mhl.format File

Purpose

Controls the output format of the mhl command.

Description

The /etc/mh/mhl.format file controls the output format of the mhl command when the mhl command functions as the message listing program. The /etc/mh/mhl.format file is the default attributes file. The mhl.digest, mhl.forward, and mhl.reply files must be specified before use.

Each line of the mhl.format file must have one of the following forms:

Form Definition
;Comment Contains the comments specified by the Comment field that are ignored.
:ClearText Contains text for output (ClearText). A line that contains a : (colon) only produces a blank output line.
Component:[Variable,...] Defines the format of the specified Component.
Variable[Variable,...] Applies the value specified by the Variable field only to the preceding component if the value follows that component. Lines having other formats define the global environment.

The entire mhl.format file is parsed before output processing begins. Therefore, if the global setting of a variable is defined in multiple places, the last global definition for that variable describes the current global setting.

The following table lists the mhl.format file variables and parameters.

Table 1. File Variables for the mhl.format File
Parameter Variable Description
Width integer Sets the screen width or component width.
Length integer Sets the screen length or component length.
OffSet integer Indents the Component parameter the specified number of columns.
OverflowText string Outputs the String parameter at the beginning of each overflow line.
OverflowOffset integer Indents overflow lines the specified number of columns.
CompWidth integer Indents component text the specified number of columns after the first line of output.
Uppercase flag Outputs text of the Component parameter in all uppercase characters.
NoUppercase flag Outputs text of the Component parameter in the case entered.
ClearScreen flag/G Clears the screen before each page.
NoClearScreen flag/G Does not clear the screen before each page.
Bell flag/G Produces an audible indicator at the end of each page.
NoBell flag/G Does not produce an audible indicator at the end of each page.
Component string/L Uses the String parameter as the name for the specified the Component parameter instead of the string Component.
NoComponent flag Does not output the string Component for the specified Component parameter.
Center flag Centers the Component parameter on line. This variable works for one-line components only.
NoCenter flag Does not center the Component parameter.
LeftAdjust flag Strips off the leading white space characters from each line of text.
NoLeftAdjust flag Does not strip off the leading white space characters from each line of text.
Compress flag Changes new-line characters in text to space characters.
NoCompress flag Does not change new-line characters in text to space characters.
FormatField string Uses String as the format string for the specified component.
AddrField flag The specified Component parameter contains addresses.
DateField flag The specified Component parameter contains dates.
Ignore unquoted string Does not output component specified by String.

Variables that have integer or string values as parameters must be followed by an = (equal sign) and the integer or string value (for example, overflowoffset=5). String values must also be enclosed in double quotation marks (for example, overflowtext="***"). A parameter specified with the /G suffix has global scope. A parameter specified with the /L suffix has local scope.

Examples

The following is an example of a line that could be displayed in the mhl.format file:

width=80,length=40,clearscreen,overflowtext="***".,overflowoffset=5

This format line defines the screen size to be 80 columns by 40 rows, and specifies the screen should be cleared before each page (clearscreen). The overflow text should be flagged with the *** string, and the overflow indentation should be 5 columns.

Files

Item Description
/etc/mh/mhl.format Specifies the path of the mhl.format file.