message-sequence

MESSAGE-SEQUENCE

A message-sequence is any expression used with an MM Top-Level command to
  define a set of messages.  For example, in "headers all", "all" is the 
  message-sequence.  MM has a wide variety of message-sequences that allow 
  you to review and handle your mail efficiently.

Some of the message-sequences are used alone, like "all", while others
  take further values or text.  "before" for example takes a date.

Message-sequences can be combined.  For example: "from howie since tues",
  "before Aug 6 1990 subject meeting", "recent from sue", "55:*" (messages
  55 to last), "1:40 text comput from jo".
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MESSAGE NUMBERS: 
  n          message number "n" (3= message 3)
  n,m        messages number "n" and "m"  (3,5= messages 3 and 5)
  n:m        messages "n" to "m" inclusive  (3:5= messages 3 to 5)
  n-m        messages "n" to "m" inclusive  (3-5= messages 3 to 5)
  n+m        "m" messages, starting with message "n"  (3+5= messages 3 to 7)
  
ALL, INVERSE:  All messages in the mail file.  all = starting with the 
  oldest, inverse = starting with the latest.

CURRENT or . (period):  The message most recently read or otherwise acted
  upon by an MM command.  Can be used as a number, like ".+20"

LAST [number]:  For example, "last 3"= the last 3 messages in the mail file.
LAST or * (asterisk):  The last message in the mail file.

AFTER, BEFORE, ON, SINCE [date or day]:  For example, "before Sept 1 1990",
  "before Mon".  SINCE = both ON and AFTER.

FROM, TO [userid/address or name]:  For example, "from jb51" or "from jo".
  Searches the FROM or TO lines of messages.  The name can be just part of
  the name, like "jo" for John or Joseph.  If the name includes spaces, 
  use quotes around it: from "John Doe" .

SUBJECT, TEXT [text]:  For example, "subject comput".  If the text contains
  spaces, use quotes around it:  subject "New York" .  Searches the subject
  line or the message text, respectively.
  
The following sequences are based on message status.  Message status is
shown by letters in the output of the HEADERS command.  Use the FLAG and
KEYWORD commands to mark messages for retrieval later with the message-
sequences FLAGGED or KEYWORD [word].

   ANSWERED, UNANSWERED:  Status A (answered: you sent a reply) or not.

   DELETED, UNDELETED:  Status D (marked for deletion) or not.

   FLAGGED, FLAGGED:  Status F (flagged as important) or not.

   KEYWORD, UNKEYWORD [keyword]: For example, "keyword bird" refers to
     messages with the keyword "bird".  

   NEW:  Status N (new [RECENT and UNSEEN]) or not.

   RECENT:  Status R (recent: arrived during this MM session) or not. 

   SEEN, UNSEEN:  "unseen" is status N or U (unseen: messages you have not
   seen yet); "seen" is any message you have seen with the READ, TYPE or
   BROWSE commands.
  
LONGER, SHORTER [number]:  For example, "longer 500"= messages longer than
  500 characters.  Searches by length of message including header fields.

PREVIOUS-SEQUENCE:  The message-sequence most recently used.  Abbreviate as
  "pr" or even "p".  For example, if you try "headers from mel since mon",
  and that is the correct set of messages, you can read them by typing
  "read pr" or even "r p", rather than retyping the message-sequence.