The Z-Mail Handbook

3 Interfaces for E-mail

Hanna Nelson

Publisher: O'Reilly, 1991, 434 pages

ISBN: 0-937175-76-5

Keywords: Networks

Last modified: May 12, 2021, 5:43 p.m.

Z-Mail is a new program for sending and reading mail on a UNIX system.

You may already be familiar with Z-Mail and its basic command set. It is backwards-compatible with System V mail and Berkeley mailx, that means anything that you can do with those mail programs you can do with Z-Mail. What's more, Z-Mail is a superset of the features and commands of a widely-used, public-domain program named Mush (Mail User's Shell), originally developed by Dan Heller. With Z-Mail, Dan along with Bart Schaefer, has added a new Motif interface for users of the X Window System.

In Z-Mail, you can do even more than in Mush to customize how you compose messages and read your mail, using aliases, commands and macros. Z-Mail allows you to write scripts that automate tasks such as cleaning up old mail files, re-directing bounced mail messages or collecting a set of messages on a related subject. Additionally, in the GUI mode, you can attach any script to a button so that you can execute it with a single click of a mouse button. The same script can also be executed while using either of the other two modes as well.

Z-Mail also supports multimedia attachments, so you can mail text, graphics, voice (and other sound), desktop publishing documents, spreadsheets, or anything you can store on disk.

The Z-Mail Handbook is the complete, authoritative guide to using this powerful mail program. This handbook will help you learn Z-Mail and explain all the commands and features that distinguish Z-Mail from other mail programs. You will learn how to customize the behavior of Z-Mail to your liking. And you will see how some of Z-Mail's more advanced features such as aliases, functions, and macros make you even more productive.

This book is for anyone that uses (or plans to use) Z-Mail or Mush.

  1. Introduction to Z-Mail
    • Communicating with E-mail
      • Evolution of Z-Mail
    • What is Z-Mail?
      • The Line-mode Interface
      • The Fullscreen Interface
      • The Graphical User Interface
  2. Getting Started
    • Basic Concepts
    • Sending Mail
      • Composing a Message
      • Canceling a Message
      • Sending a Message
      • Sending a File
    • Reading Mail
      • Header Summaries
        • When New Mail Arrives
      • Reading a Message
      • Replying to a Message
      • Saving a Message
      • Deleting a Message
      • Recovering a Deleted Message
    • Exiting Z-Mail
    • Getting Help with Z-Mail
      • Common Errors
  3. Reading and Managing Mail
    • Z-Mail Command-line Syntax
      • What is a Message List?
    • Getting Help with Z-Mail Commands
    • Modifying Commands with Variables
      • Syntax for Setting Variables
        • Displaying Current Variable Settings
        • Displaying Available Z-Mail Variables
        • Unsetting Variables
    • Reading Messages
      • Displaying the Next or Previous Message
      • Deleting and Displaying Messages
      • Paging Through Messages
      • Displaying the Tops of Messages
    • Redisplaying Header Summaries
      • Listing Specific Header Summaries
      • Displaying Header Summaries by Status
        • Displaying Deleted Messages
    • Printing Messages
    • Picking Messages from the Display
      • Matching Patterns in Headers
      • Picking Messages by Date
        • Specifying the Date Format
      • Suppressing pick Descriptions
    • Marking Messages
      • Temporary Marks
      • Marking a Message with a Priority
      • Picking Messages by Priority
      • Removing Marks
    • Organizing Your Messages
      • What Are Filename Metacharacters?
      • Saving Messages to Folders
      • Saving Messages to Files
        • Changing and Listing Directories
        • Keeping Saved Messages
        • Organizing Messages by Subject
        • Organizing Messages by Author
      • Organizing Folders
      • Listing the Folders in the Folder Directory
      • Changing the Name of the Folder Directory
    • Sorting Folders
      • Ordering Messages at Startup Time
    • Exiting Z-Mail
      • Ignoring the End-if-file Character
      • Updating the Current Folder
        • Updating Folders Automatically Before Exiting
    • Customizing with Variables
      • Displaying Warning Messages
      • Changing the Header Summary Format
      • Setting Your Prompt
      • Reviewing the Variables
    • Test Your Z-Mail Skills
      • Review Quiz Answers
  4. Sending Mail
    • Sending and Replying to Mail
      • Compose-mode Escapes
      • Changing or Adding Recipients
      • Changing the Subject
      • Sending Copies to Other People
        • Creating Blind Carbon Copies
      • Editing All the Header Fields
      • Tips for Editing Your Message
        • Wrapping Up Lines Automatically
        • Editing the Previous Line
        • Starting Up a Text Editor
        • Editing Headers with the Message Text
      • Canceling the Message
      • Including a Message
      • Forwarding Messages to Other People
      • Including a File
      • Previewing the Message
      • Saving the Outgoing Message to a File
      • Suspending a Message Composition
      • Running Z-Mail Commands from Within Compose mode
      • Piping Message Compositions Through UNIX Commands
      • Sending the Message
    • Sending Files
      • Draft Files
      • Form Letters
        • Changing the Templates Directory
      • Sending Attachments
        • Listing the Current Attachments
        • Removing Attachments
        • Detaching Attachments
      • Sending Large Files
    • Mail Aliases
      • Creating Mail Aliases
      • Displaying Mail Aliases
        • Checking Aliases from Within Compose Mode
      • Unsetting Mail Aliases
    • Customizing Your Outgoing Mail
      • Setting Your Real Name
      • Introducing the Included Message
      • Setting the In-Reply-To Header
      • Creating Message Headers
        • Creating Reply-To Headers
        • Requesting a Return-Receipt
        • Removing Personal Headers
      • Signing Your Name
        • Including an Alternate Signature File
      • Including a Fortune
        • Specifying Who Gets a Fortune
      • Saving Copies of Your Outgoing Messages
      • Creating a Message Header Log
      • Specifying the Dead Letter Folder
      • Changing the Tilde-escape Character
      • Reviewing the Variables
    • Reviewing the Commands
      • Review Quiz Answers
  5. Z-Mail Shortcuts, Bells, and Whistles
    • Additional Z-Mail Command-line Syntax
      • Z-Mail Variable Types
      • Referring to Variables
        • Variable Substitution Modifiers
      • Read-only Variables
        • Current Working Directory
        • Output of Last Command
        • Status of Last Command
        • Current Folder Name
        • Current Version Nymber
      • Combining Z-Mail Commands
    • Using Command History
      • Displaying Command-line History
      • Re-executing Previous Commands
      • Turning Off History Referencing
        • Ignoring History-reference Errors
    • Creating Command-line Aliases
      • Setting Up Command-line Aliases
      • Displaying Command-line Aliases
      • Unsetting Command-line Aliases
    • Using Filename Completion
      • Excluding Patterns from Completions
      • Changing the Completion Character
    • More About Folders
      • Reading Folders at Startup Time
      • Switching Folders
      • Editing Messages in Folders
      • Combining Folders
      • Closing Open Folders
        • Saving Empty Folders
    • Suppressing Message Header Display
      • Specifying Message Headers to Display
      • Suppressing Headers in Other Situations
    • Reading Mail Digests
    • Accessing the Shell from Z-Mail
      • Using UNIX Commands from Within Z-Mail
      • Sending Messages to UNIX Commands
      • Suspending the Z-Mail Process
    • Reviewing the Shortcuts, Bells, and Whistles
      • Review Quiz
      • Review Quiz Answers
  6. Using the Fullscreen Mode
    • Starting Fullscreen Mode
      • Fullscreen-mode Display
      • Entering Commands in Fullscreen Mode
      • Moving the Cursor
      • Continue Mode
      • Changing the Screen Display
      • Getting Help in Fullscreen Mode
      • Setting Variables in Fullscreen Mode
        • Removing Variable Settings
        • Listing Current Variable Settings
        • getting Help on Variables
      • Displaying a Menu of Key Bindings on the Screen
    • Sending Mail
      • Suspending and Resuming a Message Composition
      • Setting Mail Aliases
      • Creating Your Own Message Headers
    • Reading Messages
      • When New Mail Arrives
    • Replying to Messages
    • Manipulating Messages
      • Saving Messages to Folders and Files
        • Changing Directories
      • Deleting Messages
        • Restoring Deleted Messages
      • Preserving Messages
      • Sending Messages to the Printer
      • Marking Messages
      • Searching for Patterns
      • Sorting Folders
        • Sorting by Date
        • Sorting by Author
        • Sorting by Status
    • Using Folders
      • Switching Between Folders
        • Listing Open Folders
        • Closing Open Folders
      • Updating the Folder
    • Using Line-mode Commands from Fullscreen Mode
    • Accessing the UNIX Shell
    • Exiting Fullscreen Mode
      • Turning off Fullscreen Mode
      • Exiting Z-Mail from the Top Level
      • Exiting from Continue Mode
    • Binding Keystrokes to Fullscreen Commands
      • Displaying Current Bindings
      • Chaning a Key Binding
      • Unsetting a Key Binding
      • Making Key Bindings Permanent
    • Other Fullscreen Commands
      • Creating Macros in Fullscreen Mode
      • Reading and Saving to the Initialization File
      • Executing Functions in Fullscreen Mode
      • What is the Version Number?
    • Reviewing Fullscreen Mode
  7. Using the Graphical User Interface
    • Starting the GUI
    • The Main Z-Mail Window
      • Using Menus
      • Using Scrollbars
      • The Action Area
    • Using the Toolbox
    • Getting Help
      • The Help Index Window
    • Selecting a Message
      • Selecting Multiple Messages
    • Reading a Message
      • Activating Another Window
      • Viewing the Next Message
      • Reading a Message with an Attachment
      • Deleting Messages
        • Restoring Deleted Messages
      • Saving the Message
        • Canceling the Save Request
      • Printing the Message
      • Replying to the Message
    • Composing a Message
      • Including a Message
      • Forwarding the Message to Another Person
      • Including a File
      • Saving the Current Message
      • Editing the Message Headers
      • Using Templates
      • Cutting and Pasting Text
      • Searching and Replacing Text
      • Using an Editor to Compose the Message
      • Sending the Message
      • Wrapping Text Automatically
      • Signing Your Message
      • Requesting a Return Receipt
      • Sending an Attachment
      • Composing a New Message
      • Canceling the Message
      • Closing the Compose Message Window
      • Replying to Multiple Messages
    • When New Mail Arrives
    • Using Folders
      • Switching Folders
        • Opening a Folder in Read-only Mode
        • Opening More than One Folder at a Time
      • Displaying the List of Open Folders
        • Activating a Different Folder
        • Closing the Find Folders Window
        • Closing an Open Folder
      • Updating the Current Folder
      • Exiting Z-Mail
    • Manipulating Messages
      • Preserving Messages
        • Unpreserving Messages
      • Marking Messages
        • Removing Marks
      • Specifying Priorities for Messages
        • Removing Priority Settings
    • Picking Messages to Display
      • Searching for a Pattern
        • Searching All the Open Folders
        • Searching for Messages That Don't Match
        • Manipulating the Results of the Search
      • Picking Messages by Date
        • Searching for an Exact Date
        • Searching for a Relative Date
    • Sorting the Message Headers
      • The Custom Sort Window
    • Customizing Z-Mail
      • Setting Z-Mail Variables
        • Changing the Value of a Variable
        • Saving the New Value
        • Closing the Variables Window
      • Specifying Headers to Suppress
        • Unsetting Ignored Headers
        • Specifying Headers to Show
        • Unsetting Headers
        • Saving Header Settings
      • Creating Personal Headers
        • Removing Personal Headers
        • Saving Header Settings
      • Setting Mail Aliases
        • Removing Alias Settings
        • Saving Alias Settings
      • Creating a Z-Mail Function
    • Moving and Resizing Windows
      • Moving a Window
      • Resizing a Window
    • Changing Window Colors
    • Reviewing the GUI Mode
  8. Customizing Z-Mail
    • Modifying Z-Mail Initialization
      • Specifying an Initialization File
    • Initialization File Format
      • Putting Comments in the Initialization File
      • Conditional Statements
      • Using the Mode-testing Variables
        • The is_sending Variable
        • The is_shell Variable
        • The redirect Variable
      • Negating an Expression
      • Evaluating a String Expression
      • Using File Test Operations
      • Specifying an Alternate Action
        • The exit Command
      • Z-Mail Commands in the Initialization File
        • Mail Aliases
        • Suppressed and Retained Headers
        • Command-line Aliases
        • Fullscreen-mode Bindings
        • Macro Definitions
    • Customizing Z-Mail with Variables
      • Setting Variables in the Initialization File
      • Setting Environment Variables
      • Basic Customization Settings
      • Sample Initialization Files
    • Additional Z-Mail Variables
      • Wrapping the Message Pointer
      • Specifying Alternate Home or Temporary Directories
      • Setting the Search Path for cd
      • Suppressing Z-Mail Messages
      • GUI Specific Variables
        • Removing GUI-mode Dialogs automatically
        • Changing the Z-Mail Icon
    • Emulating Other Mailers and Editors
      • BSD UNIX Mail
      • UNIX System V mailx
      • emacs Editor
    • Filtering Messages
      • Removing Filter Definitions
      • Filtering in a .forward File
      • Filtering in a .maildelivery Files
      • Using the Vacation Filter
    • Creating Customized Help Files
      • Help File Format
      • Changing the Location of Help Files
    • Adding Attachment Types
      • Attachment Types Description File Format
        • The PATH Keyword
        • The TYPE Keyword
        • The CODE Keyword
        • The ENCODE Keyword
        • The DEFAULT Keyword
    • Summary
  9. Writing Scripts and Functions
    • Special variables
      • Using the eval Command
    • Creating Your Own Variables
    • Z-Mail Scripts
      • Running Scripts
      • Sample Scripts
        • Running the cleanrecord Script
        • A MUSH Script
      • Using the #! Syntax in Scripts
        • Running Scripts Non-interactively
    • Building Functions
      • The function Command
        • Creating Help for Functions
        • Function Naming Conventions
        • Creating a Simple Function
      • Turning Script into Functions
      • The return Command
      • Argument Variables
      • The ask Command
        • Yes, No, or Cancel?
        • Prompting for a String
        • Providing a Selection
        • Forcing a Selection
      • Manipulating Function Arguments with the shift Command
      • The msg_list Command
      • The each Command
      • The foreach Command
      • Recursive Functions
    • Listing Your Functions
    • Removing Function Definitions
    • Binding Functions to Buttons
      • Calling a Dialog Box
      • Listing Buttons
      • Removing Buttons
    • Reviewing Scripts and Functions
  10. Creating and Using Macros
    • Macro Types
    • Macro Key-sequence Restrictions
    • Creating Line-mode Macros
      • Using Control Characters in Key-sequences and Expansion
      • Using Special Functions in Macro Expansion
      • Nesting Macros
      • Preventing Macros from Expanding
      • Literal-next Characters
      • Listing the Current Line-mode Macros
    • Creating Compose-mode Macros
      • Listing the Current Compose-mode Macros
    • Mixing Line- and Compose-mode Macros
    • Creating Fullscreen-mode Macros
      • Creating Macros with bind
      • Using Functions in Fullscreen Macro Expansion
      • Creating Macros with bind-macro
      • Using Macros to Run Line-mode Commands
      • Creating Line-mode Macros from Fullscreen-mode
      • Creating Compose-mode Macros from Fullscreen-mode
      • Listing the Current Fullscreen-mode Macros
    • Removing Macro Definitions
    • Making Macros Permanent
  11. Z-Mail Addressing
    • Addressing Outgoing Messages
      • Comments in Mail Addresses
    • Sending Mail to Other Computers
      • Using UUCP Addresses
        • Sending Mail Using Backbone Computers
        • Figuring Out Your UUCP EMail Address
        • Setting the Name of Your Machine
      • Using Internet (Domain) Addresses
    • How Z-Mail Creates a Return Address
      • Telling Z-Mail About UUCP Connections
      • How Z-Mail Creates Addresses with replyall
        • Specifying the Return Path
      • Shortening Internet Addresses
      • Telling Z-Mail About Your Alternate Addresses
  1. Useful tips and Hints
  2. Z-Mail Commands
  3. Z-Mail Variables
  4. Tilde-escape Commands
  5. Fullscreen-mode Bindings
  6. Command-line Options
  7. Important Z-Mail Files

Reviews

The Z-Mail Handbook

Reviewed by Roland Buresund

Disappointing *** (3 out of 10)

Last modified: May 21, 2007, 2:47 a.m.

A book about one of the first graphical mail clients on a UNIX-system. Historical value only

Comments

There are currently no comments

New Comment

required

required (not published)

optional

required

captcha

required