Displays your messages.
The READ command can be entered with or without parameters.
Pressing the Return key is the same as entering the READ command
without parameters. If you press Return immediately after Mail
is invoked, Mail displays the first unread message in your
NEWMAIL folder. If all messages have been read or you have no
new messages, Mail displays the first message in the MAIL folder.
Each time you enter the READ command without parameters or press
Return, Mail displays the next message.
If a new message arrives while you are in Mail, enter the READ
/NEW command to read the message and then return to the previous
Mail activity.
You create a new set of selected messages every time you use any
of the following qualifiers:
/BEFORE
/CC_SUBSTRING
/FROM_SUBSTRING
/MARKED or /NOMARKED
/NEW
/SINCE
/SUBJECT_SUBSTRING
/TO_SUBSTRING
If no folder selection has been made when you enter one of these
qualifiers, Mail will select messages from the MAIL folder.
Format
READ [foldername] [message-number]
1 – Parameters
foldername
Specifies the name of the folder from which to select messages.
If you omit the foldername, the folder to be used is determined
in the following order:
1. The current folder is used, if any (unless the /NEW qualifier
is specified)
2. The NEWMAIL folder is used if:
o You specify the /NEW qualifier
o You omit selection qualifiers and you have new mail
3. The MAIL folder is used.
message-number
Indicates the number of the message to be read. The message
number represents the position of a message in a folder. If
you specify a number greater than the number of messages in the
folder, Mail displays the last message in the folder. Therefore,
to read the latest message in a folder, specify a large message
number or enter the LAST command.
2 – Qualifiers
2.1 /BEFORE
/BEFORE=date
Selects all the mail messages received before the specified
date. If you do not specify a date, Mail selects all of the
mail messages received before the current day (today). You can
also specify the keywords YESTERDAY and TODAY. For example, the
command READ/BEFORE=YESTERDAY would select all mail messages
received before yesterday.
2.2 /CC_SUBSTRING
/CC_SUBSTRING=text
Selects messages containing the specified text in the CC: field
of the message, where the specified text is usually a node name
or user name.
2.3 /EDIT
Invokes a text editor. Unless you have selected a different
editor by entering the SET EDITOR command, the DECTPU-based EVE
editor is invoked. Use your editor to peruse the current message.
When you are done, enter the appropriate command to quit from
your selected editor. If you decide to edit the message and want
to keep a copy of the newly edited message, enter the appropriate
command to exit (use the EXIT command in EVE) and supply a file
name.
2.4 /FROM_SUBSTRING
/FROM_SUBSTRING=text
Selects messages containing the specified text in the From: field
of the message, where the specified text is usually a node name
or user name. This command searches only the node name and user
name of the sender; it does not search the personal name field.
2.5 /MARKED
/MARKED
/NOMARKED
Selects messages that have been marked. The /NOMARKED qualifier
selects messages that are not marked.
2.6 /NEW
Selects the NEWMAIL folder and displays new mail messages
received while you are in Mail. If there are no new messages,
Mail displays the message "%MAIL-W-NONEWMAIL, no new messages".
When a mail file other than your default mail file is open, Mail
closes the file and opens your default mail file.
2.7 /PAGE
/PAGE[=keyword]
/NOPAGE (default)
Controls the display of information on the screen.
You can use the following keywords with the /PAGE qualifier:
CLEAR_SCREEN Clears the screen before each page is displayed.
SCROLL Displays information one line at a time.
SAVE[=n] Enables screen navigation of information, where n
is the number of pages to store.
The /PAGE qualifier allows you to navigate through a maximum of 5
screens containing up to 255 columns of information. When you use
the /PAGE qualifier, you can use the following keys as well:
Key Sequence Description
Up arrow (^ ), Ctrl/B Scroll up one line.
Down arrow (v ) Scroll down one line.
Left arrow (< - ) Scroll left one column.
Right arrow (- > ) Scroll right one column.
Find (E1) Specify a string to find where the
information is displayed.
Insert Here (E2) Scroll right one half screen.
Remove (E3) Scroll left one half screen.
Select (E4) Toggle 80/132 column mode.
Prev Screen (E5) Get the previous page of information.
Next Screen (E6), Get the next page of information.
Return, Enter, Space
F10, Ctrl/Z Exit.
Do (F16) Toggle the display to oldest/newest
page.
Ctrl/W Refresh the display.
2.8 /REPLIED
/REPLIED
/NOREPLIED
Selects messages that have been replied to with the REPLY
command. The /NOREPLIED qualifier selects messages to which you
have not replied.
2.9 /SINCE
/SINCE=date
Selects all of the mail messages received on or after the
specified date. The format for the date is dd-mmm-yyyy. If
you do not specify a date, Mail selects all of the mail
messages received on the current day. You can also specify the
keywords YESTERDAY and TODAY. For example, the command READ
/SINCE=YESTERDAY would select all mail messages received since
yesterday.
2.10 /SUBJECT_SUBSTRING
/SUBJECT_SUBSTRING=text
Selects messages containing the specified text in the Subj: field
of the message.
2.11 /TO_SUBSTRING
/TO_SUBSTRING=text
Selects messages containing the specified text in the To: field
of the message, where the specified text is usually a node name
or user name. The /TO_SUBSTRING qualifier will not search the
personal name field.
3 – Examples
1.MAIL> READ/SUBJECT_SUBSTRING= MEETINGS
MAIL
# From Date Subject
1 BILL 11-DEC-1994 Future Meetings
This example shows how to use the /SUBJECT_SUBSTRING qualifier
with the READ command to find messages that contain the
substring MEETINGS.
2.MAIL> READ/BEFORE=11-DEC-1994
This example shows how to use the /BEFORE qualifier with the
READ command to display all the mail messages in the current
folder received before December 11, 1994.
3.MAIL> READ/SINCE=11-DEC-1994
This example shows how to use the /SINCE qualifier with the
READ command to display all the mail messages in the current
folder received on or after December 11, 1994.
4.MAIL> READ/NEW
This example shows how to read new mail received while you are
in Mail.