code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
-Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
-to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
-directory).
+@defun nnrss-opml-import file
+Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
+file.
+@end defun
-If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
-up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
-them next time it starts.
+@defun nnrss-opml-export
+Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
+@acronym{OPML} format.
+@end defun
-Virtual server settings:
+The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
@table @code
-@item nnml-directory
-@vindex nnml-directory
-All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
-default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
-is @file{~/Mail}).
-
-@item nnml-active-file
-@vindex nnml-active-file
-The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
-@file{~/Mail/active}.
+@item nnrss-directory
+@vindex nnrss-directory
+The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
+@file{~/News/rss/}.
-@item nnml-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
-The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
-Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
+@item nnrss-file-coding-system
+@vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
+The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
+data files. The default is the value of
+@code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
+in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
-@item nnml-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
-@code{t}.
+@item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
+@vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
+Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
+e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
+a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
+is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
+variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
+@code{'(slash:comments)}.
-@item nnml-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
-default is @code{nil}.
+@item nnrss-use-local
+@vindex nnrss-use-local
+@findex nnrss-generate-download-script
+If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
+the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
+the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
+download script using @command{wget}.
+@end table
-@item nnml-nov-file-name
-@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
-The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
+The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
+the summary buffer.
-@item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
-@vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
-Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
+@lisp
+(add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
+(setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
-@item nnml-marks-is-evil
-@vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
-default is @code{nil}.
+(defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
+ (let ((descr
+ (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
+ (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
+@end lisp
-@item nnml-marks-file-name
-@vindex nnml-marks-file-name
-The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
+The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
+summary buffer.
-@item nnml-use-compressed-files
-@vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
-files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
-(@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
-If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
-as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
-to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
-equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
+@lisp
+(require 'browse-url)
-@item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
-@vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
-Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
-bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
-if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
+(defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
+ (interactive "p")
+ (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
+ (mail-header-extra
+ (gnus-data-header
+ (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
+ gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
+ (if url
+ (progn
+ (browse-url (cdr url))
+ (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
+ (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
-@end table
+(eval-after-load "gnus"
+ #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
+ (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
+(add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
+@end lisp
-@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
-If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
-whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
-nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
-entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
-might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
-functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
-Commands}).
+Even if you have added @samp{text/html} to the
+@code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
+Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
+Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
+more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
+@samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
+@code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
+Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
+@code{nnrss} groups:
+@lisp
+;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
+(eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
+ '(add-to-list
+ 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
+ '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
+ . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
-@node MH Spool
-@subsubsection MH Spool
-@cindex nnmh
-@cindex mh-e mail spool
+;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
+(add-to-list
+ 'gnus-parameters
+ '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
+@end lisp
-@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
-@acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
-file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
-@code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
-for.
-Virtual server settings:
+@node Customizing W3
+@subsection Customizing W3
+@cindex W3
+@cindex html
+@cindex url
+@cindex Netscape
-@table @code
-@item nnmh-directory
-@vindex nnmh-directory
-All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
-default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
-@file{~/Mail})
+Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
+alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
+manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
+users.
-@item nnmh-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
-@code{t}.
+For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
+using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
+browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
-@item nnmh-be-safe
-@vindex nnmh-be-safe
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
-sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
-they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
-setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
-use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
-have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
-@end table
+@lisp
+(eval-after-load "w3"
+ '(progn
+ (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
+ (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
+ (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
+ (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
+ (browse-url url)
+ (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
+@end lisp
+Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
+@acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
+follow the link.
-@node Maildir
-@subsubsection Maildir
-@cindex nnmaildir
-@cindex maildir
-@code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
-corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
-@uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
-@uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
-also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
-within a maildir.
+@node Other Sources
+@section Other Sources
-Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
-reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
-your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
-configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
-can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
-configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
-that appear as group in Gnus.
+Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
+below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
+newsgroups.
-@code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
-never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
-corrupt its data in the filesystem.
+@menu
+* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
+* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
+* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
+* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
+* The Empty Backend:: The backend that never has any news.
+@end menu
-@code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
-maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
-another, and you will keep your marks.
-Virtual server settings:
+@node Directory Groups
+@subsection Directory Groups
+@cindex nndir
+@cindex directory groups
-@table @code
-@item directory
-For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
-you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
-it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
-choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
-will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
-filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
-in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
-scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
-the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
-@code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
+If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
+it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
+names, of course.
-The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
-which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
-the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
-only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
-server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
-don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
-optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
-@code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
-use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
-if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
-value.
+This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
+successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
+packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
+back end to read directories. Big deal.
-@item target-prefix
-This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
-@code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
-server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
-closed.
+@code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
+enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
+@file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
+@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
+directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
-When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
-created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
-pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
-So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
-@code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
-the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
-@file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
-@file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
-@file{../maildirs/foo}.
+@code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
+
+@code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
+articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
+whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
+methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
-You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
-create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
-this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
-with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
-symlinks pointing to them will be).
-As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
-then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
-@code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
-cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
-@code{force} argument.
+@node Anything Groups
+@subsection Anything Groups
+@cindex nneething
-@item directory-files
-This should be a function with the same interface as
-@code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
-used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
-parameter is optional; the default is
-@code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
-@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
-@code{directory-files} otherwise.
-(@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
-server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
-scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
+From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
+directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
+pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
+true.
-@item get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
-maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
-the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
-@code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
-value is @code{nil}.
+When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
+directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
+a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
+After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
+@code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
+file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
+few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
+just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
+@code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
+file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
+elements.
-Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
-an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
-that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
-different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
-remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
-@end table
+All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
+with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
+newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
+in the article buffer, just as usual.
-@subsubsection Group parameters
+If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
+a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
+traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
+Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
-@code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
-all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
-default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
-one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
-functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
-you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
-another back end.
+There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
+doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
+will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
+are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
+normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
+article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
+other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
+be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
-If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
-is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
-original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
-evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
-different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
-back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
-numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
-@code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
-quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
+Some variables:
@table @code
-@item expire-age
-An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
-before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
-articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
-@code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
-@code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
-@code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
-and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
-wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
-60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
-An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
-modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
-delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
-article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
+@item nneething-map-file-directory
+@vindex nneething-map-file-directory
+All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
+in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
-@item expire-group
-If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
-@example
-"backend+server.address.string:group.name"
-@end example
-and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
-to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
-before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
-group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
-was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
-destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
-the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
-you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
-article. So that form can refer to
-@code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
-article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
-does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
-@code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
+@item nneething-exclude-files
+@vindex nneething-exclude-files
+All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
+auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
-@item read-only
-If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
-in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
-from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
-@file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
-cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
-@file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
-containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
-maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
-a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
-have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
-contain extra copies of the articles.
+@item nneething-include-files
+@vindex nneething-include-files
+Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
+non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
-@item directory-files
-A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
-used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
-group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
-server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
+@item nneething-map-file
+@vindex nneething-map-file
+Name of the map files.
+@end table
-@item distrust-Lines:
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
-article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
-@code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
-@item always-marks
-A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
-Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
-say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
-marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
-feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
-in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
+@node Document Groups
+@subsection Document Groups
+@cindex nndoc
+@cindex documentation group
+@cindex help group
-@item never-marks
-A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
-Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
-say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
-stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
-@code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
-probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
-abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
+@code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
+as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
-@item nov-cache-size
-An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
-speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
-for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
-worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
-parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
-the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
-The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
-and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
-that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
-that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
-@code{read}, plus a little extra.
-@end table
+@table @code
+@cindex Babyl
+@item babyl
+The Babyl format.
-@subsubsection Article identification
-Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
-Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
-contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
-@code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
-the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
-identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
-@file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
-about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
-available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
-request the article in the summary buffer.
+@cindex mbox
+@cindex Unix mbox
+@item mbox
+The standard Unix mbox file.
-@subsubsection NOV data
-An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
-to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
-@code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
-@code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
-need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
-when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
-force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
-single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
-file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
-assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
-with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
+@cindex MMDF mail box
+@item mmdf
+The MMDF mail box format.
-@subsubsection Article marks
-An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
-@code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
-When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
-looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
-asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
-creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
-rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
-links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
+@item news
+Several news articles appended into a file.
-You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
-@file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
-your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
-remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
-this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
-it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
-type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
-@kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
-pick up the changes, and might undo them.
+@cindex rnews batch files
+@item rnews
+The rnews batch transport format.
+@item nsmail
+Netscape mail boxes.
-@node Mail Folders
-@subsubsection Mail Folders
-@cindex nnfolder
-@cindex mbox folders
-@cindex mail folders
+@item mime-parts
+@acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
+
+@item standard-digest
+The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
+
+@item mime-digest
+A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
-@code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
-separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
-@code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
-numbers and arrival dates.
+@item lanl-gov-announce
+Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
-@cindex self contained nnfolder servers
-@cindex marks
-When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
-servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
-similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
-proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
-Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
-with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
-@code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
-directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
-backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
-into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
+@cindex git commit messages
+@item git
+@code{git} commit messages.
-Virtual server settings:
+@cindex forwarded messages
+@item rfc822-forward
+A message forwarded according to RFC822.
-@table @code
-@item nnfolder-directory
-@vindex nnfolder-directory
-All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
-directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
-(whose default is @file{~/Mail})
+@item outlook
+The Outlook mail box.
-@item nnfolder-active-file
-@vindex nnfolder-active-file
-The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
+@item oe-dbx
+The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
-@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
-The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
-Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
+@item exim-bounce
+A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
-@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
-default is @code{t}
+@item forward
+A message forwarded according to informal rules.
-@item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
-@vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
-@cindex backup files
-Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
-backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
-you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
-following in your @file{.emacs} file:
+@item rfc934
+An RFC934-forwarded message.
-@lisp
-(defun turn-off-backup ()
- (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
+@item mailman
+A mailman digest.
-(add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
-@end lisp
+@item clari-briefs
+A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
-@item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
-@vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
-Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
-This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
-extract some information from it before removing it.
+@item slack-digest
+Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
-@item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
-default is @code{nil}.
+@item mail-in-mail
+The last resort.
+@end table
-@item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
-@vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
-The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
+You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
+that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
+@code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
+file is.
-@item nnfolder-nov-directory
-@vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
-The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
+@code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
+it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
+group. And that's it.
-@item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
-@vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
-default is @code{nil}.
+If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
+new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
+that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
+to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
+@code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
+(@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
+the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
+using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
+file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
+delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
-@item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
-@vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
-The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
+Virtual server variables:
-@item nnfolder-marks-directory
-@vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
-The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
+@table @code
+@item nndoc-article-type
+@vindex nndoc-article-type
+This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
+@code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
+@code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
+@code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
+@code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
+@item nndoc-post-type
+@vindex nndoc-post-type
+This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
+a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
+and @code{news}.
@end table
+@menu
+* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
+@end menu
-@findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
-@kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
-If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
-@code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
-command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
-@code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
-though.
-@node Comparing Mail Back Ends
-@subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
+@node Document Server Internals
+@subsubsection Document Server Internals
-First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
-low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
-is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
-and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
-mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
+Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
+difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
+looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
+and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
-The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
-typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
-in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
-articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
-access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
-area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
-@code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
-actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
-via NFS).
+First, here's an example document type definition:
-The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
-simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
-format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
-future. Here are some high and low points on each:
+@example
+(mmdf
+ (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
+ (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
+@end example
+
+The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
+regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
+variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
+types can be defined with very few settings:
@table @code
-@item nnmbox
+@item first-article
+If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
+something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
+totally ignored.
-UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
-defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
-they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
-@samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
-to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
-@samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
-historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
-mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
-this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
-area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
-(appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
-to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
-fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
-what's where.
+@item article-begin
+This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
+says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
+complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
+use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
-@item nnbabyl
+@item article-begin-function
+If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
+of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
-Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
-systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
-reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
-was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
-format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
-spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
-headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
-Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
-and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
-to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
-VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
-perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
-headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
-course, and is still maintained within Emacs. Since Emacs 23, it
-uses standard mbox format rather than Babyl.
+@item head-begin
+If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
+article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
+simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
-Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
-file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
-look at your mail.
+@item head-begin-function
+If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
+the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
-@item nnml
+@item head-end
+This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
+@samp{^$}---the empty line.
+
+@item body-begin
+This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
+to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
+a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
+
+@item body-begin-function
+If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
+of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
+
+@item body-end
+If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
+more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
+can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
+
+@item body-end-function
+If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
+the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
+
+@item file-begin
+If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
+before this regexp will be totally ignored.
-@code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
-actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
-fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
-lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
-and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
-Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
-CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
-or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
-@dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
-@acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
-due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
-file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
-extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
-provided by the active file and overviews.
+@item file-end
+If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
+regexp will be totally ignored.
-@code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
-resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
-files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
-tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
-the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
-wins big.
+@end table
-It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
-FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
-tiny files.
+So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
+file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
+few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
+news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
+something that's palatable for Gnus:
-@item nnmh
+@table @code
+@item prepare-body-function
+If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
+will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
+document has encoded some parts of its contents.
-The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
-long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
-individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
-is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
-active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
-one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
-slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
+@item article-transform-function
+If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
+meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
+body of the article.
-@item nnfolder
+@item generate-head-function
+If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
+understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
+expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
+called when requesting the headers of all articles.
-Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
-method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
-itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
-little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
-a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
-can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
-format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
-it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
-out how many messages there are in each separate group.
+@item generate-article-function
+If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
+Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
+parameter when requesting all articles.
-If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
-messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
-only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
-friendly mail back end all over.
+@item dissection-function
+If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
+overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
+@code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
+@code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
+@code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
+@code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
-@item nnmaildir
+@end table
-For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
-incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
-mail back ends.
+Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
+digests:
-@code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
-differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
-filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
-also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
-per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}.
-(Use @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this
-slows you down or takes up very much space, a non-block-structured
-file system.
+@example
+(standard-digest
+ (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
+ (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
+ (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
+ (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
+ (head-end . "^ ?$")
+ (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
+ (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
+ (subtype digest guess))
+@end example
-Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
-as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
-This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
-organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
-entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
-require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
-thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
-whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
-@code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
-@code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
-undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
+We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
+text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
+each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
+the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
+run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
-@code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
-corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
-them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
-else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
-it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
-@code{nnmaildir}.
+To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
+@code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
+is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
+where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
+The alist is traversed sequentially, and
+@code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
+So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
+@code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
+@code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
+is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
+correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
+means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
-@code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
-(It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
-and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
-is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
-parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
-would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
-removed in the future.
-Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
-back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
-on your file system.
+@node Mail-To-News Gateways
+@subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
+@cindex mail-to-news gateways
+@cindex gateways
-@code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
-to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
+If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
+or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
+The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
-@end table
+Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
+used to post with.
+Server variables:
-@node Browsing the Web
-@section Browsing the Web
-@cindex web
-@cindex browsing the web
-@cindex www
-@cindex http
+@table @code
+@item nngateway-address
+@vindex nngateway-address
+This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
-Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
-subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
-eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
-is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
-and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
-go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
-even know what a news group is.
+@item nngateway-header-transformation
+@vindex nngateway-header-transformation
+News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
+for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
+transformation should be called, and defaults to
+@code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
+narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
+gateway address.
-The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
-being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
-they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
-not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
-you mad in the end.
+This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
+@code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
+For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
-So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
-to do it instead?
+@example
+Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
+@end example
-Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
-interfaces to these sources.
+will get this @code{To} header inserted:
-@menu
-* Archiving Mail::
-* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
-* RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
-* Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
-@end menu
+@example
+To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
+@end example
-All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
-alternatives to work.
+The following pre-defined functions exist:
-The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
-work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
-is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
-will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
-though, you should be ok.
+@findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
+@table @code
-One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
-are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
-cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
-Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
-leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
+@item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
+Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
+@var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
-@node Archiving Mail
-@subsection Archiving Mail
-@cindex archiving mail
-@cindex backup of mail
+@findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
-Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
-@code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
-For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
-marks is fairly simple.
+@item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
+@code{nngateway-address}.
+@end table
-(Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
-requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
-though.)
+@end table
-To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
-server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
-to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
-similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
-adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
-@ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
-might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
-before you restore the data.
+Here's an example:
-It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
-@code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
-For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
-directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
-file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
-this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
-buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
-@code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
-is unnecessary in that case.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method
+ '(nngateway
+ "mail2news@@replay.com"
+ (nngateway-header-transformation
+ nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
+@end lisp
-@node Web Searches
-@subsection Web Searches
-@cindex nnweb
-@cindex Google
-@cindex dejanews
-@cindex gmane
-@cindex Usenet searches
-@cindex searching the Usenet
+So, to use this, simply say something like:
-It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
-string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
-those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
-the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
-searches without having to use a browser.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
+@end lisp
-The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
-engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
-then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
-group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
-Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
-@code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
-groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
-each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
-pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
-manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
-Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
-@code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
-engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
-of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
-header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
-group as read.
+@node The Empty Backend
+@subsection The Empty Backend
+@cindex nnnil
-If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
-won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
-providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
-make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
-community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
-might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
+@code{nnnil} is a backend that can be used as a placeholder if you
+have to specify a backend somewhere, but don't really want to. The
+classical example is if you don't want to have a primary select
+methods, but want to only use secondary ones:
-You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
-(try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
-installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nnnil ""))
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnimap "foo")
+ (nnml "")))
+@end lisp
-Virtual server variables:
-@table @code
-@item nnweb-type
-@vindex nnweb-type
-What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
-are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
-@code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
+@node Combined Groups
+@section Combined Groups
-@item nnweb-search
-@vindex nnweb-search
-The search string to feed to the search engine.
+Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
+groups.
-@item nnweb-max-hits
-@vindex nnweb-max-hits
-Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
-999.
+@menu
+* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
+@end menu
-@item nnweb-type-definition
-@vindex nnweb-type-definition
-Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
-with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
-present:
-@table @code
-@item article
-Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
-understands.
+@node Virtual Groups
+@subsection Virtual Groups
+@cindex nnvirtual
+@cindex virtual groups
+@cindex merging groups
-@item map
-Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
+An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
+other groups.
-@item search
-Function to send the search string to the search engine.
+For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
+put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
+big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
-@item address
-The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
-to.
+You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
+regexp to match component groups.
-@item id
-Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
-@end table
+All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
+component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
+article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
+came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
+shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
+@kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
+and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
-@end table
+Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
+newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
+@lisp
+(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
+@end lisp
-@node RSS
-@subsection RSS
-@cindex nnrss
-@cindex RSS
+The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
+smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
-Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
-@acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
-sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
-presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
-changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
+Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
+idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
+If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
+and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
-@acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
-possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
+@example
+"^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
+@end example
-Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
-system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
-text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
-group names.
+(Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
+shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
+characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
-@kindex G R (Group)
-Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
-prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
-The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
-and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
+This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
+end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
+the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
+sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
+(@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
-An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
-the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
-subscribe to groups.
+One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
+group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
+zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
-The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
-@code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
-names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
-coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
-variable or other. Also @xref{Non-ASCII Group Names}, for more
-information.
+@vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
+If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
+is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
+articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
+and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
+been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
+when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
+have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
+that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
+just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
+it---it'll have much the same effect.
-The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
-@acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
-and a @samp{text/html} part.
+@code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
+When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
+has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
+whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
+there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
+and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
+not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
-@cindex OPML
-You can also use the following commands to import and export your
-subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
-Markup Language).
+@kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
+line from the article you respond to in these cases.
-@defun nnrss-opml-import file
-Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
-file.
-@end defun
+@code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
+from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
+inherited.
-@defun nnrss-opml-export
-Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
-@acronym{OPML} format.
-@end defun
-The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
+@node Email Based Diary
+@section Email Based Diary
+@cindex diary
+@cindex email based diary
+@cindex calendar
-@table @code
-@item nnrss-directory
-@vindex nnrss-directory
-The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
-@file{~/News/rss/}.
+This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
+and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
+sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
+reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
+Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
+namely, as event reminders.
-@item nnrss-file-coding-system
-@vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
-The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
-data files. The default is the value of
-@code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
-in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
+Here is a typical scenario:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
+to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
+@item
+So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
+@item
+You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
+@item
+From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
+is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
+appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
+@item
+Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
+of the night you're gonna have.
+@item
+Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
+message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
+@end itemize
-@item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
-@vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
-Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
-e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
-a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
-is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
-variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
-@code{'(slash:comments)}.
+The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
+(that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
+real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
+explained in the sections below.
-@item nnrss-use-local
-@vindex nnrss-use-local
-@findex nnrss-generate-download-script
-If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
-the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
-the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
-download script using @command{wget}.
-@end table
+@menu
+* The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
+* The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
+* Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
+@end menu
-The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
-the summary buffer.
-@lisp
-(add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
-(setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
+@node The NNDiary Back End
+@subsection The NNDiary Back End
+@cindex nndiary
+@cindex the nndiary back end
-(defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
- (let ((descr
- (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
- (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
-@end lisp
+@code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
+Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
+@code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
+the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
+directory per group.
-The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
-summary buffer.
+ Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
+@code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
+of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
+Timestamp} to see how it's done.
-@lisp
-(require 'browse-url)
+@menu
+* Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
+* Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
+* Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
+@end menu
-(defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
- (interactive "p")
- (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
- (mail-header-extra
- (gnus-data-header
- (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
- gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
- (if url
- (progn
- (browse-url (cdr url))
- (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
- (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
+@node Diary Messages
+@subsubsection Diary Messages
+@cindex nndiary messages
+@cindex nndiary mails
-(eval-after-load "gnus"
- #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
- (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
-(add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
-@end lisp
+@code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
+presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
+@code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
+@code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
+@code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
+@code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
+crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
-Even if you have added @samp{text/html} to the
-@code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
-Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
-Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
-more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
-@samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
-@code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
-Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
-@code{nnrss} groups:
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
+either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
+(separated by a comma).
+@item
+A field is either an integer, or a range.
+@item
+A range is two integers separated by a dash.
+@item
+Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
+@code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
+for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
+@item
+As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
+mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
+that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
+@item
+The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
+value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
+values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
+zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
+list of available time zone values, see the variable
+@code{nndiary-headers}.
+@end itemize
-@lisp
-;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
-(eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
- '(add-to-list
- 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
- '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
- . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
+As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
+for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
+21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
+what to do then):
-;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
-(add-to-list
- 'gnus-parameters
- '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
-@end lisp
+@example
+X-Diary-Minute: 0
+X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
+X-Diary-Dom: 1
+X-Diary-Month: *
+X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
+X-Diary-Dow: 1
+X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
+@end example
+@node Running NNDiary
+@subsubsection Running NNDiary
+@cindex running nndiary
+@cindex nndiary operation modes
-@node Customizing W3
-@subsection Customizing W3
-@cindex W3
-@cindex html
-@cindex url
-@cindex Netscape
+@code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
+and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
+mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
+from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
+as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
+mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
-Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
-alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
-manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
-users.
+One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
+``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
+sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
+messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
+being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
+the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
+(which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
+mode.
-For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
-using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
-browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
+In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
+things to do:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
+line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
-(eval-after-load "w3"
- '(progn
- (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
- (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
- (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
- (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
- (browse-url url)
- (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
+(setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
@end lisp
+@item
+You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
+headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
+Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
+multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
+source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
-Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
-@acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
-follow the link.
+As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
+@file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
+@example
+:0 HD :
+* ^X-Diary
+.nndiary
+@end example
+@end itemize
-@node Other Sources
-@section Other Sources
+Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
+that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
-Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
-below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
-newsgroups.
+@defvar nndiary-mail-sources
+This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
+@code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
+@code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
+@end defvar
-@menu
-* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
-* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
-* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
-* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
-@end menu
+@defvar nndiary-split-methods
+This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
+@end defvar
+ Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
+(something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
+@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
-@node Directory Groups
-@subsection Directory Groups
-@cindex nndir
-@cindex directory groups
+ Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
+@file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
+autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
+also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
+diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
+
+@node Customizing NNDiary
+@subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
+@cindex customizing nndiary
+@cindex nndiary customization
+
+Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
+The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
+browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
+two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
+
+@defvar nndiary-reminders
+This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
+appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
+before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
+diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
+mail.
+@end defvar
-If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
-it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
-names, of course.
+@defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
+Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
+default).
+@end defvar
-This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
-successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
-packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
-back end to read directories. Big deal.
-@code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
-enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
-@file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
-@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
-directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
+@node The Gnus Diary Library
+@subsection The Gnus Diary Library
+@cindex gnus-diary
+@cindex the gnus diary library
-@code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
+Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
+so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
+@code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
+useful things for you.
-@code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
-articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
-whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
-methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
+ In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+@lisp
+(require 'gnus-diary)
+@end lisp
-@node Anything Groups
-@subsection Anything Groups
-@cindex nneething
+ Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
+(@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
+(sorry if you used them before).
-From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
-directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
-pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
-true.
-When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
-directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
-a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
-After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
-@code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
-file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
-few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
-just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
-@code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
-file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
-elements.
+@menu
+* Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
+* Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
+* Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
+* Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
+@end menu
-All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
-with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
-newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
-in the article buffer, just as usual.
+@node Diary Summary Line Format
+@subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
+@cindex diary summary buffer line
+@cindex diary summary line format
-If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
-a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
-traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
-Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
+Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
+something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
+the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
+see the event's date.
-There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
-doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
-will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
-are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
-normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
-article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
-other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
-be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
+ @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
+summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
+for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
+while @code{d} corresponds to an approximate remaining time until the
+next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
-Some variables:
+ For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
+@code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
+expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
-@table @code
-@item nneething-map-file-directory
-@vindex nneething-map-file-directory
-All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
-in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
+@example
+ E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
+@end example
-@item nneething-exclude-files
-@vindex nneething-exclude-files
-All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
-auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
+In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
+following line to your diary groups'parameters:
-@item nneething-include-files
-@vindex nneething-include-files
-Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
-non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
+@lisp
+(gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
+@end lisp
-@item nneething-map-file
-@vindex nneething-map-file
-Name of the map files.
-@end table
+However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
+Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
+with the following user options:
+@defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
+Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
+Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
+diary groups'parameters.
+@end defvar
-@node Document Groups
-@subsection Document Groups
-@cindex nndoc
-@cindex documentation group
-@cindex help group
+@defvar gnus-diary-time-format
+Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
+used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
+@end defvar
-@code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
-as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
+@defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
+Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
+times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
+format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
+you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
+@end defvar
-@table @code
-@cindex Babyl
-@item babyl
-The Babyl format.
+@node Diary Articles Sorting
+@subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
+@cindex diary articles sorting
+@cindex diary summary lines sorting
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
-@cindex mbox
-@cindex Unix mbox
-@item mbox
-The standard Unix mbox file.
+@code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
+Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
+your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
-@cindex MMDF mail box
-@item mmdf
-The MMDF mail box format.
+@code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
+@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
+buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
+default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
+Parameters}).
-@item news
-Several news articles appended into a file.
+@node Diary Headers Generation
+@subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
+@cindex diary headers generation
+@findex gnus-diary-check-message
-@cindex rnews batch files
-@item rnews
-The rnews batch transport format.
+@code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
+@code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
+headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
+required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
+needed.
-@item nsmail
-Netscape mail boxes.
+ This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
+moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
+automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c C-f d} in
+@code{message-mode} and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the
+process of converting a usual mail to a diary one.
-@item mime-parts
-@acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
+ This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
+all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
+you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
+instance.
-@item standard-digest
-The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
+@node Diary Group Parameters
+@subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
+@cindex diary group parameters
-@item mime-digest
-A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
+When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
+automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
+summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
+diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
+@code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
+to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
+on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
+automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
-@item lanl-gov-announce
-Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
+@node Sending or Not Sending
+@subsection Sending or Not Sending
-@cindex git commit messages
-@item git
-@code{git} commit messages.
+Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
+mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
-@cindex forwarded messages
-@item rfc822-forward
-A message forwarded according to RFC822.
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
+messages for real. This means for instance that you can give
+appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
+sending the diary message to them as well.
+@item
+However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
+can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
+message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
+comes in very handy for private appointments.
+@end itemize
-@item outlook
-The Outlook mail box.
+@node Gnus Unplugged
+@section Gnus Unplugged
+@cindex offline
+@cindex unplugged
+@cindex agent
+@cindex Gnus agent
+@cindex Gnus unplugged
-@item oe-dbx
-The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
+In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
+on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
+was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
+read news. Believe it or not.
-@item exim-bounce
-A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
+Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
+modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
+would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
+the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
+have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
-@item forward
-A message forwarded according to informal rules.
+Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
+@code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
+for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
+functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
+reading news on a machine.
-@item rfc934
-An RFC934-forwarded message.
+Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
+fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
+by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
-@item mailman
-A mailman digest.
+Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
-@item clari-briefs
-A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
+@menu
+* Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
+* Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
+* Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
+* Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
+* Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
+* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
+* Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
+* Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
+* Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
+* Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
+* Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
+* Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
+* Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
+* Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
+@end menu
-@item slack-digest
-Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
-@item mail-in-mail
-The last resort.
-@end table
+@node Agent Basics
+@subsection Agent Basics
-You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
-that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
-@code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
-file is.
+First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
-@code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
-it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
-group. And that's it.
+The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
+connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
+When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
+Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
-If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
-new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
-that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
-to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
-@code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
-(@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
-the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
-using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
-file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
-delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
+The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
+connected to the net continuously.
-Virtual server variables:
+@dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
+machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
-@table @code
-@item nndoc-article-type
-@vindex nndoc-article-type
-This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
-@code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
-@code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
-@code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
-@code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
+You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
+shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
+is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
+say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
+you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
-@item nndoc-post-type
-@vindex nndoc-post-type
-This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
-a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
-and @code{news}.
-@end table
+Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
+that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
+can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
+servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
+they're kinda like plugged always).
-@menu
-* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
-@end menu
+So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
+connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
+servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
+the culprit.
+Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
+reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
+server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
+server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
+will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
-@node Document Server Internals
-@subsubsection Document Server Internals
+Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
-Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
-difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
-looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
-and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
+@itemize @bullet
-First, here's an example document type definition:
+@item
+@findex gnus-unplugged
+You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
+Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
+already fetched while in this mode.
-@example
-(mmdf
- (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
- (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
-@end example
+@item
+You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
+your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
+to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
+as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
+Source Specifiers}).
-The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
-regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
-variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
-types can be defined with very few settings:
+@item
+You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
+news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
+@kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
+all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
+articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
-@table @code
-@item first-article
-If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
-something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
-totally ignored.
+@item
+After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
+unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
+then you read the news offline.
-@item article-begin
-This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
-says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
-complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
-use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
+@item
+And then you go to step 2.
+@end itemize
-@item article-begin-function
-If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
-of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
+Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
+the Agent.
-@item head-begin
-If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
-article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
-simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
+@itemize @bullet
-@item head-begin-function
-If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
-the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
+@item
+Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
+back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
+Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
+@kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
+Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
+added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
+no servers are agentized.
-@item head-end
-This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
-@samp{^$}---the empty line.
+@item
+Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
+you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
+parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
+is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
-@item body-begin
-This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
-to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
-a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
+Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
+(@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
+to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
+parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
+to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
+your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
+configure them.
-@item body-begin-function
-If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
-of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
+@item
+Uhm@dots{} that's it.
+@end itemize
-@item body-end
-If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
-more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
-can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
-@item body-end-function
-If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
-the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
+@node Agent Categories
+@subsection Agent Categories
-@item file-begin
-If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
-before this regexp will be totally ignored.
+One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
+newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
+There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
+find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
+to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
+mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
+you're interested in the articles anyway.
-@item file-end
-If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
-regexp will be totally ignored.
+One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
+downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
+groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
+category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
+buffer for creating and managing categories.
-@end table
+If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
+Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
+alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
+difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
+less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
+sink.
-So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
-file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
-few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
-news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
-something that's palatable for Gnus:
+Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
+a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
+the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
+parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
+variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
+of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
+your settings.
+
+@menu
+* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
+* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
+* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
+@end menu
-@table @code
-@item prepare-body-function
-If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
-will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
-document has encoded some parts of its contents.
-@item article-transform-function
-If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
-meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
-body of the article.
+@node Category Syntax
+@subsubsection Category Syntax
-@item generate-head-function
-If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
-understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
-expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
-called when requesting the headers of all articles.
+A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
+category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
+customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
+listed below.
-@item generate-article-function
-If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
-Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
-parameter when requesting all articles.
+@cindex Agent Parameters
+@table @code
+@item agent-groups
+The list of groups that are in this category.
-@item dissection-function
-If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
-overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
-@code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
-@code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
-@code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
-@code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
+@item agent-predicate
+A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
+are eligible for downloading; and
-@end table
+@item agent-score
+a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
+deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
+score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
-Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
-digests:
+@item agent-enable-expiration
+a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
+this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
+fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
+only groups that should not be expired.
-@example
-(standard-digest
- (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
- (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
- (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
- (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
- (head-end . "^ ?$")
- (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
- (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
- (subtype digest guess))
-@end example
+@item agent-days-until-old
+an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
+before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
-We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
-text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
-each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
-the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
-run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
+@item agent-low-score
+an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
-To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
-@code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
-is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
-where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
-The alist is traversed sequentially, and
-@code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
-So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
-@code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
-@code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
-is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
-correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
-means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
+@item agent-high-score
+an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
+@item agent-short-article
+an integer that overrides the value of
+@code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
-@node Mail-To-News Gateways
-@subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
-@cindex mail-to-news gateways
-@cindex gateways
+@item agent-long-article
+an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
-If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
-or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
-The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
+@item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
+a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
+undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
+faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
+undownloaded faces.
+@end table
-Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
-used to post with.
+The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
+created.
-Server variables:
+Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
+that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
+group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
+category.
-@table @code
-@item nngateway-address
-@vindex nngateway-address
-This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
+A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
+@code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
+article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
+predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
-@item nngateway-header-transformation
-@vindex nngateway-header-transformation
-News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
-for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
-transformation should be called, and defaults to
-@code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
-narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
-gateway address.
+Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
+their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
+@code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
-This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
-@code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
-For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
+To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
+download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
+operators sprinkled in between.
-@example
-Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
-@end example
+Perhaps some examples are in order.
-will get this @code{To} header inserted:
+Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
+for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
-@example
-To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
-@end example
+@lisp
+short
+@end lisp
-The following pre-defined functions exist:
+Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
+short (for some value of ``short'').
-@findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
-@table @code
+Here's a more complex predicate:
-@item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
-Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
-@var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
+@lisp
+(or high
+ (and
+ (not low)
+ (not long)))
+@end lisp
-@findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
+or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
+drift.
-@item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
-Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
-@code{nngateway-address}.
-@end table
+The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
+@code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
+@samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
-@end table
+The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
+you want to do, you can write your own.
-Here's an example:
+When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
+bound to the value determined by calling
+@code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
+example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
+@code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
+means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
+predicate to individual groups.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method
- '(nngateway
- "mail2news@@replay.com"
- (nngateway-header-transformation
- nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@item short
+True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
+lines; default 100.
-So, to use this, simply say something like:
+@item long
+True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
+lines; default 200.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
-@end lisp
+@item low
+True if the article has a download score less than
+@code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
+@item high
+True if the article has a download score greater than
+@code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
+@item spam
+True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
+heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
+checksum and sees whether articles match.
-@node Combined Groups
-@section Combined Groups
+@item true
+Always true.
-Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
-groups.
+@item false
+Always false.
+@end table
-@menu
-* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
-@end menu
+If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
+to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
+@code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
+useful values.
+For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
+that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
+more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
+something along the lines of the following:
-@node Virtual Groups
-@subsection Virtual Groups
-@cindex nnvirtual
-@cindex virtual groups
-@cindex merging groups
+@lisp
+(defun my-article-old-p ()
+ "Say whether an article is old."
+ (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
+ (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
+@end lisp
-An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
-other groups.
+with the predicate then defined as:
-For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
-put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
-big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
+@lisp
+(not my-article-old-p)
+@end lisp
-You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
-regexp to match component groups.
+or you could append your predicate to the predefined
+@code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
+wherever.
-All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
-component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
-article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
-came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
-shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
-@kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
-and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
-(@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
+@lisp
+(require 'gnus-agent)
+(setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
+ (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
+ '((old . my-article-old-p))))
+@end lisp
-Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
-newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
+and simply specify your predicate as:
@lisp
-(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
+(not old)
@end lisp
-The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
-smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
+If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
+misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
+always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
+just don't give a damn.
-Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
-idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
-If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
-and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
+The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
+category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
+individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
+new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
+parameters like so:
-@example
-"^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
-@end example
+@lisp
+(agent-predicate . short)
+@end lisp
-(Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
-shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
-characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
+This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
+Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
+@code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
-This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
-end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
-the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
-sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
-(@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
+The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
-One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
-group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
-zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
+@lisp
+(agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
+@end lisp
-@vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
-If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
-is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
-articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
-and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
-been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
-when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
-have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
-that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
-just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
-it---it'll have much the same effect.
+The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
+entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
+predicate is assumed to be a list.
-@code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
-When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
-has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
-whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
-there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
-and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
-not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
-@kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
-line from the article you respond to in these cases.
+Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
+normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
+seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
+following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
+@code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
+@code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
-@code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
-from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
-inherited.
+As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
+to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
+it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
+if it's to be specific to that group.
+In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
+three forms:
-@node Email Based Diary
-@section Email Based Diary
-@cindex diary
-@cindex email based diary
-@cindex calendar
+@enumerate
+@item
+Score rule
-This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
-and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
-sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
-reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
-Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
-namely, as event reminders.
+This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
+subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
-Here is a typical scenario:
+example:
@itemize @bullet
@item
-You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
-to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
-@item
-So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
-@item
-You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
-@item
-From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
-is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
-appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
-@item
-Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
-of the night you're gonna have.
+Category specification
+
+@lisp
+(("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
+("lines"
+ (500 -100 nil <)))
+@end lisp
+
@item
-Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
-message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
-@end itemize
+Group/Topic Parameter specification
-The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
-(that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
-real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
-explained in the sections below.
+@lisp
+(agent-score ("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
+ ("lines"
+ (500 -100 nil <)))
+@end lisp
-@menu
-* The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
-* The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
-* Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
-@end menu
+Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
+@end itemize
+@item
+Agent score file
-@node The NNDiary Back End
-@subsection The NNDiary Back End
-@cindex nndiary
-@cindex the nndiary back end
+These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
+keywords stated above.
-@code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
-Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
-@code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
-the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
-directory per group.
+example:
- Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
-@code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
-of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
-Timestamp} to see how it's done.
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Category specification
-@menu
-* Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
-* Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
-* Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
-@end menu
+@lisp
+("~/News/agent.SCORE")
+@end lisp
-@node Diary Messages
-@subsubsection Diary Messages
-@cindex nndiary messages
-@cindex nndiary mails
+or perhaps
-@code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
-presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
-@code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
-@code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
-@code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
-@code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
-crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
+@lisp
+("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
+@end lisp
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
-either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
-(separated by a comma).
-@item
-A field is either an integer, or a range.
-@item
-A range is two integers separated by a dash.
-@item
-Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
-@code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
-for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
-@item
-As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
-mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
-that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
@item
-The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
-value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
-values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
-zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
-list of available time zone values, see the variable
-@code{nndiary-headers}.
-@end itemize
-
-As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
-for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
-21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
-what to do then):
+Group Parameter specification
-@example
-X-Diary-Minute: 0
-X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
-X-Diary-Dom: 1
-X-Diary-Month: *
-X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
-X-Diary-Dow: 1
-X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
-@end example
+@lisp
+(agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
+@end lisp
-@node Running NNDiary
-@subsubsection Running NNDiary
-@cindex running nndiary
-@cindex nndiary operation modes
+Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
+about parenthesis?
+@end itemize
-@code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
-and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
-mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
-from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
-as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
-mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
+@item
+Use @code{normal} score files
-One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
-``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
-sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
-messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
-being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
-the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
-(which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
-mode.
+If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
+your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
+@code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
+@code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
-In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
-things to do:
+These directives in either the category definition or a group's
+parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
+files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
+relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
@itemize @bullet
@item
-Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
-line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+Category Specification
@lisp
-(setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
+file
@end lisp
-@item
-You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
-headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
-Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
-multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
-source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
-As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
-@file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
+@item
+Group Parameter specification
-@example
-:0 HD :
-* ^X-Diary
-.nndiary
-@end example
+@lisp
+(agent-score . file)
+@end lisp
@end itemize
+@end enumerate
-Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
-that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
+@node Category Buffer
+@subsubsection Category Buffer
-@defvar nndiary-mail-sources
-This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
-@code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
-@code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
-@end defvar
+You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
+When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
+the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
-@defvar nndiary-split-methods
-This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
-@code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
-@end defvar
+The following commands are available in this buffer:
- Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
-(something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
-@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
+@table @kbd
+@item q
+@kindex q (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-exit
+Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
- Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
-@file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
-autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
-also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
-diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
+@item e
+@kindex e (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-customize-category
+Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
+parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
-@node Customizing NNDiary
-@subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
-@cindex customizing nndiary
-@cindex nndiary customization
+@item k
+@kindex k (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-kill
+Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
-Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
-The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
-browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
-two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
+@item c
+@kindex c (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-copy
+Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
-@defvar nndiary-reminders
-This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
-appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
-before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
-diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
-mail.
-@end defvar
+@item a
+@kindex a (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-add
+Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
-@defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
-Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
-default).
-@end defvar
+@item p
+@kindex p (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
+Edit the predicate of the current category
+(@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
+@item g
+@kindex g (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-edit-groups
+Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
+(@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
-@node The Gnus Diary Library
-@subsection The Gnus Diary Library
-@cindex gnus-diary
-@cindex the gnus diary library
+@item s
+@kindex s (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-edit-score
+Edit the download score rule of the current category
+(@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
-Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
-so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
-@code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
-useful things for you.
+@item l
+@kindex l (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-list
+List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
+@end table
- In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
-@lisp
-(require 'gnus-diary)
-@end lisp
+@node Category Variables
+@subsubsection Category Variables
- Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
-(@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
-(sorry if you used them before).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-category-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
+Hook run in category buffers.
+@item gnus-category-line-format
+@vindex gnus-category-line-format
+Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
+Variables}). Valid elements are:
-@menu
-* Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
-* Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
-* Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
-* Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
-@end menu
+@table @samp
+@item c
+The name of the category.
-@node Diary Summary Line Format
-@subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
-@cindex diary summary buffer line
-@cindex diary summary line format
+@item g
+The number of groups in the category.
+@end table
-Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
-something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
-the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
-see the event's date.
+@item gnus-category-mode-line-format
+@vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
+Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
- @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
-summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
-for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
-while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
-next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
+@item gnus-agent-short-article
+@vindex gnus-agent-short-article
+Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
- For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
-@code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
-expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
+@item gnus-agent-long-article
+@vindex gnus-agent-long-article
+Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
-@example
- E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
-@end example
+@item gnus-agent-low-score
+@vindex gnus-agent-low-score
+Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
+0.
-In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
-following line to your diary groups'parameters:
+@item gnus-agent-high-score
+@vindex gnus-agent-high-score
+Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
+0.
-@lisp
-(gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-agent-expire-days
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
+The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
+local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
+the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
+just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
+important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
+article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
+read.
+Default 7.
+
+@item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
+@vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
+Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
+retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
+you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
+you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
+have to enable expiration in selected groups.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Agent Commands
+@subsection Agent Commands
+@findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
+@kindex J j (Agent)
+
+All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
+(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
+toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
+
+
+@menu
+* Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
+* Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
+* Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
+@end menu
+
+
+
+
+@node Group Agent Commands
+@subsubsection Group Agent Commands
-However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
-Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
-with the following user options:
+@table @kbd
+@item J u
+@kindex J u (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
+Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
+(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
-@defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
-Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
-Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
-diary groups'parameters.
-@end defvar
+@item J c
+@kindex J c (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
+Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
-@defvar gnus-diary-time-format
-Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
-used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
-@end defvar
+@item J s
+@kindex J s (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
+Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
+(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
-@defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
-Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
-times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
-format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
-you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
-@end defvar
+@item J S
+@kindex J S (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-group-send-queue
+Send all sendable messages in the queue group
+(@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
-@node Diary Articles Sorting
-@subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
-@cindex diary articles sorting
-@cindex diary summary lines sorting
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
+@item J a
+@kindex J a (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-add-group
+Add the current group to an Agent category
+(@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
-Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
-your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
+@item J r
+@kindex J r (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-remove-group
+Remove the current group from its category, if any
+(@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
-@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
-buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
-default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
-Parameters}).
+@item J Y
+@kindex J Y (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
+Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
-@node Diary Headers Generation
-@subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
-@cindex diary headers generation
-@findex gnus-diary-check-message
-@code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
-@code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
-headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
-required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
-needed.
+@end table
- This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
-moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
-automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c C-f d} in
-@code{message-mode} and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the
-process of converting a usual mail to a diary one.
- This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
-all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
-you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
-instance.
+@node Summary Agent Commands
+@subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
-@node Diary Group Parameters
-@subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
-@cindex diary group parameters
+@table @kbd
+@item J #
+@kindex J # (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-mark-article
+Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
-When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
-automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
-summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
-diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
-@code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
-to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
-on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
-automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
+@item J M-#
+@kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
+Remove the downloading mark from the article
+(@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
-@node Sending or Not Sending
-@subsection Sending or Not Sending
+@cindex %
+@item @@
+@kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
+Toggle whether to download the article
+(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
+default.
-Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
-mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
+@item J c
+@kindex J c (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-catchup
+Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-@code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
-messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
-appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
-sending the diary message to them as well.
-@item
-However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
-can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
-message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
-comes in very handy for private appointments.
-@end itemize
+@item J S
+@kindex J S (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
+Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
+(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
-@node Gnus Unplugged
-@section Gnus Unplugged
-@cindex offline
-@cindex unplugged
-@cindex agent
-@cindex Gnus agent
-@cindex Gnus unplugged
+@item J s
+@kindex J s (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
+Download all processable articles in this group.
+(@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
-In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
-on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
-was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
-read news. Believe it or not.
+@item J u
+@kindex J u (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
+Download all downloadable articles in the current group
+(@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
-Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
-modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
-would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
-the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
-have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
+@end table
-Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
-@code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
-for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
-functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
-reading news on a machine.
-Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
-fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
-by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
+@node Server Agent Commands
+@subsubsection Server Agent Commands
-Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
+@table @kbd
+@item J a
+@kindex J a (Agent Server)
+@findex gnus-agent-add-server
+Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
+(@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
-@menu
-* Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
-* Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
-* Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
-* Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
-* Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
-* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
-* Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
-* Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
-* Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
-* Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
-* Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
-* Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
-* Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
-* Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
-@end menu
+@item J r
+@kindex J r (Agent Server)
+@findex gnus-agent-remove-server
+Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
+Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
+@end table
-@node Agent Basics
-@subsection Agent Basics
-First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
+@node Agent Visuals
+@subsection Agent Visuals
-The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
-connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
-When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
-Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
+If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
+active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
+stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
+something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
+placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
+there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
+When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
+placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
+You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
+placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
-The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
-connected to the net continuously.
+While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
+available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
+fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
+way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
+less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
+adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
+the download status of each article so that you always know which
+articles will be available when unplugged.
-@dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
-machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
+The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
+a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
+Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
+will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
+other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
+@samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
+(@samp{ }) will be displayed.
+
+The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
+are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
+result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
+that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
+face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
+tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
+conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
+that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
+to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
-You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
-shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
-is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
-say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
-you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
+If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
+each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
+undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
+being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
+downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
+users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
+database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
+to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
+of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
+normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
-Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
-that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
-can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
-servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
-they're kinda like plugged always).
+If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
+undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
+group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
+parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
+a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}).
-So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
-connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
-servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
-the culprit.
+The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
+can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
+even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
+is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
+This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
+fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
+the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
+expiring'' articles.
-Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
-reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
-server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
-server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
-will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
+@node Agent as Cache
+@subsection Agent as Cache
-Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
+When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
+articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
+Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
+in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
+buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
+are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
+consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
+article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
+server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
-@itemize @bullet
+If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
+@pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
+plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
+synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
+sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
-@item
-@findex gnus-unplugged
-You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
-Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
-already fetched while in this mode.
+@node Agent Expiry
+@subsection Agent Expiry
-@item
-You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
-your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
-to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
-as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
-Source Specifiers}).
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
+@findex gnus-agent-expire
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
+@findex gnus-agent-expire-group
+@cindex agent expiry
+@cindex Gnus agent expiry
+@cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
-@item
-You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
-news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
-@kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
-all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
-articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
+The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
+least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
+special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
+commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
+@code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
+that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
+efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
+@kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
-@item
-After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
-unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
-then you read the news offline.
+Note that other functions might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you
+to keep the agent synchronized with the group.
-@item
-And then you go to step 2.
-@end itemize
+The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
+prevent expiration in selected groups.
-Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
-the Agent.
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
+If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
+expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
+and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
+are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
+be kept indefinitely.
-@itemize @bullet
+If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
+perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
+commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
-@item
-Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
-back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
-Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
-@kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
-Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
-added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
-all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
-@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
+@node Agent Regeneration
+@subsection Agent Regeneration
-@item
-Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
-you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
-parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
-is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
+@cindex agent regeneration
+@cindex Gnus agent regeneration
+@cindex regeneration
-Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
-(@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
-to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
-parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
-to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
-your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
-configure them.
+The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
+due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
+@code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
+to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
+internal inconsistencies.
-@item
-Uhm@dots{} that's it.
-@end itemize
+For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
+downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
+know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
+failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
+such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
+@findex gnus-agent-regenerate
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
+The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
+you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
+recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
-@node Agent Categories
-@subsection Agent Categories
+@findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
+The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
+of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
+then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
+are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
+agent as unread.
-One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
-newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
-There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
-find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
-to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
-mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
-you're interested in the articles anyway.
+@node Agent and flags
+@subsection Agent and flags
-One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
-downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
-groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
-category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
-buffer for creating and managing categories.
+The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
+nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
+the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
+the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
+Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
+to the flags in its own files.
-If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
-Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
-alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
-difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
-less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
-sink.
+When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
+changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
+server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
-Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
-a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
-the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
-parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
-variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
-of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
-your settings.
+@vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
+If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
+never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
+the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
+ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
+any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
-@menu
-* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
-* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
-* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
-@end menu
+If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
+re-connect, you can do it manually with the
+@code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
+in the group buffer.
+Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
+all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
+server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
+the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
+re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
+removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
+operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
+directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
-@node Category Syntax
-@subsubsection Category Syntax
+@node Agent and IMAP
+@subsection Agent and IMAP
-A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
-category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
-customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
-listed below.
+The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
+since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
+@acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
+make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
-@cindex Agent Parameters
-@table @code
-@item agent-groups
-The list of groups that are in this category.
+Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
+expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
-@item agent-predicate
-A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
-are eligible for downloading; and
+@itemize @bullet
-@item agent-score
-a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
-deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
-score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
+@item
+Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
-@item agent-enable-expiration
-a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
-this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
-fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
-only groups that should not be expired.
+@item
+Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
-@item agent-days-until-old
-an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
-before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
+@end itemize
-@item agent-low-score
-an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
+@node Outgoing Messages
+@subsection Outgoing Messages
-@item agent-high-score
-an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
+By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
+and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
+You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
-@item agent-short-article
-an integer that overrides the value of
-@code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
+You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
+(see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
+news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
-@item agent-long-article
-an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
+You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
+commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
+group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
+Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
+mail at any time.
-@item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
-a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
-undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
-faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
-undownloaded faces.
-@end table
+If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
+about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
+ask you to confirm your action (see
+@code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
-The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
-created.
+@node Agent Variables
+@subsection Agent Variables
-Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
-that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
-group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
-category.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-agent
+@vindex gnus-agent
+Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
+the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
+automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
+back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
-A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
-@code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
-article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
-predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
+To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
+(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
-Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
-their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
-@code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
-To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
-download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
-operators sprinkled in between.
+@item gnus-agent-directory
+@vindex gnus-agent-directory
+Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
+@file{~/News/agent/}.
-Perhaps some examples are in order.
+@item gnus-agent-handle-level
+@vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
+Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
+be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
+which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
+by default.
-Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
-for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
+@item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
+@vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
+Hook run when connecting to the network.
-@lisp
-short
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
+@vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
+Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
-Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
-short (for some value of ``short'').
+@item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
+@vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
+Hook run when finished fetching articles.
-Here's a more complex predicate:
+@item gnus-agent-cache
+@vindex gnus-agent-cache
+Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
+articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
+The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
-@lisp
-(or high
- (and
- (not low)
- (not long)))
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-agent-go-online
+@vindex gnus-agent-go-online
+If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
+automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
+@code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
+offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
+other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
+online status.
-This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
-or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
-drift.
+@item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
+@vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
+If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
+mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
+thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
+read. The default is @code{t}.
-The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
-@code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
-@samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
+@item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
+@vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
+If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
+never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
+the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
+ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
+any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
-The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
-you want to do, you can write your own.
+@item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
+@vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
+If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
+agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
+downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
+the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
+are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
+into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
+the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
+over and over again.
-When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
-bound to the value determined by calling
-@code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
-example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
-@code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
-means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
-predicate to individual groups.
+@item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
+@vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
+The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
+them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
+the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
+have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
+limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
+performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
+connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
+However, all articles parsed prior to losing the connection will be
+available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
+see any cycling.
-@table @code
-@item short
-True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
-lines; default 100.
+@item gnus-server-unopen-status
+@vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
+Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
+variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
+Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
+whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
+Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
+for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
+is only valid if the Agent is used.
-@item long
-True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
-lines; default 200.
+@item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
+@vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
+Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
+that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
+buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
+agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
-@item low
-True if the article has a download score less than
-@code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
+The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
+@code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
+have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
+ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
+(maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
-@item high
-True if the article has a download score greater than
-@code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
+@item gnus-agent-queue-mail
+@vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
+When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
+queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
+will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
+mail. The default is @code{t}.
-@item spam
-True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
-heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
-checksum and sees whether articles match.
+@item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
+@vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
+When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
+prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
+@kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
-@item true
-Always true.
+@item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
+@vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
+If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
+@file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
+automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
+which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
+to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
+as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
+If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
+removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
+start Gnus. The default is @samp{nil}.
-@item false
-Always false.
@end table
-If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
-to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
-@code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
-useful values.
-
-For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
-that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
-more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
-something along the lines of the following:
-@lisp
-(defun my-article-old-p ()
- "Say whether an article is old."
- (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
- (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
-@end lisp
+@node Example Setup
+@subsection Example Setup
-with the predicate then defined as:
+If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
+setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
@lisp
-(not my-article-old-p)
-@end lisp
+;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
+;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
-or you could append your predicate to the predefined
-@code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
-wherever.
+;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
+;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
+(setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
-@lisp
-(require 'gnus-agent)
-(setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
- (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
- '((old . my-article-old-p))))
+;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
+
+;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
+;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
+;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
@end lisp
-and simply specify your predicate as:
+That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
+edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
+gnus}.
-@lisp
-(not old)
-@end lisp
+If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
+automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
+subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
+@acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
+command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
+once.
-If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
-misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
-always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
-just don't give a damn.
+After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
+groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
+command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
+subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
+back all the killed groups.)
-The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
-category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
-individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
-new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
-parameters like so:
+You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
+with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
+find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
-@lisp
-(agent-predicate . short)
-@end lisp
-This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
-Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
-@code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
+@node Batching Agents
+@subsection Batching Agents
+@findex gnus-agent-batch
-The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
+Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
+written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
+following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
-@lisp
-(agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
-@end lisp
+You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
+following incantation:
-The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
-entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
-predicate is assumed to be a list.
+@example
+#!/bin/sh
+emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
+@end example
-Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
-normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
-seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
-following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
-@code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
-@code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
+@node Agent Caveats
+@subsection Agent Caveats
-As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
-to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
-it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
-if it's to be specific to that group.
+The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
+newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
+may ask:
-In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
-three forms:
+@table @dfn
+@item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
-@enumerate
-@item
-Score rule
+@strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
+@code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
+@code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
-This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
-subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
+@item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
+the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
-example:
+@strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Category specification
+@end table
-@lisp
-(("from"
- ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
-("lines"
- (500 -100 nil <)))
-@end lisp
+In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
+articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
+locally stored articles.
-@item
-Group/Topic Parameter specification
-@lisp
-(agent-score ("from"
- ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
- ("lines"
- (500 -100 nil <)))
-@end lisp
+@node Scoring
+@chapter Scoring
+@cindex scoring
-Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
-@end itemize
+Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
+scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
+something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
+attention!
-@item
-Agent score file
+@vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
+All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
+which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
+interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
-These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
-keywords stated above.
+Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
+before generating the summary buffer.
-example:
+There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
+entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
+lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Category specification
+There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
+Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
+temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
+silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
-@lisp
-("~/News/agent.SCORE")
-@end lisp
+@menu
+* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
+* Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
+* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
+* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
+* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
+* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
+* Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
+* Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
+* Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
+* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
+* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
+* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
+* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
+* Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
+* Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
+* Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
+@end menu
-or perhaps
-@lisp
-("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
-@end lisp
+@node Summary Score Commands
+@section Summary Score Commands
+@cindex score commands
-@item
-Group Parameter specification
+The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
+score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
+previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
+@dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
+entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
-@lisp
-(agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
-@end lisp
+The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
+if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
+some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
+score file the current one.
-Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
-about parenthesis?
-@end itemize
+General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
-@item
-Use @code{normal} score files
+@table @kbd
-If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
-your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
-@code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
-@code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
+@item V s
+@kindex V s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-set-score
+Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
-These directives in either the category definition or a group's
-parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
-files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
-relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
+@item V S
+@kindex V S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-current-score
+Display the score of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Category Specification
+@item V t
+@kindex V t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-find-trace
+Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
+(@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
+may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
+current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
+score file and edit it.
+
+@item V w
+@kindex V w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
+List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
+
+@item V R
+@kindex V R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rescore
+Run the current summary through the scoring process
+(@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
+around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
+effect you're having.
+
+@item V c
+@kindex V c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-change-score-file
+Make a different score file the current
+(@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
-@lisp
-file
-@end lisp
+@item V e
+@kindex V e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
+Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
+You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
+File Editing}).
-@item
-Group Parameter specification
+@item V f
+@kindex V f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-file
+Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
-@lisp
-(agent-score . file)
-@end lisp
-@end itemize
-@end enumerate
+@item V F
+@kindex V F (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
+Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
+after editing score files.
-@node Category Buffer
-@subsubsection Category Buffer
+@item V C
+@kindex V C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-customize
+Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
+(@code{gnus-score-customize}).
-You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
-When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
-the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
+@end table
-The following commands are available in this buffer:
+The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
@table @kbd
-@item q
-@kindex q (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-exit
-Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
-@item e
-@kindex e (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-customize-category
-Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
-parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
+@item V m
+@kindex V m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
+Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
+read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
-@item k
-@kindex k (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-kill
-Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
+@item V x
+@kindex V x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
+Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
+expunge all articles below this score
+(@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
+@end table
-@item c
-@kindex c (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-copy
-Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
+The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
+pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
+them.)
-@item a
-@kindex a (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-add
-Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
+@findex gnus-summary-increase-score
+@findex gnus-summary-lower-score
-@item p
-@kindex p (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
-Edit the predicate of the current category
-(@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
+@enumerate
+@item
+The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
+or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
+@item
+The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
+keys are available:
+@table @kbd
-@item g
-@kindex g (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-edit-groups
-Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
-(@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
+@item a
+Score on the author name.
@item s
-@kindex s (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-edit-score
-Edit the download score rule of the current category
-(@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
-
-@item l
-@kindex l (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-list
-List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
-@end table
-
-
-@node Category Variables
-@subsubsection Category Variables
-
-@table @code
-@item gnus-category-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
-Hook run in category buffers.
+Score on the subject line.
-@item gnus-category-line-format
-@vindex gnus-category-line-format
-Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
-Variables}). Valid elements are:
+@item x
+Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
-@table @samp
-@item c
-The name of the category.
+@item r
+Score on the @code{References} line.
-@item g
-The number of groups in the category.
-@end table
+@item d
+Score on the date.
-@item gnus-category-mode-line-format
-@vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
-Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
+@item l
+Score on the number of lines.
-@item gnus-agent-short-article
-@vindex gnus-agent-short-article
-Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
+@item i
+Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
-@item gnus-agent-long-article
-@vindex gnus-agent-long-article
-Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
+@item e
+Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
+if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
-@item gnus-agent-low-score
-@vindex gnus-agent-low-score
-Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
-0.
+@item f
+Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
+the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
+@file{ADAPT} files.)
-@item gnus-agent-high-score
-@vindex gnus-agent-high-score
-Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
-0.
+@item b
+Score on the body.
-@item gnus-agent-expire-days
-@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
-The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
-local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
-the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
-just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
-important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
-article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
-read.
-Default 7.
+@item h
+Score on the head.
-@item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
-@vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
-Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
-retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
-you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
-you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
-have to enable expiration in selected groups.
+@item t
+Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
+files.)
@end table
+@item
+The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
+what headers you are scoring on.
-@node Agent Commands
-@subsection Agent Commands
-@findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
-@kindex J j (Agent)
-
-All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
-(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
-toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
+@table @code
+@item strings
-@menu
-* Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
-* Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
-* Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
-@end menu
+@table @kbd
+@item e
+Exact matching.
+@item s
+Substring matching.
+@item f
+Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
-@node Group Agent Commands
-@subsubsection Group Agent Commands
+@item r
+Regexp matching
+@end table
+@item date
@table @kbd
-@item J u
-@kindex J u (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
-Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
-(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
-
-@item J c
-@kindex J c (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
-Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
-@item J s
-@kindex J s (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
-Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
-(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
+@item b
+Before date.
-@item J S
-@kindex J S (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-group-send-queue
-Send all sendable messages in the queue group
-(@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
+@item a
+After date.
-@item J a
-@kindex J a (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-agent-add-group
-Add the current group to an Agent category
-(@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@item n
+This date.
+@end table
-@item J r
-@kindex J r (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-agent-remove-group
-Remove the current group from its category, if any
-(@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@item number
+@table @kbd
-@item J Y
-@kindex J Y (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
-Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
+@item <
+Less than number.
+@item =
+Equal to number.
+@item >
+Greater than number.
+@end table
@end table
+@item
+The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
+expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
+or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
+file.
+@table @kbd
-@node Summary Agent Commands
-@subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
+@item t
+Temporary score entry.
-@table @kbd
-@item J #
-@kindex J # (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-mark-article
-Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
+@item p
+Permanent score entry.
-@item J M-#
-@kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
-Remove the downloading mark from the article
-(@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
+@item i
+Immediately scoring.
+@end table
-@cindex %
-@item @@
-@kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
-Toggle whether to download the article
-(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
-default.
+@item
+If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
+the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
+in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
-@item J c
-@kindex J c (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-catchup
-Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
+@end enumerate
-@item J S
-@kindex J S (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
-Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
-(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
+So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
+exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
+score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
+temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
-@item J s
-@kindex J s (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
-Download all processable articles in this group.
-(@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
+To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
+a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
+defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
+``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
+t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
-@item J u
-@kindex J u (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
-Download all downloadable articles in the current group
-(@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
+These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
+(@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
+(or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
+says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
+current score file.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
+The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
+pretend they are keymaps or not.
-@node Server Agent Commands
-@subsubsection Server Agent Commands
+@node Group Score Commands
+@section Group Score Commands
+@cindex group score commands
+
+There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
@table @kbd
-@item J a
-@kindex J a (Agent Server)
-@findex gnus-agent-add-server
-Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
-(@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
-@item J r
-@kindex J r (Agent Server)
-@findex gnus-agent-remove-server
-Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
-Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
+@item W e
+@kindex W e (Group)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
+Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
+a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
-@end table
+@item W f
+@kindex W f (Group)
+@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
+Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
+all the time. This command will flush the cache
+(@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
+@end table
-@node Agent Visuals
-@subsection Agent Visuals
+You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
-If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
-active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
-stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
-something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
-placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
-there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
-When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
-placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
-You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
-placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
+@findex gnus-batch-score
+@cindex batch scoring
+@example
+$ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
+@end example
-While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
-available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
-fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
-way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
-less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
-adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
-the download status of each article so that you always know which
-articles will be available when unplugged.
-The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
-@code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
-a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
-Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
-will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
-other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
-@samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
-(@samp{ }) will be displayed.
+@node Score Variables
+@section Score Variables
+@cindex score variables
-The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
-are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
-result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
-that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
-face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
-tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
-conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
-that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
-to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
+@table @code
-If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
-each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
-undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
-being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
-downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
-users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
-database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
-to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
-of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
-normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
+@item gnus-use-scoring
+@vindex gnus-use-scoring
+If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
+general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
-If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
-undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
-group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
-parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
-a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
-(@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+@item gnus-kill-killed
+@vindex gnus-kill-killed
+If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
+articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
+may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
+to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
+group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
+variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
-The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
-can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
-even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
-is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
-This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
-fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
-the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
-expiring'' articles.
+@item gnus-kill-files-directory
+@vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
+All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
+initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
+This is @file{~/News/} by default.
-@node Agent as Cache
-@subsection Agent as Cache
+@item gnus-score-file-suffix
+@vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
+Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
+(@file{SCORE} by default.)
-When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
-articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
-Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
-in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
-buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
-are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
-consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
-article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
-server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
+@item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
+@vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
+@cindex score cache
+All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
+score files. However, this might make your Emacs grow big and
+bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
+to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
+@file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
+@file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
+variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
+be cached.
-If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
-@pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
-plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
-synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
-sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
+@item gnus-save-score
+@vindex gnus-save-score
+If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
+scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
+Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
-@node Agent Expiry
-@subsection Agent Expiry
+If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
+with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
+across group visits.
-@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
-@findex gnus-agent-expire
-@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
-@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
-@findex gnus-agent-expire-group
-@cindex agent expiry
-@cindex Gnus agent expiry
-@cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
+@item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
+@vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
+Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
+score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
+ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
+We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
+manually entered data.
-The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
-least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
-special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
-commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
-@code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
-that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
-efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
-@kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
+@item gnus-summary-default-score
+@vindex gnus-summary-default-score
+Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
-Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
-might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
-synchronized with the group.
+@item gnus-summary-expunge-below
+@vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
+Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
+this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
+articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
+and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
-The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
-prevent expiration in selected groups.
+@item gnus-score-over-mark
+@vindex gnus-score-over-mark
+Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
+default. Default is @samp{+}.
-@vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
-If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
-expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
-and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
-are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
-be kept indefinitely.
+@item gnus-score-below-mark
+@vindex gnus-score-below-mark
+Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
+default. Default is @samp{-}.
-If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
-perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
-commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
-@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
+@item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
+@vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
+Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
+is called with the name of the group as the argument.
-@node Agent Regeneration
-@subsection Agent Regeneration
+Predefined functions available are:
+@table @code
-@cindex agent regeneration
-@cindex Gnus agent regeneration
-@cindex regeneration
+@item gnus-score-find-single
+@findex gnus-score-find-single
+Only apply the group's own score file.
-The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
-due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
-@code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
-to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
-internal inconsistencies.
+@item gnus-score-find-bnews
+@findex gnus-score-find-bnews
+Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
+default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
+@file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
+@file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
+@samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
+then a regexp match is done.
-For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
-downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
-know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
-failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
-@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
-such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
+This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
+all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
-@findex gnus-agent-regenerate
-@kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
-The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
-@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
-you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
-recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
+The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
+try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
+files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
+file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
-@findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
-@kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
-The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
-of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
-then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
-are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
-agent as unread.
+@item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
+@findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
+Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
+can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
+@file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
+server.
-@node Agent and flags
-@subsection Agent and flags
+@end table
+This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
+these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
+all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
+functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
+that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
+should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
+ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
+Phu.
-The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
-nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
-the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
-the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
-Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
-to the flags in its own files.
+For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
+overall score file, you could use the value
+@example
+(list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
+ 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
+@end example
-When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
-changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
-server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
+@item gnus-score-expiry-days
+@vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
+This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
+entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
+are expired. It's 7 by default.
-@vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
-If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
-never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
-the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
-ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
-any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
+@item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
+@vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
+been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
+controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
+matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
+variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
+have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
-If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
-re-connect, you can do it manually with the
-@code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
-in the group buffer.
+@item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
+@vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
+Function called with the name of the score file just written.
-Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
-all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
-server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
-the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
-re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
-removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
-operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
-directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
+@item gnus-score-thread-simplify
+@vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
+simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
+threading---according to the current value of
+@code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
+@code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
+simplified in this manner.
-@node Agent and IMAP
-@subsection Agent and IMAP
+@end table
-The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
-since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
-@acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
-make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
-Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
-expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
+@node Score File Format
+@section Score File Format
+@cindex score file format
-@itemize @bullet
+A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
+single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
+everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
-@item
-Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
+Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
-@item
-Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
+@lisp
+(("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
+ ("Per Abrahamsen")
+ ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
+ ("subject"
+ ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
+ ("xref"
+ ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
+ ("lines"
+ (2 -100 nil <))
+ (mark 0)
+ (expunge -1000)
+ (mark-and-expunge -10)
+ (read-only nil)
+ (orphan -10)
+ (adapt t)
+ (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
+ (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
+ (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
+ (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
+ (eval (ding)))
+@end lisp
-@end itemize
+This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
+Scoring}, for a different approach.
-@node Outgoing Messages
-@subsection Outgoing Messages
+Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
+@code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
+has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
-By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
-and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
-You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
+Six keys are supported by this alist:
-You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
-(see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
-news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
+@table @code
-You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
-commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
-group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
-Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
-mail at any time.
+@item STRING
+If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
+match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
+@code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
+@code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
+these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
+article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
+will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
+perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
+perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
+last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
+final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
+entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
+to articles that matches these score entries.
-If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
-about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
-ask you to confirm your action (see
-@code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
+Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
+score entry has one to four elements.
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
+be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
+integer.
-@node Agent Variables
-@subsection Agent Variables
+@item
+If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
+element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
+interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
+is successful. If this element is not present, the
+@code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
+instead. This is 1000 by default.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-agent
-@vindex gnus-agent
-Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
-the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
-automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
-back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
+@item
+If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
+element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
+which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
+element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
+represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
-To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
-(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
+@item
+If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
+element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
+whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
+be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
+@table @dfn
+@item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
+For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
+well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
+@code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
+element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
+be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
+that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
+one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
+@code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
+instead, if you feel like.
-@item gnus-agent-directory
-@vindex gnus-agent-directory
-Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
-@file{~/News/agent/}.
+@item Extra
+Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
+gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
+case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
+header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
+@file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
+host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
+overviews:
-@item gnus-agent-handle-level
-@vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
-Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
-be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
-which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
-by default.
+@lisp
+("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
+ "NNTP-Posting-Host")
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
-@vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
-Hook run when connecting to the network.
+@item Lines, Chars
+These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
+@code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
-@item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
-@vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
-Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
+These predicates are true if
-@item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
-@vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
-Hook run when finished fetching articles.
+@example
+(PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
+@end example
-@item gnus-agent-cache
-@vindex gnus-agent-cache
-Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
-articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
-The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
+evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
+@code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
+following form:
-@item gnus-agent-go-online
-@vindex gnus-agent-go-online
-If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
-automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
-@code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
-offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
-other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
-online status.
+@lisp
+(< header-value 4)
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
-@vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
-If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
-mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
-thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
-read. The default is @code{t}.
+Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
+the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
+(It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
+it's not. I think.)
-@item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
-@vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
-If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
-never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
-the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
-ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
-any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
+When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
+@code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
+up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
+you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
-@item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
-@vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
-If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
-agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
-downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
-the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
-are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
-into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
-the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
-over and over again.
+@item Date
+For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
+@code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
+ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
+this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
+Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
+sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
+quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
-@item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
-@vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
-The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
-them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
-the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
-have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
-limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
-performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
-connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
-@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
-However, all articles parsed prior to losing the connection will be
-available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
-see any cycling.
+@cindex ISO8601
+@cindex date
+A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
+date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
+ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
+you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
+every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
+for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
+this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
+the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
+whole family, eh?)
-@item gnus-server-unopen-status
-@vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
-Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
-variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
-Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
-whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
-Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
-for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
-is only valid if the Agent is used.
+@item Head, Body, All
+These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
+header uses.
-@item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
-@vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
-Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
-that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
-buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
-agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
+@item Followup
+This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
+@code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
+articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
+you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
+decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
+trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
+uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
+files.)
-The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
-@code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
-have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
-ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
-(maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
+@item Thread
+This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
+key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
+article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
+match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
+has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
+matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
+This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
+even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
+@code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
+nondeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
+key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
+@end table
+@end enumerate
-@item gnus-agent-queue-mail
-@vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
-When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
-queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
-will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
-mail. The default is @code{t}.
+@cindex score file atoms
+@item mark
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be marked as read.
-@item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
-@vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
-When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
-prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
-@kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
+@item expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
-@item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
-@vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
-If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
-@file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
-automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
-which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
-to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
-as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
-If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
-removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
-start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
+@item mark-and-expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
+summary buffer.
-@end table
+@item thread-mark-and-expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
+a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
+and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
+says how to compute the total score for a thread.
+@item files
+The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
+are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
+this one was.
-@node Example Setup
-@subsection Example Setup
+@item exclude-files
+The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
+not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
+other.
-If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
-setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
-@file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
+@item eval
+The value of this entry will be @code{eval}ed. This element will be
+ignored when handling global score files.
-@lisp
-;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
-;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
-(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
+@item read-only
+Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
+should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
+@dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
+apply-to-all-groups score files.)
-;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
-;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
-(setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
+@item orphan
+The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
+parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
+some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
+will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
-;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
+You can do this with the following two score file entries:
-;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
-;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
-;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
-@end lisp
+@example
+ (orphan -500)
+ (mark-and-expunge -100)
+@end example
-That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
-edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
-gnus}.
+When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
+threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
+interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{c y}) the
+rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
+interesting threads, plus any new threads.
-If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
-automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
-subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
-@acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
-command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
-once.
+I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
+interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
+scoring rules exist.
-After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
-groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
-command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
-subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
-back all the killed groups.)
+@item adapt
+This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
+default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
+adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
+list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
+or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
+adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
+scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
+@code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
+not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
+groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
+insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
+it.
-You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
-with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
-find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
+@item adapt-file
+All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
+will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
+if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
+file for a number of groups.
+@item local
+@cindex local variables
+The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
+@var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
+current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
+convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
+groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
+be evaluated.
+@end table
-@node Batching Agents
-@subsection Batching Agents
-@findex gnus-agent-batch
-Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
-written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
-following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
+@node Score File Editing
+@section Score File Editing
-You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
-following incantation:
+You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
+might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
+with a mode for that.
-@example
-#!/bin/sh
-emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
-@end example
+It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
+additional commands:
+@table @kbd
-@node Agent Caveats
-@subsection Agent Caveats
+@item C-c C-c
+@kindex C-c C-c (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-exit
+Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-exit}).
-The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
-newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
-may ask:
+@item C-c C-d
+@kindex C-c C-d (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
+Insert the current date in numerical format
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
+you were wondering.
-@table @dfn
-@item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
+@item C-c C-p
+@kindex C-c C-p (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-pretty-print
+The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
+intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
+first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
+you.
-@strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
-@code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
-@code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
+@end table
-@item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
-the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
+Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
-@strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
+@vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
-@end table
+In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
+@kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
-In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
-articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
-locally stored articles.
+@node Adaptive Scoring
+@section Adaptive Scoring
+@cindex adaptive scoring
-@node Scoring
-@chapter Scoring
-@cindex scoring
+If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
+happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
+stupidity, to be precise.
-Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
-scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
-something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
-attention!
+@vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
+When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
+article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
+these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
+You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
+@code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
+words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
+@code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
+variable to @code{(word line)}.
-@vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
-All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
-which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
-interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
-@code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
+@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
+To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
+the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
+might look something like this:
-Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
-before generating the summary buffer.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
+ '((gnus-unread-mark)
+ (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
+ (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
+ (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
+ (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
+ (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
+ (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
+ (gnus-kill-file-mark)
+ (gnus-ancient-mark)
+ (gnus-low-score-mark)
+ (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
+@end lisp
-There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
-entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
-lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
+As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
+variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
+a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
+pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
+that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
+@code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
+entries.
-There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
-Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
-temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
-silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
+Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
+will be applied to each article.
-@menu
-* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
-* Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
-* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
-* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
-* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
-* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
-* Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
-* Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
-* Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
-* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
-* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
-* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
-* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
-* Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
-* Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
-* Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
-@end menu
+To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
+articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
+score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
+lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
+If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
+@code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
+That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
+should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
-@node Summary Score Commands
-@section Summary Score Commands
-@cindex score commands
+If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
+the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
+probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
+adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
-The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
-score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
-previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
-@dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
-entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
+The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
+@code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
+@code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
+@code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
+on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
+current article, thereby matching the following thread.
+
+If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
+to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
+changes result in articles getting marked as read.
-The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
-if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
-some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
-score file the current one.
+After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
+become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
+the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
-General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
+You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
+by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
+let you use different rules in different groups.
-@table @kbd
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
+The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
+group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
+is @file{ADAPT}.
-@item V s
-@kindex V s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-set-score
-Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
+Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
+human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
+default) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
-@item V S
-@kindex V S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-current-score
-Display the score of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
+@vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
+When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
+give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
+matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
+the length of the match is less than
+@code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
+this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
+this problem.
-@item V t
-@kindex V t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-find-trace
-Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
-(@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
-may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
-current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
-score file and edit it.
+@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
+As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
+headers. If you adapt on words, the
+@code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
+each instance of a word should add given a mark.
-@item V w
-@kindex V w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
-List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
+ `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
+ (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
+ (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
+ (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
+@end lisp
-@item V R
-@kindex V R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-rescore
-Run the current summary through the scoring process
-(@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
-around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
-effect you're having.
+This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
+word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
+@code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
+score with 30 points.
-@item V c
-@kindex V c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-change-score-file
-Make a different score file the current
-(@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
+@vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
+@vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
+Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
+will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
+@code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
-@item V e
-@kindex V e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
-Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
-You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
-File Editing}).
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
+Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
+scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
+an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
+variable defaults to @code{nil}.
-@item V f
-@kindex V f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-file
-Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
-(@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
+When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
+syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
+it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
-@item V F
-@kindex V F (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
-Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
-after editing score files.
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
+If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
+word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
+below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
-@item V C
-@kindex V C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-customize
-Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
-(@code{gnus-score-customize}).
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
+If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
+won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
+for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
+lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
-@end table
+After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
+@code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
+what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
-The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
+Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
+likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
+that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
+rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
-@table @kbd
-@item V m
-@kindex V m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
-Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
-read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
+@node Home Score File
+@section Home Score File
-@item V x
-@kindex V x (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
-Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
-expunge all articles below this score
-(@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
-@end table
+The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
+@dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
+for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
-The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
-pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
-them.)
+However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
+a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
+could perhaps use the same home score file.
-@findex gnus-summary-increase-score
-@findex gnus-summary-lower-score
+@vindex gnus-home-score-file
+The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
+be:
@enumerate
@item
-The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
-or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
+A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
+groups.
+
@item
-The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
-keys are available:
-@table @kbd
+A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
+file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
+parameter.
-@item a
-Score on the author name.
+@item
+A list. The elements in this list can be:
-@item s
-Score on the subject line.
+@enumerate
+@item
+@code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
+group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
-@item x
-Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
+@item
+A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
+be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
+name of the group as the parameter.
-@item r
-Score on the @code{References} line.
+@item
+A string. Use the string as the home score file.
+@end enumerate
-@item d
-Score on the date.
+The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
+for matches.
-@item l
-Score on the number of lines.
+@end enumerate
-@item i
-Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
+So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
-@item e
-Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
-if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
+@end lisp
-@item f
-Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
-the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
-@file{ADAPT} files.)
+If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
+@file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
-@item b
-Score on the body.
+@findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
+@end lisp
-@item h
-Score on the head.
+This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
+Other functions include
-@item t
-Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
-files.)
+@table @code
+@item gnus-current-home-score-file
+@findex gnus-current-home-score-file
+Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
+commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
@end table
-@item
-The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
-what headers you are scoring on.
+If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
+another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
+their own home score files:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
+ '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
+ ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
+ ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
+@code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
+@code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
+is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
+specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
-@table @code
+In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
+@code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
+Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
+precedence over this variable.
-@item strings
-@table @kbd
+@node Followups To Yourself
+@section Followups To Yourself
-@item e
-Exact matching.
+Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
+the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
+this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
+articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
+respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
+to easily note when people answer what you've said.
-@item s
-Substring matching.
+@table @code
-@item f
-Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
+@item gnus-score-followup-article
+@findex gnus-score-followup-article
+This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
+article.
-@item r
-Regexp matching
+@item gnus-score-followup-thread
+@findex gnus-score-followup-thread
+This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
+your own article.
@end table
-@item date
-@table @kbd
+@vindex message-sent-hook
+These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
+@code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
+@end lisp
-@item b
-Before date.
-@item a
-After date.
+If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
+the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
+mine:
-@item n
-This date.
-@end table
+@example
+<x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
+<x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
+@end example
-@item number
-@table @kbd
+So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
+exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
+myself:
-@item <
-Less than number.
+@lisp
+("references"
+ ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
+ 1000 nil r))
+@end lisp
-@item =
-Equal to number.
+Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
+is system-dependent.
-@item >
-Greater than number.
-@end table
-@end table
-@item
-The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
-expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
-or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
-file.
-@table @kbd
+@node Scoring On Other Headers
+@section Scoring On Other Headers
+@cindex scoring on other headers
-@item t
-Temporary score entry.
+Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
+headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
+other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
+that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
+matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
-@item p
-Permanent score entry.
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
+You can inhibit this slow scoring on headers or body by setting the
+variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
+@code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
+the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
+inhibited for all groups.
-@item i
-Immediately scoring.
-@end table
+Now, there's not much you can do about the slowness for news groups, but for
+mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
+it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
+a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
+@samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
-@item
-If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
-the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
-in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
+Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
-@end enumerate
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
+ nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
+@end lisp
-So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
-exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
-score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
-temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
+Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
+@kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
+time if you have much mail.
-To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
-a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
-defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
-``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
-t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
+Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
+so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
-These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
-(@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
-(or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
-says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
-current score file.
+See? Simple.
-@vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
-The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
-pretend they are keymaps or not.
+@node Scoring Tips
+@section Scoring Tips
+@cindex scoring tips
-@node Group Score Commands
-@section Group Score Commands
-@cindex group score commands
+@table @dfn
-There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
+@item Crossposts
+@cindex crossposts
+@cindex scoring crossposts
+If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
+the @code{Xref} header.
+@lisp
+("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
+@end lisp
-@table @kbd
+@item Multiple crossposts
+If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
+more than, say, 3 groups:
+@lisp
+("xref"
+ ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
+ -1000 nil r))
+@end lisp
-@item W e
-@kindex W e (Group)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
-Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
-a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
+@item Matching on the body
+This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
+Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
+you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
+keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
+and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
+will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
+@code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
+the matches.
-@item W f
-@kindex W f (Group)
-@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
-Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
-all the time. This command will flush the cache
-(@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
+@item Marking as read
+You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
+number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
+in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
+@lisp
+((mark -100))
+@end lisp
+You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
+@item Negated character classes
+If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
+That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
+@code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
@end table
-You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
-@findex gnus-batch-score
-@cindex batch scoring
-@example
-$ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
-@end example
+@node Reverse Scoring
+@section Reverse Scoring
+@cindex reverse scoring
+If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
+subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
+like this in your score file:
-@node Score Variables
-@section Score Variables
-@cindex score variables
+@lisp
+(("subject"
+ ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
+ (mark 1)
+ (expunge 1))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
+rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
-@item gnus-use-scoring
-@vindex gnus-use-scoring
-If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
-general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
-@item gnus-kill-killed
-@vindex gnus-kill-killed
-If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
-articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
-may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
-to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
-group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
-variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
+@node Global Score Files
+@section Global Score Files
+@cindex global score files
-@item gnus-kill-files-directory
-@vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
-All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
-initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
-This is @file{~/News/} by default.
+Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
+nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
+in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
-@item gnus-score-file-suffix
-@vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
-Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
-(@file{SCORE} by default.)
+What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
+all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
+big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
+
+@vindex gnus-global-score-files
+All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
+@code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
+or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
+files are applicable to which group.
-@item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
-@vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
-@cindex score cache
-All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
-score files. However, this might make your Emacs grow big and
-bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
-to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
-@file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
-@file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
-variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
-be cached.
+To use the score file
+@file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
+all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
+say this:
-@item gnus-save-score
-@vindex gnus-save-score
-If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
-scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
-Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-global-score-files
+ '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
+ "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
+@end lisp
-If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
-with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
-across group visits.
+@findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
+@noindent
+Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
+directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
+If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
+use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
-@item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
-@vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
-Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
-score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
-ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
-We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
-manually entered data.
+Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
+somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
-@item gnus-summary-default-score
-@vindex gnus-summary-default-score
-Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
+If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
+just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
+world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
+wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
+sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
+premises! Yay! The net is saved!
-@item gnus-summary-expunge-below
-@vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
-Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
-this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
-articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
-and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
+Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
+head:
-@item gnus-score-over-mark
-@vindex gnus-score-over-mark
-Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
-default. Default is @samp{+}.
+@itemize @bullet
-@item gnus-score-below-mark
-@vindex gnus-score-below-mark
-Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
-default. Default is @samp{-}.
+@item
+Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
+@item
+To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
+@item
+Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
+@item
+Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
+lowered out of existence.
+@item
+Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
+articles completely.
-@item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
-@vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
-Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
-is called with the name of the group as the argument.
+@item
+Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
+should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
+old articles for a long time.
+@end itemize
-Predefined functions available are:
-@table @code
+@dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
+in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
+Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
+holding our breath yet?
-@item gnus-score-find-single
-@findex gnus-score-find-single
-Only apply the group's own score file.
-@item gnus-score-find-bnews
-@findex gnus-score-find-bnews
-Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
-default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
-@file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
-@file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
-@samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
-then a regexp match is done.
+@node Kill Files
+@section Kill Files
+@cindex kill files
-This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
-all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
+Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
+entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
+Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
-The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
-try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
-files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
-file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
+In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
+than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
+files into score files.
-@item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
-@findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
-Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
-can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
-@file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
-server.
+Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
+forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
+sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
+that isn't a very good idea.
-@end table
-This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
-these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
-all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
-functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
-that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
-should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
-ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
-Phu.
+Normal kill files look like this:
-For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
-overall score file, you could use the value
-@example
-(list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
- 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
-@end example
+@lisp
+(gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+(gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
+(gnus-expunge "X")
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-score-expiry-days
-@vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
-This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
-entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
-are expired. It's 7 by default.
+This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
+marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
-@item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
-@vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
-been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
-controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
-matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
-variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
-have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
+Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
+encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
+interpreting it.
-@item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
-@vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
-Function called with the name of the score file just written.
+Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
-@item gnus-score-thread-simplify
-@vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
-simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
-threading---according to the current value of
-@code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
-@code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
-simplified in this manner.
+@table @kbd
-@end table
+@item M-k
+@kindex M-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
+Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
+@item M-K
+@kindex M-K (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
+Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
+@end table
-@node Score File Format
-@section Score File Format
-@cindex score file format
+Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
-A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
-single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
-everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
+@table @kbd
-Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
+@item M-k
+@kindex M-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
+Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
-@lisp
-(("from"
- ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
- ("Per Abrahamsen")
- ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
- ("subject"
- ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
- ("xref"
- ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
- ("lines"
- (2 -100 nil <))
- (mark 0)
- (expunge -1000)
- (mark-and-expunge -10)
- (read-only nil)
- (orphan -10)
- (adapt t)
- (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
- (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
- (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
- (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
- (eval (ding)))
-@end lisp
+@item M-K
+@kindex M-K (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
+Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
+@end table
-This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
-Scoring}, for a different approach.
+Kill file variables:
-Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
-@code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
-has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-kill-file-name
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-name
+A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
+@file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
+this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
+The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
+course) is just called @file{KILL}.
-Six keys are supported by this alist:
+@vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
+@item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
+kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
+kills.
-@table @code
+@item gnus-apply-kill-hook
+@vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
+@findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
+@findex gnus-apply-kill-file
+A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
+@code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
+kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
+hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
+kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
-@item STRING
-If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
-match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
-@code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
-@code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
-these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
-article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
-will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
-perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
-perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
-last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
-final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
-entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
-to articles that matches these score entries.
+@item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
+A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
-Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
-score entry has one to four elements.
-@enumerate
+@end table
-@item
-The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
-be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
-integer.
-@item
-If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
-element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
-interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
-is successful. If this element is not present, the
-@code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
-instead. This is 1000 by default.
+@node Converting Kill Files
+@section Converting Kill Files
+@cindex kill files
+@cindex converting kill files
-@item
-If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
-element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
-which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
-element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
-represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
+If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
+score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
+the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
+by hand.
-@item
-If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
-element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
-whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
-be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
-@table @dfn
+The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Emacs by default.
+You can fetch it from the contrib directory of the Gnus distribution or
+from
+@uref{http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
-@item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
-For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
-well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
-@code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
-element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
-be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
-that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
-one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
-@code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
-instead, if you feel like.
+If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
+non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
+hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
+before.
-@item Extra
-Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
-gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
-case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
-header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
-@file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
-host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
-overviews:
-@lisp
-("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
- "NNTP-Posting-Host")
-@end lisp
+@node Advanced Scoring
+@section Advanced Scoring
-@item Lines, Chars
-These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
-@code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
+Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
+really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
+about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
+read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
+want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
-These predicates are true if
+By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
+scoring patterns.
-@example
-(PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
-@end example
+@menu
+* Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
+* Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
+* Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
+@end menu
-evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
-@code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
-following form:
-@lisp
-(< header-value 4)
-@end lisp
+@node Advanced Scoring Syntax
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
-Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
-the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
-(It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
-it's not. I think.)
+Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
+Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
+element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
+non-@code{nil} value.
-When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
-@code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
-up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
-you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
+These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
+operator, and various match operators.
-@item Date
-For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
-@code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
-ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
-this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
-Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
-sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
-quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
+Logical operators:
-@cindex ISO8601
-@cindex date
-A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
-date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
-ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
-you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
-every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
-for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
-this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
-the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
-whole family, eh?)
+@table @code
+@item &
+@itemx and
+This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
+one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
+evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
+@code{true}.
-@item Head, Body, All
-These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
-header uses.
+@item |
+@itemx or
+This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
+one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
+then this operator will return @code{false}.
-@item Followup
-This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
-@code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
-articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
-you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
-decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
-trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
-uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
-files.)
+@item !
+@itemx not
+@itemx ¬
+This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
+logical negation of the value of its argument.
-@item Thread
-This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
-key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
-article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
-match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
-has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
-matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
-This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
-even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
-@code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
-undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
-key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
@end table
-@end enumerate
-@cindex score file atoms
-@item mark
-The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
-lower than this number will be marked as read.
+There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
+apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
+instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
+current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
+grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
+@code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
+the ancestry you want to go.
-@item expunge
-The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
-lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
+Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
+real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
+and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
+"Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
+simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
-@item mark-and-expunge
-The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
-lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
-summary buffer.
-@item thread-mark-and-expunge
-The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
-a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
-and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
-says how to compute the total score for a thread.
+@node Advanced Scoring Examples
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
-@item files
-The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
-are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
-this one was.
+Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
+make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
+of parentheses.
-@item exclude-files
-The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
-not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
-other.
+Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
+when he's talking about Gnus:
-@item eval
-The value of this entry will be @code{eval}ed. This element will be
-ignored when handling global score files.
+@example
+@group
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("subject" "Gnus"))
+ 1000)
+@end group
+@end example
-@item read-only
-Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
-should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
-@dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
-apply-to-all-groups score files.)
+Quite simple, huh?
+
+When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
-@item orphan
-The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
-parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
-some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
-will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
+@example
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ (|
+ ("subject" "Gnus")
+ ("lines" 100 >)))
+ 1000)
+@end example
-You can do this with the following two score file entries:
+However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
+really don't want to read what he's written:
@example
- (orphan -500)
- (mark-and-expunge -100)
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
+ -100000)
@end example
-When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
-threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
-interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{c y}) the
-rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
-interesting threads, plus any new threads.
+Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
+socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
+white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
+very interesting:
-I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
-interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
-scoring rules exist.
+@example
+((&
+ (1-
+ (&
+ ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
+ ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
+ (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
+ ("body" "white.*socks"))
+ 1000)
+@end example
-@item adapt
-This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
-default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
-adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
-list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
-or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
-adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
-scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
-@code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
-not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
-groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
-insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
-it.
+Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
+in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
+subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
+parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
-@item adapt-file
-All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
-will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
-if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
-file for a number of groups.
+@example
+((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
+ -200)
+((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
+ 200)
+@end example
-@item local
-@cindex local variables
-The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
-@var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
-current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
-convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
-groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
-be evaluated.
-@end table
+The possibilities are endless.
+@node Advanced Scoring Tips
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
-@node Score File Editing
-@section Score File Editing
+The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
+That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
+result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
+of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
+the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
+(@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
+@samp{subject}) first.
-You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
-might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
-with a mode for that.
+The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
+arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
+something like:
-It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
-additional commands:
+@example
+...
+(1-
+ (1-
+ ("from" "lars")))
+...
+@end example
-@table @kbd
+Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
+current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
-@item C-c C-c
-@kindex C-c C-c (Score)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-exit
-Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-score-edit-exit}).
+@example
+(1-
+ (&
+ ("from" "Lars")
+ ("subject" "Gnus")))
+@end example
-@item C-c C-d
-@kindex C-c C-d (Score)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
-Insert the current date in numerical format
-(@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
-you were wondering.
+than it is to say:
-@item C-c C-p
-@kindex C-c C-p (Score)
-@findex gnus-score-pretty-print
-The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
-intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
-first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
-you.
+@example
+(&
+ (1- ("from" "Lars"))
+ (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
+@end example
-@end table
-Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
+@node Score Decays
+@section Score Decays
+@cindex score decays
+@cindex decays
-@vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
+You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
+bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
+big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
+use them in any sensible way.
-In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
-@kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
+@vindex gnus-decay-scores
+@findex gnus-decay-score
+@vindex gnus-decay-score-function
+Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
+When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
+non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
+mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
+If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
+regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
+@emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
+performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
+@code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
+function:
+@lisp
+(defun gnus-decay-score (score)
+ "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
+and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
+ (let ((n (- score
+ (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
+ (min (abs score)
+ (max gnus-score-decay-constant
+ (* (abs score)
+ gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
+ (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
+ ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
+ ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
+ (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
+ (string-to-number
+ (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
+ (floor n))))
+@end lisp
-@node Adaptive Scoring
-@section Adaptive Scoring
-@cindex adaptive scoring
+@vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
+@vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
+@code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
+@code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
-If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
-happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
-stupidity, to be precise.
+@enumerate
+@item
+Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
-@vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
-When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
-article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
-these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
-You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
-@code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
-words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
-@code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
-variable to @code{(word line)}.
+@item
+Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
-@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
-To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
-the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
-might look something like this:
+@item
+Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
+score.
+@end enumerate
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
- '((gnus-unread-mark)
- (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
- (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
- (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
- (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
- (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
- (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
- (gnus-kill-file-mark)
- (gnus-ancient-mark)
- (gnus-low-score-mark)
- (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
-@end lisp
+If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
+with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
+the new score, which should be an integer.
-As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
-variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
-a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
-pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
-that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
-@code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
-entries.
+Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
+four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
-Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
-will be applied to each article.
+@node Searching
+@chapter Searching
+@cindex searching
-To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
-articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
-score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
-lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
+FIXME: Add a brief overview of Gnus search capabilities. A brief
+comparison of nnir, nnmairix, contrib/gnus-namazu would be nice
+as well.
+
+This chapter describes tools for searching groups and servers for
+articles matching a query and then retrieving those articles. Gnus
+provides a simpler mechanism for searching through articles in a summary buffer
+to find those matching a pattern. @xref{Searching for Articles}.
-If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
-@code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
-That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
-should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
+@menu
+* nnir:: Searching with various engines.
+* nnmairix:: Searching with Mairix.
+@end menu
-If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
-the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
-probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
-adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
+@node nnir
+@section nnir
+@cindex nnir
-The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
-@code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
-@code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
-@code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
-on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
-current article, thereby matching the following thread.
+This section describes how to use @code{nnir} to search for articles
+within gnus.
-If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
-to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
-changes result in articles getting marked as read.
+@menu
+* What is nnir?:: What does @code{nnir} do?
+* Basic Usage:: How to perform simple searches.
+* Setting up nnir:: How to set up @code{nnir}.
+@end menu
-After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
-become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
-the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
+@node What is nnir?
+@subsection What is nnir?
-You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
-by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
-let you use different rules in different groups.
+@code{nnir} is a Gnus interface to a number of tools for searching
+through mail and news repositories. Different backends (like
+@code{nnimap} and @code{nntp}) work with different tools (called
+@dfn{engines} in @code{nnir} lingo), but all use the same basic search
+interface.
-@vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
-The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
-group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
-is @file{ADAPT}.
+The @code{nnimap} and @code{gmane} search engines should work with no
+configuration. Other engines require a local index that needs to be
+created and maintained outside of Gnus.
+
+
+@node Basic Usage
+@subsection Basic Usage
+
+In the group buffer typing @kbd{G G} will search the group on the
+current line by calling @code{gnus-group-make-nnir-group}. This prompts
+for a query string, creates an ephemeral @code{nnir} group containing
+the articles that match this query, and takes you to a summary buffer
+showing these articles. Articles may then be read, moved and deleted
+using the usual commands.
+
+The @code{nnir} group made in this way is an @code{ephemeral} group, and
+some changes are not permanent: aside from reading, moving, and
+deleting, you can't act on the original article. But there is an
+alternative: you can @emph{warp} to the original group for the article
+on the current line with @kbd{A W}, aka
+@code{gnus-warp-to-article}. Even better, the function
+@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}, bound by default in summary buffers to
+@kbd{A T}, will first warp to the original group before it works its
+magic and includes all the articles in the thread. From here you can
+read, move and delete articles, but also copy them, alter article marks,
+whatever. Go nuts.
+
+You say you want to search more than just the group on the current line?
+No problem: just process-mark the groups you want to search. You want
+even more? Calling for an nnir search with the cursor on a topic heading
+will search all the groups under that heading.
+
+Still not enough? OK, in the server buffer
+@code{gnus-group-make-nnir-group} (now bound to @kbd{G}) will search all
+groups from the server on the current line. Too much? Want to ignore
+certain groups when searching, like spam groups? Just customize
+@code{nnir-ignored-newsgroups}.
+
+One more thing: individual search engines may have special search
+features. You can access these special features by giving a prefix-arg
+to @code{gnus-group-make-nnir-group}. If you are searching multiple
+groups with different search engines you will be prompted for the
+special search features for each engine separately.
+
+
+@node Setting up nnir
+@subsection Setting up nnir
+
+To set up nnir you may need to do some prep work. Firstly, you may need
+to configure the search engines you plan to use. Some of them, like
+@code{imap} and @code{gmane}, need no special configuration. Others,
+like @code{namazu} and @code{swish}, require configuration as described
+below. Secondly, you need to associate a search engine with a server or
+a backend.
+
+If you just want to use the @code{imap} engine to search @code{nnimap}
+servers, and the @code{gmane} engine to search @code{gmane} then you
+don't have to do anything. But you might want to read the details of the
+query language anyway.
-@vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
-Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
-human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
-default) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
+@menu
+* Associating Engines:: How to associate engines.
+* The imap Engine:: Imap configuration and usage.
+* The gmane Engine:: Gmane configuration and usage.
+* The swish++ Engine:: Swish++ configuration and usage.
+* The swish-e Engine:: Swish-e configuration and usage.
+* The namazu Engine:: Namazu configuration and usage.
+* The hyrex Engine:: Hyrex configuration and usage.
+* Customizations:: User customizable settings.
+@end menu
-@vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
-When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
-give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
-matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
-the length of the match is less than
-@code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
-this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
-this problem.
+@node Associating Engines
+@subsubsection Associating Engines
-@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
-As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
-headers. If you adapt on words, the
-@code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
-each instance of a word should add given a mark.
+
+When searching a group, @code{nnir} needs to know which search engine to
+use. You can configure a given server to use a particular engine by
+setting the server variable @code{nnir-search-engine} to the engine
+name. For example to use the @code{namazu} engine to search the server
+named @code{home} you can use
@lisp
-(setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
- `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
- (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
- (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
- (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnml "home"
+ (nnimap-address "localhost")
+ (nnir-search-engine namazu))))
@end lisp
-This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
-word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
-@code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
-score with 30 points.
+Alternatively you might want to use a particular engine for all servers
+with a given backend. For example, you might want to use the @code{imap}
+engine for all servers using the @code{nnimap} backend. In this case you
+can customize the variable @code{nnir-method-default-engines}. This is
+an alist of pairs of the form @code{(backend . engine)}. By default this
+variable is set to use the @code{imap} engine for all servers using the
+@code{nnimap} backend, and the @code{gmane} backend for @code{nntp}
+servers. (Don't worry, the @code{gmane} search engine won't actually try
+to search non-gmane @code{nntp} servers.) But if you wanted to use
+@code{namazu} for all your servers with an @code{nnimap} backend you
+could change this to
-@vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
-@vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
-Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
-will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
-@code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
+@lisp
+'((nnimap . namazu)
+ (nntp . gmane))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
-Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
-scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
-an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
-variable defaults to @code{nil}.
+@node The imap Engine
+@subsubsection The imap Engine
-@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
-When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
-syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
-it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
+The @code{imap} engine requires no configuration.
-@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
-If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
-word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
-below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
+Queries using the @code{imap} engine follow a simple query language.
+The search is always case-insensitive and supports the following
+features (inspired by the Google search input language):
-@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
-If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
-won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
-for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
-lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
+@table @samp
-After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
-@code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
-what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
+@item Boolean query operators
+AND, OR, and NOT are supported, and parentheses can be used to control
+operator precedence, e.g. (emacs OR xemacs) AND linux. Note that
+operators must be written with all capital letters to be
+recognized. Also preceding a term with a - sign is equivalent to NOT
+term.
-Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
-likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
-that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
-rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
+@item Automatic AND queries
+If you specify multiple words then they will be treated as an AND
+expression intended to match all components.
+@item Phrase searches
+If you wrap your query in double-quotes then it will be treated as a
+literal string.
-@node Home Score File
-@section Home Score File
+@end table
-The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
-@dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
-for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
-@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
+By default the whole message will be searched. The query can be limited
+to a specific part of a message by using a prefix-arg. After inputting
+the query this will prompt (with completion) for a message part.
+Choices include ``Whole message'', ``Subject'', ``From'', and
+``To''. Any unrecognized input is interpreted as a header name. For
+example, typing @kbd{Message-ID} in response to this prompt will limit
+the query to the Message-ID header.
-However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
-a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
-could perhaps use the same home score file.
+Finally selecting ``Imap'' will interpret the query as a raw
+@acronym{IMAP} search query. The format of such queries can be found in
+RFC3501.
-@vindex gnus-home-score-file
-The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
-be:
+If you don't like the default of searching whole messages you can
+customize @code{nnir-imap-default-search-key}. For example to use
+@acronym{IMAP} queries by default
-@enumerate
-@item
-A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
-groups.
+@lisp
+(setq nnir-imap-default-search-key "Imap")
+@end lisp
-@item
-A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
-file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
-parameter.
+@node The gmane Engine
+@subsubsection The gmane Engine
-@item
-A list. The elements in this list can be:
+The @code{gmane} engine requires no configuration.
-@enumerate
-@item
-@code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
-group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
+Gmane queries follow a simple query language:
-@item
-A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
-be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
-name of the group as the parameter.
+@table @samp
+@item Boolean query operators
+AND, OR, NOT (or AND NOT), and XOR are supported, and brackets can be
+used to control operator precedence, e.g. (emacs OR xemacs) AND linux.
+Note that operators must be written with all capital letters to be
+recognized.
-@item
-A string. Use the string as the home score file.
-@end enumerate
+@item Required and excluded terms
++ and - can be used to require or exclude terms, e.g. football -american
-The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
-for matches.
+@item Unicode handling
+The search engine converts all text to utf-8, so searching should work
+in any language.
-@end enumerate
+@item Stopwords
+Common English words (like 'the' and 'a') are ignored by default. You
+can override this by prefixing such words with a + (e.g. +the) or
+enclosing the word in quotes (e.g. "the").
-So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-home-score-file
- "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
-@end lisp
+The query can be limited to articles by a specific author using a
+prefix-arg. After inputting the query this will prompt for an author
+name (or part of a name) to match.
-If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
-@file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
+@node The swish++ Engine
+@subsubsection The swish++ Engine
-@findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-home-score-file
- 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
-@end lisp
+FIXME: Say something more here.
-This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
-Other functions include
+Documentation for swish++ may be found at the swish++ sourceforge page:
+@uref{http://swishplusplus.sourceforge.net}
@table @code
-@item gnus-current-home-score-file
-@findex gnus-current-home-score-file
-Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
-commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
-
-@end table
-If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
-another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
-their own home score files:
+@item nnir-swish++-program
+The name of the swish++ executable. Defaults to @code{search}
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-home-score-file
- ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
- '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
- ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
- ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
-@end lisp
+@item nnir-swish++-additional-switches
+A list of strings to be given as additional arguments to
+swish++. @code{nil} by default.
-@vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
-@code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
-@code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
-is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
-specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
+@item nnir-swish++-remove-prefix
+The prefix to remove from each file name returned by swish++ in order
+to get a group name. By default this is @code{$HOME/Mail}.
-In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
-@code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
-(@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
-Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
-precedence over this variable.
+@end table
+@node The swish-e Engine
+@subsubsection The swish-e Engine
-@node Followups To Yourself
-@section Followups To Yourself
+FIXME: Say something more here.
-Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
-the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
-this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
-articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
-respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
-to easily note when people answer what you've said.
+Documentation for swish-e may be found at the swish-e homepage
+@uref{http://swish-e.org}
@table @code
-@item gnus-score-followup-article
-@findex gnus-score-followup-article
-This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
-article.
+@item nnir-swish-e-program
+The name of the swish-e search program. Defaults to @code{swish-e}.
+
+@item nnir-swish-e-additional-switches
+A list of strings to be given as additional arguments to
+swish-e. @code{nil} by default.
+
+@item nnir-swish-e-remove-prefix
+The prefix to remove from each file name returned by swish-e in order
+to get a group name. By default this is @code{$HOME/Mail}.
-@item gnus-score-followup-thread
-@findex gnus-score-followup-thread
-This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
-your own article.
@end table
-@vindex message-sent-hook
-These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
-@code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
-@end lisp
+@node The namazu Engine
+@subsubsection The namazu Engine
+Using the namazu engine requires creating and maintaining index files.
+One directory should contain all the index files, and nnir must be told
+where to find them by setting the @code{nnir-namazu-index-directory}
+variable.
-If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
-the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
-mine:
+To work correctly the @code{nnir-namazu-remove-prefix} variable must
+also be correct. This is the prefix to remove from each file name
+returned by Namazu in order to get a proper group name (albeit with `/'
+instead of `.').
+
+For example, suppose that Namazu returns file names such as
+@samp{/home/john/Mail/mail/misc/42}. For this example, use the
+following setting: @code{(setq nnir-namazu-remove-prefix
+"/home/john/Mail/")} Note the trailing slash. Removing this prefix from
+the directory gives @samp{mail/misc/42}. @code{nnir} knows to remove
+the @samp{/42} and to replace @samp{/} with @samp{.} to arrive at the
+correct group name @samp{mail.misc}.
+
+Extra switches may be passed to the namazu search command by setting the
+variable @code{nnir-namazu-additional-switches}. It is particularly
+important not to pass any any switches to namazu that will change the
+output format. Good switches to use include `--sort', `--ascending',
+`--early' and `--late'. Refer to the Namazu documentation for further
+information on valid switches.
+
+Mail must first be indexed with the `mknmz' program. Read the documentation
+for namazu to create a configuration file. Here is an example:
+@cartouche
@example
-<x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
-<x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
+ package conf; # Don't remove this line!
+
+ # Paths which will not be indexed. Don't use `^' or `$' anchors.
+ $EXCLUDE_PATH = "spam|sent";
+
+ # Header fields which should be searchable. case-insensitive
+ $REMAIN_HEADER = "from|date|message-id|subject";
+
+ # Searchable fields. case-insensitive
+ $SEARCH_FIELD = "from|date|message-id|subject";
+
+ # The max length of a word.
+ $WORD_LENG_MAX = 128;
+
+ # The max length of a field.
+ $MAX_FIELD_LENGTH = 256;
@end example
+@end cartouche
-So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
-exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
-myself:
+For this example, mail is stored in the directories @samp{~/Mail/mail/},
+@samp{~/Mail/lists/} and @samp{~/Mail/archive/}, so to index them go to
+the index directory set in @code{nnir-namazu-index-directory} and issue
+the following command:
-@lisp
-("references"
- ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
- 1000 nil r))
-@end lisp
+@example
+mknmz --mailnews ~/Mail/archive/ ~/Mail/mail/ ~/Mail/lists/
+@end example
-Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
-is system-dependent.
+For maximum searching efficiency you might want to have a cron job run
+this command periodically, say every four hours.
+@node The hyrex Engine
+@subsubsection The hyrex Engine
+This engine is obsolete.
-@node Scoring On Other Headers
-@section Scoring On Other Headers
-@cindex scoring on other headers
+@node Customizations
+@subsubsection Customizations
-Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
-headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
-other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
-that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
-matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
+@table @code
-@vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
-You can inhibit this slow scoring on headers or body by setting the
-variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
-@code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
-the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
-inhibited for all groups.
+@item nnir-method-default-engines
+Alist of server backend - search engine pairs. The default associations
+are
+@example
+(nnimap . imap)
+(nntp . gmane)
+@end example
-Now, there's not much you can do about the slowness for news groups, but for
-mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
-it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
-a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
-@samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
+@item nnir-ignored-newsgroups
+A regexp to match newsgroups in the active file that should be skipped
+when searching all groups on a server.
+
+@item nnir-summary-line-format
+The format specification to be used for lines in an nnir summary buffer.
+All the items from `gnus-summary-line-format' are available, along with
+three items unique to nnir summary buffers:
+
+@example
+%Z Search retrieval score value (integer)
+%G Article original full group name (string)
+%g Article original short group name (string)
+@end example
+
+If nil (the default) this will use @code{gnus-summary-line-format}.
+
+@item nnir-retrieve-headers-override-function
+If non-nil, a function that retrieves article headers rather than using
+the gnus built-in function. This function takes an article list and
+group as arguments and populates the `nntp-server-buffer' with the
+retrieved headers. It should then return either 'nov or 'headers
+indicating the retrieved header format. Failure to retrieve headers
+should return @code{nil}
+
+If this variable is nil, or if the provided function returns nil for a
+search result, @code{gnus-retrieve-headers} will be called instead."
-Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
- nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
-@end lisp
+@end table
-Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
-@kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
-time if you have much mail.
-Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
-so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
+@node nnmairix
+@section nnmairix
-See? Simple.
+@cindex mairix
+@cindex nnmairix
+This paragraph describes how to set up mairix and the back end
+@code{nnmairix} for indexing and searching your mail from within
+Gnus. Additionally, you can create permanent ``smart'' groups which are
+bound to mairix searches and are automatically updated.
+@menu
+* About mairix:: About the mairix mail search engine
+* nnmairix requirements:: What you will need for using nnmairix
+* What nnmairix does:: What does nnmairix actually do?
+* Setting up mairix:: Set up your mairix installation
+* Configuring nnmairix:: Set up the nnmairix back end
+* nnmairix keyboard shortcuts:: List of available keyboard shortcuts
+* Propagating marks:: How to propagate marks from nnmairix groups
+* nnmairix tips and tricks:: Some tips, tricks and examples
+* nnmairix caveats:: Some more stuff you might want to know
+@end menu
-@node Scoring Tips
-@section Scoring Tips
-@cindex scoring tips
+@c FIXME: The markup in this section might need improvement.
+@c E.g. adding @samp, @var, @file, @command, etc.
+@c Cf. (info "(texinfo)Indicating")
-@table @dfn
+@node About mairix
+@subsection About mairix
-@item Crossposts
-@cindex crossposts
-@cindex scoring crossposts
-If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
-the @code{Xref} header.
-@lisp
-("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
-@end lisp
+Mairix is a tool for indexing and searching words in locally stored
+mail. It was written by Richard Curnow and is licensed under the
+GPL. Mairix comes with most popular GNU/Linux distributions, but it also
+runs under Windows (with cygwin), Mac OS X and Solaris. The homepage can
+be found at
+@uref{http://www.rpcurnow.force9.co.uk/mairix/index.html}
-@item Multiple crossposts
-If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
-more than, say, 3 groups:
-@lisp
-("xref"
- ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
- -1000 nil r))
-@end lisp
+Though mairix might not be as flexible as other search tools like
+swish++ or namazu, which you can use via the @code{nnir} back end, it
+has the prime advantage of being incredibly fast. On current systems, it
+can easily search through headers and message bodies of thousands and
+thousands of mails in well under a second. Building the database
+necessary for searching might take a minute or two, but only has to be
+done once fully. Afterwards, the updates are done incrementally and
+therefore are really fast, too. Additionally, mairix is very easy to set
+up.
-@item Matching on the body
-This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
-Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
-you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
-keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
-and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
-will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
-@code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
-the matches.
+For maximum speed though, mairix should be used with mails stored in
+@code{Maildir} or @code{MH} format (this includes the @code{nnml} back
+end), although it also works with mbox. Mairix presents the search
+results by populating a @emph{virtual} maildir/MH folder with symlinks
+which point to the ``real'' message files (if mbox is used, copies are
+made). Since mairix already presents search results in such a virtual
+mail folder, it is very well suited for using it as an external program
+for creating @emph{smart} mail folders, which represent certain mail
+searches.
-@item Marking as read
-You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
-number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
-in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
-@lisp
-((mark -100))
-@end lisp
-You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
+@node nnmairix requirements
+@subsection nnmairix requirements
-@item Negated character classes
-If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
-That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
-@code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
-@end table
+Mairix searches local mail---that means, mairix absolutely must have
+direct access to your mail folders. If your mail resides on another
+server (e.g. an @acronym{IMAP} server) and you happen to have shell
+access, @code{nnmairix} supports running mairix remotely, e.g. via ssh.
+Additionally, @code{nnmairix} only supports the following Gnus back
+ends: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir}, and @code{nnimap}. You must use
+one of these back ends for using @code{nnmairix}. Other back ends, like
+@code{nnmbox}, @code{nnfolder} or @code{nnmh}, won't work.
-@node Reverse Scoring
-@section Reverse Scoring
-@cindex reverse scoring
+If you absolutely must use mbox and still want to use @code{nnmairix},
+you can set up a local @acronym{IMAP} server, which you then access via
+@code{nnimap}. This is a rather massive setup for accessing some mbox
+files, so just change to MH or Maildir already... However, if you're
+really, really passionate about using mbox, you might want to look into
+the package @file{mairix.el}, which comes with Emacs 23.
-If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
-subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
-like this in your score file:
+@node What nnmairix does
+@subsection What nnmairix does
-@lisp
-(("subject"
- ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
- (mark 1)
- (expunge 1))
-@end lisp
+The back end @code{nnmairix} enables you to call mairix from within Gnus,
+either to query mairix with a search term or to update the
+database. While visiting a message in the summary buffer, you can use
+several pre-defined shortcuts for calling mairix, e.g. to quickly
+search for all mails from the sender of the current message or to
+display the whole thread associated with the message, even if the
+mails are in different folders.
-So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
-rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
+Additionally, you can create permanent @code{nnmairix} groups which are bound
+to certain mairix searches. This way, you can easily create a group
+containing mails from a certain sender, with a certain subject line or
+even for one specific thread based on the Message-ID. If you check for
+new mail in these folders (e.g. by pressing @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g}), they
+automatically update themselves by calling mairix.
+You might ask why you need @code{nnmairix} at all, since mairix already
+creates the group, populates it with links to the mails so that you can
+then access it with Gnus, right? Well, this @emph{might} work, but often
+does not---at least not without problems. Most probably you will get
+strange article counts, and sometimes you might see mails which Gnus
+claims have already been canceled and are inaccessible. This is due to
+the fact that Gnus isn't really amused when things are happening behind
+its back. Another problem can be the mail back end itself, e.g. if you
+use mairix with an @acronym{IMAP} server (I had Dovecot complaining
+about corrupt index files when mairix changed the contents of the search
+group). Using @code{nnmairix} should circumvent these problems.
-@node Global Score Files
-@section Global Score Files
-@cindex global score files
+@code{nnmairix} is not really a mail back end---it's actually more like
+a wrapper, sitting between a ``real'' mail back end where mairix stores
+the searches and the Gnus front end. You can choose between three
+different mail back ends for the mairix folders: @code{nnml},
+@code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnimap}. @code{nnmairix} will call the mairix
+binary so that the search results are stored in folders named
+@code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>} on this mail back end, but it will
+present these folders in the Gnus front end only with @code{<NAME>}.
+You can use an existing mail back end where you already store your mail,
+but if you're uncomfortable with @code{nnmairix} creating new mail
+groups alongside your other mail, you can also create e.g. a new
+@code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml} server exclusively for mairix, but then
+make sure those servers do not accidentally receive your new mail
+(@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). A special case exists if you want to use
+mairix remotely on an IMAP server with @code{nnimap}---here the mairix
+folders and your other mail must be on the same @code{nnimap} back end.
-Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
-nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
-in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
+@node Setting up mairix
+@subsection Setting up mairix
-What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
-all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
-big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
+First: create a backup of your mail folders (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}).
-@vindex gnus-global-score-files
-All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
-@code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
-or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
-files are applicable to which group.
+Setting up mairix is easy: simply create a @file{.mairixrc} file with
+(at least) the following entries:
-To use the score file
-@file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
-all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
-say this:
+@example
+# Your Maildir/MH base folder
+base=~/Maildir
+@end example
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-global-score-files
- '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
- "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
-@end lisp
+This is the base folder for your mails. All the following directories
+are relative to this base folder. If you want to use @code{nnmairix}
+with @code{nnimap}, this base directory has to point to the mail
+directory where the @acronym{IMAP} server stores the mail folders!
-@findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
-@noindent
-Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
-directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
-If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
-use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
+@example
+maildir= ... your maildir folders which should be indexed ...
+mh= ... your nnml/mh folders which should be indexed ...
+mbox = ... your mbox files which should be indexed ...
+@end example
-Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
-somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
+This specifies all your mail folders and mbox files (relative to the
+base directory!) you want to index with mairix. Note that the
+@code{nnml} back end saves mails in MH format, so you have to put those
+directories in the @code{mh} line. See the example at the end of this
+section and mairixrc's man-page for further details.
-If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
-just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
-world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
-wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
-sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
-premises! Yay! The net is saved!
+@example
+omit=zz_mairix-*
+@end example
-Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
-head:
+@vindex nnmairix-group-prefix
+This should make sure that you don't accidentally index the mairix
+search results. You can change the prefix of these folders with the
+variable @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
-@itemize @bullet
+@example
+mformat= ... 'maildir' or 'mh' ...
+database= ... location of database file ...
+@end example
-@item
-Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
-@item
-To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
-@item
-Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
-@item
-Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
-lowered out of existence.
-@item
-Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
-articles completely.
+The @code{format} setting specifies the output format for the mairix
+search folder. Set this to @code{mh} if you want to access search results
+with @code{nnml}. Otherwise choose @code{maildir}.
-@item
-Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
-should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
-old articles for a long time.
-@end itemize
+To summarize, here is my shortened @file{.mairixrc} file as an example:
-@dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
-in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
-Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
-holding our breath yet?
+@example
+base=~/Maildir
+maildir=.personal:.work:.logcheck:.sent
+mh=../Mail/nnml/*...
+mbox=../mboxmail/mailarchive_year*
+mformat=maildir
+omit=zz_mairix-*
+database=~/.mairixdatabase
+@end example
+In this case, the base directory is @file{~/Maildir}, where all my Maildir
+folders are stored. As you can see, the folders are separated by
+colons. If you wonder why every folder begins with a dot: this is
+because I use Dovecot as @acronym{IMAP} server, which again uses
+@code{Maildir++} folders. For testing nnmairix, I also have some
+@code{nnml} mail, which is saved in @file{~/Mail/nnml}. Since this has
+to be specified relative to the @code{base} directory, the @code{../Mail}
+notation is needed. Note that the line ends in @code{*...}, which means
+to recursively scan all files under this directory. Without the three
+dots, the wildcard @code{*} will not work recursively. I also have some
+old mbox files with archived mail lying around in @file{~/mboxmail}.
+The other lines should be obvious.
-@node Kill Files
-@section Kill Files
-@cindex kill files
+See the man page for @code{mairixrc} for details and further options,
+especially regarding wildcard usage, which may be a little different
+than you are used to.
-Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
-entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
-Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
+Now simply call @code{mairix} to create the index for the first time.
+Note that this may take a few minutes, but every following index will do
+the updates incrementally and hence is very fast.
-In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
-than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
-files into score files.
+@node Configuring nnmairix
+@subsection Configuring nnmairix
-Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
-forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
-sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
-that isn't a very good idea.
+In group mode, type @kbd{G b c}
+(@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). This will ask you for all
+necessary information and create a @code{nnmairix} server as a foreign
+server. You will have to specify the following:
-Normal kill files look like this:
+@itemize @bullet
-@lisp
-(gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
-(gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
-(gnus-expunge "X")
-@end lisp
+@item
+The @strong{name} of the @code{nnmairix} server---choose whatever you
+want.
-This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
-marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
+@item
+The name of the @strong{back end server} where mairix should store its
+searches. This must be a full server name, like @code{nnml:mymail}.
+Just hit @kbd{TAB} to see the available servers. Currently, servers
+which are accessed through @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnimap} and
+@code{nnml} are supported. As explained above, for locally stored
+mails, this can be an existing server where you store your mails.
+However, you can also create e.g. a new @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml}
+server exclusively for @code{nnmairix} in your secondary select methods
+(@pxref{Finding the News}). If you use a secondary @code{nnml} server
+just for mairix, make sure that you explicitly set the server variable
+@code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}, or you might lose mail
+(@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). If you want to use mairix remotely on an
+@acronym{IMAP} server, you have to choose the corresponding
+@code{nnimap} server here.
-Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
-encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
-interpreting it.
+@item
+@vindex nnmairix-mairix-search-options
+The @strong{command} to call the mairix binary. This will usually just
+be @code{mairix}, but you can also choose something like @code{ssh
+SERVER mairix} if you want to call mairix remotely, e.g. on your
+@acronym{IMAP} server. If you want to add some default options to
+mairix, you could do this here, but better use the variable
+@code{nnmairix-mairix-search-options} instead.
-Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
+@item
+The name of the @strong{default search group}. This will be the group
+where all temporary mairix searches are stored, i.e. all searches which
+are not bound to permanent @code{nnmairix} groups. Choose whatever you
+like.
-@table @kbd
+@item
+If the mail back end is @code{nnimap} or @code{nnmaildir}, you will be
+asked if you work with @strong{Maildir++}, i.e. with hidden maildir
+folders (=beginning with a dot). For example, you have to answer
+@samp{yes} here if you work with the Dovecot @acronym{IMAP}
+server. Otherwise, you should answer @samp{no} here.
-@item M-k
-@kindex M-k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
-Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
+@end itemize
-@item M-K
-@kindex M-K (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
-Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
-@end table
+@node nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
+@subsection nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
-Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
+In group mode:
@table @kbd
-@item M-k
-@kindex M-k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
-Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
+@item G b c
+@kindex G b c (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group
+Creates @code{nnmairix} server and default search group for this server
+(@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). You should have done
+this by now (@pxref{Configuring nnmairix}).
-@item M-K
-@kindex M-K (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
-Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
-@end table
+@item G b s
+@kindex G b s (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-search
+Prompts for query which is then sent to the mairix binary. Search
+results are put into the default search group which is automatically
+displayed (@code{nnmairix-search}).
-Kill file variables:
+@item G b m
+@kindex G b m (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-widget-search
+Allows you to create a mairix search or a permanent group more
+comfortably using graphical widgets, similar to a customization
+group. Just try it to see how it works (@code{nnmairix-widget-search}).
-@table @code
-@item gnus-kill-file-name
-@vindex gnus-kill-file-name
-A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
-@file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
-this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
-The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
-course) is just called @file{KILL}.
+@item G b i
+@kindex G b i (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-search-interactive
+Another command for creating a mairix query more comfortably, but uses
+only the minibuffer (@code{nnmairix-search-interactive}).
-@vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
-@item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
-kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
-kills.
+@item G b g
+@kindex G b g (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-create-search-group
+Creates a permanent group which is associated with a search query
+(@code{nnmairix-create-search-group}). The @code{nnmairix} back end
+automatically calls mairix when you update this group with @kbd{g} or
+@kbd{M-g}.
-@item gnus-apply-kill-hook
-@vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
-@findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
-@findex gnus-apply-kill-file
-A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
-@code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
-kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
-hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
-kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
+@item G b q
+@kindex G b q (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group
+Changes the search query for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor
+(@code{nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group}).
-@item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
-A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
+@item G b t
+@kindex G b t (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group
+Toggles the 'threads' parameter for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor,
+i.e. if you want see the whole threads of the found messages
+(@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group}).
-@end table
+@item G b u
+@kindex G b u (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-update-database
+@vindex nnmairix-mairix-update-options
+Calls mairix binary for updating the database
+(@code{nnmairix-update-database}). The default parameters are @code{-F}
+and @code{-Q} for making this as fast as possible (see variable
+@code{nnmairix-mairix-update-options} for defining these default
+options).
+@item G b r
+@kindex G b r (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group
+Keep articles in this @code{nnmairix} group always read or unread, or leave the
+marks unchanged (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group}).
-@node Converting Kill Files
-@section Converting Kill Files
-@cindex kill files
-@cindex converting kill files
+@item G b d
+@kindex G b d (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group
+Recreate @code{nnmairix} group on the ``real'' mail back end
+(@code{nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group}). You can do this if
+you always get wrong article counts with a @code{nnmairix} group.
-If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
-score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
-the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
-by hand.
+@item G b a
+@kindex G b a (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group
+Toggles the @code{allow-fast} parameters for group under cursor
+(@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group}). The default
+behavior of @code{nnmairix} is to do a mairix search every time you
+update or enter the group. With the @code{allow-fast} parameter set,
+mairix will only be called when you explicitly update the group, but not
+upon entering. This makes entering the group faster, but it may also
+lead to dangling symlinks if something changed between updating and
+entering the group which is not yet in the mairix database.
-The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Emacs by default.
-You can fetch it from the contrib directory of the Gnus distribution or
-from
-@uref{http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
+@item G b p
+@kindex G b p (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group
+Toggle marks propagation for this group
+(@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group}). (@pxref{Propagating
+marks}).
-If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
-non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
-hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
-before.
+@item G b o
+@kindex G b o (Group)
+@findex nnmairix-propagate-marks
+Manually propagate marks (@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks}); needed only when
+@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} is set to @code{nil}.
+@end table
-@node Advanced Scoring
-@section Advanced Scoring
+In summary mode:
-Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
-really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
-about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
-read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
-want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
+@table @kbd
-By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
-scoring patterns.
+@item $ m
+@kindex $ m (Summary)
+@findex nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article
+Allows you to create a mairix query or group based on the current
+message using graphical widgets (same as @code{nnmairix-widget-search})
+(@code{nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article}).
-@menu
-* Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
-* Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
-* Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
-@end menu
+@item $ g
+@kindex $ g (Summary)
+@findex nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message
+Interactively creates a new search group with query based on the current
+message, but uses the minibuffer instead of graphical widgets
+(@code{nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message}).
+@item $ t
+@kindex $ t (Summary)
+@findex nnmairix-search-thread-this-article
+Searches thread for the current article
+(@code{nnmairix-search-thread-this-article}). This is effectively a
+shortcut for calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{m:msgid} of the
+current article and enabled threads.
-@node Advanced Scoring Syntax
-@subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
+@item $ f
+@kindex $ f (Summary)
+@findex nnmairix-search-from-this-article
+Searches all messages from sender of the current article
+(@code{nnmairix-search-from-this-article}). This is a shortcut for
+calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{f:From}.
-Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
-Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
-element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
-non-@code{nil} value.
+@item $ o
+@kindex $ o (Summary)
+@findex nnmairix-goto-original-article
+(Only in @code{nnmairix} groups!) Tries determine the group this article
+originally came from and displays the article in this group, so that
+e.g. replying to this article the correct posting styles/group
+parameters are applied (@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article}). This
+function will use the registry if available, but can also parse the
+article file name as a fallback method.
-These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
-operator, and various match operators.
+@item $ u
+@kindex $ u (Summary)
+@findex nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article
+Remove possibly existing tick mark from original article
+(@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article}). (@pxref{nnmairix
+tips and tricks}).
-Logical operators:
+@end table
-@table @code
-@item &
-@itemx and
-This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
-one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
-evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
-@code{true}.
+@node Propagating marks
+@subsection Propagating marks
-@item |
-@itemx or
-This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
-one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
-then this operator will return @code{false}.
+First of: you really need a patched mairix binary for using the marks
+propagation feature efficiently. Otherwise, you would have to update
+the mairix database all the time. You can get the patch at
-@item !
-@itemx not
-@itemx ¬
-This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
-logical negation of the value of its argument.
+@uref{http://www.randomsample.de/mairix-maildir-patch.tar}
-@end table
+You need the mairix v0.21 source code for this patch; everything else
+is explained in the accompanied readme file. If you don't want to use
+marks propagation, you don't have to apply these patches, but they also
+fix some annoyances regarding changing maildir flags, so it might still
+be useful to you.
-There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
-apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
-instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
-current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
-grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
-@code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
-the ancestry you want to go.
+With the patched mairix binary, you can use @code{nnmairix} as an
+alternative to mail splitting (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}). For
+example, instead of splitting all mails from @samp{david@@foobar.com}
+into a group, you can simply create a search group with the query
+@samp{f:david@@foobar.com}. This is actually what ``smart folders'' are
+all about: simply put everything in one mail folder and dynamically
+create searches instead of splitting. This is more flexible, since you
+can dynamically change your folders any time you want to. This also
+implies that you will usually read your mails in the @code{nnmairix}
+groups instead of your ``real'' mail groups.
-Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
-real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
-and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
-"Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
-simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
+There is one problem, though: say you got a new mail from
+@samp{david@@foobar.com}; it will now show up in two groups, the
+``real'' group (your INBOX, for example) and in the @code{nnmairix}
+search group (provided you have updated the mairix database). Now you
+enter the @code{nnmairix} group and read the mail. The mail will be
+marked as read, but only in the @code{nnmairix} group---in the ``real''
+mail group it will be still shown as unread.
+
+You could now catch up the mail group (@pxref{Group Data}), but this is
+tedious and error prone, since you may overlook mails you don't have
+created @code{nnmairix} groups for. Of course, you could first use
+@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article} (@pxref{nnmairix keyboard
+shortcuts}) and then read the mail in the original group, but that's
+even more cumbersome.
+Clearly, the easiest way would be if marks could somehow be
+automatically set for the original article. This is exactly what
+@emph{marks propagation} is about.
-@node Advanced Scoring Examples
-@subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
+Marks propagation is inactive by default. You can activate it for a
+certain @code{nnmairix} group with
+@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group} (bound to @kbd{G b
+p}). This function will warn you if you try to use it with your default
+search group; the reason is that the default search group is used for
+temporary searches, and it's easy to accidentally propagate marks from
+this group. However, you can ignore this warning if you really want to.
-Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
-make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
-of parentheses.
+With marks propagation enabled, all the marks you set in a @code{nnmairix}
+group should now be propagated to the original article. For example,
+you can now tick an article (by default with @kbd{!}) and this mark should
+magically be set for the original article, too.
-Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
-when he's talking about Gnus:
+A few more remarks which you may or may not want to know:
-@example
-@group
-((&
- ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- ("subject" "Gnus"))
- 1000)
-@end group
-@end example
+@vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close
+Marks will not be set immediately, but only upon closing a group. This
+not only makes marks propagation faster, it also avoids problems with
+dangling symlinks when dealing with maildir files (since changing flags
+will change the file name). You can also control when to propagate marks
+via @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} (see the doc-string for
+details).
-Quite simple, huh?
+Obviously, @code{nnmairix} will have to look up the original group for every
+article you want to set marks for. If available, @code{nnmairix} will first use
+the registry for determining the original group. The registry is very
+fast, hence you should really, really enable the registry when using
+marks propagation. If you don't have to worry about RAM and disc space,
+set @code{gnus-registry-max-entries} to a large enough value; to be on
+the safe side, choose roughly the amount of mails you index with mairix.
-When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
+@vindex nnmairix-only-use-registry
+If you don't want to use the registry or the registry hasn't seen the
+original article yet, @code{nnmairix} will use an additional mairix
+search for determining the file name of the article. This, of course, is
+way slower than the registry---if you set hundreds or even thousands of
+marks this way, it might take some time. You can avoid this situation by
+setting @code{nnmairix-only-use-registry} to t.
-@example
-((&
- ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- (|
- ("subject" "Gnus")
- ("lines" 100 >)))
- 1000)
-@end example
+Maybe you also want to propagate marks the other way round, i.e. if you
+tick an article in a "real" mail group, you'd like to have the same
+article in a @code{nnmairix} group ticked, too. For several good
+reasons, this can only be done efficiently if you use maildir. To
+immediately contradict myself, let me mention that it WON'T work with
+@code{nnmaildir}, since @code{nnmaildir} stores the marks externally and
+not in the file name. Therefore, propagating marks to @code{nnmairix}
+groups will usually only work if you use an IMAP server which uses
+maildir as its file format.
-However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
-really don't want to read what he's written:
+@vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups
+If you work with this setup, just set
+@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t} and see what
+happens. If you don't like what you see, just set it to @code{nil} again. One
+problem might be that you get a wrong number of unread articles; this
+usually happens when you delete or expire articles in the original
+groups. When this happens, you can recreate the @code{nnmairix} group on the
+back end using @kbd{G b d}.
-@example
-((&
- ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
- -100000)
-@end example
+@node nnmairix tips and tricks
+@subsection nnmairix tips and tricks
-Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
-socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
-white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
-very interesting:
+@itemize
+@item
+Checking Mail
-@example
-((&
- (1-
- (&
- ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
- ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
- (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
- ("body" "white.*socks"))
- 1000)
-@end example
+@findex nnmairix-update-groups
+I put all my important mail groups at group level 1. The mairix groups
+have group level 5, so they do not get checked at start up (@pxref{Group
+Levels}).
-Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
-in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
-subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
-parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
+I use the following to check for mails:
-@example
-((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
- -200)
-((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
- 200)
-@end example
+@lisp
+(defun my-check-mail-mairix-update (level)
+ (interactive "P")
+ ;; if no prefix given, set level=1
+ (gnus-group-get-new-news (or level 1))
+ (nnmairix-update-groups "mairixsearch" t t)
+ (gnus-group-list-groups))
+
+(define-key gnus-group-mode-map "g" 'my-check-mail-mairix-update)
+@end lisp
-The possibilities are endless.
+Instead of @samp{"mairixsearch"} use the name of your @code{nnmairix}
+server. See the doc string for @code{nnmairix-update-groups} for
+details.
-@node Advanced Scoring Tips
-@subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
+@item
+Example: search group for ticked articles
-The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
-That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
-result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
-of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
-the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
-(@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
-@samp{subject}) first.
+For example, you can create a group for all ticked articles, where the
+articles always stay unread:
-The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
-arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
-something like:
+Hit @kbd{G b g}, enter group name (e.g. @samp{important}), use
+@samp{F:f} as query and do not include threads.
-@example
-...
-(1-
- (1-
- ("from" "lars")))
-...
-@end example
+Now activate marks propagation for this group by using @kbd{G b p}. Then
+activate the always-unread feature by using @kbd{G b r} twice.
-Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
-current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
+So far so good---but how do you remove the tick marks in the @code{nnmairix}
+group? There are two options: You may simply use
+@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article} (bound to @kbd{$ u}) to remove
+tick marks from the original article. The other possibility is to set
+@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t}, but see the above
+comments about this option. If it works for you, the tick marks should
+also exist in the @code{nnmairix} group and you can remove them as usual,
+e.g. by marking an article as read.
-@example
-(1-
- (&
- ("from" "Lars")
- ("subject" "Gnus")))
-@end example
+When you have removed a tick mark from the original article, this
+article should vanish from the @code{nnmairix} group after you have updated the
+mairix database and updated the group. Fortunately, there is a function
+for doing exactly that: @code{nnmairix-update-groups}. See the previous code
+snippet and the doc string for details.
-than it is to say:
+@item
+Dealing with auto-subscription of mail groups
-@example
-(&
- (1- ("from" "Lars"))
- (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
-@end example
+As described before, all @code{nnmairix} groups are in fact stored on
+the mail back end in the form @samp{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can
+see them when you enter the back end server in the server buffer. You
+should not subscribe these groups! Unfortunately, these groups will
+usually get @emph{auto-subscribed} when you use @code{nnmaildir} or
+@code{nnml}, i.e. you will suddenly see groups of the form
+@samp{zz_mairix*} pop up in your group buffer. If this happens to you,
+simply kill these groups with C-k. For avoiding this, turn off
+auto-subscription completely by setting the variable
+@code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups} to @code{nil} (@pxref{Filtering New
+Groups}), or if you like to keep this feature use the following kludge
+for turning it off for all groups beginning with @samp{zz_}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
+ "^\\(nnml\\|nnfolder\\|nnmbox\\|nnmh\\|nnbabyl\\|nnmaildir\\).*:\\([^z]\\|z$\\|\\z[^z]\\|zz$\\|zz[^_]\\|zz_$\\).*")
+@end lisp
-@node Score Decays
-@section Score Decays
-@cindex score decays
-@cindex decays
+@end itemize
-You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
-bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
-big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
-use them in any sensible way.
+@node nnmairix caveats
+@subsection nnmairix caveats
-@vindex gnus-decay-scores
-@findex gnus-decay-score
-@vindex gnus-decay-score-function
-Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
-When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
-non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
-mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
-If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
-regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
-@emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
-performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
-@code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
-function:
+@itemize
+@item
+You can create a secondary @code{nnml} server just for nnmairix, but then
+you have to explicitly set the corresponding server variable
+@code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}. Otherwise, new mail might get
+put into this secondary server (and would never show up again). Here's
+an example server definition:
@lisp
-(defun gnus-decay-score (score)
- "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
-and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
- (let ((n (- score
- (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
- (min (abs score)
- (max gnus-score-decay-constant
- (* (abs score)
- gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
- (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
- ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
- ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
- (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
- (string-to-number
- (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
- (floor n))))
+(nnml "mairix" (nnml-directory "mairix") (nnml-get-new-mail nil))
@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
-@vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
-@code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
-@code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
+(The @code{nnmaildir} back end also has a server variable
+@code{get-new-mail}, but its default value is @code{nil}, so you don't
+have to explicitly set it if you use a @code{nnmaildir} server just for
+mairix.)
-@enumerate
@item
-Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
+If you use the Gnus registry: don't use the registry with
+@code{nnmairix} groups (put them in
+@code{gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups}; this is the default). Be
+@emph{extra careful} if you use
+@code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}; mails which are split
+into @code{nnmairix} groups are usually gone for good as soon as you
+check the group for new mail (yes, it has happened to me...).
@item
-Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
+Therefore: @emph{Never ever} put ``real'' mails into @code{nnmairix}
+groups (you shouldn't be able to, anyway).
@item
-Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
-score.
-@end enumerate
+If you use the Gnus agent (@pxref{Gnus Unplugged}): don't agentize
+@code{nnmairix} groups (though I have no idea what happens if you do).
-If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
-with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
-the new score, which should be an integer.
+@item
+mairix does only support us-ascii characters.
-Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
-four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
+@item
+@code{nnmairix} uses a rather brute force method to force Gnus to
+completely reread the group on the mail back end after mairix was
+called---it simply deletes and re-creates the group on the mail
+back end. So far, this has worked for me without any problems, and I
+don't see how @code{nnmairix} could delete other mail groups than its
+own, but anyway: you really should have a backup of your mail
+folders.
+
+@item
+All necessary information is stored in the group parameters
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}). This has the advantage that no active file
+is needed, but also implies that when you kill a @code{nnmairix} group,
+it is gone for good.
+
+@item
+@findex nnmairix-purge-old-groups
+If you create and kill a lot of @code{nnmairix} groups, the
+``zz_mairix-*'' groups will accumulate on the mail back end server. To
+delete old groups which are no longer needed, call
+@code{nnmairix-purge-old-groups}. Note that this assumes that you don't
+save any ``real'' mail in folders of the form
+@code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can change the prefix of
+@code{nnmairix} groups by changing the variable
+@code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
+
+@item
+The following only applies if you @emph{don't} use the mentioned patch
+for mairix (@pxref{Propagating marks}):
+
+A problem can occur when using @code{nnmairix} with maildir folders and
+comes with the fact that maildir stores mail flags like @samp{Seen} or
+@samp{Replied} by appending chars @samp{S} and @samp{R} to the message
+file name, respectively. This implies that currently you would have to
+update the mairix database not only when new mail arrives, but also when
+mail flags are changing. The same applies to new mails which are indexed
+while they are still in the @samp{new} folder but then get moved to
+@samp{cur} when Gnus has seen the mail. If you don't update the database
+after this has happened, a mairix query can lead to symlinks pointing to
+non-existing files. In Gnus, these messages will usually appear with
+``(none)'' entries in the header and can't be accessed. If this happens
+to you, using @kbd{G b u} and updating the group will usually fix this.
+
+@end itemize
@iftex
@iflatex
@item gnus-interactive-exit
@vindex gnus-interactive-exit
-Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
-default.
+If non-@code{nil}, require a confirmation when exiting Gnus. If
+@code{quiet}, update any active summary buffers automatically without
+querying. The default value is @code{t}.
@end table
@samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
@cindex %<<, %>>, guillemets
-@c @cindex %<<, %>>, %«, %», guillemets
+@c @cindex %<<, %>>, %Ã\82«, %Ã\82», guillemets
@vindex gnus-balloon-face-0
Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
special @code{balloon-help} property set to
return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
-(in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
+(in Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
paragraph.)
to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
windows resized.
+@subsection Window Configuration Names
+
+Here's a list of most of the currently known window configurations,
+and when they're used:
+
+@table @code
+@item group
+The group buffer.
+
+@item summary
+Entering a group and showing only the summary.
+
+@item article
+Selecting an article.
+
+@item server
+The server buffer.
+
+@item browse
+Browsing groups from the server buffer.
+
+@item message
+Composing a (new) message.
+
+@item only-article
+Showing only the article buffer.
+
+@item edit-article
+Editing an article.
+
+@item edit-form
+Editing group parameters and the like.
+
+@item edit-score
+Editing a server definition.
+
+@item post
+Composing a news message.
+
+@item reply
+Replying or following up an article without yanking the text.
+
+@item forward
+Forwarding a message.
+
+@item reply-yank
+Replying or following up an article with yanking the text.
+
+@item mail-bound
+Bouncing a message.
+
+@item pipe
+Sending an article to an external process.
+
+@item bug
+Sending a bug report.
+
+@item score-trace
+Displaying the score trace.
+
+@item score-words
+Displaying the score words.
+
+@item split-trace
+Displaying the split trace.
+
+@item compose-bounce
+Composing a bounce message.
+
+@item mml-preview
+Previewing a @acronym{MIME} part.
+
+@end table
+
+
@subsection Example Window Configurations
@itemize @bullet
The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
-Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
+Viewing a @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
PNG images.
@c Maybe add this:
@c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
@code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
-register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
+register/unregister routines as a start, or other register/unregister
routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
register/unregister spam and ham.
@end enumerate
@menu
-* Setup::
+* Gnus Registry Setup::
* Fancy splitting to parent::
* Registry Article Refer Method::
* Store custom flags and keywords::
* Store arbitrary data::
@end menu
-@node Setup
-@subsection Setup
+@node Gnus Registry Setup
+@subsection Gnus Registry Setup
Fortunately, setting up the Gnus registry is pretty easy:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500
- gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t)
+(setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500)
(gnus-registry-initialize)
@end lisp
("spam" t)
("train" t))
gnus-registry-max-entries 500000
- gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t
+ ;; this is the default
gnus-registry-track-extra '(sender subject))
@end lisp
-They say: keep a lot of messages around, use long group names, track
-messages by sender and subject (not just parent Message-ID), and when
-the registry splits incoming mail, use a majority rule to decide where
-messages should go if there's more than one possibility. In addition,
-the registry should ignore messages in groups that match ``nntp'',
-``nnrss'', ``spam'', or ``train.''
+They say: keep a lot of messages around, track messages by sender and
+subject (not just parent Message-ID), and when the registry splits
+incoming mail, use a majority rule to decide where messages should go
+if there's more than one possibility. In addition, the registry
+should ignore messages in groups that match ``nntp'', ``nnrss'',
+``spam'', or ``train.''
You are doubtless impressed by all this, but you ask: ``I am a Gnus
user, I customize to live. Give me more.'' Here you go, these are
The groups that will not be followed by
@code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}. They will still be
remembered by the registry. This is a list of regular expressions.
-@end defvar
-
-@defvar gnus-registry-ignored-groups
-The groups that will not be remembered by the registry. This is a
-list of regular expressions, also available through Group/Topic
-customization (so you can ignore or keep a specific group or a whole
-topic).
-@end defvar
-
-@defvar gnus-registry-use-long-group-names
-Whether the registry will use long group names. It's recommended to
-set this to @code{t}, although everything works if you don't. Future
-functionality will require it.
+By default any group name that ends with ``delayed'', ``drafts'',
+``queue'', or ``INBOX'', belongs to the nnmairix backend, or contains
+the word ``archive'' is not followed.
@end defvar
@defvar gnus-registry-max-entries
registry will keep.
@end defvar
+@defvar gnus-registry-max-pruned-entries
+The maximum number (an integer or @code{nil} for unlimited) of entries
+the registry will keep after pruning.
+@end defvar
+
@defvar gnus-registry-cache-file
-The file where the registry will be stored between Gnus sessions.
+The file where the registry will be stored between Gnus sessions. By
+default the file name is @code{.gnus.registry.eioio} in the same
+directory as your @code{.newsrc.eld}.
@end defvar
@node Registry Article Refer Method
;; Keep enough entries to have a good hit rate when referring to an
;; article using the registry. Use long group names so that Gnus
;; knows where the article is.
-(setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500
- gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t)
+(setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500)
(gnus-registry-initialize)
@defvar gnus-registry-track-extra
This is a list of symbols, so it's best to change it from the
-Customize interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to
-track @code{subject} and @code{sender} as well when splitting by parent.
-It may work for you. It can be annoying if your mail flow is large and
+Customize interface. By default it's @code{(subject sender)}, which
+may work for you. It can be annoying if your mail flow is large and
people don't stick to the same groups.
@end defvar
This is a symbol, so it's best to change it from the Customize
interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to set it to
@code{majority} or @code{first} to split by sender or subject based on
-the majority of matches or on the first found.
+the majority of matches or on the first found. I find @code{majority}
+works best.
@end defvar
@node Store custom flags and keywords
will offer the available marks for completion.
@end defun
+You can use @code{defalias} to install a summary line formatting
+function that will show the registry marks. There are two flavors of
+this function, either showing the marks as single characters, using
+their @code{:char} property, or showing the marks as full strings.
+
+@lisp
+;; show the marks as single characters (see the :char property in
+;; `gnus-registry-marks'):
+;; (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-M 'gnus-registry-article-marks-to-chars)
+
+;; show the marks by name (see `gnus-registry-marks'):
+;; (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-M 'gnus-registry-article-marks-to-names)
+@end lisp
+
+
@node Store arbitrary data
@subsection Store arbitrary data
store arbitrary data (as long as it can be converted to a list for
storage).
-@defun gnus-registry-store-extra-entry (id key value)
-Store @code{value} in the extra data key @code{key} for message
-@code{id}.
-@end defun
-
-@defun gnus-registry-delete-extra-entry (id key)
-Delete the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
+@defun gnus-registry-set-id-key (id key value)
+Store @code{value} under @code{key} for message @code{id}.
@end defun
-@defun gnus-registry-fetch-extra (id key)
-Get the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
+@defun gnus-registry-get-id-key (id key)
+Get the data under @code{key} for message @code{id}.
@end defun
@defvar gnus-registry-extra-entries-precious
@menu
* Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
-* Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
@cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
@cindex Oort Gnus
@cindex No Gnus
+@cindex Ma Gnus
@cindex Gnus versions
The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
http://git.gnus.org for details (http://www.gnus.org will be updated
with the information when possible).
+On the January 31th 2012, Ma Gnus was begun.
+
If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
-``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
-Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
-you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
-Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
-
-
-@node Other Gnus Versions
-@subsection Other Gnus Versions
-@cindex Semi-gnus
-
-In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
-coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
-Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
-@acronym{MIME} capabilities.
-
-These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
-Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
-called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
-@acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
-Japanese users.
+``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'', ``Ma Gnus'' -- don't
+panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly.
+Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of
+its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to
+that instead.
@node Why?
Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
@item
-Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
+Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bug detection and fixes.
@item
Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
* Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
* Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
-* No Gnus:: Very punny.
+* No Gnus:: Very punny. Gnus 5.12/5.13.
+* Ma Gnus:: Celebrating 25 years of Gnus.
@end menu
These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
been added.
@item
-@code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
+@code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extensible (@pxref{Document
Server Internals}).
@item
the second parameter.
@file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
-automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
+automatic recognition of XEmacs and Emacs, generates
@file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
@acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
@acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
-@acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS.
+@acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GnuTLS.
@item
Improved anti-spam features.
non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
built.
-@item
-The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
-opposed to old but unread messages).
-
@item
Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
@include gnus-news.texi
+@node Ma Gnus
+@subsubsection Ma Gnus
+@cindex Ma Gnus
+
+I'm sure there will be lots of text here. It's really spelled 真
+Gnus.
+
@iftex
@page
@item native
@cindex native
Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
-default, way of getting news.
+default, way of getting news. Groups from the native select method
+have names like @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}.
@item foreign
@cindex foreign
-You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
-These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
-news.
+You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same
+time. These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends
+for getting news. Foreign groups have names like
+@samp{nntp+news.gmane.org:gmane.emacs.gnus.devel}.
@item secondary
@cindex secondary
-Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
-foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
+Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and
+being foreign, but they mostly act like they are native, but they, too
+have names like @samp{nntp+news.gmane.org:gmane.emacs.gnus.devel}.
@item article
@cindex article
@item
Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
like @c
-@samp{No Gnus v0.10} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
+@samp{Ma Gnus v0.2} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
@c
you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old @file{.el}
files lying around. Delete these.
@item gnus-get-info
@findex gnus-get-info
-Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
+Returns the group info list for @var{group} (@pxref{Group Info}).
@item gnus-group-unread
@findex gnus-group-unread
@item gnus-active
@findex gnus-active
-The active entry for @var{group}.
+The active entry (i.e., a cons cell containing the lowest and highest
+article numbers) for @var{group}.
@item gnus-set-active
@findex gnus-set-active
@item gnus-server-equal
@findex gnus-server-equal
-Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
+Says whether two virtual servers are essentially equal. For instance,
+two virtual servers may have server parameters in different order, but
+this function will consider them equal.
@item gnus-group-native-p
@findex gnus-group-native-p
@item gnus-group-find-parameter
@findex gnus-group-find-parameter
-Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
-returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
+Returns the parameter list of @var{group} (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+If given a second parameter, returns the value of that parameter for
+@var{group}.
@item gnus-group-set-parameter
@findex gnus-group-set-parameter
marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
@code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
-@code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
-@code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
-possible, not limit itself to these.
+@code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend}, and
+@code{forward}, but your back end should, if possible, not limit
+itself to these.
Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
@node Score File Syntax
@subsection Score File Syntax
-Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
-mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
+Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
+malleable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
Here's a typical score file:
@c Local Variables:
@c mode: texinfo
-@c coding: iso-8859-1
+@c coding: utf-8
@c End:
projects / gnus / blobdiff