Re: [Nmh-workers] Locking In Scripts and nmh Locking

[norm]

David Levine <address@hidden> writes:
>Norm wrote:
>
>> They include adding to mail drops, moving files between and within
>> folders and editing context files (mostly to rename or remove
>> sequences).
>
>Though they can get clumsy, there are nmh programs to do each
>of those things.  send/post adds to mail drops, refile moves
>messages between and within folders.

     (Minor, and really irrelevant details: send/post imposes constraints on and
     alters the contents of a file; refile won't let me designate the name of
     the destination file; refile won't overwrite an existing file; etc,etc. I
     have little doubt that you (David Levine) could figure out ways to overcome
     those details).

>Copy a sequence:
>mark -seq s2 `mark -seq s1 -list | sed 's/.*: //'`
>
>Remove a sequence:
>mark -seq s1 -del all
>
>Unfortunately, pick doesn't help here, it creates sequences
>rather than searches them.
>
>> I don't know which of these things require what kinds of locking.  I
>> don't want to learn. And most importantly I shouldn't have to know.
>
>I'd much, much rather use the high-level tools.
>
>I realize you provided examples so there may be tasks that
>aren't as easy to handle.  If we need to add to existing programs
>to get what you need, I think that's the way to go.

The basic philosophy and reason-for-existence of mh and of nmh is that that's
not the way to go. I should be allowed -- nay encouraged -- to use file system
tools to manipulate mh constructs.

    Norman Shapiro