Multiple Folders¶

Specifying -all will produce a summary line for each top-level folder in the user's mmh directory, sorted alphabetically. (If folder is invoked by a name ending with `s' (e.g. folders), -all is assumed). Specifying -recurse with -all will also produce a line for all sub-folders. These folders are all preceded by the read-only folders, which occur as `atr-cur-' entries in the user's mmh context. For example:

FOLDER	      # MESSAGES	RANGE	CUR     (OTHERS)
/var/work/folder	has  35 messages	( 1- 35);	cur=23
/usr/bugs/Mail	has  82 messages	( 1-108);	cur=82
ff	has  no messages
inbox+	has  16 messages	( 3- 22);	cur= 5
mh	has  76 messages	(15- 76);	cur=70
notes	has   2 messages	( 1-  2);	cur= 1
ucom	has 124 messages	( 1-124);	cur= 6; (others)
TOTAL = 339 messages in 7 folders

The `+' after inbox indicates that it is the current folder. The `(others)' indicates that the folder ucom has files which aren't messages. These files may either be sub-folders, or files that don't belong under the mh file naming scheme.

The folder and message totals are output if either a -all or a -total switch is specified. It is suppressed by -nototal.

If -fast is given, only the folder name (or names in the case of -all) will be listed. (This is faster because the folders need not be read.)

If a +folder is given along with the -all switch, folder will, in addition to setting the current folder, list the top-level subfolders for the current folder (with -norecurse) or list all sub-folders under the current folder recursively (with -recurse).

If msg is supplied, together with +folder or without -all, it will become the current message of +folder (if it had been supplied) or the current folder.

The -recurse switch lists each folder recursively, so use of this option effectively defeats the speed enhancement of the -fast option, since each folder must be searched for subfolders. Nevertheless, the combination of these options is useful.

Compacting a Folder¶

The -pack switch will compress the message names in the designated folders, removing holes in message numbering. The -verbose switch directs folder to tell the user the general actions that it is taking to compress the folder.

The Folder Stack¶

The -push switch directs folder to push the current folder onto the folder-stack, and make the +folder argument the current folder. If +folder is not given, the current folder and the top of the folder-stack are exchanged. This corresponds to the `pushd' operation in the shell.

The -pop switch directs folder to discard the top of the folder-stack, after setting the current folder to that value. No +folder argument is allowed. This corresponds to the `popd' operation in the shell. The -push switch and the -pop switch are mutually exclusive: the last occurrence of either one overrides any previous occurrence of the other. Both of these switches also set -list by default.

The -list switch directs folder to list the contents of the folder-stack. No +folder argument is allowed. After a successful -push or -pop, the -list action is taken, unless a -nolist switch follows them on the command line. This corresponds to the `dirs' operation in the shell. The -push, -pop, and -list switches turn off -print.