filter

NAME

       filter - filter incoming messages before adding to mailbox

SYNOPSIS

       filter [-q] [-v] [-l] [-o output] [-f rules-file]
       filter [-n] [-f rules-file]
       filter [-r] [-o output] [-f rules-file]
       filter [-c] [-s] [-o output] [-f rules-file]
       filter [-c] [-S] [-o output] [-f rules-file]

DESCRIPTION

       Filter uses a set of selection rules to  process  incoming
       mail  messages.   The  format  for  the  rules, located in
       $HOME/.elm/filter-rules, is;

               rule  ::=  if  (expression)  then  action

       where expression is:

               expression  ::=  {  not  }  condition  expr2

               expr2  ::=  NULL  |  and  condition  expr2

               condition  ::=  field  relationship  value
                          ::=  lines  relop  numvalue
       or                 ::=  always

       These further break down as:

               field  ::=  from  |  subject  |  to  |  lines | sender

               relationship  ::=  =  |  !=

               relop  ::=  =  |  !=  |  <  |  >  |  <=  |  >=

               value  ::=  any  quoted  string

               numvalue  ::=  any  integer  value

       Action can be any of:

               delete
               save  foldername
               savecopy foldername
               execute  command
               executec  command
               forward  address
               leave

       For further information about the rules  language,  please
       see The Elm Filter Guide.

       The flags the filter program understands are;

       -c        Clear logs.  If this flag is used, the log files
                 will be removed after being summarized by either
                 "-s" or "-S" (see below).

       -f rules-file
                 Get rules from specified file instead of default
                 $HOME/.elm/filter-rules

       -l        Log actions only.  Do not log information  about
                 mailed messages.

       -n        Not  really.   Output what would happen if given
                 message from standard input, but don't  actually
                 do anything with it.

       -o file   Redirect  stdout  messages to the specified file
                 or device.  Logging of  filter  actions  is  not
                 affected.   (This  is  added  to more gracefully
                 deal with changes  in  the  file  system  (since
                 sendmail  is  quite  picky  about modes of files
                 being redirected into.))

       -q        Quiet.  Do not log filtering actions.

       -r        Rules.  List the rules currently being used.

       -s        Summarize.  List a summary of the  message  fil-
                 tering log.

       -S        This  is  the same as `-s' but includes message-
                 by-message information additionally.

       -v        Verbose.  Give output on standard out  for  each
                 message  filtered.  Useful to have redirected to
                 ``/dev/console'' and such.  (see -o too).

AUTHOR

       Elm Development Group

FILES

       $HOME/.elm/filter-rules     Default rules file
       $HOME/.elm/filterlog        A log of what has been done
       $HOME/.elm/filtersum        A summary  of  what  has  been
       done
       /etc/passwd             Used to get users home directory

SEE ALSO

       The Elm Filter Guide
       readmsg(1L), elm(1L), mail(1), mailx(1), sendmail(1,8)

COMMENTS

       Not really smart about pattern matching.

BUG REPORTS TO

       Syd Weinstein  elm@DSI.COM    (dsinc!elm)

COPYRIGHTS

       Copyright 1988-1992 by The USENET Community Trust
       Derived from Elm 2.0,  Copyright 1986, 1987 by Dave Taylor