2.5 Folder Definition

You can skip this section because it is possible to add/edit the subscribe folders from the buffer for list of folders. See section 4.2 Editing Folders.

Define the folders you want to subscribe in file `~/.folders'. The contents written in `~/.folders' become the folders which you subscribe to as it is.

Format for `~/.folders' is very simple. Here is an example:

#
# Lines begin with `#' are comment.
# Empty lines are ignored
#
# folder name  "folder nickname"
# (nicknames are not necessary)
#
%inbox  "Inbox"
+trash  "Trash"
+draft  "Drafts"
%#mh/Backup@my.imap.example.com "Sent"
# Folder Group
Emacsen{
    %#mh/spool/wl            "Wanderlust ML"
    %#mh/spool/elips         "ELIPS ML"
    %#mh/spool/apel-ja       "APEL Japanese ML"
    %#mh/spool/xemacs-beta   "XEmacs beta"
    -fj.news.reader.gnus@other.nntp.example.com "Gnus Net news"
    *-fj.editor.xemacs,-fj.editor.mule,-fj.editor.emacs "fj's Emacsen"
}
#
# If folder name ends with `/', that means an `access group',
# all subfolders automatically included in one folder group.
#
%#mh/expire@localhost /
# All MH folders are included in one folder group.
+ /

Each line contains one folder you want to read. The definition of folders will be explained in detail in the next section.

The part surrounded by `group name{' and `}' will become one folder group. One folder group is treated as a directory which can be opened and closed in folder mode. It is convenient for collecting some folders and putting them in order.

Please note that `group name{' and `}' occupies one line and you have to write it that way (It is because the parser sucks).

There are two types of groups. One is like `Emacsen' from above example which the user chooses his favorite folders as a group.

The other one is access group like `+ /' from above example. It collects all sub-folders in the folder to make a group. (Its behavior differs by the type of the folder. For example, `+' followed by `/' makes entire MH sub-directories to one group)

This behavior is better understood if you try it and confirmed the function first. You can write and try a small folder definition, so you will know the idea of the folder function before writing the real one.