--- /dev/null
+\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- -*- coding: iso-latin-1 -*-
+
+@setfilename gnus
+@settitle Pterodactyl Gnus Manual
+@synindex fn cp
+@synindex vr cp
+@synindex pg cp
+@c @direntry
+@c * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
+@c @end direntry
+@iftex
+@finalout
+@end iftex
+@setchapternewpage odd
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@ifinfo
+
+This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
+
+Copyright (C) 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
+this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
+are preserved on all copies.
+
+@ignore
+Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
+results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
+notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
+(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
+
+@end ignore
+Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
+manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
+entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
+permission notice identical to this one.
+
+Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
+into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
+@end ifinfo
+
+@tex
+
+@titlepage
+@title Pterodactyl Gnus Manual
+
+@author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
+@page
+
+@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
+Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
+this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
+are preserved on all copies.
+
+Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
+manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
+entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
+permission notice identical to this one.
+
+Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
+into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
+
+@end titlepage
+@page
+
+@end tex
+
+
+@node Top
+@top The Gnus Newsreader
+
+@ifinfo
+
+You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
+can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
+spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
+luck.
+
+This manual corresponds to Pterodactyl Gnus .
+
+@end ifinfo
+
+@iftex
+
+
+Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
+unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
+
+Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
+being accused of plagiarism:
+
+Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
+about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
+you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
+even read news with it!
+
+Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
+people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
+allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
+like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
+people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
+the program.
+
+@end iftex
+
+
+@menu
+* Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
+* The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
+* The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
+* The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
+* Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
+* Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
+* Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
+* Various:: General purpose settings.
+* The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
+* Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
+* Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
+* Key Index:: Key Index.
+@end menu
+
+@node Starting Up
+@chapter Starting Gnus
+@cindex starting up
+
+@kindex M-x gnus
+@findex gnus
+If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
+and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
+your Emacs.
+
+@findex gnus-other-frame
+@kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
+If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
+@kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
+
+If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
+variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
+@file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
+
+If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
+terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
+
+@menu
+* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
+* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
+* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
+* Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
+* Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
+* New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
+* Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
+* Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
+* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
+* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
+* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Finding the News
+@section Finding the News
+@cindex finding news
+
+@vindex gnus-select-method
+@c @head
+The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
+news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
+@dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
+native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
+foreign groups.
+
+For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
+you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
+@end lisp
+
+If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
+@end lisp
+
+If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
+certainly be much faster.
+
+@vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
+@cindex NNTPSERVER
+@cindex @sc{nntp} server
+If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
+@code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
+Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
+(@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
+that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
+
+@vindex gnus-nntp-server
+If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
+@code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
+@code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
+
+@vindex gnus-secondary-servers
+@vindex gnus-nntp-server
+You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
+@sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
+(i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
+in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
+type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
+will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
+gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
+server.)
+
+@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
+@kindex B (Group)
+However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
+interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
+better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
+let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
+to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
+maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
+
+@vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
+@c @head
+A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
+@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
+listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
+@code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
+files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
+appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
+groups are.
+
+For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
+would typically set this variable to
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node The First Time
+@section The First Time
+@cindex first time usage
+
+If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
+be subscribed by default.
+
+@vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
+If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
+will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
+killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
+something useful.
+
+Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
+picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
+here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
+
+You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
+help you with most common problems.
+
+If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
+use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
+special.
+
+
+@node The Server is Down
+@section The Server is Down
+@cindex server errors
+
+If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
+problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
+the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
+
+Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
+without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
+will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
+given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
+for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
+groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
+buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
+
+@findex gnus-no-server
+@kindex M-x gnus-no-server
+@c @head
+If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
+your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
+@code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
+if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
+your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
+1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
+levels.)
+
+
+@node Slave Gnusae
+@section Slave Gnusae
+@cindex slave
+
+You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
+same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
+are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
+that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
+
+The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
+@code{.newsrc} file.
+
+To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
+Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
+@dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
+taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
+conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
+me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
+Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
+
+Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
+however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
+@kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
+files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
+on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
+starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
+information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
+they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
+
+Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
+information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
+
+
+@node Fetching a Group
+@section Fetching a Group
+@cindex fetching a group
+
+@findex gnus-fetch-group
+It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
+group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
+perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
+command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
+It takes the group name as a parameter.
+
+
+@node New Groups
+@section New Groups
+@cindex new groups
+@cindex subscription
+
+@vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
+If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
+you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
+also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
+@code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
+@kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
+is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
+@code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
+when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
+
+@menu
+* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
+* Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
+* Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Checking New Groups
+@subsection Checking New Groups
+
+Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
+list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
+dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
+@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
+server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
+cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
+groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
+@code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
+Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
+Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
+
+I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
+server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
+fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
+@code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
+few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
+work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
+supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
+You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
+whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
+it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
+@samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
+
+This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
+issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
+subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
+if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
+that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
+Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
+
+
+@node Subscription Methods
+@subsection Subscription Methods
+
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
+What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
+@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
+
+This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
+with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
+
+Some handy pre-fab functions are:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-subscribe-zombies
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
+Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
+zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
+(with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
+
+@item gnus-subscribe-randomly
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
+Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
+new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
+
+@item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
+Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
+
+@item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
+Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
+function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
+@code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
+alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
+hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
+@samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
+up. Or something like that.
+
+@item gnus-subscribe-interactively
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
+Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
+you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
+to will be subscribed hierarchically.
+
+@item gnus-subscribe-killed
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
+Kill all new groups.
+
+@item gnus-subscribe-topics
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
+Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
+parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
+topic parameter that looks like
+
+@example
+"nnslashdot"
+@end example
+
+will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
+that topic.
+
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
+A closely related variable is
+@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
+mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
+hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
+will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
+hierarchy or not.
+
+One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
+(@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
+@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
+will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
+
+
+@node Filtering New Groups
+@subsection Filtering New Groups
+
+A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
+subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
+the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
+
+@example
+options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
+@end example
+
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
+This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
+person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
+groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
+be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
+be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
+subscribing these groups.
+@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
+variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
+
+@vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
+@vindex gnus-options-subscribe
+If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
+set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
+@code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
+same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
+and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
+subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
+
+@vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
+Yet another variable that meddles here is
+@code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
+@code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
+thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
+meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
+more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
+that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
+@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
+don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
+
+New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
+@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
+
+
+@node Changing Servers
+@section Changing Servers
+@cindex changing servers
+
+Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
+This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
+very flaky and you want to use another.
+
+Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
+@code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
+
+@emph{Wrong!}
+
+Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
+@sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
+you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
+change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
+worthless.
+
+Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
+file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
+common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
+functions more than absolutely necessary.
+
+@kindex M-x gnus-change-server
+@findex gnus-change-server
+If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
+the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
+article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
+gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
+will prompt for the method you want to move to.
+
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
+@findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
+You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
+gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
+move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
+
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
+and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
+gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
+that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
+
+After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
+since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
+affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
+
+
+@node Startup Files
+@section Startup Files
+@cindex startup files
+@cindex .newsrc
+@cindex .newsrc.el
+@cindex .newsrc.eld
+
+Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
+information is traditionally stored in this file.
+
+Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
+keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
+@file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
+the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
+the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
+files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
+@sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
+
+That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
+@file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
+@file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
+recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
+never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
+not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
+
+@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
+@vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
+You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
+@code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
+the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
+However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
+Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
+@code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
+@file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
+convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
+
+@vindex gnus-save-killed-list
+If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
+will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
+save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
+will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
+so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
+You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
+@code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
+Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
+the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
+saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
+several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
+
+@vindex gnus-startup-file
+The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
+The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
+file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
+
+@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
+@vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
+@vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
+@code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
+files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
+saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
+@code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
+@file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
+control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
+startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(defun turn-off-backup ()
+ (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
+
+(add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+(add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-init-file
+When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
+(@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
+(@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
+and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
+@file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
+with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
+suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
+@file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
+and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
+
+
+
+@node Auto Save
+@section Auto Save
+@cindex dribble file
+@cindex auto-save
+
+Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
+catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
+special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
+Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
+@file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
+this file.
+
+If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
+read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
+saved.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
+If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
+maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
+
+@vindex gnus-dribble-directory
+Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
+this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
+into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
+normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
+file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
+
+@vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
+If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
+read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
+
+
+@node The Active File
+@section The Active File
+@cindex active file
+@cindex ignored groups
+
+When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
+articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
+file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
+
+@vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
+Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
+regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
+any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
+ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
+recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
+Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
+
+@c This variable is
+@c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
+@c if you set it to anything else.
+
+@vindex gnus-read-active-file
+@c @head
+The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
+can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
+reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
+
+Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
+you actually subscribe to.
+
+Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
+variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
+present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
+considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
+
+This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
+attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
+servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
+support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
+at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
+is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
+
+Some news servers (Leafnode and old versions of INN, for instance) do
+not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these servers, @code{nil}
+is probably the most efficient value for this variable.
+
+If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
+lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
+@sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
+read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
+performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
+@code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
+
+If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
+different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
+
+In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
+kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
+
+Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
+secondary select methods.
+
+
+@node Startup Variables
+@section Startup Variables
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-load-hook
+@vindex gnus-load-hook
+A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
+normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
+times you start Gnus.
+
+@item gnus-before-startup-hook
+@vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
+A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
+
+@item gnus-startup-hook
+@vindex gnus-startup-hook
+A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
+
+@item gnus-started-hook
+@vindex gnus-started-hook
+A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
+successfully.
+
+@item gnus-setup-news-hook
+@vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
+A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
+generating the group buffer.
+
+@item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
+@vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
+startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
+@file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
+bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
+best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
+in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
+
+@item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
+If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
+your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
+of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
+@file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
+
+@item gnus-no-groups-message
+@vindex gnus-no-groups-message
+Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
+
+@item gnus-play-startup-jingle
+@vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
+If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
+
+@item gnus-startup-jingle
+@vindex gnus-startup-jingle
+Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
+default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node The Group Buffer
+@chapter The Group Buffer
+@cindex group buffer
+
+The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
+is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
+long as Gnus is active.
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@menu
+* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
+* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
+* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
+* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
+* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
+* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
+* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
+* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
+* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
+* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
+* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
+* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
+* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
+* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
+* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
+* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
+* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Group Buffer Format
+@section Group Buffer Format
+
+@menu
+* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
+* Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
+* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Group Line Specification
+@subsection Group Line Specification
+@cindex group buffer format
+
+The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
+make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
+
+Here's a couple of example group lines:
+
+@example
+ 25: news.announce.newusers
+ * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
+@end example
+
+Quite simple, huh?
+
+You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
+@samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
+ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
+asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
+
+@vindex gnus-group-line-format
+You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
+@code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
+lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
+a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
+@xref{Formatting Variables}.
+
+@samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
+
+There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
+the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
+even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
+never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
+text properties.
+
+(Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
+layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
+instead of wasting time reading news.)
+
+Here's a list of all available format characters:
+
+@table @samp
+
+@item M
+An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
+
+@item S
+Whether the group is subscribed.
+
+@item L
+Level of subscribedness.
+
+@item N
+Number of unread articles.
+
+@item I
+Number of dormant articles.
+
+@item T
+Number of ticked articles.
+
+@item R
+Number of read articles.
+
+@item t
+Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
+minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
+
+@item y
+Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
+
+@item i
+Number of ticked and dormant articles.
+
+@item g
+Full group name.
+
+@item G
+Group name.
+
+@item D
+Newsgroup description.
+
+@item o
+@samp{m} if moderated.
+
+@item O
+@samp{(m)} if moderated.
+
+@item s
+Select method.
+
+@item n
+Select from where.
+
+@item z
+A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
+used.
+
+@item P
+Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
+
+@item c
+@vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
+Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
+variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
+The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
+
+@item m
+@vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
+@cindex %
+@samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
+the group lately.
+
+@item d
+A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
+Timestamp}).
+
+@item u
+User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
+be a letter. Gnus will call the function
+@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
+following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
+parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
+be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
+specifier.
+@end table
+
+@cindex *
+All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
+if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
+group, or a bogus native group.
+
+
+@node Group Modeline Specification
+@subsection Group Modeline Specification
+@cindex group modeline
+
+@vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
+The mode line can be changed by setting
+@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
+doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
+
+@table @samp
+@item S
+The native news server.
+@item M
+The native select method.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Group Highlighting
+@subsection Group Highlighting
+@cindex highlighting
+@cindex group highlighting
+
+@vindex gnus-group-highlight
+Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
+that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
+something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
+
+Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
+background is dark:
+
+@lisp
+(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-1
+ '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))))
+(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-2
+ '((t (:foreground "SeaGreen" :bold t))))
+(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-3
+ '((t (:foreground "SpringGreen" :bold t))))
+(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-4
+ '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))))
+(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-5
+ '((t (:foreground "SkyBlue" :bold t))))
+
+(setq gnus-group-highlight
+ '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
+ ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
+ ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
+ ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
+ (t . my-group-face-5)))
+@end lisp
+
+Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
+
+Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
+include:
+
+@table @code
+@item group
+The group name.
+@item unread
+The number of unread articles in the group.
+@item method
+The select method.
+@item mailp
+Whether the group is a mail group.
+@item level
+The level of the group.
+@item score
+The score of the group.
+@item ticked
+The number of ticked articles in the group.
+@item total
+The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
+MIN-NUMBER plus one.
+@item topic
+When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
+topic being inserted.
+@end table
+
+When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
+of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
+functions for snarfing info on the group.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-update-hook
+@findex gnus-group-highlight-line
+@code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
+It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
+calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
+
+
+@node Group Maneuvering
+@section Group Maneuvering
+@cindex group movement
+
+All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
+expected, hopefully.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item n
+@kindex n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
+Go to the next group that has unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
+
+@item p
+@itemx DEL
+@kindex DEL (Group)
+@kindex p (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
+Go to the previous group that has unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
+
+@item N
+@kindex N (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-next-group
+Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
+
+@item P
+@kindex P (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-group
+Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
+
+@item M-n
+@kindex M-n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
+Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
+(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
+
+@item M-p
+@kindex M-p (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
+Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
+(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
+@end table
+
+Three commands for jumping to groups:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item j
+@kindex j (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
+Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
+(@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
+like living groups.
+
+@item ,
+@kindex , (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
+Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
+(@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
+
+@item .
+@kindex . (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
+Jump to the first group with unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
+If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
+commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
+the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
+is @code{t}.
+
+
+@node Selecting a Group
+@section Selecting a Group
+@cindex group selection
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-read-group
+Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
+first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
+unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
+this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
+group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
+determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
+positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
+negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
+
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-select-group
+Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
+@code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
+does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
+entry.
+
+@item M-RET
+@kindex M-RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
+This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
+minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
+scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
+expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
+enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
+(i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
+which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
+summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
+
+@item M-SPACE
+@kindex M-SPACE (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
+This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
+command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
+(@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
+
+@item M-C-RET
+@kindex M-C-RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
+Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
+doing any processing of its contents
+(@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
+turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
+manner will have no permanent effects.
+
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
+The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
+to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
+(unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
+before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
+should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
+number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
+is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
+be fetched.
+
+@vindex gnus-select-group-hook
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-first
+@code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
+automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nil
+Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
+full summary buffer.
+
+@item t
+Select the first unread article when entering the group.
+
+@item best
+Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
+group.
+
+@end table
+
+This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
+be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
+Useful functions include:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
+Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
+don't select the article.
+
+@item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
+Select the first unread article.
+
+@item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
+Select the highest-scored unread article.
+@end table
+
+
+If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
+binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
+in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
+selected.
+
+
+@node Subscription Commands
+@section Subscription Commands
+@cindex subscription
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item S t
+@itemx u
+@kindex S t (Group)
+@kindex u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
+@c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
+Toggle subscription to the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
+
+@item S s
+@itemx U
+@kindex S s (Group)
+@kindex U (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
+Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
+subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
+(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
+
+@item S k
+@itemx C-k
+@kindex S k (Group)
+@kindex C-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-group
+@c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
+Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
+
+@item S y
+@itemx C-y
+@kindex S y (Group)
+@kindex C-y (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-yank-group
+Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
+
+@item C-x C-t
+@kindex C-x C-t (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
+Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
+really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
+kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
+
+@item S w
+@itemx C-w
+@kindex S w (Group)
+@kindex C-w (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-region
+Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
+
+@item S z
+@kindex S z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
+Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
+
+@item S C-k
+@kindex S C-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-level
+Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
+These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
+be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
+really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
+groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
+kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
+@file{.newsrc} file.
+
+@end table
+
+Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
+
+
+@node Group Data
+@section Group Data
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item c
+@kindex c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-catchup-current
+@vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
+@c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
+Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
+(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
+@code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
+the group buffer.
+
+@item C
+@kindex C (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
+Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
+(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
+
+@item M-c
+@kindex M-c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data
+Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
+read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
+
+@item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
+and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
+clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
+caution.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Group Levels
+@section Group Levels
+@cindex group level
+@cindex level
+
+All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
+group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
+can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
+(@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
+a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
+
+Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item S l
+@kindex S l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-set-current-level
+Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
+next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
+prompted for a level.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-level-killed
+@vindex gnus-level-zombie
+@vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
+@vindex gnus-level-subscribed
+Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
+@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
+@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
+@code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
+unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
+(default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
+(default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
+same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
+you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
+groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
+reasons of efficiency.
+
+It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
+low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
+
+If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
+Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
+them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
+
+@vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
+@vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
+Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
+(default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
+which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
+(un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
+relevant valid ranges.
+
+@vindex gnus-keep-same-level
+If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
+will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
+particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
+will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
+handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
+rest.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
+All groups with a level less than or equal to
+@code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
+by default.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
+If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
+groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
+@code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
+listed.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
+If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
+give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
+use this level as the ``work'' level.
+
+@vindex gnus-activate-level
+Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
+on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
+activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
+to 5. The default is 6.
+
+
+@node Group Score
+@section Group Score
+@cindex group score
+@cindex group rank
+@cindex rank
+
+You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
+is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
+group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
+reason?
+
+This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
+to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
+the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
+score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
+called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
+a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
+of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
+least significant part.))
+
+@findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
+If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
+read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
+the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
+sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
+action after each summary exit, you can add
+@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
+@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
+slow things down somewhat.
+
+
+@node Marking Groups
+@section Marking Groups
+@cindex marking groups
+
+If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
+subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
+numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
+bidding on those groups.
+
+However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
+perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
+with the process mark and then execute the command.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item #
+@kindex # (Group)
+@itemx M m
+@kindex M m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-group
+Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
+
+@item M-#
+@kindex M-# (Group)
+@itemx M u
+@kindex M u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unmark-group
+Remove the mark from the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
+
+@item M U
+@kindex M U (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
+Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
+
+@item M w
+@kindex M w (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-region
+Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
+
+@item M b
+@kindex M b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
+Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
+
+@item M r
+@kindex M r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
+Mark all groups that match some regular expression
+(@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
+@end table
+
+Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
+
+@findex gnus-group-universal-argument
+If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
+with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
+(@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
+the command to be executed.
+
+
+@node Foreign Groups
+@section Foreign Groups
+@cindex foreign groups
+
+Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
+groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
+special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
+groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
+consulted.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item G m
+@kindex G m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-group
+@cindex making groups
+Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
+for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
+to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
+
+@item G r
+@kindex G r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-rename-group
+@cindex renaming groups
+Rename the current group to something else
+(@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
+groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
+on some backends.
+
+@item G c
+@kindex G c (Group)
+@cindex customizing
+@findex gnus-group-customize
+Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
+
+@item G e
+@kindex G e (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
+@cindex renaming groups
+Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
+group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
+
+@item G p
+@kindex G p (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
+Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
+
+@item G E
+@kindex G E (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-group
+Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
+
+@item G d
+@kindex G d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
+@cindex nndir
+Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
+for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
+
+@item G h
+@kindex G h (Group)
+@cindex help group
+@findex gnus-group-make-help-group
+Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
+
+@item G a
+@kindex G a (Group)
+@cindex (ding) archive
+@cindex archive group
+@findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
+@vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
+@vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
+Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
+default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
+(@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
+group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
+
+@item G k
+@kindex G k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
+@cindex nnkiboze
+Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
+match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
+strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
+@xref{Kibozed Groups}.
+
+@item G D
+@kindex G D (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-enter-directory
+@cindex nneething
+Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
+@code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
+@xref{Anything Groups}.
+
+@item G f
+@kindex G f (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
+@cindex ClariNet Briefs
+@cindex nndoc
+Make a group based on some file or other
+(@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
+command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
+Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
+@code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
+@code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
+If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
+type. @xref{Document Groups}.
+
+@item G u
+@kindex G u (Group)
+@vindex gnus-useful-groups
+@findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
+Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
+(@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
+
+@item G w
+@kindex G w (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-web-group
+@cindex DejaNews
+@cindex Alta Vista
+@cindex InReference
+@cindex nnweb
+Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
+(@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
+command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
+search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
+include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
+@xref{Web Searches}.
+
+If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
+to a particular group by using a match string like
+@samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
+
+@item G DEL
+@kindex G DEL (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-delete-group
+This function will delete the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
+actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
+group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
+absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
+read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
+
+@item G V
+@kindex G V (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
+Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
+(@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
+
+@item G v
+@kindex G v (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
+Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
+(@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
+@end table
+
+@xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
+methods.
+
+@vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
+If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
+Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
+This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
+groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
+@code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
+newsgroups.
+
+
+@node Group Parameters
+@section Group Parameters
+@cindex group parameters
+
+The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
+Here's an example group parameter list:
+
+@example
+((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
+ (auto-expire . t))
+@end example
+
+We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
+the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
+parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
+not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
+
+The following group parameters can be used:
+
+@table @code
+@item to-address
+@cindex to-address
+Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
+
+@example
+(to-address . "some@@where.com")
+@end example
+
+This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
+lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
+the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
+ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
+that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
+
+Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
+or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
+@samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
+the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
+group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
+list address instead.
+
+@item to-list
+@cindex to-list
+Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
+
+@example
+(to-list . "some@@where.com")
+@end example
+
+It is totally ignored
+when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
+you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
+
+If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
+@code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
+then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
+sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
+@vindex gnus-add-to-list
+
+If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
+@code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
+sending the message.
+
+@item visible
+@cindex visible
+If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
+that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
+of whether it has any unread articles.
+
+@item broken-reply-to
+@cindex broken-reply-to
+Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
+headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
+reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
+@code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
+broken behavior. So there!
+
+@item to-group
+@cindex to-group
+Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
+posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
+
+@item newsgroup
+@cindex newsgroup
+If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
+will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
+This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
+news group.
+
+@item gcc-self
+@cindex gcc-self
+If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
+composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
+@code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
+generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
+be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
+precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
+(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
+
+@item auto-expire
+@cindex auto-expire
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
+. t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
+alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
+
+@item total-expire
+@cindex total-expire
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like
+@code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
+expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
+caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
+expiry.
+
+@item expiry-wait
+@cindex expiry-wait
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
+. 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
+The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
+the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
+
+@item score-file
+@cindex score file group parameter
+Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
+@file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
+interactive score entries will be put into this file.
+
+@item adapt-file
+@cindex adapt file group parameter
+Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
+@file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
+All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
+
+@item admin-address
+When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
+unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
+messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
+put the admin address somewhere convenient.
+
+@item display
+Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
+display on entering the group. Valid values are:
+
+@table @code
+@item all
+Display all articles, both read and unread.
+
+@item default
+Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
+ticked articles.
+@end table
+
+@item comment
+Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
+are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
+Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
+groups.
+
+@item charset
+Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
+@code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
+used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
+
+@item (@var{variable} @var{form})
+You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
+are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
+you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
+that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
+in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
+@code{eval}ed there.
+
+This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
+If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
+something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
+group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
+@code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
+
+@item posting-style
+You can store additional posting style information for this group only
+here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
+@code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
+the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
+take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
+
+For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
+instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
+like this in the group parameters:
+
+@example
+(posting-style
+ (name "Funky Name")
+ (signature "Funky Signature"))
+@end example
+
+@end table
+
+Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
+might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
+Parameters}).
+
+
+@node Listing Groups
+@section Listing Groups
+@cindex group listing
+
+These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item l
+@itemx A s
+@kindex A s (Group)
+@kindex l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-groups
+List all groups that have unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
+command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
+only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
+@code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
+groups).
+
+@item L
+@itemx A u
+@kindex A u (Group)
+@kindex L (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
+List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
+(@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
+this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
+it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
+unsubscribed groups).
+
+@item A l
+@kindex A l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-level
+List all unread groups on a specific level
+(@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
+with no unread articles.
+
+@item A k
+@kindex A k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-killed
+List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
+prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
+currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
+from the server.
+
+@item A z
+@kindex A z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-zombies
+List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
+
+@item A m
+@kindex A m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-matching
+List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
+
+@item A M
+@kindex A M (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
+List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
+
+@item A A
+@kindex A A (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-active
+List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
+server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
+might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
+to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
+thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
+don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
+Take the output with some grains of salt.
+
+@item A a
+@kindex A a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-apropos
+List all groups that have names that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
+
+@item A d
+@kindex A d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-description-apropos
+List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
+
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+@cindex visible group parameter
+Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
+always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
+add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
+get the same effect.
+
+@vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
+Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
+group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
+@code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
+groups. It is @code{t} by default.
+
+
+@node Sorting Groups
+@section Sorting Groups
+@cindex sorting groups
+
+@kindex C-c C-s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups
+@vindex gnus-group-sort-function
+The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
+group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
+@code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
+include:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
+Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
+Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-level
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
+Sort by group level.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
+Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
+Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
+are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
+Sort by number of unread articles.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-method
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
+Sort alphabetically on the select method.
+
+
+@end table
+
+@code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
+functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
+the last one.
+
+
+There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
+some sorting criteria:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item G S a
+@kindex G S a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
+
+@item G S u
+@kindex G S u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
+Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
+
+@item G S l
+@kindex G S l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
+Sort the group buffer by group level
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
+
+@item G S v
+@kindex G S v (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
+Sort the group buffer by group score
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item G S r
+@kindex G S r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
+Sort the group buffer by group rank
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item G S m
+@kindex G S m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
+
+@end table
+
+All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
+commands will sort in reverse order.
+
+You can also sort a subset of the groups:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item G P a
+@kindex G P a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
+Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
+
+@item G P u
+@kindex G P u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
+Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
+
+@item G P l
+@kindex G P l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
+Sort the groups by group level
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
+
+@item G P v
+@kindex G P v (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
+Sort the groups by group score
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item G P r
+@kindex G P r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
+Sort the groups by group rank
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item G P m
+@kindex G P m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
+Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+
+@node Group Maintenance
+@section Group Maintenance
+@cindex bogus groups
+
+@table @kbd
+@item b
+@kindex b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
+Find bogus groups and delete them
+(@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
+
+@item F
+@kindex F (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
+Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
+With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
+for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
+to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
+zombies.
+
+@item C-c C-x
+@kindex C-c C-x (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-expire-articles
+Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
+process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
+
+@item C-c M-C-x
+@kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
+Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
+(@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Browse Foreign Server
+@section Browse Foreign Server
+@cindex foreign servers
+@cindex browsing servers
+
+@table @kbd
+@item B
+@kindex B (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
+You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
+then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
+(@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
+@end table
+
+@findex gnus-browse-mode
+A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
+will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
+a lot) like a normal group buffer.
+
+Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item n
+@kindex n (Browse)
+@findex gnus-group-next-group
+Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
+
+@item p
+@kindex p (Browse)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-group
+Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-read-group
+Enter the current group and display the first article
+(@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
+
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-select-group
+Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
+
+@item u
+@kindex u (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
+Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
+subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
+
+@item l
+@itemx q
+@kindex q (Browse)
+@kindex l (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-exit
+Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
+
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
+Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
+there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Exiting Gnus
+@section Exiting Gnus
+@cindex exiting Gnus
+
+Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item z
+@kindex z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-suspend
+Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
+but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
+is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
+
+@item q
+@kindex q (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-exit
+@c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
+Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
+
+@item Q
+@kindex Q (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-quit
+Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
+The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
+@vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
+@code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
+@code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
+@code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
+exiting Gnus.
+
+@findex gnus-unload
+@cindex unloading
+If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
+the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
+trying to customize meta-variables.
+
+Note:
+
+@quotation
+Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
+numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
+behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
+plastic chair.
+@end quotation
+
+
+@node Group Topics
+@section Group Topics
+@cindex topics
+
+If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
+them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
+here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
+you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
+even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
+groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@example
+Gnus
+ Emacs -- I wuw it!
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ Naughty Emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
+@end example
+
+@findex gnus-topic-mode
+@kindex t (Group)
+To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
+@code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
+is a toggling command.)
+
+Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
+dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
+press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
+@samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
+bothered?
+
+If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
+the hook for the group mode:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
+@end lisp
+
+@menu
+* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
+* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
+* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
+* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
+* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Topic Variables
+@subsection Topic Variables
+@cindex topic variables
+
+Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
+really neat, I think.
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-line-format
+The topic lines themselves are created according to the
+@code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
+Valid elements are:
+
+@table @samp
+@item i
+Indentation.
+@item n
+Topic name.
+@item v
+Visibility.
+@item l
+Level.
+@item g
+Number of groups in the topic.
+@item a
+Number of unread articles in the topic.
+@item A
+Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
+Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
+@code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
+The default is 2.
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
+The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
+topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
+
+
+@node Topic Commands
+@subsection Topic Commands
+@cindex topic commands
+
+When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
+available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
+definitions slightly.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item T n
+@kindex T n (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-create-topic
+Prompt for a new topic name and create it
+(@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
+
+@item T m
+@kindex T m (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-move-group
+Move the current group to some other topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item T j
+@kindex T j (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
+Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
+
+@item T c
+@kindex T c (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-copy-group
+Copy the current group to some other topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item T D
+@kindex T D (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-remove-group
+Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
+This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
+topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
+remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
+the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
+(which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
+topic.
+
+This command uses the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item T M
+@kindex T M (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-move-matching
+Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
+
+@item T C
+@kindex T C (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
+Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
+
+@item T H
+@kindex T H (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
+Toggle hiding empty topics
+(@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
+
+@item T #
+@kindex T # (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
+Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
+(@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
+
+@item T M-#
+@kindex T M-# (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
+Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
+
+@item T TAB
+@itemx TAB
+@kindex T TAB (Topic)
+@kindex TAB (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-indent
+``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
+previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
+``un-indent'' the topic instead.
+
+@item M-TAB
+@kindex M-TAB (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-unindent
+``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
+parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
+
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-select-group
+@itemx SPACE
+Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
+When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
+usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
+visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
+toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
+prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
+
+@item C-c C-x
+@kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
+Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
+process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
+
+@item C-k
+@kindex C-k (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-kill-group
+Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
+topic will be removed along with the topic.
+
+@item C-y
+@kindex C-y (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-yank-group
+Yank the previously killed group or topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
+before all groups.
+
+@item T r
+@kindex T r (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-rename
+Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
+
+@item T DEL
+@kindex T DEL (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-delete
+Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
+
+@item A T
+@kindex A T (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-list-active
+List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
+(@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
+
+@item G p
+@kindex G p (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
+@cindex group parameters
+@cindex topic parameters
+@cindex parameters
+Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
+@xref{Topic Parameters}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Topic Sorting
+@subsection Topic Sorting
+@cindex topic sorting
+
+You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
+commands:
+
+
+@table @kbd
+@item T S a
+@kindex T S a (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
+Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
+
+@item T S u
+@kindex T S u (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
+Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
+
+@item T S l
+@kindex T S l (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
+Sort the current topic by group level
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
+
+@item T S v
+@kindex T S v (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
+Sort the current topic by group score
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item T S r
+@kindex T S r (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
+Sort the current topic by group rank
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item T S m
+@kindex T S m (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
+Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
+
+@end table
+
+@xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
+
+
+@node Topic Topology
+@subsection Topic Topology
+@cindex topic topology
+@cindex topology
+
+So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
+
+@example
+Gnus
+ Emacs -- I wuw it!
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ Naughty Emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
+@end example
+
+So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
+that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
+just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
+follows:
+
+@lisp
+(("Gnus" visible)
+ (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
+ (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
+ (("Misc" visible)))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-topology
+This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
+for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
+file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
+to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
+setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
+
+This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
+and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
+allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
+
+
+@node Topic Parameters
+@subsection Topic Parameters
+@cindex topic parameters
+
+All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
+ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
+parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
+parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
+know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
+verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
+
+@example
+Gnus
+ Emacs
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ Relief
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+@end example
+
+The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
+. "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
+@code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
+topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
+@* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
+. "religion.SCORE")}.
+
+Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
+will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
+group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
+score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
+get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
+
+This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
+there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
+parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
+@code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
+gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
+of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
+happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
+happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
+
+
+@node Misc Group Stuff
+@section Misc Group Stuff
+
+@menu
+* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
+* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
+* Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
+* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
+@end menu
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item ^
+@kindex ^ (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
+Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
+@xref{The Server Buffer}.
+
+@item a
+@kindex a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-post-news
+Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
+prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
+
+@item m
+@kindex m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mail
+Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
+
+@end table
+
+Variables for the group buffer:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-group-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
+is called after the group buffer has been
+created.
+
+@item gnus-group-prepare-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
+is called after the group buffer is
+generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
+unnatural way.
+
+@item gnus-group-prepared-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
+is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
+generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
+
+@item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
+whether they are empty or not.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Scanning New Messages
+@subsection Scanning New Messages
+@cindex new messages
+@cindex scanning new news
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item g
+@kindex g (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-get-new-news
+@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
+Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
+this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
+(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
+command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
+backend(s).
+
+@item M-g
+@kindex M-g (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
+@vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
+@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
+Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
+@code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
+to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
+
+@findex gnus-activate-all-groups
+@cindex activating groups
+@item C-c M-g
+@kindex C-c M-g (Group)
+Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
+
+@item R
+@kindex R (Group)
+@cindex restarting
+@findex gnus-group-restart
+Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
+file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
+Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
+
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
+
+@vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
+@code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
+news.
+
+
+@node Group Information
+@subsection Group Information
+@cindex group information
+@cindex information on groups
+
+@table @kbd
+
+
+@item H f
+@kindex H f (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
+@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
+@cindex FAQ
+@cindex ange-ftp
+Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
+@code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
+remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
+that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
+between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
+for fetching the file.
+
+If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
+through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
+
+@item H d
+@itemx C-c C-d
+@c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
+@kindex H d (Group)
+@kindex C-c C-d (Group)
+@cindex describing groups
+@cindex group description
+@findex gnus-group-describe-group
+Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
+a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
+
+@item M-d
+@kindex M-d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
+Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
+prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
+
+@item H v
+@itemx V
+@kindex V (Group)
+@kindex H v (Group)
+@cindex version
+@findex gnus-version
+Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
+
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
+Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
+
+@item C-c C-i
+@kindex C-c C-i (Group)
+@cindex info
+@cindex manual
+@findex gnus-info-find-node
+Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Group Timestamp
+@subsection Group Timestamp
+@cindex timestamps
+@cindex group timestamps
+
+It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
+group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
+@code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
+@end lisp
+
+After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
+
+This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
+use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
+@end lisp
+
+This will result in lines looking like:
+
+@example
+* 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
+ 0: custom 19961002T012713
+@end example
+
+As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
+may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
+something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node File Commands
+@subsection File Commands
+@cindex file commands
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item r
+@kindex r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-read-init-file
+@vindex gnus-init-file
+@cindex reading init file
+Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
+@file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
+
+@item s
+@kindex s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
+@cindex saving .newsrc
+Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
+(@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
+file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
+
+@c @item Z
+@c @kindex Z (Group)
+@c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
+@c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node The Summary Buffer
+@chapter The Summary Buffer
+@cindex summary buffer
+
+A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
+move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
+
+The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
+group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
+
+You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
+
+@menu
+* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
+* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
+* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
+* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
+* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
+* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
+* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
+* Threading:: How threads are made.
+* Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
+* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
+* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
+* Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
+* Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
+* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
+* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
+* Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
+* MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
+* Charsets:: Character set issues.
+* Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
+* Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
+* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
+* Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
+* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
+* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
+* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
+* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
+* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
+* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Summary Buffer Format
+@section Summary Buffer Format
+@cindex summary buffer format
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@menu
+* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
+* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
+* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
+* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
+@end menu
+
+@findex mail-extract-address-components
+@findex gnus-extract-address-components
+@vindex gnus-extract-address-components
+Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
+variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
+@code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
+@code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
+fast, and too simplistic solution; and
+@code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
+slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
+cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extract-address-components
+ 'mail-extract-address-components)
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
+@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
+article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
+with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
+
+
+@node Summary Buffer Lines
+@subsection Summary Buffer Lines
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
+You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
+the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
+lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
+(@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
+
+The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
+
+The following format specification characters are understood:
+
+@table @samp
+@item N
+Article number.
+@item S
+Subject string. List identifiers stripped, @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
+@item s
+Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
+had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
+(@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
+@item F
+Full @code{From} header.
+@item n
+The name (from the @code{From} header).
+@item f
+The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
+(@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
+@item a
+The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
+spec in that it uses the function designated by the
+@code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
+may be more thorough.
+@item A
+The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
+the @code{a} spec.
+@item L
+Number of lines in the article.
+@item c
+Number of characters in the article.
+@item I
+Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item T
+Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
+pushes everything after it off the screen).
+@item [
+Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
+for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item ]
+Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
+for adopted articles.
+@item >
+One space for each thread level.
+@item <
+Twenty minus thread level spaces.
+@item U
+Unread.
+
+@item R
+This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
+mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
+or has been saved.
+
+@item i
+Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
+@item z
+@vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
+Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
+default level. If the difference between
+@code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
+@code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
+@item V
+Total thread score.
+@item x
+@code{Xref}.
+@item D
+@code{Date}.
+@item d
+The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
+@item o
+The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
+@item M
+@code{Message-ID}.
+@item r
+@code{References}.
+@item t
+Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
+down summary buffer generation somewhat.
+@item e
+An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
+article has any children.
+@item P
+The line number.
+@item O
+Download mark.
+@item u
+User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
+be a letter. Gnus will call the function
+@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
+following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
+argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
+into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
+@end table
+
+The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
+have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
+compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
+that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
+variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
+buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
+
+The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
+(Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
+
+This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
+
+
+@node To From Newsgroups
+@subsection To From Newsgroups
+@cindex To
+@cindex Newsgroups
+
+In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
+isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
+you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
+headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
+gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+@vindex gnus-extra-headers
+The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
+instance:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extra-headers
+ '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
+@end lisp
+
+This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
+storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
+
+@item
+@findex gnus-extra-header
+The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
+@code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
+access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
+
+@example
+"%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
+@end example
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
+The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
+summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
+@code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
+@code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
+headers are used instead.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+@vindex nnmail-extra-headers
+A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
+to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
+you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
+this variable.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
+You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
+@code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
+
+In summary, you'd typically do something like the following:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extra-headers
+ '(To Newsgroups))
+(setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
+(setq gnus-summary-line-format
+ "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
+(setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
+ "Your Name Here")
+@end lisp
+
+Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
+the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
+nntp admin to add:
+
+@example
+Newsgroups:full
+@end example
+
+to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
+as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
+
+
+@node Summary Buffer Mode Line
+@subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
+You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
+Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
+like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
+
+Here are the elements you can play with:
+
+@table @samp
+@item G
+Group name.
+@item p
+Unprefixed group name.
+@item A
+Current article number.
+@item z
+Current article score.
+@item V
+Gnus version.
+@item U
+Number of unread articles in this group.
+@item e
+Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
+summary buffer.
+@item Z
+A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
+either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
+articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
+and no unselected ones.
+@item g
+Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
+shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
+@item S
+Subject of the current article.
+@item u
+User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
+@item s
+Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
+@item d
+Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
+@item t
+Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
+@item r
+Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
+@item E
+Number of articles expunged by the score files.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Summary Highlighting
+@subsection Summary Highlighting
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
+This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
+highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
+@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-update-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
+This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
+@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-selected-face
+@vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
+This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
+highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
+
+@item gnus-summary-highlight
+@vindex gnus-summary-highlight
+Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
+list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
+. @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
+italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
+to something like
+@lisp
+(((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
+ ((> score default) . bold))
+@end lisp
+As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
+@var{face} will be applied to the line.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Summary Maneuvering
+@section Summary Maneuvering
+@cindex summary movement
+
+All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
+behave pretty much as you'd expect.
+
+None of these commands select articles.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item G M-n
+@itemx M-n
+@kindex M-n (Summary)
+@kindex G M-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
+Go to the next summary line of an unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
+
+@item G M-p
+@itemx M-p
+@kindex M-p (Summary)
+@kindex G M-p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
+Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
+
+@item G j
+@itemx j
+@kindex j (Summary)
+@kindex G j (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-article
+Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
+article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
+
+@item G g
+@kindex G g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
+Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
+without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
+@end table
+
+If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
+can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
+buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
+to the group buffer.
+
+Variables related to summary movement:
+
+@table @code
+
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-next
+@item gnus-auto-select-next
+If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
+no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
+the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
+empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
+this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
+next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
+special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
+next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
+@code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
+the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
+@code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
+without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
+
+@item gnus-auto-select-same
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-same
+If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
+article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
+mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
+for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
+articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
+
+This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
+
+@item gnus-summary-check-current
+@vindex gnus-summary-check-current
+If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
+to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
+Instead, they will choose the current article.
+
+@item gnus-auto-center-summary
+@vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
+centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
+slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
+set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
+action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
+buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
+threads.
+
+This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
+the given number of lines from the top.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Choosing Articles
+@section Choosing Articles
+@cindex selecting articles
+
+@menu
+* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
+* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Choosing Commands
+@subsection Choosing Commands
+
+None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
+and they all select and display an article.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-page
+Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
+unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+
+@item G n
+@itemx n
+@kindex n (Summary)
+@kindex G n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
+Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
+
+@item G p
+@itemx p
+@kindex p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
+Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
+
+@item G N
+@itemx N
+@kindex N (Summary)
+@kindex G N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-article
+Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
+
+@item G P
+@itemx P
+@kindex P (Summary)
+@kindex G P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-article
+Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
+
+@item G C-n
+@kindex G C-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
+Go to the next article with the same subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
+
+@item G C-p
+@kindex G C-p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
+Go to the previous article with the same subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
+
+@item G f
+@itemx .
+@kindex G f (Summary)
+@kindex . (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
+Go to the first unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
+
+@item G b
+@itemx ,
+@kindex G b (Summary)
+@kindex , (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
+Go to the article with the highest score
+(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
+
+@item G l
+@itemx l
+@kindex l (Summary)
+@kindex G l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
+Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
+
+@item G o
+@kindex G o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pop-article
+@cindex history
+@cindex article history
+Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
+(@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
+command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
+history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
+For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
+@pxref{Article Backlog}.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Choosing Variables
+@subsection Choosing Variables
+
+Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
+@vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
+All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
+article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
+this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
+the server and display it in the article buffer.
+
+@item gnus-select-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-select-article-hook
+This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
+exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
+
+@item gnus-mark-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
+@findex gnus-unread-mark
+This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
+be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
+mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
+only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
+expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
+marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
+instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
+@code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Paging the Article
+@section Scrolling the Article
+@cindex article scrolling
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-page
+Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
+or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
+next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+
+@item DEL
+@kindex DEL (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
+Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
+
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
+Scroll the current article one line forward
+(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
+
+@item M-RET
+@kindex M-RET (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
+Scroll the current article one line backward
+(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
+
+@item A g
+@itemx g
+@kindex A g (Summary)
+@kindex g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-article
+(Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
+given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
+article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
+the way it came from the server.
+
+@item A <
+@itemx <
+@kindex < (Summary)
+@kindex A < (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
+Scroll to the beginning of the article
+(@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
+
+@item A >
+@itemx >
+@kindex > (Summary)
+@kindex A > (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
+Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
+
+@item A s
+@itemx s
+@kindex A s (Summary)
+@kindex s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
+Perform an isearch in the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
+
+@item h
+@kindex h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
+Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Reply Followup and Post
+@section Reply, Followup and Post
+
+@menu
+* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
+* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Summary Mail Commands
+@subsection Summary Mail Commands
+@cindex mail
+@cindex composing mail
+
+Commands for composing a mail message:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item S r
+@itemx r
+@kindex S r (Summary)
+@kindex r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
+
+@item S R
+@itemx R
+@kindex R (Summary)
+@kindex S R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
+original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
+command uses the process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S w
+@kindex S w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
+Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
+goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
+@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
+
+@item S W
+@kindex S W (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
+Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
+message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
+the process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S o m
+@kindex S o m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
+Forward the current article to some other person
+(@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
+headers of the forwarded article.
+
+@item S m
+@itemx m
+@kindex m (Summary)
+@kindex S m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
+Send a mail to some other person
+(@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
+
+@item S D b
+@kindex S D b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
+@cindex bouncing mail
+If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
+reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
+resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
+will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
+sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
+the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
+that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
+very well fail, though.
+
+@item S D r
+@kindex S D r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-message
+Not to be confused with the previous command,
+@code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
+send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
+headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
+@code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
+means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
+header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
+So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
+
+This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
+ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
+@code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
+to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
+@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
+
+This command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item S O m
+@kindex S O m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
+Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
+result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
+uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item S M-c
+@kindex S M-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
+@cindex crossposting
+@cindex excessive crossposting
+Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
+current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
+
+@findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
+This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
+crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
+using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
+command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
+
+@end table
+
+Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
+
+
+@node Summary Post Commands
+@subsection Summary Post Commands
+@cindex post
+@cindex composing news
+
+Commands for posting a news article:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item S p
+@itemx a
+@kindex a (Summary)
+@kindex S p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-post-news
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
+Post an article to the current group
+(@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
+
+@item S f
+@itemx f
+@kindex f (Summary)
+@kindex S f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
+Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
+
+@item S F
+@itemx F
+@kindex S F (Summary)
+@kindex F (Summary)
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
+Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
+(@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
+process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S n
+@kindex S n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
+Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
+message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
+
+@item S N
+@kindex S N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
+Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
+message through mail and include the original message
+(@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
+the process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S o p
+@kindex S o p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-post-forward
+Forward the current article to a newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
+headers of the forwarded article.
+
+@item S O p
+@kindex S O p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
+@cindex digests
+@cindex making digests
+Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
+process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S u
+@kindex S u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-post-news
+@c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
+Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
+(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
+@end table
+
+Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
+
+
+@node Canceling and Superseding
+@section Canceling Articles
+@cindex canceling articles
+@cindex superseding articles
+
+Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
+really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
+
+Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
+
+@findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
+@kindex C (Summary)
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
+Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
+articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
+c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
+canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
+This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
+live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
+question.
+
+Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
+want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
+prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
+
+If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
+corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
+your original article.
+
+@findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
+@kindex S (Summary)
+Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
+(@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
+where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
+usual way.
+
+The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
+sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
+have posted almost the same article twice.
+
+If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
+there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
+waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
+to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
+find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
+the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
+header by substituting one of those words for the word
+@code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
+you would do normally. The previous article will be
+canceled/superseded.
+
+Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
+
+
+@node Marking Articles
+@section Marking Articles
+@cindex article marking
+@cindex article ticking
+@cindex marks
+
+There are several marks you can set on an article.
+
+You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
+neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
+@dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
+
+In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
+
+@menu
+* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
+* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
+* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
+@end menu
+
+@ifinfo
+There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
+@end ifinfo
+
+@menu
+* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
+* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
+* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Unread Articles
+@subsection Unread Articles
+
+The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
+other.
+
+@table @samp
+@item !
+@vindex gnus-ticked-mark
+Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
+
+@dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
+you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
+reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
+tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
+article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
+Articles}).
+
+@item ?
+@vindex gnus-dormant-mark
+Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
+
+@dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
+are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
+followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
+
+@item SPACE
+@vindex gnus-unread-mark
+Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
+
+@dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Read Articles
+@subsection Read Articles
+@cindex expirable mark
+
+All the following marks mark articles as read.
+
+@table @samp
+
+@item r
+@vindex gnus-del-mark
+These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
+command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
+
+@item R
+@vindex gnus-read-mark
+Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
+
+@item O
+@vindex gnus-ancient-mark
+Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
+@dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
+
+@item K
+@vindex gnus-killed-mark
+Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
+
+@item X
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
+Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
+
+@item Y
+@vindex gnus-low-score-mark
+Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
+
+@item C
+@vindex gnus-catchup-mark
+Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
+
+@item G
+@vindex gnus-canceled-mark
+Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
+
+@item F
+@vindex gnus-souped-mark
+@sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
+
+@item Q
+@vindex gnus-sparse-mark
+Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
+Threading}.
+
+@item M
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
+Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
+(@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+
+@end table
+
+All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
+They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
+
+One more special mark, though:
+
+@table @samp
+@item E
+@vindex gnus-expirable-mark
+Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
+
+Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
+automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
+control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
+articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
+any time.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Other Marks
+@subsection Other Marks
+@cindex process mark
+@cindex bookmarks
+
+There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
+read or not.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
+long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
+before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
+in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
+encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-replied-mark
+All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
+answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-cached-mark
+Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
+the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-saved-mark
+Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
+religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
+@vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
+If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
+marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
+@code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-process-mark
+Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
+variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
+instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
+all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
+marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
+
+@end itemize
+
+You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
+appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
+replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
+
+Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
+replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
+you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
+
+
+@node Setting Marks
+@subsection Setting Marks
+@cindex setting marks
+
+All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item M c
+@itemx M-u
+@kindex M c (Summary)
+@kindex M-u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
+@cindex mark as unread
+Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
+article as unread.
+
+@item M t
+@itemx !
+@kindex ! (Summary)
+@kindex M t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
+Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
+@xref{Article Caching}.
+
+@item M ?
+@itemx ?
+@kindex ? (Summary)
+@kindex M ? (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
+Mark the current article as dormant
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
+
+@item M d
+@itemx d
+@kindex M d (Summary)
+@kindex d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
+Mark the current article as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
+
+@item D
+@kindex D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
+Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
+
+@item M k
+@itemx k
+@kindex k (Summary)
+@kindex M k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
+Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
+and then select the next unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
+
+@item M K
+@itemx C-k
+@kindex M K (Summary)
+@kindex C-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
+Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
+
+@item M C
+@kindex M C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
+Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
+
+@item M C-c
+@kindex M C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
+Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
+articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
+
+@item M H
+@kindex M H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
+Catchup the current group to point
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
+
+@item C-w
+@kindex C-w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
+Mark all articles between point and mark as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
+
+@item M V k
+@kindex M V k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-below
+Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
+numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
+
+@item M e
+@itemx E
+@kindex M e (Summary)
+@kindex E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
+Mark the current article as expirable
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
+
+@item M b
+@kindex M b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
+Set a bookmark in the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
+
+@item M B
+@kindex M B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
+Remove the bookmark from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
+
+@item M V c
+@kindex M V c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-clear-above
+Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
+over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
+
+@item M V u
+@kindex M V u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-tick-above
+Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
+numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
+
+@item M V m
+@kindex M V m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-above
+Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
+score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
+(@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
+The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
+be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
+the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
+one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
+@code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
+@kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
+The default is @code{t}.
+
+
+@node Generic Marking Commands
+@subsection Generic Marking Commands
+
+Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
+the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
+article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
+even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
+previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
+well.
+
+Multiply these five behaviours with five different marking commands, and
+you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
+command should do.
+
+To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
+different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
+buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
+to list in this manual.
+
+While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
+altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
+@kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
+article, you could say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
+(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
+ (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
+@end lisp
+
+or
+
+@lisp
+(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
+ (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Setting Process Marks
+@subsection Setting Process Marks
+@cindex setting process marks
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item M P p
+@itemx #
+@kindex # (Summary)
+@kindex M P p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
+Mark the current article with the process mark
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
+
+@item M P u
+@itemx M-#
+@kindex M P u (Summary)
+@kindex M-# (Summary)
+Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
+
+@item M P U
+@kindex M P U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
+Remove the process mark from all articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
+
+@item M P i
+@kindex M P i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
+Invert the list of process marked articles
+(@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
+
+@item M P R
+@kindex M P R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
+Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
+expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
+
+@item M P r
+@kindex M P r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
+Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
+
+@item M P t
+@kindex M P t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+
+@item M P T
+@kindex M P T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+
+@item M P v
+@kindex M P v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-over
+Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
+
+@item M P s
+@kindex M P s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-series
+Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+
+@item M P S
+@kindex M P S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
+Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
+
+@item M P a
+@kindex M P a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-all
+Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+
+@item M P b
+@kindex M P b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
+Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
+
+@item M P k
+@kindex M P k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
+Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
+
+@item M P y
+@kindex M P y (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
+Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
+(@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
+
+@item M P w
+@kindex M P w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
+Push the current process mark set onto the stack
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Limiting
+@section Limiting
+@cindex limiting
+
+It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
+subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
+commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
+buffer.
+
+All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
+from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
+additional articles.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item / /
+@itemx / s
+@kindex / / (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
+
+@item / a
+@kindex / a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
+
+@item / x
+@kindex / x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
+headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
+
+@item / u
+@itemx x
+@kindex / u (Summary)
+@kindex x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
+Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
+buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
+dormant articles will also be excluded.
+
+@item / m
+@kindex / m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
+Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
+with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
+
+@item / t
+@kindex / t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
+Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
+articles younger than that number of days.
+
+@item / n
+@kindex / n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
+Limit the summary buffer to the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item / w
+@kindex / w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
+Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
+(@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
+the stack.
+
+@item / v
+@kindex / v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
+score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
+
+@item / E
+@itemx M S
+@kindex M S (Summary)
+@kindex / E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
+Include all expunged articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
+
+@item / D
+@kindex / D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
+Include all dormant articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
+
+@item / *
+@kindex / * (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
+Include all cached articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
+
+@item / d
+@kindex / d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
+Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
+
+@item / M
+@kindex / M (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
+Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
+
+@item / T
+@kindex / T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
+Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
+
+@item / c
+@kindex / c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
+Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
+
+@item / C
+@kindex / C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
+Mark all excluded unread articles as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
+also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Threading
+@section Threading
+@cindex threading
+@cindex article threading
+
+Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
+to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
+hierarchical fashion.
+
+Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
+articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
+trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
+or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
+so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
+plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
+@pxref{Customizing Threading}.
+
+First, a quick overview of the concepts:
+
+@table @dfn
+@item root
+The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
+
+@item thread
+A tree-like article structure.
+
+@item sub-thread
+A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
+
+@item loose threads
+Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
+already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
+summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
+belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
+called loose threads.
+
+@item thread gathering
+An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
+
+@item sparse threads
+A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
+displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@menu
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Customizing Threading
+@subsection Customizing Threading
+@cindex customizing threading
+
+@menu
+* Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
+* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
+* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
+* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Loose Threads
+@subsubsection Loose Threads
+@cindex <
+@cindex >
+@cindex loose threads
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-summary-make-false-root
+@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
+and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
+Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
+read or killed the root in a previous session.
+
+When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
+something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
+There are four possible values:
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@cindex adopting articles
+
+@table @code
+
+@item adopt
+Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
+parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
+marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
+square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
+
+@item dummy
+@vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
+Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
+parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
+selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
+article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
+format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
+which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
+
+@item empty
+Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
+subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
+use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
+Buffer Format}).)
+
+@item none
+Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
+display them after one another.
+
+@item nil
+Don't gather loose threads.
+@end table
+
+@item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
+@vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
+Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
+variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
+subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
+super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
+presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
+you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
+first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
+variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
+everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
+
+@cindex fuzzy article gathering
+If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
+use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
+Matching}).
+
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
+@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
+This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
+that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
+simplification is used.
+
+@item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+@vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
+as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
+
+@c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+ (concat
+ "\\`\\[?\\("
+ (mapconcat
+ 'identity
+ '("looking"
+ "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
+ "help" "query" "problem" "question"
+ "answer" "reference" "announce"
+ "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
+ ;; ...
+ )
+ "\\|")
+ "\\)\\s *\\("
+ (mapconcat 'identity
+ '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
+ "\\|")
+ "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
+@end lisp
+
+All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
+subjects.
+
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
+@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
+If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
+@code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
+list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
+arrive at the simplified version of the string.
+
+Useful functions to put in this list include:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-re
+@findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
+Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
+
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
+@findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
+Simplify fuzzily.
+
+@item gnus-simplify-whitespace
+@findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
+Remove excessive whitespace.
+@end table
+
+You may also write your own functions, of course.
+
+
+@item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
+@vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
+Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
+to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
+@samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
+you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
+what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
+The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+@vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
+that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
+is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
+@code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
+This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
+articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
+newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
+cholera:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
+@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
+This function is the default gathering function and looks at
+@code{Subject}s exclusively.
+
+@item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
+@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
+This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
+@end table
+
+If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
+something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+ 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
+@end lisp
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Filling In Threads
+@subsubsection Filling In Threads
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-fetch-old-headers
+@vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
+more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
+would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
+connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
+to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
+that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
+fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
+overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
+@code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
+expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
+
+This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
+visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
+(@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+
+@item gnus-build-sparse-threads
+@vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
+Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
+gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
+the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
+together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
+@dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
+is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
+lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
+question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
+``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
+thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
+off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
+@code{nil} by default.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node More Threading
+@subsubsection More Threading
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-show-threads
+@vindex gnus-show-threads
+If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
+the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
+off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
+slower and more awkward.
+
+@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+@vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
+generated.
+
+@item gnus-thread-expunge-below
+@vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
+All threads that have a total score (as defined by
+@code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
+expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
+threads are expunged.
+
+@item gnus-thread-hide-killed
+@vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
+if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
+will be hidden.
+
+@item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
+@vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
+Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
+this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
+is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
+in a new thread.
+
+@item gnus-thread-indent-level
+@vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
+This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
+The default is 4.
+
+@item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
+@vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
+Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
+arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
+arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
+using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
+up appearing before the article to which they are responding to. Setting
+this variable to an alternate value
+(e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
+appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
+more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Low-Level Threading
+@subsubsection Low-Level Threading
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
+@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
+Hook run before parsing any headers.
+
+@item gnus-alter-header-function
+@vindex gnus-alter-header-function
+If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
+article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
+the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
+if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
+in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
+variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
+meaningful. Here's one example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
+
+(defun my-alter-message-id (header)
+ (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
+ (when (string-match
+ "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
+ (mail-header-set-id
+ (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
+ header))))
+@end lisp
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Thread Commands
+@subsection Thread Commands
+@cindex thread commands
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item T k
+@itemx M-C-k
+@kindex T k (Summary)
+@kindex M-C-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
+Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
+remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
+articles instead.
+
+@item T l
+@itemx M-C-l
+@kindex T l (Summary)
+@kindex M-C-l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
+Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
+
+@item T i
+@kindex T i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
+Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
+
+@item T #
+@kindex T # (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+
+@item T M-#
+@kindex T M-# (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+
+@item T T
+@kindex T T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
+Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
+
+@item T s
+@kindex T s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-thread
+Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
+(@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
+
+@item T h
+@kindex T h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
+Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
+
+@item T S
+@kindex T S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
+Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
+
+@item T H
+@kindex T H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
+Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
+
+@item T t
+@kindex T t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
+Re-thread the current article's thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
+summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
+
+@item T ^
+@kindex T ^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
+Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
+(@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
+
+@end table
+
+The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
+understand the numeric prefix.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item T n
+@kindex T n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
+Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
+
+@item T p
+@kindex T p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
+Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
+
+@item T d
+@kindex T d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-down-thread
+Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
+
+@item T u
+@kindex T u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-up-thread
+Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
+
+@item T o
+@kindex T o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-top-thread
+Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
+If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
+threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
+a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
+wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
+have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
+you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
+is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
+when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
+the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
+operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
+that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
+Matching}).
+
+
+@node Sorting
+@section Sorting
+
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
+If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
+setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
+function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
+@code{(not some-function)} elements.
+
+By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
+predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
+
+Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
+thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
+normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
+
+If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
+last function in the list. You should probably always include
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
+functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
+equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
+ascending article order.
+
+If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
+by number, you could do something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
+ '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
+ (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
+@end lisp
+
+The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
+summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
+alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
+subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
+which the articles arrived.
+
+If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
+say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
+ '((lambda (t1 t2)
+ (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-thread-score-function
+The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
+@code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
+functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
+tickles your fancy.
+
+@findex gnus-article-sort-functions
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
+If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
+you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
+It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
+it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
+sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
+
+If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
+say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-article-sort-functions
+ '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
+ gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
+@end lisp
+
+
+
+@node Asynchronous Fetching
+@section Asynchronous Article Fetching
+@cindex asynchronous article fetching
+@cindex article pre-fetch
+@cindex pre-fetch
+
+If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
+network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
+for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
+article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
+while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
+
+First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
+article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
+
+Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
+quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
+know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
+article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
+connection is blocked.
+
+To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
+connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
+thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
+extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
+
+Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
+the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
+loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
+also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
+extra connection.
+
+Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
+you really want to.
+
+@vindex gnus-asynchronous
+Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
+happen automatically.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
+You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
+@code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
+that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
+the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
+pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
+@code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
+
+@vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
+@findex gnus-async-read-p
+There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
+articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
+return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
+pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
+@code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
+data structure as the only parameter.
+
+If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
+ "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
+ (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
+ (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
+ 100)))
+
+(setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
+@end lisp
+
+These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
+preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
+It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
+
+@vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
+Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
+@code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
+articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
+
+@table @code
+@item read
+Remove articles when they are read.
+
+@item exit
+Remove articles when exiting the group.
+@end table
+
+The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
+
+@c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
+@c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
+@c from the next group.
+
+
+@node Article Caching
+@section Article Caching
+@cindex article caching
+@cindex caching
+
+If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
+consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
+locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
+potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
+your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
+
+Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
+@vindex gnus-cache-directory
+@vindex gnus-use-cache
+To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
+all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
+over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
+cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
+
+When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
+cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
+expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
+keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
+as dormant, and don't worry.
+
+When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
+
+@vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
+@vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
+The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
+variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
+dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
+put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
+articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
+symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
+@code{unread} and @code{read}.
+
+@findex gnus-jog-cache
+So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
+picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
+subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
+store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
+command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
+really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
+Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
+to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
+not then be downloaded by this command.
+
+@vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
+@vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
+It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
+if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
+sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
+feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
+
+To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
+regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
+@code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
+Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
+variables, the group is not cached.
+
+@findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
+@findex gnus-cache-generate-active
+@vindex gnus-cache-active-file
+The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
+file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
+of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
+offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
+gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
+files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
+file.
+
+
+@node Persistent Articles
+@section Persistent Articles
+@cindex persistent articles
+
+Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
+In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
+useful in my opinion.
+
+Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
+that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
+(using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
+that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
+the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
+the expiry going on at the news server.
+
+This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
+be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
+you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item *
+@kindex * (Summary)
+@findex gnus-cache-enter-article
+Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
+
+@item M-*
+@kindex M-* (Summary)
+@findex gnus-cache-remove-article
+Remove the current article from the persistent articles
+(@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
+article.
+@end table
+
+Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
+
+To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
+you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
+interested in persistent articles:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Article Backlog
+@section Article Backlog
+@cindex backlog
+@cindex article backlog
+
+If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
+unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
+by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
+already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
+you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
+re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
+that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
+increase memory usage some.
+
+@vindex gnus-keep-backlog
+If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
+at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
+variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
+@emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
+bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
+that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
+
+This variable is @code{nil} by default.
+
+
+@node Saving Articles
+@section Saving Articles
+@cindex saving articles
+
+Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
+for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
+processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
+approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
+(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+
+@vindex gnus-save-all-headers
+If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
+unwanted headers before saving the article.
+
+@vindex gnus-saved-headers
+If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
+@code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
+deleted before saving.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item O o
+@itemx o
+@kindex O o (Summary)
+@kindex o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
+Save the current article using the default article saver
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
+
+@item O m
+@kindex O m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
+Save the current article in mail format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
+
+@item O r
+@kindex O r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
+Save the current article in rmail format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
+
+@item O f
+@kindex O f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
+Save the current article in plain file format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
+
+@item O F
+@kindex O F (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
+Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
+file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
+
+@item O b
+@kindex O b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
+Save the current article body in plain file format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
+
+@item O h
+@kindex O h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
+Save the current article in mh folder format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
+
+@item O v
+@kindex O v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
+Save the current article in a VM folder
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
+
+@item O p
+@kindex O p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
+Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
+the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
+All these commands use the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
+functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
+and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
+the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
+default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
+loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
+just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
+have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
+to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
+save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
+files.
+
+
+@vindex gnus-default-article-saver
+You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
+Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
+functions below, or you can create your own.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
+@vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
+@findex gnus-plain-save-name
+This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
+@vindex gnus-mail-save-name
+Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-file
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
+@vindex gnus-file-save-name
+@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
+Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
+the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
+@findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
+Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
+@findex gnus-folder-save-name
+@findex gnus-Folder-save-name
+@vindex gnus-folder-save-name
+@cindex rcvstore
+@cindex MH folders
+Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
+library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
+to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
+@code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
+@code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
+Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
+reader to use this setting.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-article-save-directory
+All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
+in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
+@code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
+default.
+
+As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
+suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
+available functions that generate names:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-Numeric-save-name
+@findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
+
+@item gnus-numeric-save-name
+@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
+
+@item gnus-Plain-save-name
+@findex gnus-Plain-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
+
+@item gnus-plain-save-name
+@findex gnus-plain-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-split-methods
+You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
+the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
+save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
+related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
+like:
+
+@lisp
+(("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
+ ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
+ (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
+ ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
+@end lisp
+
+We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
+elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
+a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
+head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
+group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
+@code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
+the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
+result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
+called returns a string or a list of strings.
+
+You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
+saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
+then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
+name completion over the results from applying this variable.
+
+This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
+means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
+@code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
+name.
+
+Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
+lots of mail groups called things like
+@samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
+these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
+following will do just that:
+
+@lisp
+(defun my-save-name (group)
+ (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
+ (substring group (match-end 0))))
+
+(setq gnus-split-methods
+ '((gnus-article-archive-name)
+ (my-save-name)))
+@end lisp
+
+
+@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
+Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
+@code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
+(@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
+the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
+all the files in the top level directory
+(@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
+@file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
+on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
+Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
+
+This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
+is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
+names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
+@code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
+contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
+for kill files.
+
+If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
+a spool, you could
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
+(setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
+@end lisp
+
+Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
+ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
+the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
+around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
+
+
+@node Decoding Articles
+@section Decoding Articles
+@cindex decoding articles
+
+Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
+encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
+
+@menu
+* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
+* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
+* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
+* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
+* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
+* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
+@end menu
+
+@cindex series
+@cindex article series
+All these functions use the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
+the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
+can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
+articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
+
+Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
+simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
+last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
+
+For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
+will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
+([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
+
+Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
+series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
+commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
+
+
+@node Uuencoded Articles
+@subsection Uuencoded Articles
+@cindex uudecode
+@cindex uuencoded articles
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item X u
+@kindex X u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
+@c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
+Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
+
+@item X U
+@kindex X U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
+Uudecodes and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+
+@item X v u
+@kindex X v u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
+Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
+
+@item X v U
+@kindex X v U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
+Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
+
+@end table
+
+Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
+the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
+entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+
+All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
+@sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
+the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
+articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
+@kbd{X u}.
+
+@vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
+Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
+@code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
+@samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
+automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
+you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
+off.
+
+
+@node Shell Archives
+@subsection Shell Archives
+@cindex unshar
+@cindex shell archives
+@cindex shared articles
+
+Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
+sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
+some commands to deal with these:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item X s
+@kindex X s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
+Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
+
+@item X S
+@kindex X S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
+Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
+
+@item X v s
+@kindex X v s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
+Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
+
+@item X v S
+@kindex X v S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
+Unshars, views and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node PostScript Files
+@subsection PostScript Files
+@cindex PostScript
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item X p
+@kindex X p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
+Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
+
+@item X P
+@kindex X P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
+Unpack and save the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
+
+@item X v p
+@kindex X v p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
+View the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
+
+@item X v P
+@kindex X v P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
+View and save the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Other Files
+@subsection Other Files
+
+@table @kbd
+@item X o
+@kindex X o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-save
+Save the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
+
+@item X b
+@kindex X b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
+Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
+doesn't really work yet.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Decoding Variables
+@subsection Decoding Variables
+
+Adjective, not verb.
+
+@menu
+* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
+* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
+* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Rule Variables
+@subsubsection Rule Variables
+@cindex rule variables
+
+Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
+variables are of the form
+
+@lisp
+ (list '(regexp1 command2)
+ '(regexp2 command2)
+ ...)
+@end lisp
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+@cindex sox
+This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
+for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
+say something like:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+ (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
+@end lisp
+
+@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
+This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
+user and default view rules.
+
+@item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
+This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
+archives.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Other Decode Variables
+@subsubsection Other Decode Variables
+
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
+
+@item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
+All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
+successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
+and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
+anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-uu-grab-view
+@findex gnus-uu-grab-view
+View the file.
+
+@item gnus-uu-grab-move
+@findex gnus-uu-grab-move
+Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
+@end table
+
+@item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
+@vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
+Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
+@code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
+that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
+time.
+
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
+Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
+
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
+Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
+Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
+@code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
+kludgey.
+
+@item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
+@vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
+Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
+
+@item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
+@vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
+looking for files to display.
+
+@item gnus-uu-view-and-save
+@vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
+Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
+after viewing it.
+
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
+rules.
+
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
+unpacking commands.
+
+@item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
+@vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
+from articles.
+
+@item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
+@vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
+decoded articles as unread.
+
+@item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
+@vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
+uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
+
+@item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
+@vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
+Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
+
+@item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
+@vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
+@cindex metamail
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
+commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
+content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
+@code{metamail} for viewing.
+
+@item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
+@vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
+decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
+embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
+to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
+simply dropped them.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Uuencoding and Posting
+@subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
+before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
+either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
+for you when you post the article.
+
+@item gnus-uu-post-length
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-length
+Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
+many articles it takes to post the entire file.
+
+@item gnus-uu-post-threaded
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
+thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
+to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
+seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
+think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
+Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
+article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
+variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
+at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
+Default is @code{t}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Viewing Files
+@subsection Viewing Files
+@cindex viewing files
+@cindex pseudo-articles
+
+After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
+to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
+viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
+containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
+uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
+This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
+of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
+
+Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
+extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
+``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
+will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
+
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
+until the viewing is done before proceeding.
+
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudos
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
+the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
+immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
+be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
+
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
+pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
+@code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
+a list of parameters to that command.
+
+@vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
+If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
+pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
+
+So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
+@emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
+Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
+
+
+@node Article Treatment
+@section Article Treatment
+
+Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
+object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
+written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
+writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
+these articles easier.
+
+@menu
+* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
+* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
+* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
+* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
+* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
+* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
+* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
+* Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Article Highlighting
+@subsection Article Highlighting
+@cindex highlighting
+
+Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
+you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W H a
+@kindex W H a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight
+@findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
+Do much highlighting of the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
+text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
+
+@item W H h
+@kindex W H h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
+@vindex gnus-header-face-alist
+Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
+highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
+variable, which is a list where each element has the form
+@code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
+@var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
+header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
+(@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
+the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
+@var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
+
+@item W H c
+@kindex W H c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
+Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
+
+Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
+
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
+
+@item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
+If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
+default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
+
+@item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
+@vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
+Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
+
+@item gnus-cite-max-prefix
+@vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
+Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
+
+@item gnus-cite-face-list
+@vindex gnus-cite-face-list
+List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
+When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
+Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
+This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
+
+@item gnus-supercite-regexp
+@vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
+Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
+
+@item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
+@vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
+Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
+
+@item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
+@vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
+Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
+that it's a citation.
+
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
+Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
+
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
+Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
+
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-face
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
+Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
+cited text belonging to the attribution.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@item W H s
+@kindex W H s (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-signature-separator
+@vindex gnus-signature-face
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
+Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
+Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
+Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
+highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
+default.
+
+@end table
+
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
+
+
+@node Article Fontisizing
+@subsection Article Fontisizing
+@cindex emphasis
+@cindex article emphasis
+
+@findex gnus-article-emphasize
+@kindex W e (Summary)
+People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
+like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
+this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
+(@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
+
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
+How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
+element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
+that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
+emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
+should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
+groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
+highlighting.
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-article-emphasis
+ '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
+ ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
+@end lisp
+
+@cindex slash
+@cindex asterisk
+@cindex underline
+@cindex /
+@cindex *
+
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
+By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
+@code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
+
+If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
+customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
+to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
+say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
+
+If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
+@code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
+syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
+parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
+
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
+
+
+@node Article Hiding
+@subsection Article Hiding
+@cindex article hiding
+
+Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
+too much cruft in most articles.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W W a
+@kindex W W a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide
+Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
+(@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
+headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
+
+@item W W h
+@kindex W W h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-headers
+Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
+Headers}.
+
+@item W W b
+@kindex W W b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
+Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
+
+@item W W s
+@kindex W W s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-signature
+Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
+Signature}.
+
+@item W W l
+@kindex W W l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
+@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
+Hide list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. Theese
+are strings some list servers add to the beginning of all @code{Subject}
+headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-list-identifiers
+@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
+A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
+subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
+
+@end table
+
+@item W W p
+@kindex W W p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
+@vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
+Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
+@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
+signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
+articles that have signatures in them do:
+@lisp
+;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
+
+(setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
+
+;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
+;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
+
+(add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
+ (lambda ()
+ (save-excursion
+ (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
+ (mc-verify))))
+@end lisp
+
+@item W W P
+@kindex W W P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-pem
+Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
+
+@item W W B
+@kindex W W B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-banner
+@cindex banner
+@cindex OneList
+@cindex stripping advertisments
+@cindex advertisments
+Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
+annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
+groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
+the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
+group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
+which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
+removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
+signature should be removed.
+
+@item W W c
+@kindex W W c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
+Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
+customizing the hiding:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
+@itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
+@vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
+@vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
+Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
+allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
+by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
+specs are valid:
+
+@table @samp
+@item b
+Starting point of the hidden text.
+@item e
+Ending point of the hidden text.
+@item l
+Number of characters in the hidden region.
+@item n
+Number of lines of hidden text.
+@end table
+
+@item gnus-cited-lines-visible
+@vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
+The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
+
+@end table
+
+@item W W C-c
+@kindex W W C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
+
+Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
+following two variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
+@vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
+If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
+50), hide the cited text.
+
+@item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
+@vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
+The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
+is hidden.
+@end table
+
+@item W W C
+@kindex W W C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
+Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
+useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
+have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
+
+@end table
+
+All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
+prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
+hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
+
+Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
+citation customization.
+
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
+automatically.
+
+
+@node Article Washing
+@subsection Article Washing
+@cindex washing
+@cindex article washing
+
+We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
+@kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
+
+@dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
+something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
+Cleaner, perhaps.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W l
+@kindex W l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
+Remove page breaks from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
+delimiters.
+
+@item W r
+@kindex W r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
+Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
+Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
+(Typically offensive jokes and such.)
+
+It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
+positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
+#15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
+is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
+
+@item W t
+@kindex W t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
+Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
+
+@item W v
+@kindex W v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
+Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
+(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
+
+@item W o
+@kindex W o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
+Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
+
+@item W d
+@kindex W d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
+@vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
+@cindex Smartquotes
+@cindex M******** sm*rtq**t*s
+@cindex Latin 1
+Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s according to
+@code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
+(@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
+whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
+interactively.
+
+@item W w
+@kindex W w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
+Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
+
+You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
+when filling.
+
+@item W Q
+@kindex W Q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
+Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
+
+@item W C
+@kindex W C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
+Capitalize the first word in each sentence
+(@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
+
+@item W c
+@kindex W c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-cr
+Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
+(this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
+CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
+
+@item W q
+@kindex W q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
+Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
+Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
+non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
+@samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
+readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
+Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
+header that says that this encoding has been done.
+
+@item W f
+@kindex W f (Summary)
+@cindex x-face
+@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
+@findex gnus-article-x-face-command
+@vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
+@vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+Look for and display any X-Face headers
+(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
+function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
+If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
+sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
+face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
+is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
+The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
+face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
+@code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
+support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
+X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
+external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
+want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
+last.
+
+@item W b
+@kindex W b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-add-buttons
+Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
+@xref{Article Buttons}.
+
+@item W B
+@kindex W B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
+Add clickable buttons to the article headers
+(@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
+
+@item W W H
+@kindex W W H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
+Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
+article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
+
+@item W E l
+@kindex W E l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
+
+@item W E m
+@kindex W E m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
+Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
+lines with a single empty line.
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
+
+@item W E t
+@kindex W E t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
+
+@item W E a
+@kindex W E a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
+Do all the three commands above
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
+
+@item W E A
+@kindex W E A (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
+
+@item W E s
+@kindex W E s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
+Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
+body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
+
+@item W E e
+@kindex W E e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
+Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
+body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
+
+@end table
+
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
+
+
+@node Article Buttons
+@subsection Article Buttons
+@cindex buttons
+
+People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
+be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
+with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
+button on these references.
+
+Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
+Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
+two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
+article heads:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-button-alist
+@vindex gnus-button-alist
+This is an alist where each entry has this form:
+
+@lisp
+(REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+@end lisp
+
+@table @var
+
+@item regexp
+All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
+external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
+@samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
+
+@item button-par
+Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
+is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
+highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
+
+@item use-p
+This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
+this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
+avoid false matches.
+
+@item function
+This function will be called when you click on this button.
+
+@item data-par
+As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
+says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
+
+@end table
+
+So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
+
+@lisp
+("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
+@end lisp
+
+@item gnus-header-button-alist
+@vindex gnus-header-button-alist
+This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
+article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
+used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
+
+@lisp
+(HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+@end lisp
+
+@var{header} is a regular expression.
+
+@item gnus-button-url-regexp
+@vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
+A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
+default values of the variables above.
+
+@item gnus-article-button-face
+@vindex gnus-article-button-face
+Face used on buttons.
+
+@item gnus-article-mouse-face
+@vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
+Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
+
+@end table
+
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
+
+
+@node Article Date
+@subsection Article Date
+
+The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
+heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
+when the article was sent.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W T u
+@kindex W T u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-ut
+Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
+(@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
+
+@item W T i
+@kindex W T i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
+@cindex ISO 8601
+Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
+(@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
+
+@item W T l
+@kindex W T l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-local
+Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
+
+@item W T s
+@kindex W T s (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-article-time-format
+@findex gnus-article-date-user
+@findex format-time-string
+Display the date using a user-defined format
+(@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
+@code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
+to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
+for a list of possible format specs.
+
+@item W T e
+@kindex W T e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
+@findex gnus-start-date-timer
+@findex gnus-stop-date-timer
+Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
+(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
+
+@example
+X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
+@end example
+
+The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
+whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
+replace it.
+
+An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
+into wonderful absurdities.
+
+If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-start-date-timer)
+@end lisp
+
+in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
+you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
+command.
+
+@item W T o
+@kindex W T o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-original
+Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
+be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
+worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
+that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
+@emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
+
+@end table
+
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
+preferred format automatically.
+
+
+@node Article Signature
+@subsection Article Signature
+@cindex signatures
+@cindex article signature
+
+@vindex gnus-signature-separator
+Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
+body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
+that says what is to be considered a signature is
+@code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
+@samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
+non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
+of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
+from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-signature-separator
+ '("^-- $" ; The standard
+ "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
+ "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
+ ; line of dashes. Shame!
+ "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
+ "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
+ "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
+@end lisp
+
+The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
+positives.
+
+@vindex gnus-signature-limit
+@code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
+signature when displaying articles.
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
+that integer.
+@item
+If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
+than that number.
+@item
+If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
+and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
+@item
+If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
+in question is not a signature.
+@end enumerate
+
+This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
+listed above. Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-signature-limit
+ '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
+@end lisp
+
+This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
+separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
+the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
+signature after all.
+
+
+@node Article Miscellania
+@subsection Article Miscellania
+
+@table @kbd
+@item A t
+@kindex A t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-babel
+Translate the article from one language to another
+(@code{gnus-article-babel}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node MIME Commands
+@section @sc{mime} Commands
+@cindex MIME decoding
+
+The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
+instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item b
+@itemx K b
+@kindex b (Summary)
+@kindex K b (Summary)
+View the @sc{mime} part.
+
+@item K o
+@kindex K o (Summary)
+Save the @sc{mime} part.
+
+@item K c
+@kindex K c (Summary)
+Copy the @sc{mime} part.
+
+@item K e
+@kindex K e (Summary)
+View the @sc{mime} part externally.
+
+@item K i
+@kindex K i (Summary)
+View the @sc{mime} part internally.
+
+@item K |
+@kindex K | (Summary)
+Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
+@end table
+
+The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
+the same manner:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item K b
+@kindex K b (Summary)
+Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in from of them.
+
+@item K m
+@kindex K m (Summary)
+Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
+This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
+be viewed in a more pleasant manner.
+
+@item X m
+@kindex X m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-parts
+Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item M-t
+@kindex M-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
+Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
+
+@item W M w
+@kindex W M w (Summary)
+Decode RFC2047-encoded words in the article headers
+(@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
+
+@item W M c
+@kindex W M c (Summary)
+Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
+(@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
+
+This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
+charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
+prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
+groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
+MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
+the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+@item W M v
+@kindex W M v (Summary)
+View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
+
+@end table
+
+Relevant variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-ignored-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
+this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
+@code{nil}.
+
+To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
+ '("text/x-vcard"))
+@end lisp
+
+@item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
+this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
+displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
+
+@item gnus-article-mime-part-function
+@vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
+For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
+handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
+users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
+the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
+save all jpegs into some directory).
+
+Here's an example function the does the latter:
+
+@lisp
+(defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
+ (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
+ (with-temp-buffer
+ (insert (mm-get-part handle))
+ (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
+ (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
+(setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
+ 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
+@item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
+Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Charsets
+@section Charsets
+@cindex charsets
+
+People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
+charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
+newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
+just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
+help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
+what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
+hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
+This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
+variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match group names) and
+default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
+
+In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
+aren't. These blitely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
+if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
+@code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
+charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
+on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
+Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
+something some agents insist on having in there.
+
+
+@node Article Commands
+@section Article Commands
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item A P
+@cindex PostScript
+@cindex printing
+@kindex A P (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
+@findex gnus-summary-print-article
+Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
+run just before printing the buffer.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Summary Sorting
+@section Summary Sorting
+@cindex summary sorting
+
+You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
+can't really see why you'd want that.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item C-c C-s C-n
+@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
+Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-a
+@kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
+Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-s
+@kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
+Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-d
+@kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
+Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-l
+@kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
+Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-c
+@kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
+Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-i
+@kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
+Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
+@end table
+
+These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
+use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
+line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
+root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
+toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
+Commands}).
+
+
+@node Finding the Parent
+@section Finding the Parent
+@cindex parent articles
+@cindex referring articles
+
+@table @kbd
+@item ^
+@kindex ^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
+If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
+displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
+if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
+and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
+can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
+you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
+summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
+
+If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
+the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
+ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
+grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
+@kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
+article.
+
+@item A R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-references
+@kindex A R (Summary)
+Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
+article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
+
+@item A T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
+@kindex A T (Summary)
+Display the full thread where the current article appears
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
+headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
+you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
+to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
+visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
+faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
+
+@vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
+The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
+articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
+fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
+the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
+by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
+
+@item M-^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-article
+@kindex M-^ (Summary)
+@cindex Message-ID
+@cindex fetching by Message-ID
+You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
+matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
+@code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
+that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
+have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
+@end table
+
+The current select method will be used when fetching by
+@code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
+by giving this command a prefix.
+
+@vindex gnus-refer-article-method
+If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
+support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
+you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
+would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
+updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
+necessary.
+
+It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
+@code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
+is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
+match.
+
+Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
+then ask Deja if that fails:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-refer-article-method
+ '(current
+ (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
+@end lisp
+
+Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
+not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
+@code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
+@code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
+have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
+consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
+
+
+@node Alternative Approaches
+@section Alternative Approaches
+
+Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
+Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
+
+@menu
+* Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
+* Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Pick and Read
+@subsection Pick and Read
+@cindex pick and read
+
+Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
+a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
+buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
+articles with just an article buffer displayed.
+
+@findex gnus-pick-mode
+@kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
+Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
+this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
+mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
+it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
+
+Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item .
+@kindex . (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
+Pick the article or thread on the current line
+(@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
+@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
+entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
+it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
+thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
+at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-next-page
+Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
+at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
+
+@item u
+@kindex u (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
+Unpick the thread or article
+(@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
+@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
+thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
+just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
+the thread or article at that line.
+
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-start-reading
+@vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
+Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
+given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
+@code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
+will still be visible when you are reading.
+
+@end table
+
+All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
+pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
+which is mapped to the same function
+@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
+
+If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
+
+@vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
+If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
+all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
+The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
+standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
+displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
+Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
+
+
+@node Binary Groups
+@subsection Binary Groups
+@cindex binary groups
+
+@findex gnus-binary-mode
+@kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
+If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
+@kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
+is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
+selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
+instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
+
+@kindex g (Binary)
+@findex gnus-binary-show-article
+The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
+command, when you have turned on this mode
+(@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
+
+@vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
+
+
+@node Tree Display
+@section Tree Display
+@cindex trees
+
+@vindex gnus-use-trees
+If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
+@code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
+additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
+in the tree buffer.
+
+There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-tree-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
+A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
+
+@item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
+@vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
+A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
+Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
+of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
+
+@item gnus-selected-tree-face
+@vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
+Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
+default is @code{modeline}.
+
+@item gnus-tree-line-format
+@vindex gnus-tree-line-format
+A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
+though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
+is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
+the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
+length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
+
+Valid specs are:
+
+@table @samp
+@item n
+The name of the poster.
+@item f
+The @code{From} header.
+@item N
+The number of the article.
+@item [
+The opening bracket.
+@item ]
+The closing bracket.
+@item s
+The subject.
+@end table
+
+@xref{Formatting Variables}.
+
+Variables related to the display are:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-tree-brackets
+@vindex gnus-tree-brackets
+This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
+``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
+(@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
+default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
+
+@item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
+@vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
+This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
+nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
+
+@end table
+
+@item gnus-tree-minimize-window
+@vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
+buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
+windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
+higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
+have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
+buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
+other windows displayed next to it.
+
+@item gnus-generate-tree-function
+@vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
+@findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
+@findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
+The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
+functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
+@code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
+
+@end table
+
+Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
+
+@example
+@{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
+ | \[Jan]
+ | \[odd]-[Eri]
+ | \(***)-[Eri]
+ | \[odd]-[Paa]
+ \[Bjo]
+ \[Gun]
+ \[Gun]-[Jor]
+@end example
+
+Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
+
+@example
+@{***@}
+ |--------------------------\-----\-----\
+(***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
+ |--\-----\-----\ |
+[odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
+ | | |--\
+[Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
+ |
+ [Paa]
+@end example
+
+If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
+side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
+following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-trees t
+ gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
+ gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
+(gnus-add-configuration
+ '(article
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (horizontal 0.25
+ (summary 0.75 point)
+ (tree 1.0))
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
+
+@xref{Windows Configuration}.
+
+
+@node Mail Group Commands
+@section Mail Group Commands
+@cindex mail group commands
+
+Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
+invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
+
+All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item B e
+@kindex B e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
+Expire all expirable articles in the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
+
+@item B M-C-e
+@kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
+Delete all the expirable articles in the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
+articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
+disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
+
+@item B DEL
+@kindex B DEL (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-delete-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
+Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
+disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
+(@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
+
+@item B m
+@kindex B m (Summary)
+@cindex move mail
+@findex gnus-summary-move-article
+Move the article from one mail group to another
+(@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
+
+@item B c
+@kindex B c (Summary)
+@cindex copy mail
+@findex gnus-summary-copy-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
+Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
+(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
+
+@item B B
+@kindex B B (Summary)
+@cindex crosspost mail
+@findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
+Crosspost the current article to some other group
+(@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
+the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
+be properly updated.
+
+@item B i
+@kindex B i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-import-article
+Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
+name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+
+@item B r
+@kindex B r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
+Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
+@code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
+select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
+which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
+
+@item B w
+@itemx e
+@kindex B w (Summary)
+@kindex e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
+@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
+Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
+editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
+(@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
+@kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
+
+@item B q
+@kindex B q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-query
+If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
+the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
+will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
+
+@item B t
+@kindex B t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
+Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
+when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
+
+@item B p
+@kindex B p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
+Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
+follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
+@code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
+(@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
+article from your news server (or rather, from
+@code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
+report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
+it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
+propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
+just not have arrived yet.
+
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-move-split-methods
+@cindex moving articles
+If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
+suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
+variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
+(@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
+suggestions you find reasonable.
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-move-split-methods
+ '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
+ ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
+ (".*" "nnml:misc")))
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Various Summary Stuff
+@section Various Summary Stuff
+
+@menu
+* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
+* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
+* Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
+* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
+@end menu
+
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
+@item gnus-summary-mode-hook
+This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
+@item gnus-summary-generate-hook
+This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
+generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
+the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
+is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
+have been set.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
+@item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
+It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
+it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
+some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
+@item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
+A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
+generated.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
+@item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
+When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
+it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
+same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
+sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
+If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
+@code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
+any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
+article---it'll be as if it never existed.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Summary Group Information
+@subsection Summary Group Information
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item H f
+@kindex H f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
+@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
+Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
+current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
+FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
+on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
+In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
+between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
+be used for fetching the file.
+
+@item H d
+@kindex H d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-describe-group
+Give a brief description of the current group
+(@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
+rereading the description from the server.
+
+@item H h
+@kindex H h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
+Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
+keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
+
+@item H i
+@kindex H i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-info-find-node
+Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Searching for Articles
+@subsection Searching for Articles
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item M-s
+@kindex M-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
+Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
+(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
+
+@item M-r
+@kindex M-r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
+Search through all previous articles for a regexp
+(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
+
+@item &
+@kindex & (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-execute-command
+This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
+match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
+(@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
+backward instead.
+
+@item M-&
+@kindex M-& (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
+Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
+the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
+@end table
+
+@node Summary Generation Commands
+@subsection Summary Generation Commands
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item Y g
+@kindex Y g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prepare
+Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
+
+@item Y c
+@kindex Y c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
+Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Really Various Summary Commands
+@subsection Really Various Summary Commands
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item A D
+@itemx C-d
+@kindex C-d (Summary)
+@kindex A D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
+If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
+a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
+article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
+guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
+to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
+whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
+some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
+fashion.
+
+@item M-C-d
+@kindex M-C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-read-document
+This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
+several documents into one biiig group
+(@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
+@code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
+@code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
+command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item C-t
+@kindex C-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
+Toggle truncation of summary lines
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
+line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
+to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
+
+@item =
+@kindex = (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expand-window
+Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
+If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
+
+@item M-C-e
+@kindex M-C-e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
+Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
+group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
+
+@item M-C-g
+@kindex M-C-g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
+Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
+group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Exiting the Summary Buffer
+@section Exiting the Summary Buffer
+@cindex summary exit
+@cindex exiting groups
+
+Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
+group and return you to the group buffer.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item Z Z
+@itemx q
+@kindex Z Z (Summary)
+@kindex q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-exit
+@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
+Exit the current group and update all information on the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
+called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
+@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
+@code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
+process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
+group mode having no more (unread) groups.
+
+@item Z E
+@itemx Q
+@kindex Z E (Summary)
+@kindex Q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
+Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
+
+@item Z c
+@itemx c
+@kindex Z c (Summary)
+@kindex c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
+Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
+
+@item Z C
+@kindex Z C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
+Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
+
+@item Z n
+@kindex Z n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
+Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
+
+@item Z R
+@kindex Z R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
+Exit this group, and then enter it again
+(@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
+all articles, both read and unread.
+
+@item Z G
+@itemx M-g
+@kindex Z G (Summary)
+@kindex M-g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
+Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
+group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
+articles, both read and unread.
+
+@item Z N
+@kindex Z N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-group
+Exit the group and go to the next group
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
+
+@item Z P
+@kindex Z P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-group
+Exit the group and go to the previous group
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
+
+@item Z s
+@kindex Z s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
+Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
+and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
+given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
+command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
+@code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
+group.
+
+@findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
+@findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
+@vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
+If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
+about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
+If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
+(Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
+something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
+called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
+buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
+@code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
+summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
+
+There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
+The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
+read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
+summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
+@code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
+this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
+other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
+neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
+both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
+
+
+@node Crosspost Handling
+@section Crosspost Handling
+
+@cindex velveeta
+@cindex spamming
+Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
+read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
+posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
+several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
+by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
+heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
+(@pxref{NoCeM}).
+
+Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
+separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
+@dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
+@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
+excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
+
+@cindex cross-posting
+@cindex Xref
+@cindex @sc{nov}
+One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
+correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
+(which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
+does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
+Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
+even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
+articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
+them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
+the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
+the cross reference mechanism.
+
+@cindex LIST overview.fmt
+@cindex overview.fmt
+To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
+in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
+@samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
+overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
+get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
+your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
+overview files.
+
+@vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
+If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
+set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
+considerably.
+
+C'est la vie.
+
+For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+
+
+@node Duplicate Suppression
+@section Duplicate Suppression
+
+By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
+article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
+(@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
+approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
+reasons.
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
+is evil and not very common.
+
+@item
+The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
+@file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
+
+@item
+You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
+different @sc{nntp} servers.
+
+@item
+You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
+@end enumerate
+
+I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
+well, but these four are the most common situations.
+
+If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
+consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
+will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
+otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
+all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
+mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
+so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
+once.
+
+Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
+sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
+fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
+to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
+article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
+saw the article in.
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-suppress-duplicates
+@vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
+If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
+
+@item gnus-save-duplicate-list
+@vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
+If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
+make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
+However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
+session are suppressed.
+
+@item gnus-duplicate-list-length
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
+This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
+suppression list. The default is 10000.
+
+@item gnus-duplicate-file
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-file
+The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
+default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
+@end table
+
+If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
+@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
+you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
+the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
+so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
+@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
+to you to figure out, I think.
+
+
+@node The Article Buffer
+@chapter The Article Buffer
+@cindex article buffer
+
+The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
+one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
+tell Gnus otherwise.
+
+@menu
+* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
+* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
+* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
+* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
+* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Hiding Headers
+@section Hiding Headers
+@cindex hiding headers
+@cindex deleting headers
+
+The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
+@dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
+
+@vindex gnus-show-all-headers
+There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
+who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
+article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
+most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
+through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
+@code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
+of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
+article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
+
+Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-visible-headers
+@vindex gnus-visible-headers
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
+that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
+headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
+
+For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
+the article and the subject, you'd say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
+@end lisp
+
+This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
+remain visible.
+
+@item gnus-ignored-headers
+@vindex gnus-ignored-headers
+This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
+variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
+should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
+hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
+
+For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
+and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
+@end lisp
+
+This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
+be removed.
+
+Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
+variable will have no effect.
+
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
+Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
+can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
+variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
+the headers are to be displayed.
+
+For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
+and then the subject, you might say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
+@end lisp
+
+Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
+variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
+
+@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
+@vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
+You can hide further boring headers by setting
+@code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-header} to @code{head}. What this function
+does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
+list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
+lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
+from sight.
+
+These conditions are:
+@table @code
+@item empty
+Remove all empty headers.
+@item followup-to
+Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
+@code{Newsgroups} header.
+@item reply-to
+Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
+@code{From} header.
+@item newsgroups
+Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
+name.
+@item date
+Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
+old.
+@item long-to
+Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
+@item many-to
+Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
+@end table
+
+To include the four three elements, you could say something like;
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-boring-article-headers
+ '(empty followup-to reply-to))
+@end lisp
+
+This is also the default value for this variable.
+
+
+@node Using MIME
+@section Using @sc{mime}
+@cindex @sc{mime}
+
+Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
+while people stand around yawning.
+
+@sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
+while all newsreaders die of fear.
+
+@sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
+of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
+other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
+
+@vindex gnus-display-mime-function
+@findex gnus-display-mime
+Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
+to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
+default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
+display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
+
+The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
+@sc{mime} button:
+
+@table @kbd
+@findex gnus-article-press-button
+@item RET (Article)
+@itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
+Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
+(@code{gnus-article-press-button}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part
+@item M-RET (Article)
+@itemx v (Article)
+Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
+method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-save-part
+@item o (Article)
+Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
+(@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-copy-part
+@item c (Article)
+Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
+(@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
+@item t (Article)
+View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}.
+
+@findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
+@item | (Article)
+Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
+@end table
+
+Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
+determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs MIME
+manual.
+
+It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
+buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
+group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
+decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
+comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
+because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
+try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
+to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
+to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
+
+Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
+
+Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
+
+
+@node Customizing Articles
+@section Customizing Articles
+@cindex article customization
+
+A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
+exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
+called automatically when you select the articles.
+
+To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
+``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
+@code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
+be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
+
+Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
+for sensible values.
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+@code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
+
+@item
+@code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
+
+@item
+@code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
+
+@item
+@code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
+
+@item
+An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
+than this number.
+
+@item
+A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
+articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
+regexps in the list.
+
+@item
+A list where the first element is not a string:
+
+The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
+predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
+@code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(or last
+ (typep "text/x-vcard"))
+@end lisp
+
+@end enumerate
+
+You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
+to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
+be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
+considered to contain just a single part.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-treat-types
+Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
+want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
+treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
+variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
+type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
+controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
+
+The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
+customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
+group. Values in brackets are suggested sensible values. Others are possible
+but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
+@item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
+@item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
+@item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
+@item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-play-sounds
+@item gnus-treat-translate
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-part-display-hook
+You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
+@code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
+part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
+information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
+everything.
+
+
+@node Article Keymap
+@section Article Keymap
+
+Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
+article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
+buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
+buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
+buffer.
+
+A few additional keystrokes are available:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-next-page
+Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
+
+@item DEL
+@kindex DEL (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-prev-page
+Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
+
+@item C-c ^
+@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-refer-article
+If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
+@kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
+(@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
+
+@item C-c C-m
+@kindex C-c C-m (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-mail
+Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
+given a prefix, include the mail.
+
+@item s
+@kindex s (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-show-summary
+Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
+(@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
+
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
+Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
+(@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
+
+@item TAB
+@kindex TAB (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-next-button
+Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
+only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
+
+@item M-TAB
+@kindex M-TAB (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-prev-button
+Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Misc Article
+@section Misc Article
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-single-article-buffer
+@vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
+If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
+(This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
+article buffer.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
+@item gnus-article-decode-hook
+@cindex MIME
+Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
+@code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
+
+@vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
+@item gnus-article-prepare-hook
+This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
+article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
+depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
+the contents of the article buffer.
+
+@item gnus-article-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
+Hook called in article mode buffers.
+
+@item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
+Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
+@code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
+@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
+This variable is a format string along the same lines as
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
+accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with one
+extension:
+
+@table @samp
+@item w
+The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
+character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
+performed.
+@item m
+The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-break-pages
+
+@item gnus-break-pages
+Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
+is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
+page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
+paging will not be done.
+
+@item gnus-page-delimiter
+@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
+This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
+(formfeed).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Composing Messages
+@chapter Composing Messages
+@cindex composing messages
+@cindex messages
+@cindex mail
+@cindex sending mail
+@cindex reply
+@cindex followup
+@cindex post
+
+@kindex C-c C-c (Post)
+All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
+where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
+by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
+Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
+article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
+to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
+
+@menu
+* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
+* Post:: Posting and following up.
+* Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
+* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
+* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
+* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
+* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
+* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
+@end menu
+
+Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
+remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
+
+
+@node Mail
+@section Mail
+
+Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-uu-digest-headers
+@vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
+List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
+headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
+
+@item gnus-add-to-list
+@vindex gnus-add-to-list
+If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
+that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Post
+@section Post
+
+Variables for composing news articles:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
+@vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
+Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
+sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
+user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
+dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
+same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
+history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
+this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
+file.
+
+@item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
+@vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
+This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
+file. It is 1000 by default.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Posting Server
+@section Posting Server
+
+When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
+(extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
+
+Thank you for asking. I hate you.
+
+@vindex gnus-post-method
+
+It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
+server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
+reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
+(extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
+then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
+@end lisp
+
+Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
+this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
+can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
+the ``current'' server for posting.
+
+If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
+Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
+
+You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
+If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
+for posting.
+
+Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
+you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
+groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
+@code{current}.
+
+
+@node Mail and Post
+@section Mail and Post
+
+Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
+posting:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-mailing-list-groups
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
+@cindex mailing lists
+
+If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
+gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
+problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
+One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
+@code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
+really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
+lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
+still a pain, though.
+
+@end table
+
+You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
+you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
+spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
+
+@cindex ispell
+@findex ispell-message
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Archived Messages
+@section Archived Messages
+@cindex archived messages
+@cindex sent messages
+
+Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
+send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
+store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
+@code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
+is the default.
+
+@vindex gnus-message-archive-method
+@code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
+use to store sent messages. The default is:
+
+@lisp
+(nnfolder "archive"
+ (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
+ (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
+ (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
+ (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
+@end lisp
+
+You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
+@code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
+for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
+directory chosen, you could say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-method
+ '(nnfolder "archive"
+ (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
+ (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
+ (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-message-archive-group
+@cindex Gcc
+Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
+to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
+determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
+
+This variable can be used to do the following:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item a string
+Messages will be saved in that group.
+@item a list of strings
+Messages will be saved in all those groups.
+@item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
+When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
+@item @code{nil}
+No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
+@end itemize
+
+Let's illustrate:
+
+Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
+@end lisp
+
+Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
+@end lisp
+
+Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
+ ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
+ (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
+@end lisp
+
+More complex stuff:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '((if (message-news-p)
+ "misc-news"
+ "misc-mail")))
+@end lisp
+
+How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
+messages in one file per month:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '((if (message-news-p)
+ "misc-news"
+ (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
+@end lisp
+
+(XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
+use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
+
+Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
+group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
+you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
+archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
+Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
+enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
+group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
+if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
+nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
+continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
+
+That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
+different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
+case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
+this will disable archiving.
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-outgoing-message-group
+@vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
+All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
+all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
+you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
+group names.
+
+If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
+message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
+current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
+of names).
+
+This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
+but the latter is the preferred method.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Posting Styles
+@section Posting Styles
+@cindex posting styles
+@cindex styles
+
+All them variables, they make my head swim.
+
+So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
+on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
+and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
+on?
+
+@vindex gnus-posting-styles
+One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
+variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
+came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
+a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
+variable:
+
+@lisp
+((".*"
+ (signature "Peace and happiness")
+ (organization "What me?"))
+ ("^comp"
+ (signature "Death to everybody"))
+ ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
+ (organization "Emacs is it")))
+@end lisp
+
+As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
+@dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
+``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
+over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
+applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
+the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
+@samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
+signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
+
+The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
+string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
+If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header that
+match the next element in the match, and compare that to the last header
+in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function will be called
+with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
+referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
+any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
+to @dfn{match}.
+
+Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
+attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} . @var{value})} pair. The
+attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
+@code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
+attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
+a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
+article. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated,
+and the result is thrown away.
+
+The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
+zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
+will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
+will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
+message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
+are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
+
+If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
+meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
+of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
+
+@findex message-mail-p
+@findex message-news-p
+
+So here's a new example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-posting-styles
+ '((".*"
+ (signature-file "~/.signature")
+ (name "User Name")
+ ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
+ (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
+ ("^rec.humor"
+ (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
+ ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
+ (signature my-quote-randomizer))
+ ((message-news-p)
+ (signature my-news-signature))
+ ((header "From.*To" "larsi.*org")
+ (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
+ ((posting-from-work-p)
+ (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
+ (address "user@@bar.foo")
+ (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
+ (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
+ ("^nn.+:"
+ (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Drafts
+@section Drafts
+@cindex drafts
+
+If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
+you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
+craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
+the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
+other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
+
+Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
+some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
+automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
+If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
+article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
+group.)
+
+@cindex nndraft
+@vindex nndraft-directory
+The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
+@code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
+@samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
+@code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
+that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
+read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
+
+If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
+to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
+unsubscribe it.
+
+@c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
+@c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
+@c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
+@c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
+@c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
+@c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
+@c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
+@c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
+@c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
+@c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
+@c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
+@c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
+@c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
+@c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
+@c
+@c @vindex gnus-use-draft
+@c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
+@c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
+
+@findex gnus-draft-edit-message
+@kindex D e (Draft)
+When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
+draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
+that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
+
+Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
+Articles}).
+
+@findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
+@findex gnus-draft-send-message
+If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
+doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
+(@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
+command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
+in the buffer.
+
+If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
+@kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
+as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
+
+
+@node Rejected Articles
+@section Rejected Articles
+@cindex rejected articles
+
+Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
+doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
+@emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
+Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
+
+These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
+(Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
+fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
+you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
+articles until some later time when the server feels better.
+
+The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
+(@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
+typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
+
+
+@node Select Methods
+@chapter Select Methods
+@cindex foreign groups
+@cindex select methods
+
+A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
+default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
+@sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
+personal mail group.
+
+A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
+a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
+list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
+@code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
+name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
+value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
+
+One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
+we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
+
+The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
+group as.
+
+For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
+@samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
+method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
+@samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
+backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
+
+The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
+
+@menu
+* The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
+* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
+* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
+* Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
+* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
+* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
+* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node The Server Buffer
+@section The Server Buffer
+
+Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
+one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
+connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
+one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
+the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
+backend represents a virtual server.
+
+For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
+different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
+on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
+use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
+
+These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
+complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
+@sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
+hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
+Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
+server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
+select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
+
+To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
+(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
+
+@menu
+* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
+* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
+* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
+* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
+* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
+* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
+* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
+@end menu
+
+@vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
+
+
+@node Server Buffer Format
+@subsection Server Buffer Format
+@cindex server buffer format
+
+@vindex gnus-server-line-format
+You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
+@code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
+variable, with some simple extensions:
+
+@table @samp
+
+@item h
+How the news is fetched---the backend name.
+
+@item n
+The name of this server.
+
+@item w
+Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
+
+@item s
+The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
+The mode line can also be customized by using the
+@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
+Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
+
+@table @samp
+@item S
+Server name.
+
+@item M
+Server method.
+@end table
+
+Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
+
+
+@node Server Commands
+@subsection Server Commands
+@cindex server commands
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item a
+@kindex a (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-add-server
+Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
+
+@item e
+@kindex e (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-edit-server
+Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-read-server
+Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
+
+@item q
+@kindex q (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-exit
+Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
+
+@item k
+@kindex k (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-kill-server
+Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
+
+@item y
+@kindex y (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-yank-server
+Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
+
+@item c
+@kindex c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-copy-server
+Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
+
+@item l
+@kindex l (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-list-servers
+List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
+
+@item s
+@kindex s (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-scan-server
+Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
+(@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
+servers.
+
+@item g
+@kindex g (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
+Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
+(@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
+a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Example Methods
+@subsection Example Methods
+
+Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
+
+@lisp
+(nntp "news.funet.fi")
+@end lisp
+
+Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
+
+@lisp
+(nnspool "")
+@end lisp
+
+As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
+backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
+will.
+
+After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
+@code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
+
+To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
+port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
+look like then:
+
+@lisp
+(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
+@end lisp
+
+You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
+variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
+
+@code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
+you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
+mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
+your private mail:
+
+@lisp
+(nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
+@end lisp
+
+(This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
+that.)
+
+Here's the method for a public spool:
+
+@lisp
+(nnmh "public"
+ (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
+ (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
+@end lisp
+
+If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
+server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
+on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
+Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
+should probably look something like this:
+
+@lisp
+(nntp "firewall"
+ (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
+ (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
+ (nntp-rlogin-parameters
+ ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
+@end lisp
+
+If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
+compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
+server that would look something like this:
+
+@lisp
+(nntp "news"
+ (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
+ (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
+ (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
+ (nntp-rlogin-parameters
+ ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
+@end lisp
+
+This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
+provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
+connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
+@code{ssh} @file{config} file.
+
+
+@node Creating a Virtual Server
+@subsection Creating a Virtual Server
+
+If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
+articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
+
+First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
+would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
+could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
+
+Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
+
+You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
+@samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
+Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
+will contain the following:
+
+@lisp
+(nnspool "cache")
+@end lisp
+
+Change that to:
+
+@lisp
+(nnspool "cache"
+ (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
+ (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
+ (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
+@end lisp
+
+Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
+@kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
+buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
+
+
+@node Server Variables
+@subsection Server Variables
+
+One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
+in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
+variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
+change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
+won't change the "derived" variables.
+
+This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
+@code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
+directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
+@code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
+new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
+@code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
+variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
+variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
+manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
+
+@lisp
+(nnml "public"
+ (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
+ (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
+ (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Servers and Methods
+@subsection Servers and Methods
+
+Wherever you would normally use a select method
+(e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
+when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
+instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
+over.
+
+
+@node Unavailable Servers
+@subsection Unavailable Servers
+
+If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
+@code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
+with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
+will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
+actually the case or not.
+
+That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
+Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
+@samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
+away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
+to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
+attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
+attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
+it will regard that server as ``down''.
+
+So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
+How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
+
+You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
+with the following commands:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item O
+@kindex O (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-open-server
+Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
+(@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
+
+@item C
+@kindex C (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-close-server
+Close the connection (if any) to the server
+(@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
+
+@item D
+@kindex D (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-deny-server
+Mark the current server as unreachable
+(@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
+
+@item M-o
+@kindex M-o (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
+Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
+(@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
+
+@item M-c
+@kindex M-c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
+Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
+(@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
+
+@item R
+@kindex R (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-remove-denials
+Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
+(@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Getting News
+@section Getting News
+@cindex reading news
+@cindex news backends
+
+A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
+only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
+or it can read from a local spool.
+
+@menu
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node NNTP
+@subsection @sc{nntp}
+@cindex nntp
+
+Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
+You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
+server as the, uhm, address.
+
+If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
+third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
+to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
+that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+
+The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
+fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
+you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
+
+The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
+server:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nntp-server-opened-hook
+@vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
+@cindex @sc{mode reader}
+@cindex authinfo
+@cindex authentification
+@cindex nntp authentification
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo
+@findex nntp-send-mode-reader
+is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
+commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
+default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
+@code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
+present in this hook.
+
+@item nntp-authinfo-function
+@vindex nntp-authinfo-function
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo
+@vindex nntp-authinfo-file
+This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
+server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
+through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
+@code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
+are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
+format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
+@code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
+manual page, but here are the salient facts:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
+
+@item
+Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
+valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
+@samp{default} and @samp{force}. (The latter is not a valid
+@file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} token, which is the only way the
+@file{.authinfo} file format deviates from the @file{.netrc} file
+format.)
+
+@end enumerate
+
+Here's an example file:
+
+@example
+machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
+machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
+@end example
+
+The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
+have to be first, for instance.
+
+In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
+former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
+user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
+@samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
+@var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
+@samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
+until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
+
+You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
+that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
+
+@example
+default force yes
+@end example
+
+This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
+previously mentioned.
+
+Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
+
+@item nntp-server-action-alist
+@vindex nntp-server-action-alist
+This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
+taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
+every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nntp-server-action-alist
+ '(("innd" (ding))))
+@end lisp
+
+You probably don't want to do that, though.
+
+The default value is
+
+@lisp
+'(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
+ (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
+@end lisp
+
+This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
+nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
+
+@item nntp-maximum-request
+@vindex nntp-maximum-request
+If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
+will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
+speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
+waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
+by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
+your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
+
+@item nntp-connection-timeout
+@vindex nntp-connection-timeout
+If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
+regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
+responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
+time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
+somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
+that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
+connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
+no timeouts are done.
+
+@c @item nntp-command-timeout
+@c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
+@c @cindex PPP connections
+@c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
+@c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
+@c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
+@c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
+@c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
+@c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
+@c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
+@c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
+@c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
+@c likely number is 30 seconds.
+@c
+@c @item nntp-retry-on-break
+@c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
+@c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
+@c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
+@c described above.
+
+@item nntp-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-server-hook
+This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
+server.
+
+@findex nntp-open-rlogin
+@findex nntp-open-telnet
+@findex nntp-open-network-stream
+@item nntp-open-connection-function
+@vindex nntp-open-connection-function
+This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
+functions are supplied:
+
+@table @code
+@item nntp-open-network-stream
+This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
+remote system.
+
+@item nntp-open-rlogin
+Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
+remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
+available there.
+
+@code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nntp-rlogin-program
+@vindex nntp-rlogin-program
+Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
+but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
+
+@item nntp-rlogin-parameters
+@vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
+This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
+
+@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
+@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
+User name on the remote system.
+
+@end table
+
+@item nntp-open-telnet
+Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
+to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
+
+@code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nntp-telnet-command
+@vindex nntp-telnet-command
+Command used to start @code{telnet}.
+
+@item nntp-telnet-switches
+@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
+
+@item nntp-telnet-user-name
+@vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
+User name for log in on the remote system.
+
+@item nntp-telnet-passwd
+@vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
+Password to use when logging in.
+
+@item nntp-telnet-parameters
+@vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
+A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
+via @code{telnet}.
+
+@item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
+@vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
+Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
+@samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
+
+@item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
+@vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
+If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
+will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
+This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
+
+@end table
+
+@findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
+@item nntp-open-ssl-stream
+Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
+you must have SSLay installed
+(@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
+@file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
+define a server as follows:
+
+@lisp
+;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
+;;
+;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
+;;
+(nntp "snews.bar.com"
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
+ (nntp-port-number "snews")
+ (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
+@end lisp
+
+@end table
+
+@item nntp-end-of-line
+@vindex nntp-end-of-line
+String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
+server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
+using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
+
+@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
+@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
+User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
+function.
+
+@item nntp-address
+@vindex nntp-address
+The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
+
+@item nntp-port-number
+@vindex nntp-port-number
+Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
+connect function.
+
+@item nntp-buggy-select
+@vindex nntp-buggy-select
+Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
+
+@item nntp-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
+If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
+variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
+can be used.
+
+@item nntp-xover-commands
+@vindex nntp-xover-commands
+@cindex nov
+@cindex XOVER
+List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
+server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
+"XOVERVIEW")}.
+
+@item nntp-nov-gap
+@vindex nntp-nov-gap
+@code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
+the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
+if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
+article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
+lines that you will not need. This variable says how
+big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
+@code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
+network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
+that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
+
+@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
+A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
+
+@item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
+@vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
+server closes connection.
+
+@item nntp-record-commands
+@vindex nntp-record-commands
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
+@sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
+buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
+that doesn't seem to work.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node News Spool
+@subsection News Spool
+@cindex nnspool
+@cindex news spool
+
+Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
+and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
+contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
+instance.
+
+Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
+anything else) as the address.
+
+If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
+native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
+than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
+You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nnspool-inews-program
+@vindex nnspool-inews-program
+Program used to post an article.
+
+@item nnspool-inews-switches
+@vindex nnspool-inews-switches
+Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
+
+@item nnspool-spool-directory
+@vindex nnspool-spool-directory
+Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
+@file{/usr/spool/news/}.
+
+@item nnspool-nov-directory
+@vindex nnspool-nov-directory
+Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
+@file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
+
+@item nnspool-lib-dir
+@vindex nnspool-lib-dir
+Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
+
+@item nnspool-active-file
+@vindex nnspool-active-file
+The path to the active file.
+
+@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
+The path to the group descriptions file.
+
+@item nnspool-history-file
+@vindex nnspool-history-file
+The path to the news history file.
+
+@item nnspool-active-times-file
+@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
+The path to the active date file.
+
+@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
+that it finds.
+
+@item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
+@vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
+@cindex sed
+If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
+relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
+load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Getting Mail
+@section Getting Mail
+@cindex reading mail
+@cindex mail
+
+Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
+course.
+
+@menu
+* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
+* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
+* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
+* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
+* Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
+* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
+* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
+* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
+* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
+* Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
+* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
+* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
+* Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Mail in a Newsreader
+@subsection Mail in a Newsreader
+
+If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
+to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
+of a culture shock.
+
+Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
+it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
+
+Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
+approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
+messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
+you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
+
+In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
+
+Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
+deleted? How awful!
+
+But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
+scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
+the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
+you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
+Mail}.
+
+What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
+mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
+they want to treat a message.
+
+Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
+via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
+answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
+need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
+archived somewhere else.
+
+Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
+These are transported via NNTP, and are therefore news. But we may need
+to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
+order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
+to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
+
+The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
+but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
+or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
+
+Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
+like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
+differently.
+
+Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
+that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
+to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
+not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
+instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
+
+I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
+may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
+you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
+guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
+Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
+Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
+You Do.)
+
+
+@node Getting Started Reading Mail
+@subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
+
+It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
+mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
+and things will happen automatically.
+
+For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
+mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnml "private")))
+@end lisp
+
+Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
+articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
+directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
+be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
+like any other group.
+
+You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
+ ("other" "")))
+@end lisp
+
+This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
+@samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
+mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
+last group.
+
+This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
+give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
+Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
+
+
+@node Splitting Mail
+@subsection Splitting Mail
+@cindex splitting mail
+@cindex mail splitting
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-methods
+The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
+to be split into groups.
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
+ ("mail.other" "")))
+@end lisp
+
+This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
+these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
+something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
+element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
+determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
+contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
+insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
+
+@lisp
+("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
+@end lisp
+
+The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
+called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
+argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
+mail belongs in that group.
+
+The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
+expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
+that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
+processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
+rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
+In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
+
+If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
+function of your choice. This function will be called without any
+arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
+message. The function should return a list of group names that it
+thinks should carry this mail message.
+
+Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
+incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
+some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
+@code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
+
+@vindex nnmail-crosspost
+The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
+the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
+@code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
+that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
+
+@vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
+@cindex crosspost
+@cindex links
+@code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
+the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
+links. If that's the case for you, set
+@code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
+variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
+
+@kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
+@kindex nnmail-split-history
+If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
+can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
+
+Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
+yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
+all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
+unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
+boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
+that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
+come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
+you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
+month's rent money.
+
+
+@node Mail Sources
+@subsection Mail Sources
+
+Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
+POP mail server, or from a procmail directory, for instance.
+
+@menu
+* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
+* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
+* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Mail Source Specifiers
+@subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
+@cindex POP
+@cindex mail server
+@cindex procmail
+@cindex mail spool
+@cindex mail source
+
+You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
+(@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
+@end lisp
+
+As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
+element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
+@dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
+default values.
+
+The following mail source types are available:
+
+@table @code
+@item file
+Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
+
+Keywords:
+
+@table @code
+@item :path
+The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
+environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
+@end table
+
+An example file mail source:
+
+@lisp
+(file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
+@end lisp
+
+Or using the default path:
+
+@lisp
+(file)
+@end lisp
+
+If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
+use POP or IMAP or the like to fetch the mail. You can not you ange-ftp
+file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
+mail.
+
+If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
+
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
+@end lisp
+
+The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
+
+@example
+#!/bin/sh
+# getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
+# flu@@iki.fi
+
+MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
+TMP=~/Mail/tmp
+rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
+@end example
+
+Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
+
+
+@item directory
+Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
+you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
+
+Keywords:
+
+@table @code
+@item :path
+The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
+value.
+
+@item :suffix
+Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
+@samp{.spool}.
+
+@item :predicate
+Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
+The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
+filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
+predicate are considered.
+
+@item :prescript
+@itemx :postscript
+Script run before/after fetching mail.
+
+@end table
+
+An example directory mail source:
+
+@lisp
+(directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
+ :suffix ".prcml")
+@end lisp
+
+@item pop
+Get mail from a POP server.
+
+Keywords:
+
+@table @code
+@item :server
+The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
+@code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
+
+@item :port
+The port number of the POP server. The default is @samp{pop3}.
+
+@item :user
+The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
+name.
+
+@item :password
+The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
+prompted.
+
+@item :program
+The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This is should be
+a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
+
+@example
+fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
+@end example
+
+The valid format specifier characters are:
+
+@table @samp
+@item t
+The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
+included in this string.
+
+@item s
+The name of the server.
+
+@item P
+The port number of the server.
+
+@item u
+The user name to use.
+
+@item p
+The password to use.
+@end table
+
+The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
+corresponding keywords.
+
+@item :prescript
+A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
+the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
+
+@item :postscript
+A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
+the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
+
+@item :function
+The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
+called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
+be moved to.
+
+@item :authentication
+This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
+and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
+@code{password}.
+
+@end table
+
+If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
+@code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
+
+Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
+default user name, and default fetcher:
+
+@lisp
+(pop)
+@end lisp
+
+Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
+
+@lisp
+(pop :server "my.pop.server"
+ :user "user-name" :password "secret")
+@end lisp
+
+Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
+
+@lisp
+(pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
+@end lisp
+
+@item maildir
+Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox currently only
+supported by qmail, where each file in a special directory contains
+exactly one mail.
+
+Keywords:
+
+@table @code
+@item :path
+The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
+@samp{~/Maildir/new}.
+
+If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
+them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
+@code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the following example.
+
+@end table
+
+An example maildir mail source:
+
+@lisp
+(maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/cur")
+@end lisp
+
+@item imap
+Get mail from a IMAP server. If you don't want to use IMAP as intended,
+as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for some reason or
+other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server and fetches
+articles from a given IMAP mailbox.
+
+Keywords:
+
+@table @code
+@item :server
+The name of the IMAP server. The default is taken from the
+@code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
+
+@item :port
+The port number of the IMAP server. The default is @samp{143}, or
+@samp{993} for SSL connections.
+
+@item :user
+The user name to give to the IMAP server. The default is the login
+name.
+
+@item :password
+The password to give to the IMAP server. If not specified, the user is
+prompted.
+
+@item :stream
+What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
+symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
+@samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
+
+@item :authenticator
+Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
+of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this means
+@samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
+@samp{login}.
+
+@item :mailbox
+The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
+which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
+
+@item :predicate
+The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default,
+@samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people,
+but if you sometimes peek in your mailbox with a IMAP client and mark
+some articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to
+@samp{nil}. Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter
+what. For a complete list of predicates, see RFC2060 §6.4.4.
+
+@item :fetchflag
+How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
+will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
+would simply mark them as read. Theese are the two most likely choices,
+but more flags are defined in RFC2060 §2.3.2.
+
+@item :dontexpunge
+If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
+after finishing the fetch.
+
+@end table
+
+An example IMAP mail source:
+
+@lisp
+(imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4)
+@end lisp
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Mail Source Customization
+@subsubsection Mail Source Customization
+
+The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
+fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
+variables.
+
+@table @code
+@item mail-source-crash-box
+@vindex mail-source-crash-box
+File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
+@file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
+
+@item mail-source-delete-incoming
+@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
+If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
+
+@item mail-source-directory
+@vindex mail-source-directory
+Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
+@file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
+where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
+@code{nil}.
+
+@item mail-source-default-file-modes
+@vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
+All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Fetching Mail
+@subsubsection Fetching Mail
+
+@vindex mail-sources
+@vindex nnmail-spool-file
+The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
+@code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
+(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
+
+If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
+@code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
+themselves.
+
+If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
+mail server, you'd say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file)
+ (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :password "secret")))
+@end lisp
+
+Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
+
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
+ (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :user "user-name"
+ :port "pop3"
+ :password "secret")))
+@end lisp
+
+
+When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
+inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
+mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
+invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
+pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
+shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
+
+
+
+@node Mail Backend Variables
+@subsection Mail Backend Variables
+
+These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
+mail backends.
+
+@table @code
+@vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
+@item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
+The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
+use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-hook
+@item nnmail-split-hook
+@findex article-decode-encoded-words
+@findex RFC1522 decoding
+@findex RFC2047 decoding
+Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
+just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
+free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
+is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
+in the buffer will show up in any files.
+@code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
+to this hook.
+
+@vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+@vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+@item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+@itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
+mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
+starting to handle the new mail) and
+@code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
+is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
+default file modes the new mail files get:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+ (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
+
+(add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
+ (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
+@end lisp
+
+@item nnmail-use-long-file-names
+@vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
+If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
+names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
+(assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
+@code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
+the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
+
+@item nnmail-delete-file-function
+@vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
+@findex delete-file
+Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
+
+@item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
+@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
+If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
+the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
+discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Fancy Mail Splitting
+@subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
+@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex fancy mail splitting
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy
+@findex nnmail-split-fancy
+If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
+doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
+play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
+
+Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
+
+@lisp
+;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
+;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
+;; from real errors.
+(| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
+ "mail.misc"))
+ ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
+ ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
+ ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
+ (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
+ ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
+ ;; Other mailing lists...
+ (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
+ (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
+ ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
+ ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
+ ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
+ ;; message was really cross-posted.
+ (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
+ (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
+ ;; People...
+ (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
+ ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
+ "misc.misc")
+@end lisp
+
+This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
+recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
+the five possible split syntaxes:
+
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+@samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
+name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
+examples.
+
+@item
+@code{(@var{field} @var{value} @var{[- restrict [- restrict [@dots{}]]]}
+@var{split})}: If the split is a list, the first element of which is a
+string, then store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header
+@var{field} (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If
+@var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
+@var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
+@var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
+@var{split} is processed.
+
+@item
+@code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
+element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
+one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
+the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
+
+@item
+@code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
+element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
+
+@item
+@code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
+this message. Use with extreme caution.
+
+@item
+@code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
+a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
+be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
+function should return a @var{split}.
+
+@item
+@code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
+element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
+called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
+return a split.
+
+@item
+@code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
+@var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
+syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
+field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
+@samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
+@var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
+are expanded as specified by the variable
+@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
+the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
+value.
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
+when all this splitting is performed.
+
+If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
+information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
+substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
+
+@example
+(any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
+@end example
+
+In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
+will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
+
+If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
+matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
+up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
+groupings 1 through 9.
+
+
+@node Group Mail Splitting
+@subsection Group Mail Splitting
+@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex group mail splitting
+
+@findex gnus-group-split
+If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
+maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
+You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
+parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
+@code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
+for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
+from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
+@var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
+
+Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
+splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
+parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
+rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
+
+All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
+the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
+@var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
+matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
+group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
+@var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
+
+If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
+parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
+parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
+this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
+@code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
+@code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
+@code{gnus-group-split}.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
+@code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
+by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
+group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
+group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
+some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
+that group is used as the catch-all group. Note that, in this case,
+there's no cross-posting, as a @code{|} fancy split encloses the
+@code{&} split and the catch-all group.
+
+It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
+been defined:
+
+@example
+nnml:mail.bar:
+((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
+ (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
+nnml:mail.foo:
+((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
+ (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
+ (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
+ (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
+nnml:mail.others:
+((split-spec . catch-all))
+@end example
+
+Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
+behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
+
+@lisp
+(| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
+ (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
+ - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
+ "mail.others")
+@end lisp
+
+@findex gnus-group-split-fancy
+If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
+may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
+splits like this:
+
+@lisp
+(: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
+@end lisp
+
+@var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
+parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
+@var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
+single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} may be the name
+of a group to be used as the default catch-all group. If
+@var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
+empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
+Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
+this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
+
+@findex gnus-group-split-setup
+Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
+slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
+But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
+used to select @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
+sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
+@code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
+scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
+
+@findex gnus-group-split-update
+However, if you change group parameters, you have to update
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
+@code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
+automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
+you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
+@end lisp
+
+If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
+will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
+have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
+don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional),
+@code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
+value.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
+Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
+by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
+@code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
+
+@node Incorporating Old Mail
+@subsection Incorporating Old Mail
+
+Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
+you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
+backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
+your mail groups.
+
+Doing so can be quite easy.
+
+To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
+(@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
+satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
+file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
+your @code{nnml} groups.
+
+Here's how:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+Go to the group buffer.
+
+@item
+Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
+@code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+
+@item
+Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
+
+@item
+Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
+(@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+
+@item
+Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
+@samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
+@end enumerate
+
+All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
+all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
+have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
+deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
+sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
+
+Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
+backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
+using the new mail backend.
+
+
+@node Expiring Mail
+@subsection Expiring Mail
+@cindex article expiry
+
+Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
+you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
+different approach to mail reading.
+
+Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
+a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
+actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
+mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
+fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
+Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
+course.
+
+To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
+articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
+disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
+deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
+more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
+will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
+repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
+NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
+
+@vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
+You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
+match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
+have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
+articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
+column in the summary buffer.
+
+By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
+articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
+before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
+automatically, you can put something like the following in your
+@file{.gnus} file:
+
+@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
+@lisp
+(remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
+ 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
+(add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
+@end lisp
+
+Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
+articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
+will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
+groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
+mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
+
+Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
+articles you have read to disappear after a while:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
+ "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
+@end lisp
+
+Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
+@code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
+
+If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
+auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
+don't really mix very well.
+
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
+expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
+message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
+days.
+
+Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
+are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
+have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
+expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
+everywhere else:
+
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+ (lambda (group)
+ (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
+ 31)
+ ((string= group "mail.junk")
+ 1)
+ ((string= group "important")
+ 'never)
+ (t
+ 6))))
+@end lisp
+
+The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
+names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
+
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
+necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
+@code{never}.
+
+You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
+change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
+If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
+expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
+easier for procmail users.
+
+@vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
+By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
+articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
+parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
+articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
+caution. Even more dangerous is the
+@code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
+this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
+which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
+will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
+crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
+wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
+@emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
+with! So there!
+
+Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
+
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
+If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
+commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
+auto-expire turned on.
+
+
+@node Washing Mail
+@subsection Washing Mail
+@cindex mail washing
+@cindex list server brain damage
+@cindex incoming mail treatment
+
+Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
+really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
+prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
+end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
+Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
+considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
+
+Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
+} to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
+be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
+laugh.
+
+Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
+displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
+storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
+various functions that can be put in these hooks.
+
+@table @code
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
+This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
+grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
+the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
+@findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
+Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
+Emacs running on MS machines.
+
+@end table
+
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
+This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
+cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
+@findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
+Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
+headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
+
+@item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
+@findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
+Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
+beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
+people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
+strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
+also be a list of regexp.
+
+For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
+@samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-list-identifiers
+ '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
+@end lisp
+
+This can also be done non-destructively with
+@code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
+
+@item nnmail-remove-tabs
+@findex nnmail-remove-tabs
+Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
+
+@item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
+@findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
+@cindex Eudora
+Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
+@code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
+@code{References} headers.
+
+@end table
+
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
+This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
+include:
+
+@table @code
+@item article-de-quoted-unreadable
+@findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
+Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
+
+@end table
+@end table
+
+
+@node Duplicates
+@subsection Duplicates
+
+@vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
+@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
+@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
+@cindex duplicate mails
+If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
+receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
+@code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
+this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
+@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
+default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
+there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
+variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
+stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
+@code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
+default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
+will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
+that this is a duplicate of a different message.
+
+This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
+will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
+the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
+@code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
+
+You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
+@code{nil}.
+
+If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
+@dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
+methods:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
+ ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
+ ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
+ (any mail "mail.misc")
+ ;; Other rules.
+ [ ... ] ))
+@end lisp
+
+Or something like:
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
+ ;; Other rules.
+ [...]))
+@end lisp
+
+Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
+with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
+@code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
+using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
+received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
+
+
+@node Not Reading Mail
+@subsection Not Reading Mail
+
+If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
+habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
+be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
+
+If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
+@code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
+mail, which should help.
+
+@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
+This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
+happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
+file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
+variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
+the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
+group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
+
+All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
+narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
+incoming mail.
+
+
+@node Choosing a Mail Backend
+@subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
+
+Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
+file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
+depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
+
+There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
+backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
+(because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
+(@pxref{Mail Spool}).
+
+@menu
+* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
+* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
+* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
+* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
+* Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Unix Mail Box
+@subsubsection Unix Mail Box
+@cindex nnmbox
+@cindex unix mail box
+
+@vindex nnmbox-active-file
+@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
+The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
+mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
+which group it belongs in.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnmbox-mbox-file
+@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
+The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
+
+@item nnmbox-active-file
+@vindex nnmbox-active-file
+The name of the active file for the mail box.
+
+@item nnmbox-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
+into groups.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Rmail Babyl
+@subsubsection Rmail Babyl
+@cindex nnbabyl
+@cindex rmail mbox
+
+@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
+The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
+mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
+article to say which group it belongs in.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
+The name of the rmail mbox file.
+
+@item nnbabyl-active-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
+The name of the active file for the rmail box.
+
+@item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Mail Spool
+@subsubsection Mail Spool
+@cindex nnml
+@cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
+
+The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
+format. It should be used with some caution.
+
+@vindex nnml-directory
+If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
+one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
+directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
+variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
+
+You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
+care of all that.
+
+If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
+in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
+own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
+weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
+having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
+shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
+know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
+to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
+
+@code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
+splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
+@sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
+backend when it comes to reading mail.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnml-directory
+@vindex nnml-directory
+All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
+
+@item nnml-active-file
+@vindex nnml-active-file
+The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
+
+@item nnml-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
+The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
+Format}.
+
+@item nnml-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
+
+@item nnml-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
+
+@item nnml-nov-file-name
+@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
+The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
+
+@item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
+@vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
+Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
+
+@end table
+
+@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
+If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
+you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
+nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
+entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
+might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
+functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
+Commands}).
+
+
+@node MH Spool
+@subsubsection MH Spool
+@cindex nnmh
+@cindex mh-e mail spool
+
+@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
+@sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
+@code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
+makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnmh-directory
+@vindex nnmh-directory
+All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
+
+@item nnmh-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
+
+@item nnmh-be-safe
+@vindex nnmh-be-safe
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
+sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
+are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
+setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
+use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
+to set this variable to @code{t}.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Mail Folders
+@subsubsection Mail Folders
+@cindex nnfolder
+@cindex mbox folders
+@cindex mail folders
+
+@code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
+file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
+will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
+dates.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnfolder-directory
+@vindex nnfolder-directory
+All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
+
+@item nnfolder-active-file
+@vindex nnfolder-active-file
+The name of the active file.
+
+@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
+The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
+
+@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
+
+@item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
+@vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
+@cindex backup files
+Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
+backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
+wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
+your @file{.emacs} file:
+
+@lisp
+(defun turn-off-backup ()
+ (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
+
+(add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+@end lisp
+
+@item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
+@vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
+Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
+This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
+extract some information from it before removing it.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
+@kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
+If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
+@code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
+command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
+@code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
+though.
+
+@node Comparing Mail Backends
+@subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
+
+First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
+low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
+is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
+and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
+mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
+
+The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
+typically done by NNTP these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
+in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
+articles lay (the machine which today we call an NNTP server), and
+access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
+area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
+@code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
+actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
+via NFS).
+
+The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
+simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
+format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
+future. Here are some high and low points on each:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnmbox
+
+UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
+defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
+they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
+@samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
+to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
+@samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
+historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
+mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
+this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
+area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
+(appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
+to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
+fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
+what's where.
+
+@item nnbabyl
+
+Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
+systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
+reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
+was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
+format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
+spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
+headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
+RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
+and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
+to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
+VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
+perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
+headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
+course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
+
+Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
+filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
+look at your mail.
+
+@item nnml
+
+@code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
+actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
+fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
+lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
+and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
+Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
+CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
+or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
+@dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
+@sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
+due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
+file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
+extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
+provided by the active file and overviews.
+
+@code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
+resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
+files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
+tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
+the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
+wins big.
+
+It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
+FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
+tiny files.
+
+@item nnmh
+
+The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
+long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
+individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
+is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
+active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
+one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
+slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
+
+@item nnfolder
+
+Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
+method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
+itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
+little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
+a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
+can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
+format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
+it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
+out how many messages there are in each separate group.
+
+If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
+messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
+only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
+friendly mail backend all over.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Browsing the Web
+@section Browsing the Web
+@cindex web
+@cindex browsing the web
+@cindex www
+@cindex http
+
+Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
+subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
+eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
+is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
+and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
+go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
+even know what a news group is.
+
+The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
+being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
+they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
+not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
+you mad in the end.
+
+So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
+to do it instead?
+
+Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
+interfaces to these sources.
+
+@menu
+* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
+* Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
+* Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
+@end menu
+
+The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
+work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
+is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
+will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
+though, you should be ok.
+
+One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
+are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
+cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
+Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
+leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
+
+
+@node Web Searches
+@subsection Web Searches
+@cindex nnweb
+@cindex DejaNews
+@cindex Alta Vista
+@cindex InReference
+@cindex Usenet searches
+@cindex searching the Usenet
+
+It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
+string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
+those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
+the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
+searches without having to use a browser.
+
+The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
+engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
+then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
+group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
+Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
+
+@code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
+groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
+each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
+pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
+manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
+Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
+@code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
+engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
+of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
+header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
+group as read.
+
+If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
+won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
+providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
+make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
+community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
+might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
+
+You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
+to use @code{nnweb}.
+
+Virtual server variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnweb-type
+@vindex nnweb-type
+What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
+are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
+@code{reference}.
+
+@item nnweb-search
+@vindex nnweb-search
+The search string to feed to the search engine.
+
+@item nnweb-max-hits
+@vindex nnweb-max-hits
+Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
+100.
+
+@item nnweb-type-definition
+@vindex nnweb-type-definition
+Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
+with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
+present:
+
+@table @code
+@item article
+Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
+understands.
+
+@item map
+Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
+
+@item search
+Function to send the search string to the search engine.
+
+@item address
+The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
+to.
+
+@item id
+Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
+@end table
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Slashdot
+@subsection Slashdot
+@cindex Slashdot
+@cindex nnslashdot
+
+Slashdot (@file{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
+lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
+let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
+
+The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
+following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnslashdot "")))
+@end lisp
+
+This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
+and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
+a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
+groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
+groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
+Methods}).
+
+When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
+comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
+particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
+@code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
+the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
+directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
+@sc{html} forms.
+
+The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnslashdot-threaded
+Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
+default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
+has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
+threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
+the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
+but much, much slower than untreaded.
+
+@item nnslashdot-login-name
+@vindex nnslashdot-login-name
+The login name to use when posting.
+
+@item nnslashdot-password
+@vindex nnslashdot-password
+The password to use when posting.
+
+@item nnslashdot-directory
+@vindex nnslashdot-directory
+Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
+@samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-active-url
+@vindex nnslashdot-active-url
+The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
+news articles and comments. The default is
+@samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-comments-url
+@vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
+The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
+default is
+@samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-article-url
+@vindex nnslashdot-article-url
+The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
+default is
+@samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-threshold
+@vindex nnslashdot-threshold
+The score threshold. The default is -1.
+
+@item nnslashdot-group-number
+@vindex nnslashdot-group-number
+The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
+updated. The default is 0.
+
+@end table
+
+
+
+@node Ultimate
+@subsection Ultimate
+@cindex nnultimate
+@cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
+
+The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@file{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
+probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
+quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
+information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
+
+The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
+something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
+http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
+(not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
+you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
+site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
+server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
+
+The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnultimate-directory
+@vindex nnultimate-directory
+The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
+@samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Other Sources
+@section Other Sources
+
+Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
+below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
+newsgroups.
+
+@menu
+* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
+* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
+* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
+* SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
+* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
+* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a IMAP client.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Directory Groups
+@subsection Directory Groups
+@cindex nndir
+@cindex directory groups
+
+If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
+it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
+names, of course.
+
+This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
+successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
+packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
+backend to read directories. Big deal.
+
+@code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
+enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
+@file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
+@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
+directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
+
+@code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
+
+@code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
+articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
+whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
+methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
+
+
+@node Anything Groups
+@subsection Anything Groups
+@cindex nneething
+
+From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
+directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
+pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
+true.
+
+When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
+directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
+a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
+After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
+forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
+snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
+the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
+If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
+file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
+will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
+elements.
+
+All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
+with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
+newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
+in the article buffer, just as usual.
+
+If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
+a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
+traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
+Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
+
+There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
+doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
+will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
+are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
+normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
+article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
+other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
+be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
+
+Some variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nneething-map-file-directory
+@vindex nneething-map-file-directory
+All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
+in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
+
+@item nneething-exclude-files
+@vindex nneething-exclude-files
+All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
+auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
+
+@item nneething-include-files
+@vindex nneething-include-files
+Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
+non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
+
+@item nneething-map-file
+@vindex nneething-map-file
+Name of the map files.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Document Groups
+@subsection Document Groups
+@cindex nndoc
+@cindex documentation group
+@cindex help group
+
+@code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
+as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
+
+@table @code
+@cindex babyl
+@cindex rmail mbox
+
+@item babyl
+The babyl (rmail) mail box.
+@cindex mbox
+@cindex Unix mbox
+
+@item mbox
+The standard Unix mbox file.
+
+@cindex MMDF mail box
+@item mmdf
+The MMDF mail box format.
+
+@item news
+Several news articles appended into a file.
+
+@item rnews
+@cindex rnews batch files
+The rnews batch transport format.
+@cindex forwarded messages
+
+@item forward
+Forwarded articles.
+
+@item nsmail
+Netscape mail boxes.
+
+@item mime-parts
+MIME multipart messages.
+
+@item standard-digest
+The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
+
+@item slack-digest
+Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
+@end table
+
+You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
+that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
+@code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
+file is.
+
+@code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
+it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
+group. And that's it.
+
+If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
+new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
+that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
+to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
+@code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
+(@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
+the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
+using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
+file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
+delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
+
+Virtual server variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nndoc-article-type
+@vindex nndoc-article-type
+This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
+@code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
+@code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
+@code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
+
+@item nndoc-post-type
+@vindex nndoc-post-type
+This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
+a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
+and @code{news}.
+@end table
+
+@menu
+* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Document Server Internals
+@subsubsection Document Server Internals
+
+Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
+difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
+looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
+and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
+
+First, here's an example document type definition:
+
+@example
+(mmdf
+ (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
+ (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
+@end example
+
+The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
+regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
+variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
+types can be defined with very few settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item first-article
+If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
+something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
+totally ignored.
+
+@item article-begin
+This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
+says what the beginning of each article looks like.
+
+@item head-begin-function
+If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
+the article.
+
+@item nndoc-head-begin
+If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
+article.
+
+@item nndoc-head-end
+This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
+@samp{^$}---the empty line.
+
+@item body-begin-function
+If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
+of the article.
+
+@item body-begin
+This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
+to @samp{^\n}.
+
+@item body-end-function
+If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
+the article.
+
+@item body-end
+If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
+
+@item file-end
+If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
+regexp will be totally ignored.
+
+@end table
+
+So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
+file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
+few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
+news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
+something that's palatable for Gnus:
+
+@table @code
+@item prepare-body-function
+If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
+will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
+document has encoded some parts of its contents.
+
+@item article-transform-function
+If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
+meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
+body of the article.
+
+@item generate-head-function
+If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
+understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
+expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
+called when requesting the headers of all articles.
+
+@end table
+
+Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
+digests:
+
+@example
+(standard-digest
+ (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
+ (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
+ (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
+ (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
+ (head-end . "^ ?$")
+ (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
+ (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
+ (subtype digest guess))
+@end example
+
+We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
+text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
+each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
+the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
+run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
+
+To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
+@code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
+the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
+the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
+traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
+is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
+@code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
+of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
+correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
+low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
+
+
+@node SOUP
+@subsection SOUP
+@cindex SOUP
+@cindex offline
+
+In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
+are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
+With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
+
+Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
+@code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
+transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
+newsreaders.
+
+However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
+easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
+that interested in doing things properly.
+
+A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
+and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
+fiddly.
+
+First some terminology:
+
+@table @dfn
+
+@item server
+This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
+get news and/or mail from.
+
+@item home machine
+This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
+on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
+
+@item packet
+Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
+of packets:
+
+@table @dfn
+@item message packets
+These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
+messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
+default, where @var{x} is a number.
+
+@item response packets
+These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
+replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
+default, where @var{x} is a number.
+
+@end table
+
+@end table
+
+
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
+use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
+can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
+s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
+
+@item
+You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
+
+@item
+You put the packet in your home directory.
+
+@item
+You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
+the native or secondary server.
+
+@item
+You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
+want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
+
+@item
+You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
+packet.
+
+@item
+You transfer this packet to the server.
+
+@item
+You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
+
+@item
+You then repeat until you die.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
+reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
+
+@menu
+* SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
+* SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
+* SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node SOUP Commands
+@subsubsection SOUP Commands
+
+These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item G s b
+@kindex G s b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-brew-soup
+Pack all unread articles in the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention.
+
+@item G s w
+@kindex G s w (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-save-areas
+Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
+
+@item G s s
+@kindex G s s (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-send-replies
+Send all replies from the replies packet
+(@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
+
+@item G s p
+@kindex G s p (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
+Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
+
+@item G s r
+@kindex G s r (Group)
+@findex nnsoup-pack-replies
+Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
+
+@item O s
+@kindex O s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-soup-add-article
+This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
+(@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
+thingies:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-soup-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-directory
+Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
+@sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-replies-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
+This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
+reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
+
+@item gnus-soup-prefix-file
+@vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
+Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
+@samp{gnus-prefix}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-packer
+@vindex gnus-soup-packer
+A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
+@samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-unpacker
+@vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
+Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
+@samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-packet-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
+Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
+@vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
+Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
+@code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node SOUP Groups
+@subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
+@cindex nnsoup
+
+@code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
+read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
+you can read them at leisure.
+
+These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nnsoup-tmp-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
+When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
+directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
+
+@item nnsoup-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-directory
+@code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
+The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
+
+@item nnsoup-replies-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
+All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
+reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
+
+@item nnsoup-replies-format-type
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
+The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
+(rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
+shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
+
+@item nnsoup-replies-index-type
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
+The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
+means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
+
+@item nnsoup-active-file
+@vindex nnsoup-active-file
+Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
+file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
+this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
+@file{~/SOUP/active}.
+
+@item nnsoup-packer
+@vindex nnsoup-packer
+Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
+is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
+
+@item nnsoup-unpacker
+@vindex nnsoup-unpacker
+Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
+default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
+
+@item nnsoup-packet-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
+Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
+@file{~/}.
+
+@item nnsoup-packet-regexp
+@vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
+Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
+@samp{Soupout}.
+
+@item nnsoup-always-save
+@vindex nnsoup-always-save
+If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node SOUP Replies
+@subsubsection SOUP Replies
+
+Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
+up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
+more for that to happen.
+
+@findex nnsoup-set-variables
+The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
+variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
+@sc{soup} system.
+
+In specific, this is what it does:
+
+@lisp
+(setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
+(setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
+@end lisp
+
+And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
+system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
+@sc{soup}ed you use the second.
+
+
+@node Mail-To-News Gateways
+@subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
+@cindex mail-to-news gateways
+@cindex gateways
+
+If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
+or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
+The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
+
+Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
+used to post with.
+
+Server variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nngateway-address
+@vindex nngateway-address
+This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
+
+@item nngateway-header-transformation
+@vindex nngateway-header-transformation
+News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
+for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
+transformation should be called, and defaults to
+@code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
+narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
+gateway address.
+
+This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
+@code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
+For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
+
+@example
+Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
+@end example
+
+will get this @code{From} header inserted:
+
+@example
+To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
+@end example
+
+The following pre-defined functions exist:
+
+@findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
+@table @code
+
+@item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
+Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
+@var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
+
+@findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+
+@item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
+@code{nngateway-address}.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method
+ '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
+ (nngateway-header-transformation
+ nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
+@end lisp
+
+@end table
+
+
+@end table
+
+So, to use this, simply say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
+@end lisp
+
+
+
+@node IMAP
+@subsection IMAP
+@cindex nnimap
+@cindex IMAP
+
+IMAP is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...), think of
+it as a modernized NNTP. Connecting to a IMAP server is much similar to
+connecting to a news server, you just specify the network address of the
+server.
+
+The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
+server:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nnimap-address
+@vindex nnimap-address
+
+The address of the remote IMAP server. Defaults to the virtual server
+name if not specified.
+
+@item nnimap-server-port
+@vindex nnimap-server-port
+Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
+
+@item nnimap-list-pattern
+@vindex nnimap-list-pattern
+String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups
+to. This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
+interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via IMAP,
+you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in @file{~/Mail/*}
+then.
+
+The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
+REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
+Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
+mailbox.
+
+Example:
+
+@lisp
+("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*" ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))
+@end lisp
+
+@item nnimap-stream
+@vindex nnimap-stream
+The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
+will use the most secure stream your server is capable of.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@dfn{kerberos4:} Uses the `imtest' program.
+@item
+@dfn{ssl:} Uses OpenSSL or SSLeay.
+@item
+@dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
+@end itemize
+
+@item nnimap-authenticator
+@vindex nnimap-authenticator
+
+The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap will
+use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication.
+@item
+@dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
+@item
+@dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
+@item
+@dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
+@end itemize
+
+@item nnimap-expunge-on-close
+@cindex Expunging
+@vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
+Unlike Parmenides the IMAP designers has decided that things that
+doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, IMAP has this
+concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually delete
+them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what nnimap
+does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or similair).
+
+Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
+@code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
+running in circles yet?
+
+Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
+when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
+variable.
+
+The possible options are:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item always
+The default behaviour, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
+closing a mailbox.
+@item never
+Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing the
+articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other IMAP clients may allow
+you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command manually,
+@xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
+@item ask
+When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
+articles or not.
+@end table
+
+@end table
+
+@menu
+* Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
+* Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
+* Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
+@end menu
+
+
+
+@node Splitting in IMAP
+@subsubsection Splitting in IMAP
+@cindex splitting imap mail
+
+Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
+the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many IMAP
+server has server side splitting and those that have splitting seem to
+use some non-standard protocol. This means that IMAP support for Gnus
+has to do it's own splitting.
+
+And it does.
+
+There are three variables of interest:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nnimap-split-crosspost
+@cindex splitting, crosspost
+@cindex crosspost
+@vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
+
+If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
+nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
+
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
+
+@item nnimap-split-inbox
+@cindex splitting, inbox
+@cindex inbox
+@vindex nnimap-split-inbox
+
+A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of IMAP mailboxes
+to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is disabled!
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
+@end lisp
+
+No nnmail equivalent.
+
+@item nnimap-split-rule
+@cindex Splitting, rules
+@vindex nnimap-split-rule
+
+New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
+this variable.
+
+This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
+sublist gives the name of the IMAP mailbox to move articles matching the
+regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that? Neither did I, we
+need examples.
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule
+ '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
+ ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
+ ("INBOX.private" "")))
+@end lisp
+
+This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
+INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
+into INBOX.spam and everything else in INBOX.private.
+
+The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
+replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
+instance:
+
+@lisp
+("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
+@end lisp
+
+The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
+called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
+containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
+if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
+
+Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
+match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
+nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
+of your inbox. (This might might affect performance if you keep lots of
+unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
+them every time you fetch new mail.)
+
+These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
+end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
+crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
+
+The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
+
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
+
+@end table
+
+@node Editing IMAP ACLs
+@subsubsection Editing IMAP ACLs
+@cindex editing imap acls
+@cindex Access Control Lists
+@cindex Editing IMAP ACLs
+@kindex G l
+@findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
+
+ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in IMAP for limiting
+(or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all IMAP
+servers support this, this function will give an error if it doesn't.
+
+To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
+editing window with detailed instructions.
+
+Some possible uses:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
+on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
+follow the list without subscribing to it.
+@item
+At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
+"anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
+mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the IMAP mailbox
+INBOX.mailbox).
+@end itemize
+
+@node Expunging mailboxes
+@subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
+@cindex expunging
+
+@cindex Expunge
+@cindex Manual expunging
+@kindex G x
+@findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
+
+If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-close},
+you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
+manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
+
+Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
+delete them.
+
+
+
+@node Combined Groups
+@section Combined Groups
+
+Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
+groups.
+
+@menu
+* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
+* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Virtual Groups
+@subsection Virtual Groups
+@cindex nnvirtual
+@cindex virtual groups
+@cindex merging groups
+
+An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
+other groups.
+
+For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
+put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
+big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
+
+You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
+regexp to match component groups.
+
+All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
+component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
+article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
+(And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
+the virtual group.)
+
+Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
+newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
+
+@lisp
+(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
+@end lisp
+
+The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
+smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
+
+Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
+idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
+If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
+and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
+
+@example
+"^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
+@end example
+
+(Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
+shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
+characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
+
+This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
+end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
+the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
+sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
+(@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
+
+One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
+group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
+zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
+
+@vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
+If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
+@code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
+entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
+default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
+group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
+will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
+effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
+common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
+Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
+you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
+
+@code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
+When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
+has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
+whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
+there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
+and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
+not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
+
+@kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
+line from the article you respond to in these cases.
+
+
+
+@node Kibozed Groups
+@subsection Kibozed Groups
+@cindex nnkiboze
+@cindex kibozing
+
+@dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
+the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
+you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
+with useless requests! Oh happiness!
+
+@kindex G k (Group)
+To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
+buffer.
+
+The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
+@code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
+@code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
+and @code{nnvirtual} end.
+
+In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
+must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
+the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
+
+@kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
+@findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
+You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
+@code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
+time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
+all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
+scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
+that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
+
+Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
+regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
+@sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
+Stranger things have happened.
+
+@code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
+and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
+
+@vindex nnkiboze-directory
+The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
+@code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
+contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
+and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
+on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
+
+Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
+their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
+
+
+@node Gnus Unplugged
+@section Gnus Unplugged
+@cindex offline
+@cindex unplugged
+@cindex Agent
+@cindex Gnus Agent
+@cindex Gnus Unplugged
+
+In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
+on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
+was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
+read news. Believe it or not.
+
+Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
+modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
+would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
+the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
+have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
+
+Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
+@code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
+for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
+functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
+reading news on a machine.
+
+Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
+that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
+here.
+
+@item
+Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
+@file{.gnus.el} file:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-agentize)
+@end lisp
+@end itemize
+
+That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
+
+Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
+
+@menu
+* Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
+* Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
+* Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
+* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
+* Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
+* Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
+* Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
+* Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
+* Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Agent Basics
+@subsection Agent Basics
+
+First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
+
+The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
+connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
+When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
+Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
+
+The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
+connected to the net continuously.
+
+@dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
+machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
+
+Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
+Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
+already fetched while in this mode.
+
+@item
+You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
+your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
+to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}.
+
+@item
+You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
+onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J
+s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
+know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
+
+@item
+After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
+unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
+then you read the news offline.
+
+@item
+And then you go to step 2.
+@end itemize
+
+Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
+the Agent.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
+backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
+Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
+@kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
+Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
+primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
+
+@item
+Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
+
+@item
+Uhm... that's it.
+@end itemize
+
+
+@node Agent Categories
+@subsection Agent Categories
+
+One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
+newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
+There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
+find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
+to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
+mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
+you're interested in the articles anyway.
+
+The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
+@dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
+Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
+@code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
+managing categories.
+
+@menu
+* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
+* The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
+* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Category Syntax
+@subsubsection Category Syntax
+
+A category consists of two things.
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
+are eligible for downloading; and
+
+@item
+a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
+deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
+score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
+@end enumerate
+
+A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
+@code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
+article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
+predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
+
+Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
+their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
+@code{gnus-agent-low-score} as descibed below.
+
+To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
+download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
+operators sprinkled in between.
+
+Perhaps some examples are in order.
+
+Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
+for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
+
+@lisp
+short
+@end lisp
+
+Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
+short (for some value of ``short'').
+
+Here's a more complex predicate:
+
+@lisp
+(or high
+ (and
+ (not low)
+ (not long)))
+@end lisp
+
+This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
+or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
+drift.
+
+The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
+@code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
+@samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
+
+The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
+you want to do, you can write your own.
+
+@table @code
+@item short
+True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
+lines; default 100.
+
+@item long
+True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
+lines; default 200.
+
+@item low
+True iff the article has a download score less than
+@code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
+
+@item high
+True iff the article has a download score greater than
+@code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
+
+@item spam
+True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
+heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
+checksum and sees whether articles match.
+
+@item true
+Always true.
+
+@item false
+Always false.
+@end table
+
+If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
+to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
+@code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
+useful values.
+
+For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
+that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
+more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
+something along the lines of the following:
+
+@lisp
+(defun my-article-old-p ()
+ "Say whether an article is old."
+ (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
+ (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
+@end lisp
+
+with the predicate then defined as:
+
+@lisp
+(not my-article-old-p)
+@end lisp
+
+or you could append your predicate to the predefined
+@code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
+wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
+@code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
+
+@lisp
+(defvar gnus-category-predicate-alist
+ (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
+ '((old . my-article-old-p))))
+@end lisp
+
+and simply specify your predicate as:
+
+@lisp
+(not old)
+@end lisp
+
+If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
+misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
+always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
+just don't give a damm.
+
+
+The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
+category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
+individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
+new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
+parameters like so:
+
+@lisp
+(agent-predicate . short)
+@end lisp
+
+This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category
+default. Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this,
+the @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair
+notation.
+
+The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
+
+@lisp
+(agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
+@end lisp
+
+The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
+entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
+predicate is assumed to be a list.
+
+
+Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
+normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
+seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
+following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
+@code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
+@code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
+
+As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
+to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
+it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
+if it's to be specific to that group.
+
+In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
+three forms:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+Score rule
+
+This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
+subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
+
+example:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Category specification
+
+@lisp
+(("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
+("lines"
+ (500 -100 nil <)))
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Group Parameter specification
+
+@lisp
+(agent-score ("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
+ ("lines"
+ (500 -100 nil <)))
+@end lisp
+
+Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
+@end itemize
+
+@item
+Agent score file
+
+These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
+stated above.
+
+example:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Category specification
+
+@lisp
+("~/News/agent.SCORE")
+@end lisp
+
+or perhaps
+
+@lisp
+("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Group Parameter specification
+
+@lisp
+(agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
+@end lisp
+
+Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
+about parenthesis.
+@end itemize
+
+@item
+Use @code{normal} score files
+
+If you dont want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
+your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
+@code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
+@code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
+
+These directives in either the category definition or a group's
+parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
+files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not
+relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Category Specification
+
+@lisp
+file
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Group Parameter specification
+
+@lisp
+(agent-score . file)
+@end lisp
+@end itemize
+@end enumerate
+
+@node The Category Buffer
+@subsubsection The Category Buffer
+
+You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
+When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
+the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
+
+The following commands are available in this buffer:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item q
+@kindex q (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-exit
+Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
+
+@item k
+@kindex k (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-kill
+Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
+
+@item c
+@kindex c (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-copy
+Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
+
+@item a
+@kindex a (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-add
+Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
+
+@item p
+@kindex p (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
+Edit the predicate of the current category
+(@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
+
+@item g
+@kindex g (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-edit-groups
+Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
+(@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
+
+@item s
+@kindex s (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-edit-score
+Edit the download score rule of the current category
+(@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
+
+@item l
+@kindex l (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-list
+List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Category Variables
+@subsubsection Category Variables
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-category-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
+Hook run in category buffers.
+
+@item gnus-category-line-format
+@vindex gnus-category-line-format
+Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
+Variables}). Valid elements are:
+
+@table @samp
+@item c
+The name of the category.
+
+@item g
+The number of groups in the category.
+@end table
+
+@item gnus-category-mode-line-format
+@vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
+Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
+
+@item gnus-agent-short-article
+@vindex gnus-agent-short-article
+Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
+
+@item gnus-agent-long-article
+@vindex gnus-agent-long-article
+Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
+
+@item gnus-agent-low-score
+@vindex gnus-agent-low-score
+Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
+0.
+
+@item gnus-agent-high-score
+@vindex gnus-agent-high-score
+Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
+0.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Agent Commands
+@subsection Agent Commands
+
+All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
+(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
+toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
+
+
+@menu
+* Group Agent Commands::
+* Summary Agent Commands::
+* Server Agent Commands::
+@end menu
+
+You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
+following incantation:
+
+@cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
+@example
+$ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
+@end example
+
+
+
+@node Group Agent Commands
+@subsubsection Group Agent Commands
+
+@table @kbd
+@item J u
+@kindex J u (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
+Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
+(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
+
+@item J c
+@kindex J c (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
+Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
+
+@item J s
+@kindex J s (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
+Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
+(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
+
+@item J S
+@kindex J S (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-group-send-drafts
+Send all sendable messages in the draft group
+(@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
+
+@item J a
+@kindex J a (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-add-group
+Add the current group to an Agent category
+(@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item J r
+@kindex J r (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-remove-group
+Remove the current group from its category, if any
+(@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Summary Agent Commands
+@subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
+
+@table @kbd
+@item J #
+@kindex J # (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-mark-article
+Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
+
+@item J M-#
+@kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
+Remove the downloading mark from the article
+(@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
+
+@item @@
+@kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
+Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
+
+@item J c
+@kindex J c (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-catchup
+Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Server Agent Commands
+@subsubsection Server Agent Commands
+
+@table @kbd
+@item J a
+@kindex J a (Agent Server)
+@findex gnus-agent-add-server
+Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
+(@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
+
+@item J r
+@kindex J r (Agent Server)
+@findex gnus-agent-remove-server
+Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
+Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Agent Expiry
+@subsection Agent Expiry
+
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
+@findex gnus-agent-expire
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
+@cindex Agent expiry
+@cindex Gnus Agent expiry
+@cindex expiry
+
+@code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
+@code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
+are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
+whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
+particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
+interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
+
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
+if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
+expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
+(which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
+unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
+
+
+@node Outgoing Messages
+@subsection Outgoing Messages
+
+When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
+stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
+after posting, and edit them at will.
+
+When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
+draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
+the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
+messages in the draft group.
+
+
+
+@node Agent Variables
+@subsection Agent Variables
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-agent-directory
+@vindex gnus-agent-directory
+Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
+@file{~/News/agent/}.
+
+@item gnus-agent-handle-level
+@vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
+Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
+be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
+which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
+by default.
+
+@item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
+@vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
+Hook run when connecting to the network.
+
+@item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
+@vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
+Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Example Setup
+@subsection Example Setup
+
+If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
+setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
+@file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
+
+@lisp
+;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over NNTP
+;;; from your ISP's server.
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
+
+;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
+;;; your ISP's POP server.
+(setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
+
+;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
+
+;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
+(gnus-agentize)
+@end lisp
+
+That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
+edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
+gnus}.
+
+If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
+automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
+subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
+@sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
+command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
+once.
+
+After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
+groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
+command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
+subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
+back all the killed groups.)
+
+You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
+with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
+find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
+
+
+@node Batching Agents
+@subsection Batching Agents
+
+Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
+written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
+following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
+
+@example
+#!/bin/sh
+emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
+@end example
+
+
+@node Agent Caveats
+@subsection Agent Caveats
+
+The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
+newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
+may ask:
+
+@table @dfn
+@item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
+Agent?
+
+@strong{No.}
+
+@item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
+in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
+
+@strong{Yes.}
+
+@end table
+
+In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
+articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
+
+
+@node Scoring
+@chapter Scoring
+@cindex scoring
+
+Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
+scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
+something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
+attention!
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
+All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
+which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
+interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
+
+Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
+before generating the summary buffer.
+
+There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
+entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
+lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
+
+There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
+Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
+temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
+silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
+
+@menu
+* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
+* Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
+* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
+* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
+* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
+* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
+* Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
+* Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
+* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
+* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
+* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
+* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
+* Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
+* GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
+* Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
+* Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Summary Score Commands
+@section Summary Score Commands
+@cindex score commands
+
+The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
+score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
+previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
+@dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
+entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
+
+The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
+if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
+some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
+score file the current one.
+
+General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item V s
+@kindex V s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-set-score
+Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
+
+@item V S
+@kindex V S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-current-score
+Display the score of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
+
+@item V t
+@kindex V t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-find-trace
+Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
+(@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
+
+@item V R
+@kindex V R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rescore
+Run the current summary through the scoring process
+(@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
+around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
+effect you're having.
+
+@item V c
+@kindex V c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-change-score-file
+Make a different score file the current
+(@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
+
+@item V e
+@kindex V e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
+Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
+You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
+File Editing}).
+
+@item V f
+@kindex V f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-file
+Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
+
+@item V F
+@kindex V F (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
+Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
+after editing score files.
+
+@item V C
+@kindex V C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-customize
+Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
+(@code{gnus-score-customize}).
+
+@end table
+
+The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item V m
+@kindex V m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
+Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
+read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
+
+@item V x
+@kindex V x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
+Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
+expunge all articles below this score
+(@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
+@end table
+
+The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
+pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
+them.)
+
+@findex gnus-summary-increase-score
+@findex gnus-summary-lower-score
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
+or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
+@item
+The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
+keys are available:
+@table @kbd
+
+@item a
+Score on the author name.
+
+@item s
+Score on the subject line.
+
+@item x
+Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
+
+@item r
+Score on the @code{References} line.
+
+@item d
+Score on the date.
+
+@item l
+Score on the number of lines.
+
+@item i
+Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
+
+@item f
+Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
+the followups to this author.
+
+@item b
+Score on the body.
+
+@item h
+Score on the head.
+
+@item t
+Score on thread.
+
+@end table
+
+@item
+The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
+what headers you are scoring on.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item strings
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item e
+Exact matching.
+
+@item s
+Substring matching.
+
+@item f
+Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
+
+@item r
+Regexp matching
+@end table
+
+@item date
+@table @kbd
+
+@item b
+Before date.
+
+@item a
+After date.
+
+@item n
+This date.
+@end table
+
+@item number
+@table @kbd
+
+@item <
+Less than number.
+
+@item =
+Equal to number.
+
+@item >
+Greater than number.
+@end table
+@end table
+
+@item
+The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
+score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
+it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
+@table @kbd
+
+@item t
+Temporary score entry.
+
+@item p
+Permanent score entry.
+
+@item i
+Immediately scoring.
+@end table
+
+@end enumerate
+
+So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
+exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
+score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
+temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
+
+To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
+a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
+defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
+``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
+t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
+
+These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
+(@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
+(or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
+says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
+current score file.
+
+@vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
+The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
+pretend they are keymaps or not.
+
+
+@node Group Score Commands
+@section Group Score Commands
+@cindex group score commands
+
+There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W f
+@kindex W f (Group)
+@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
+Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
+all the time. This command will flush the cache
+(@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
+
+@end table
+
+You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
+
+@findex gnus-batch-score
+@cindex batch scoring
+@example
+$ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
+@end example
+
+
+@node Score Variables
+@section Score Variables
+@cindex score variables
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-use-scoring
+@vindex gnus-use-scoring
+If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
+general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
+
+@item gnus-kill-killed
+@vindex gnus-kill-killed
+If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
+articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
+may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
+to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
+group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
+variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
+
+@item gnus-kill-files-directory
+@vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
+All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
+initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
+This is @file{~/News/} by default.
+
+@item gnus-score-file-suffix
+@vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
+Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
+(@samp{SCORE} by default.)
+
+@item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
+@vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
+@cindex score cache
+All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
+score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
+bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
+@file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
+@file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
+variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
+be cached.
+
+@item gnus-save-score
+@vindex gnus-save-score
+If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
+scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
+Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
+
+If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
+with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
+across group visits.
+
+@item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
+@vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
+Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
+score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
+ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
+We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
+manually entered data.
+
+@item gnus-summary-default-score
+@vindex gnus-summary-default-score
+Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
+
+@item gnus-summary-expunge-below
+@vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
+Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
+this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
+articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
+and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
+
+@item gnus-score-over-mark
+@vindex gnus-score-over-mark
+Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
+default. Default is @samp{+}.
+
+@item gnus-score-below-mark
+@vindex gnus-score-below-mark
+Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
+default. Default is @samp{-}.
+
+@item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
+@vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
+Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
+is called with the name of the group as the argument.
+
+Predefined functions available are:
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-score-find-single
+@findex gnus-score-find-single
+Only apply the group's own score file.
+
+@item gnus-score-find-bnews
+@findex gnus-score-find-bnews
+Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
+default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
+@file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
+@file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
+@samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
+then a regexp match is done.
+
+This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
+all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
+
+The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
+try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
+files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
+file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
+
+@item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
+@findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
+Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
+can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
+@file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
+
+@end table
+This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
+functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
+be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
+directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
+alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
+functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
+score file. Phu.
+
+@item gnus-score-expiry-days
+@vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
+This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
+entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
+are expired. It's 7 by default.
+
+@item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
+@vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
+their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
+non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
+stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
+even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
+grim reaper.
+
+@item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
+@vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
+Function called with the name of the score file just written.
+
+@item gnus-score-thread-simplify
+@vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
+for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
+threading---according to the current value of
+gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
+@code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
+simplified in this manner.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Score File Format
+@section Score File Format
+@cindex score file format
+
+A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
+single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
+everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
+
+Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
+ ("Per Abrahamsen")
+ ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
+ ("subject"
+ ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
+ ("xref"
+ ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
+ ("lines"
+ (2 -100 nil <))
+ (mark 0)
+ (expunge -1000)
+ (mark-and-expunge -10)
+ (read-only nil)
+ (orphan -10)
+ (adapt t)
+ (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
+ (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
+ (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
+ (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
+ (eval (ding)))
+@end lisp
+
+This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
+approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
+
+Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
+@code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
+has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
+
+Six keys are supported by this alist:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item STRING
+If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
+match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
+@code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
+@code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
+these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
+article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
+will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
+perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
+perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
+last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
+final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
+entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
+to articles that matches these score entries.
+
+Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
+score entry has one to four elements.
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
+be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
+integer.
+
+@item
+If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
+element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
+interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
+is successful. If this element is not present, the
+@code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
+instead. This is 1000 by default.
+
+@item
+If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
+element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
+which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
+element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
+represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
+
+@item
+If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
+element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
+whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
+be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
+@table @dfn
+
+@item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
+For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
+well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
+@code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
+element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
+be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
+that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
+one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
+@code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
+instead, if you feel like.
+
+@item Lines, Chars
+These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
+@code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
+
+These predicates are true if
+
+@example
+(PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
+@end example
+
+evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
+@code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
+following form:
+
+@lisp
+(< header-value 4)
+@end lisp
+
+Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
+the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
+(It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
+it's not. I think.)
+
+When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
+@code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
+up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
+you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
+
+@item Date
+For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
+@code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
+ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
+this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
+Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
+sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
+quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
+
+@cindex ISO8601
+@cindex date
+A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
+date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
+ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
+you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
+every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
+for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
+this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
+the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
+whole family, eh?)
+
+@item Head, Body, All
+These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
+header uses.
+
+@item Followup
+This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
+@code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
+articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
+you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
+decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
+trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
+uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
+files.)
+
+@item Thread
+This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
+key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
+article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
+match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
+has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
+matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
+This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
+even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
+@code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
+undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
+key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
+@end table
+@end enumerate
+
+@cindex Score File Atoms
+@item mark
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be marked as read.
+
+@item expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
+
+@item mark-and-expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
+summary buffer.
+
+@item thread-mark-and-expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
+a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
+and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
+says how to compute the total score for a thread.
+
+@item files
+The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
+are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
+this one was.
+
+@item exclude-files
+The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
+not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
+other.
+
+@item eval
+The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
+ignored when handling global score files.
+
+@item read-only
+Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
+should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
+@dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
+apply-to-all-groups score files.)
+
+@item orphan
+The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
+parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
+some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
+will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
+
+You can do this with the following two score file entries:
+
+@example
+ (orphan -500)
+ (mark-and-expunge -100)
+@end example
+
+When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
+threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
+interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
+rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
+interesting threads, plus any new threads.
+
+I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
+exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
+ordinary scoring rules.
+
+@item adapt
+This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
+default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
+adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
+list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
+or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
+adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
+scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
+@code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
+not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
+groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
+insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
+it.
+
+@item adapt-file
+All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
+will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
+if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
+file for a number of groups.
+
+@item local
+@cindex local variables
+The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
+Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
+and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
+strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
+much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Score File Editing
+@section Score File Editing
+
+You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
+might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
+with a mode for that.
+
+It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
+additional commands:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item C-c C-c
+@kindex C-c C-c (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-done
+Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
+
+@item C-c C-d
+@kindex C-c C-d (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
+Insert the current date in numerical format
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
+you were wondering.
+
+@item C-c C-p
+@kindex C-c C-p (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-pretty-print
+The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
+intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
+first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
+you.
+
+@end table
+
+Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
+
+@vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
+
+In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
+e} to begin editing score files.
+
+
+@node Adaptive Scoring
+@section Adaptive Scoring
+@cindex adaptive scoring
+
+If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
+happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
+stupidity, to be precise.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
+When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
+article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
+these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
+You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
+@code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
+words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
+@code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
+variable to @code{(word line)}.
+
+@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
+To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
+the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
+might look something like this:
+
+@lisp
+(defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
+ '((gnus-unread-mark)
+ (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
+ (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
+ (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
+ (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
+ (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
+ (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
+ (gnus-kill-file-mark)
+ (gnus-ancient-mark)
+ (gnus-low-score-mark)
+ (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
+@end lisp
+
+As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
+variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
+a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
+pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
+that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
+@code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
+entries.
+
+Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
+will be applied to each article.
+
+To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
+articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
+score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
+lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
+
+If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
+@code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
+That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
+should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
+
+If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
+the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
+probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
+adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
+
+The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
+@code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
+@code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
+@code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
+on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
+current article, thereby matching the following thread.
+
+You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
+articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
+@code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
+article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
+added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
+aspirins afterwards.)
+
+If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
+to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
+changes result in articles getting marked as read.
+
+After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
+become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
+the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
+
+You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
+by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
+let you use different rules in different groups.
+
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
+The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
+group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
+is @samp{ADAPT}.
+
+@vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
+When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
+give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
+matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
+the length of the match is less than
+@code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
+this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
+this problem.
+
+@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
+As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
+headers. If you adapt on words, the
+@code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
+each instance of a word should add given a mark.
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
+ `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
+ (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
+ (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
+ (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
+@end lisp
+
+This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
+word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
+@code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
+score with 30 points.
+
+@vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
+@vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
+Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
+will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
+@code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
+
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
+When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
+syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
+it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
+
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
+If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
+word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
+below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
+
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
+If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
+won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
+for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
+lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
+
+After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
+@code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
+what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
+
+Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
+likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
+that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
+rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
+
+
+@node Home Score File
+@section Home Score File
+
+The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
+@dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
+for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
+
+However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
+a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
+could perhaps use the same home score file.
+
+@vindex gnus-home-score-file
+The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
+be:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
+groups.
+
+@item
+A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
+file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
+parameter.
+
+@item
+A list. The elements in this list can be:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+@code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
+group name, the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
+
+@item
+A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
+the home score file.
+
+@item
+A string. Use the string as the home score file.
+@end enumerate
+
+The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
+for matches.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
+@end lisp
+
+If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
+@file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
+
+@findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
+@end lisp
+
+This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
+Other functions include
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-current-home-score-file
+@findex gnus-current-home-score-file
+Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
+commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
+
+@end table
+
+If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
+another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
+their own home score files:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
+ '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
+ ;; All the comp groups in one score file
+ ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
+@code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
+@code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
+is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
+specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
+
+In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
+@code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
+Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
+precedence over this variable.
+
+
+@node Followups To Yourself
+@section Followups To Yourself
+
+Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
+the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
+this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
+articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
+respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
+to easily note when people answer what you've said.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-score-followup-article
+@findex gnus-score-followup-article
+This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
+article.
+
+@item gnus-score-followup-thread
+@findex gnus-score-followup-thread
+This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
+your own article.
+@end table
+
+@vindex message-sent-hook
+These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
+@code{message-sent-hook}.
+
+If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
+the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
+mine:
+
+@example
+<x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
+<x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
+@end example
+
+So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
+exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
+myself:
+
+@lisp
+("references"
+ ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
+ 1000 nil r))
+@end lisp
+
+Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
+is system-dependent.
+
+
+@node Scoring Tips
+@section Scoring Tips
+@cindex scoring tips
+
+@table @dfn
+
+@item Crossposts
+@cindex crossposts
+@cindex scoring crossposts
+If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
+the @code{Xref} header.
+@lisp
+("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
+@end lisp
+
+@item Multiple crossposts
+If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
+more than, say, 3 groups:
+@lisp
+("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
+@end lisp
+
+@item Matching on the body
+This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
+Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
+you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
+keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
+and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
+will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
+@code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
+the matches.
+
+@item Marking as read
+You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
+number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
+in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
+@lisp
+((mark -100))
+@end lisp
+You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
+
+@item Negated character classes
+If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
+That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
+@code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Reverse Scoring
+@section Reverse Scoring
+@cindex reverse scoring
+
+If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
+subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
+like this in your score file:
+
+@lisp
+(("subject"
+ ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
+ (mark 1)
+ (expunge 1))
+@end lisp
+
+So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
+rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
+
+
+@node Global Score Files
+@section Global Score Files
+@cindex global score files
+
+Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
+nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
+in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
+
+What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
+all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
+big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
+
+@vindex gnus-global-score-files
+All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
+@code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
+or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
+files are applicable to which group.
+
+Say you want to use the score file
+@file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
+all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-global-score-files
+ '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
+ "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
+@end lisp
+
+@findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
+Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
+directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
+If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
+use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
+
+Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
+somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
+
+If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
+just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
+world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
+wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
+sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
+premises! Yay! The net is saved!
+
+Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
+head:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
+@item
+To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
+@item
+Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
+@item
+Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
+lowered out of existence.
+@item
+Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
+articles completely.
+
+@item
+Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
+should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
+old articles for a long time.
+@end itemize
+
+... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
+in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
+Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
+holding our breath yet?
+
+
+@node Kill Files
+@section Kill Files
+@cindex kill files
+
+Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
+entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
+Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
+
+In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
+than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
+files into score files.
+
+Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
+forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
+sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
+that isn't a very good idea.
+
+Normal kill files look like this:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+(gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
+(gnus-expunge "X")
+@end lisp
+
+This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
+marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
+
+Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
+encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
+interpreting it.
+
+Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item M-k
+@kindex M-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
+Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
+
+@item M-K
+@kindex M-K (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
+Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
+@end table
+
+Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item M-k
+@kindex M-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
+Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
+
+@item M-K
+@kindex M-K (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
+Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
+@end table
+
+Kill file variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-kill-file-name
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-name
+A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
+@file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
+this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
+The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
+course) is just called @file{KILL}.
+
+@vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
+@item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
+kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
+kills.
+
+@item gnus-apply-kill-hook
+@vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
+@findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
+@findex gnus-apply-kill-file
+A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
+@code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
+kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
+hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
+kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
+A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Converting Kill Files
+@section Converting Kill Files
+@cindex kill files
+@cindex converting kill files
+
+If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
+score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
+the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
+by hand.
+
+The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
+You can fetch it from
+@file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
+
+If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
+non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
+hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
+before.
+
+
+@node GroupLens
+@section GroupLens
+@cindex GroupLens
+
+GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
+together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
+huge volume of news articles generated every day.
+
+To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
+articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
+likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
+article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
+rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
+Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
+of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
+prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
+article.
+
+@menu
+* Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
+* Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
+* Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
+* GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Using GroupLens
+@subsection Using GroupLens
+
+To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
+Bit Bureau (BBB).
+@samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
+better bit in town at the moment.
+
+Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-use-grouplens
+@vindex gnus-use-grouplens
+Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
+all the relevant GroupLens functions.
+
+@item grouplens-pseudonym
+@vindex grouplens-pseudonym
+This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
+with the Better Bit Bureau.
+
+@item grouplens-newsgroups
+@vindex grouplens-newsgroups
+A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
+
+@end table
+
+That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
+Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
+articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
+the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
+yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
+you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
+
+
+@node Rating Articles
+@subsection Rating Articles
+
+In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
+Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
+means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
+yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
+like this one?"
+
+There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item r
+@kindex r (GroupLens)
+@findex bbb-summary-rate-article
+This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
+
+@item k
+@kindex k (GroupLens)
+@findex grouplens-score-thread
+This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
+the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
+threads in rec.humor.
+
+@end table
+
+The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
+the score of the article you're reading.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item 1-5 n
+@kindex n (GroupLens)
+@findex grouplens-next-unread-article
+Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
+
+@item 1-5 ,
+@kindex , (GroupLens)
+@findex grouplens-best-unread-article
+Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
+
+@end table
+
+If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
+next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
+
+
+@node Displaying Predictions
+@subsection Displaying Predictions
+
+GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
+news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
+5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
+from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
+@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
+
+@vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
+There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
+choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
+regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
+people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
+the separate scoring behavior you need to set
+@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
+GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
+@code{'override} and to combine the scores set
+@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
+the combine option you will also want to set the values for
+@code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
+@code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
+
+@vindex grouplens-prediction-display
+In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
+to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
+controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
+
+The following are valid values for that variable.
+
+@table @code
+@item prediction-spot
+The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
+displayed.
+
+@item confidence-interval
+A numeric confidence interval.
+
+@item prediction-bar
+The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
+
+@item confidence-bar
+Numerical confidence.
+
+@item confidence-spot
+The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
+
+@item prediction-num
+Plain-old numeric value.
+
+@item confidence-plus-minus
+Prediction +/- confidence.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node GroupLens Variables
+@subsection GroupLens Variables
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
+The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
+accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
+Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
+%s\n}.
+
+@item grouplens-bbb-host
+Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
+default.
+
+@item grouplens-bbb-port
+Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
+
+@item grouplens-score-offset
+Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
+prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
+default is 0.
+
+@item grouplens-score-scale-factor
+This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
+The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Advanced Scoring
+@section Advanced Scoring
+
+Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
+really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
+about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
+read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
+want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
+
+By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
+scoring patterns.
+
+@menu
+* Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
+* Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
+* Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Advanced Scoring Syntax
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
+
+Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
+Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
+element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
+non-@code{nil} value.
+
+These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
+operator, and various match operators.
+
+Logical operators:
+
+@table @code
+@item &
+@itemx and
+This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
+one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
+evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
+@code{true}.
+
+@item |
+@itemx or
+This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
+one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
+then this operator will return @code{false}.
+
+@item !
+@itemx not
+@itemx ¬
+This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
+logical negation of the value of its argument.
+
+@end table
+
+There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
+apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
+instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
+current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
+grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
+@code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
+the ancestry you want to go.
+
+Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
+real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
+and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
+"Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
+simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
+
+
+@node Advanced Scoring Examples
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
+
+Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
+when he's talking about Gnus:
+
+@example
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("subject" "Gnus"))
+ 1000)
+@end example
+
+Quite simple, huh?
+
+When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
+
+@example
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ (|
+ ("subject" "Gnus")
+ ("lines" 100 >)))
+ 1000)
+@end example
+
+However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
+really don't want to read what he's written:
+
+@example
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
+ -100000)
+@end example
+
+Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
+socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
+white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
+very interesting:
+
+@example
+((&
+ (1-
+ (&
+ ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
+ ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
+ (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
+ ("body" "white.*socks"))
+ 1000)
+@end example
+
+The possibilities are endless.
+
+
+@node Advanced Scoring Tips
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
+
+The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
+That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
+result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
+of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
+the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
+(@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
+@samp{subject}) first.
+
+The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
+arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
+something like:
+
+@example
+...
+(1-
+ (1-
+ ("from" "lars")))
+...
+@end example
+
+Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
+current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
+
+@example
+(1-
+ (&
+ ("from" "Lars")
+ ("subject" "Gnus")))
+@end example
+
+than it is to say:
+
+@example
+(&
+ (1- ("from" "Lars"))
+ (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
+@end example
+
+
+@node Score Decays
+@section Score Decays
+@cindex score decays
+@cindex decays
+
+You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
+bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
+big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
+use them in any sensible way.
+
+@vindex gnus-decay-scores
+@findex gnus-decay-score
+@vindex gnus-decay-score-function
+Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
+When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
+non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
+mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
+The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
+function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
+definition of that function:
+
+@lisp
+(defun gnus-decay-score (score)
+ "Decay SCORE.
+This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
+and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
+ (floor
+ (- score
+ (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
+ (min (abs score)
+ (max gnus-score-decay-constant
+ (* (abs score)
+ gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
+@vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
+@code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
+@code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
+
+@item
+Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
+
+@item
+Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
+score.
+@end enumerate
+
+If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
+with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
+the new score, which should be an integer.
+
+Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
+four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
+
+
+@node Various
+@chapter Various
+
+@menu
+* Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
+* Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
+* Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
+* Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
+* Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
+* Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
+* Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
+* Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
+* Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
+* Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
+* Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
+* NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
+* Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
+* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
+* XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
+* Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
+* Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
+* Various Various:: Things that are really various.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Process/Prefix
+@section Process/Prefix
+@cindex process/prefix convention
+
+Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
+articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
+
+This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
+command to be performed on.
+
+It goes like this:
+
+If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
+articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
+negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
+with the current one.
+
+@vindex transient-mark-mode
+If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
+active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
+
+If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
+process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
+the process mark.
+
+If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
+process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
+
+Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
+are avoided.
+
+Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
+process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
+marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
+@kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
+One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
+instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
+Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
+goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
+will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
+summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
+@code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
+
+
+@node Interactive
+@section Interactive
+@cindex interaction
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-novice-user
+@vindex gnus-novice-user
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
+World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
+really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
+to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
+default.
+
+@item gnus-expert-user
+@vindex gnus-expert-user
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
+questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
+matter how strange.
+
+@item gnus-interactive-catchup
+@vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
+Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
+is @code{t} by default.
+
+@item gnus-interactive-exit
+@vindex gnus-interactive-exit
+Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
+default.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Symbolic Prefixes
+@section Symbolic Prefixes
+@cindex symbolic prefixes
+
+Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
+instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
+@kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
+rule of 900 to the current article.
+
+This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
+additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
+``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
+doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
+for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
+file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
+same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
+
+@kindex M-i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-symbolic-argument
+I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
+prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
+character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
+prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
+command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
+``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
+@code{b}''. You get the drift.
+
+Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
+hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
+functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
+
+If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
+Interactive}.
+
+
+@node Formatting Variables
+@section Formatting Variables
+@cindex formatting variables
+
+Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
+things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
+output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
+Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
+be annoyed by.
+
+Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
+%(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
+lots of percentages everywhere.
+
+@menu
+* Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
+* Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
+* Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
+* User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
+* Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
+@end menu
+
+Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
+@code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
+@code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
+@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
+@code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
+@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
+@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
+
+All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
+case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
+
+@kindex M-x gnus-update-format
+@findex gnus-update-format
+Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
+specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
+update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
+examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
+
+
+
+@node Formatting Basics
+@subsection Formatting Basics
+
+Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
+buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
+spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
+
+As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
+modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
+@dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
+@samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
+padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
+the right instead.
+
+You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
+particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
+means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
+less than 4 characters wide.
+
+
+@node Mode Line Formatting
+@subsection Mode Line Formatting
+
+Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
+buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
+with the following two differences:
+
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
+
+@item
+The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
+Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
+@samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
+so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
+display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
+mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
+@code{mode-line-format} variable.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+
+@node Advanced Formatting
+@subsection Advanced Formatting
+
+It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
+Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
+be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
+look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
+
+These are the valid modifiers:
+
+@table @code
+@item pad
+@itemx pad-left
+Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
+length.
+
+@item pad-right
+Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
+length.
+
+@item max
+@itemx max-left
+Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
+
+@item max-right
+Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
+length.
+
+@item cut
+@itemx cut-left
+Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
+
+@item cut-right
+Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
+
+@item ignore
+Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
+
+@item form
+Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
+used.
+@end table
+
+Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
+will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
+This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
+the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
+@samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
+maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
+than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
+
+Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
+last operation, padding.
+
+If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
+quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
+gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
+@xref{Compilation}.
+
+
+@node User-Defined Specs
+@subsection User-Defined Specs
+
+All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
+The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
+will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
+@samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
+a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
+it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
+be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
+specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
+should protect against that.
+
+You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
+much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
+@samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
+given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
+inserted.
+
+
+@node Formatting Fonts
+@subsection Formatting Fonts
+
+There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
+variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
+the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
+highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
+over it.
+
+Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
+normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
+default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
+and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
+@code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
+@samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
+
+Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
+@code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say
+@samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
+@code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
+symbols naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
+when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
+will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
+@code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
+
+Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
+
+@lisp
+;; Create three face types.
+(setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
+(setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
+
+;; We want the article count to be in
+;; a bold and green face. So we create
+;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
+(copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
+;; Set the color.
+(set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
+(setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
+
+;; Set the new & fancy format.
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
+@end lisp
+
+I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
+and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
+
+Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
+mode-line variables.
+
+
+@node Windows Configuration
+@section Windows Configuration
+@cindex windows configuration
+
+No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-full-window
+If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
+other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
+@code{t} by default.
+
+Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
+glitches. Use at your own peril.
+
+@vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
+@code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
+buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
+
+@lisp
+((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
+ (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
+ (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
+
+This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
+other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
+configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
+possible names is listed below.
+
+The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
+should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
+
+@lisp
+(article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
+ (article 1.0)))
+@end lisp
+
+This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
+half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
+you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
+reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
+@code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
+rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
+whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
+size spec per split.
+
+Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
+@code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
+split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
+fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
+present) gets focus.
+
+Here's a more complicated example:
+
+@lisp
+(article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
+ (summary 0.25 point)
+ (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
+ (article 1.0)))
+@end lisp
+
+If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
+then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
+occupy, not a percentage.
+
+If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
+precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
+split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
+be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
+@code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
+is non-@code{nil}.
+
+Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
+
+@lisp
+(article (horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 0.5
+ (group 1.0)
+ (gnus-carpal 4))
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (summary 0.25 point)
+ (summary-carpal 4)
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
+
+Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
+@code{horizontal} thingie?
+
+If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
+split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
+Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
+fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
+the screen is to be given to this strip.
+
+For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
+The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
+lines from the splits.
+
+To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
+may look like:
+
+@example
+split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
+frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
+horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
+vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
+buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
+size = number | frame-params
+buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
+@end example
+
+The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
+top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
+return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
+may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
+
+@vindex gnus-window-min-width
+@vindex gnus-window-min-height
+@cindex window height
+@cindex window width
+Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
+than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
+windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
+characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
+splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
+you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
+
+If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
+@code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
+Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
+windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
+
+@findex gnus-configure-frame
+If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
+@code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
+that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
+nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
+three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
+@code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
+look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
+Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
+@code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
+configuration list.
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-configure-frame
+ '(horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 10
+ (group 1.0)
+ (article 0.3 point))
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (article 1.0)
+ (horizontal 4
+ (group 1.0)
+ (article 10)))))
+@end lisp
+
+You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
+@code{frame} split:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-configure-frame
+ '(frame 1.0
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
+ (article 1.0))
+ (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
+ (user-position . t)
+ (left . -1) (top . 1))
+ (picon 1.0))))
+
+@end lisp
+
+This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
+configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
+frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
+instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
+should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
+@xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
+Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
+accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
+is such a plist.
+The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
+be found in its default value.
+
+Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
+@code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
+it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
+might be used:
+
+@lisp
+(message (horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
+ (vertical 0.24
+ (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
+ '(summary 0.5))
+ (group 1.0)))))
+@end lisp
+
+One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
+for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
+accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
+
+@lisp
+(message (frame 1.0
+ (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
+ (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
+ (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
+ (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
+ (name . "Message"))
+ (message 1.0 point))))
+@end lisp
+
+@findex gnus-add-configuration
+Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
+complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
+of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
+you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-add-configuration
+ '(article (vertical 1.0
+ (group 4)
+ (summary .25 point)
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
+
+You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
+@file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
+Gnus has been loaded.
+
+@vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
+If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
+won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
+``right'' window configuration, you can set
+@code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
+
+If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
+window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
+to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
+windows resized.
+
+
+@node Faces and Fonts
+@section Faces and Fonts
+@cindex faces
+@cindex fonts
+@cindex colors
+
+Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
+it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
+the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
+interface.
+
+
+@node Compilation
+@section Compilation
+@cindex compilation
+@cindex byte-compilation
+
+@findex gnus-compile
+
+Remember all those line format specification variables?
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
+on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
+unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
+(The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
+associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
+course.)
+
+To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
+fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
+satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
+you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
+@file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
+this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
+them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
+
+
+@node Mode Lines
+@section Mode Lines
+@cindex mode lines
+
+@vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
+@code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
+lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
+@code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
+@code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
+Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
+pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
+quicker.
+
+@cindex display-time
+
+@vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
+By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
+lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
+to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
+mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
+@code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
+elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
+additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
+this variable:
+
+@c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'display-time-hook
+ (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
+ (+ 21
+ (if line-number-mode 5 0)
+ (if column-number-mode 4 0)
+ (length display-time-string)))))
+@end lisp
+
+If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
+strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
+that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
+complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
+configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
+
+
+@node Highlighting and Menus
+@section Highlighting and Menus
+@cindex visual
+@cindex highlighting
+@cindex menus
+
+@vindex gnus-visual
+The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
+aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
+colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
+file.
+
+This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
+following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
+
+@table @code
+@item group-highlight
+Do highlights in the group buffer.
+@item summary-highlight
+Do highlights in the summary buffer.
+@item article-highlight
+Do highlights in the article buffer.
+@item highlight
+Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
+@item group-menu
+Create menus in the group buffer.
+@item summary-menu
+Create menus in the summary buffers.
+@item article-menu
+Create menus in the article buffer.
+@item browse-menu
+Create menus in the browse buffer.
+@item server-menu
+Create menus in the server buffer.
+@item score-menu
+Create menus in the score buffers.
+@item menu
+Create menus in all buffers.
+@end table
+
+So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
+buffers, you could say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
+@end lisp
+
+If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
+@end lisp
+
+If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
+in all Gnus buffers.
+
+Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-mouse-face
+@vindex gnus-mouse-face
+This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
+mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+
+@end table
+
+There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-article-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
+
+@item gnus-group-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
+
+@item gnus-summary-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
+
+@item gnus-server-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
+
+@item gnus-browse-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
+
+@item gnus-score-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Buttons
+@section Buttons
+@cindex buttons
+@cindex mouse
+@cindex click
+
+Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
+young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
+these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
+using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
+machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
+
+Right.
+
+@vindex gnus-carpal
+Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
+do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
+really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
+
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
+Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-button-face
+@vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
+Face used on buttons.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-header-face
+@vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
+Face used on carpal buffer headers.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the group buffer.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the summary buffer.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the server buffer.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the browse buffer.
+@end table
+
+All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
+are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
+the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
+
+
+@node Daemons
+@section Daemons
+@cindex demons
+@cindex daemons
+
+Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
+of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
+present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
+while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
+when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
+
+Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
+@dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
+@var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
+
+Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
+been idle for thirty minutes:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
+@end lisp
+
+Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
+idle:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
+@end lisp
+
+This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
+in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
+@code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
+
+If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
+@var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
+the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
+function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
+
+If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
+be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
+@var{idle} minutes.
+
+If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
+will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
+minutes.
+
+And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
+the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
+time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
+
+@vindex gnus-demon-timestep
+(When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
+seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
+all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
+
+So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
+your @file{.gnus} file:
+
+@findex gnus-demon-add-handler
+@lisp
+(gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
+@end lisp
+
+@findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
+@findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
+@findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
+@findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
+@findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
+Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
+@code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
+@code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
+@code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
+@code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
+@file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
+
+@findex gnus-demon-init
+@findex gnus-demon-cancel
+@vindex gnus-demon-handlers
+If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
+run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
+daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
+
+Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
+functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
+is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
+behave.
+
+
+@node NoCeM
+@section NoCeM
+@cindex nocem
+@cindex spam
+
+@dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
+Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
+
+Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
+agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
+NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
+implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
+away.
+
+What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
+Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
+from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
+messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
+
+Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
+this will make spam disappear.
+
+There are some variables to customize, of course:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-use-nocem
+@vindex gnus-use-nocem
+Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
+by default.
+
+@item gnus-nocem-groups
+@vindex gnus-nocem-groups
+Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
+default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
+"alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
+
+@item gnus-nocem-issuers
+@vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
+There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
+people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
+"rbraver@@ohww.norman.ok.us" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
+"jem@@xpat.com" "snowhare@@xmission.com" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
+(Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
+
+Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
+
+@table @samp
+@item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
+@cindex Chris Lewis
+Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
+usenet abuse than anybody else.
+
+@item Automoose-1
+@cindex CancelMoose[tm]
+The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
+Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
+
+@item jem@@xpat.com;
+@cindex Jem
+John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
+days.
+
+@item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
+Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
+postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
+@end table
+
+You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
+ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
+messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
+header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
+definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
+@samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
+@code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
+Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
+you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
+@var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
+
+For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
+@samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
+
+@lisp
+("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
+@end lisp
+
+On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
+@samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
+
+@lisp
+("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
+@end lisp
+
+The specs are applied left-to-right.
+
+
+@item gnus-nocem-verifyer
+@vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
+@findex mc-verify
+This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
+says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
+function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
+(which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
+
+If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
+not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
+
+(defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
+ (not (eq 'forged
+ (ignore-errors
+ (if (mc-verify)
+ t
+ 'forged)))))
+@end lisp
+
+This might be dangerous, though.
+
+@item gnus-nocem-directory
+@vindex gnus-nocem-directory
+This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
+@file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
+
+@item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
+@vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
+The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
+The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
+might then see old spam.
+
+@end table
+
+Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
+(i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
+big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
+unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
+
+
+@node Undo
+@section Undo
+@cindex undo
+
+It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
+Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
+In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
+
+The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
+Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
+Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
+disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
+removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
+Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
+@code{undo} function.
+
+Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
+does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
+takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
+the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
+However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
+a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
+yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
+That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
+added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
+never be totally undoable.
+
+@findex gnus-undo-mode
+@vindex gnus-use-undo
+@findex gnus-undo
+The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
+is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
+default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
+command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
+command.
+
+
+@node Moderation
+@section Moderation
+@cindex moderation
+
+If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
+It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
+@samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
+get a copy.
+
+The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
+buffers. Put
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
+@end lisp
+
+in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
+
+If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
+supposed to work:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+You split your incoming mail by matching on
+@samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
+articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
+
+@item
+You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
+(edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
+
+@item
+If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
+articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
+@kbd{c} command.
+@end enumerate
+
+To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-moderated-list
+ "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node XEmacs Enhancements
+@section XEmacs Enhancements
+@cindex XEmacs
+
+XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
+advantage of that.
+
+@menu
+* Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
+* Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
+* Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
+* XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Picons
+@subsection Picons
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
+good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
+over your shoulder as you read news.
+
+@menu
+* Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
+* Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
+* Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
+* Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
+* Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Picon Basics
+@subsubsection Picon Basics
+
+What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@quotation
+@dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
+constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
+organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
+e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
+databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
+in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
+@code{GIF} formats.
+@end quotation
+
+@vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
+If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
+Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
+@code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
+@file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
+
+@vindex gnus-picons-database
+Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
+obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
+@file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
+picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
+@code{gnus-picons-database}.
+
+
+@node Picon Requirements
+@subsubsection Picon Requirements
+
+To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
+19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
+display images.
+
+Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
+display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
+you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
+
+@vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
+If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
+the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
+the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
+@code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
+
+
+@node Easy Picons
+@subsubsection Easy Picons
+
+To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
+@file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-picons t)
+(setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
+@end lisp
+
+and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
+containing the Picons databases.
+
+Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
+ "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Hard Picons
+@subsubsection Hard Picons
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
+articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
+database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
+author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
+feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
+display them.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-picons-database
+@vindex gnus-picons-database
+The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
+containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
+subdirectories. This is only useful if
+@code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
+@file{/usr/local/faces/}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
+@vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
+The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
+engine is @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
+workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
+this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
+database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-display-where
+@vindex gnus-picons-display-where
+Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
+default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
+valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
+@samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
+buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
+routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
+@vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
+Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
+displayed.
+
+@end table
+
+Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
+window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
+
+Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
+functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
+at the right time.
+
+@vindex gnus-picons-display-where
+@table @code
+@item gnus-article-display-picons
+@findex gnus-article-display-picons
+Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
+in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
+
+@item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
+@findex gnus-article-display-picons
+Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
+
+@end table
+
+
+
+@node Picon Useless Configuration
+@subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+The following variables offer further control over how things are
+done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
+don't need to worry about.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-picons-news-directories
+@vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
+newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
+
+@item gnus-picons-user-directories
+@vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
+faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
+
+@item gnus-picons-domain-directories
+@vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
+domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
+want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
+
+@item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
+@vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
+If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
+command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
+(@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
+Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
+gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
+
+@item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
+@vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
+Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
+to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
+@vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
+If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
+XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
+can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
+remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
+@code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
+@vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
+If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
+Defaults to @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-display-as-address
+@vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
+If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
+Defaults to @code{t}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
+@vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
+Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
+@code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
+
+@item gnus-picons-setup-hook
+@vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
+Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
+
+@item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
+@vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
+Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
+has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
+
+If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
+@code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the defailt.
+
+@item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
+@vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
+Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
+picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
+process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
+Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
+@code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
+cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@end table
+
+@node Smileys
+@subsection Smileys
+@cindex smileys
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
+currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
+
+In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
+@file{.gnus.el} file:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-treat-display-smiley t)
+@end lisp
+
+Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
+the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
+faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
+text and maps that to file names.
+
+@vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
+@vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
+Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
+@code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
+and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
+@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
+
+The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
+which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
+
+The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
+element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
+and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
+
+The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
+files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item smiley-data-directory
+@vindex smiley-data-directory
+Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
+
+@item smiley-flesh-color
+@vindex smiley-flesh-color
+Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
+
+@item smiley-features-color
+@vindex smiley-features-color
+Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
+
+@item smiley-tongue-color
+@vindex smiley-tongue-color
+Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
+
+@item smiley-circle-color
+@vindex smiley-circle-color
+Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
+
+@item smiley-mouse-face
+@vindex smiley-mouse-face
+Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Toolbar
+@subsection Toolbar
+
+@table @code
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@item gnus-use-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-use-toolbar
+If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
+one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
+@code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
+
+@item gnus-group-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-group-toolbar
+The toolbar in the group buffer.
+
+@item gnus-summary-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
+The toolbar in the summary buffer.
+
+@item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
+The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node XVarious
+@subsection Various XEmacs Variables
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
+@vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
+This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
+auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
+unusual directory structure.
+
+@item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
+@vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
+This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
+foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
+
+@item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
+@vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
+This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
+Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
+@code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
+@code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
+
+@item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
+@vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
+A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
+default.
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@end table
+
+
+
+
+@node Fuzzy Matching
+@section Fuzzy Matching
+@cindex fuzzy matching
+
+Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
+things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
+
+As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
+It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
+means, and the implementation has changed over time.
+
+Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
+@samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
+out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
+adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
+manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
+
+
+@node Thwarting Email Spam
+@section Thwarting Email Spam
+@cindex email spam
+@cindex spam
+@cindex UCE
+@cindex unsolicited commercial email
+
+In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
+and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
+foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
+people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
+lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
+people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
+well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
+perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
+in the end.
+
+The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
+false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
+have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
+mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
+(``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
+and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
+
+This is annoying.
+
+The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
+@samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
+
+First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
+put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
+chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
+@samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
+sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
+part of the mail address.)
+
+@lisp
+(setq message-default-news-headers
+ "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
+@end lisp
+
+Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
+(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
+
+@lisp
+(
+ ...
+ (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
+ (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
+ ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
+ "spam"))
+ ...
+)
+@end lisp
+
+This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
+@code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
+header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
+(This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
+
+In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
+and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
+header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
+thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
+put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
+your fancy split rule in this way:
+
+@lisp
+(
+ ...
+ (to "larsi" "misc")
+ "spam")
+@end lisp
+
+In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
+group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
+check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
+citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
+each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
+
+If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
+automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
+at @* @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
+Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
+cosmic balance somewhat.
+
+This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
+just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
+spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
+to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
+
+
+@node Various Various
+@section Various Various
+@cindex mode lines
+@cindex highlights
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-home-directory
+All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
+defaults to @file{~/}.
+
+@item gnus-directory
+@vindex gnus-directory
+Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
+which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
+@file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
+
+Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
+This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
+variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
+@file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
+
+@item gnus-default-directory
+@vindex gnus-default-directory
+Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
+default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
+like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
+default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
+default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
+buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
+
+@item gnus-verbose
+@vindex gnus-verbose
+This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
+the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
+will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
+most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
+shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
+
+@item gnus-verbose-backends
+@vindex gnus-verbose-backends
+This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
+to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
+
+@item nnheader-max-head-length
+@vindex nnheader-max-head-length
+When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
+as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
+the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
+on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
+variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
+@code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
+but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
+@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
+
+@item nnheader-head-chop-length
+@vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
+This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
+read when doing the operation described above.
+
+@item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+@vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+@cindex file names
+@cindex invalid characters in file names
+@cindex characters in file names
+This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
+For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
+on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+ '((?: . ?_)))
+@end lisp
+
+In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
+Windows (phooey) systems.
+
+@item gnus-hidden-properties
+@vindex gnus-hidden-properties
+This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
+@code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
+makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
+
+@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
+@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
+A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
+gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
+some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
+
+@item gnus-shell-command-separator
+@vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
+String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
+
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node The End
+@chapter The End
+
+Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
+touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
+
+My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
+
+Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
+
+@quotation
+@strong{Te Deum}
+
+@sp 1
+Not because of victories @*
+I sing,@*
+having none,@*
+but for the common sunshine,@*
+the breeze,@*
+the largess of the spring.
+
+@sp 1
+Not for victory@*
+but for the day's work done@*
+as well as I was able;@*
+not for a seat upon the dais@*
+but at the common table.@*
+@end quotation
+
+
+@node Appendices
+@chapter Appendices
+
+@menu
+* History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
+* Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
+* Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
+* Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
+* Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
+* Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
+* Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node History
+@section History
+
+@cindex history
+@sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
+'94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
+
+If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
+can point your (feh!) web browser to
+@file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
+distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
+as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
+
+During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
+called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
+@dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
+(Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
+pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
+appropriate name, don't you think?)
+
+In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
+spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
+renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
+``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
+
+The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
+was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
+plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
+
+In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
+releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
+
+On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
+January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
+
+On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37
+releases. If was released as ``Gnus 5.6 on March 8th 1998.
+
+If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
+``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
+don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
+Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
+out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
+to that instead.
+
+@menu
+* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
+* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
+* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
+* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
+* Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
+* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
+* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
+* Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Why?
+@subsection Why?
+
+What's the point of Gnus?
+
+I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
+newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
+original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
+me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
+Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
+volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
+newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
+newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
+keep track of millions of people who post?
+
+Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
+like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
+reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
+to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
+interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
+and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
+everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
+every one of you to explore and invent.
+
+May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
+@kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
+
+
+@node Compatibility
+@subsection Compatibility
+
+@cindex compatibility
+Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
+bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
+but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
+
+Our motto is:
+@quotation
+@cartouche
+@center In a cloud bones of steel.
+@end cartouche
+@end quotation
+
+All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
+their names.
+
+The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
+Articles}.
+
+One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
+buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
+buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
+important variables have their values copied into their global
+counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
+change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
+
+All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
+fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
+changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
+maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
+speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
+peculiar results.
+
+@cindex hilit19
+@cindex highlighting
+Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
+remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
+(@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
+Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
+faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
+by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
+Away!
+
+Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
+fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
+code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
+does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
+
+Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
+new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
+doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
+to stop doing it the old way.
+
+Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
+
+@kindex M-x gnus-bug
+@findex gnus-bug
+@cindex reporting bugs
+@cindex bugs
+Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
+@sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
+please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
+
+@vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
+If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
+may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
+@code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
+up at you.
+
+
+@node Conformity
+@subsection Conformity
+
+No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
+to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
+with, of course.
+
+@table @strong
+
+@item RFC 822
+@cindex RFC 822
+There are no known breaches of this standard.
+
+@item RFC 1036
+@cindex RFC 1036
+There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
+
+@item Son-of-RFC 1036
+@cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
+We do have some breaches to this one.
+
+@table @emph
+
+@item X-Newsreader
+@itemx User-Agent
+These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
+to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
+articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
+either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
+it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
+@end table
+
+@item USEFOR
+@cindex USEFOR
+USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
+on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
+various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
+look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
+
+@end table
+
+If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
+mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
+know.
+
+
+@node Emacsen
+@subsection Emacsen
+@cindex Emacsen
+@cindex XEmacs
+@cindex Mule
+@cindex Emacs
+
+Gnus should work on :
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+Emacs 20.3 and up.
+
+@item
+XEmacs 20.4 and up.
+
+@end itemize
+
+This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
+that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
+Emacs versions.
+
+There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
+platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
+other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
+Emacsen.
+
+
+@node Gnus Development
+@subsection Gnus Development
+
+Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
+discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
+propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
+phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
+phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
+circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
+unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
+have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
+
+After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
+@dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
+and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
+supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
+
+@cindex Incoming*
+@vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
+Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
+In particular, @code{nnmail-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
+alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
+lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
+
+The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
+newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
+having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
+can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
+importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
+introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
+introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
+either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
+usually keep up with these rapid changes, whille people on the newsgroup
+can't be assumed to do so.
+
+
+
+@node Contributors
+@subsection Contributors
+@cindex contributors
+
+The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
+people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
+gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
+every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
+tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
+type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
+work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
+off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
+Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
+``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
+
+I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
+wrong show.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
+
+@item
+Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
+well as numerous other things).
+
+@item
+Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
+
+@item
+Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
+
+@item
+Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el and many other things
+connected with @sc{mime} and other types of en/decoding.
+
+@item
+Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
+@dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
+
+@item
+Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
+
+@item
+Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
+(@pxref{GroupLens}).
+
+@item
+Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
+
+@item
+Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
+
+@item
+Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
+
+@item
+Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
+
+@item
+Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
+distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
+
+@item
+Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
+
+@item
+Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
+
+@item
+Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
+
+@item
+Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
+.newsrc files.
+
+@item
+Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
+
+@item
+David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
+
+@item
+Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
+
+@item
+François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
+well as autoconf support.
+
+@end itemize
+
+This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
+Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
+
+The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
+
+Christopher Davis,
+Andrew Eskilsson,
+Kai Grossjohann,
+David Kågedal,
+Richard Pieri,
+Fabrice Popineau,
+Daniel Quinlan,
+Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
+and
+Jack Vinson.
+
+Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
+
+Jari Aalto,
+Adrian Aichner,
+Vladimir Alexiev,
+Russ Allbery,
+Peter Arius,
+Matt Armstrong,
+Marc Auslander,
+Miles Bader,
+Alexei V. Barantsev,
+Frank Bennett,
+Robert Bihlmeyer,
+Chris Bone,
+Mark Borges,
+Mark Boyns,
+Lance A. Brown,
+Rob Browning,
+Kees de Bruin,
+Martin Buchholz,
+Joe Buehler,
+Kevin Buhr,
+Alastair Burt,
+Joao Cachopo,
+Zlatko Calusic,
+Massimo Campostrini,
+Castor,
+David Charlap,
+Dan Christensen,
+Kevin Christian,
+Jae-you Chung, @c ?
+James H. Cloos, Jr.,
+Laura Conrad,
+Michael R. Cook,
+Glenn Coombs,
+Andrew J. Cosgriff,
+Neil Crellin,
+Frank D. Cringle,
+Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
+Andre Deparade,
+Ulrik Dickow,
+Dave Disser,
+Rui-Tao Dong, @c ?
+Joev Dubach,
+Michael Welsh Duggan,
+Dave Edmondson,
+Paul Eggert,
+Mark W. Eichin,
+Karl Eichwalder,
+Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
+Michael Ernst,
+Luc Van Eycken,
+Sam Falkner,
+Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
+Sigbjorn Finne,
+Sven Fischer,
+Paul Fisher,
+Decklin Foster,
+Gary D. Foster,
+Paul Franklin,
+Guy Geens,
+Arne Georg Gleditsch,
+David S. Goldberg,
+Michelangelo Grigni,
+Dale Hagglund,
+D. Hall,
+Magnus Hammerin,
+Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
+Raja R. Harinath,
+Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
+P. E. Jareth Hein,
+Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
+Scott Hofmann,
+Marc Horowitz,
+Gunnar Horrigmo,
+Richard Hoskins,
+Brad Howes,
+Miguel de Icaza,
+François Felix Ingrand,
+Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
+Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
+Lee Iverson,
+Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
+Rajappa Iyer,
+Andreas Jaeger,
+Adam P. Jenkins,
+Randell Jesup,
+Fred Johansen,
+Gareth Jones,
+Simon Josefsson,
+Greg Klanderman,
+Karl Kleinpaste,
+Michael Klingbeil,
+Peter Skov Knudsen,
+Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
+Petr Konecny,
+Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
+Thor Kristoffersen,
+Jens Lautenbacher,
+Martin Larose,
+Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
+Joerg Lenneis,
+Carsten Leonhardt,
+James LewisMoss,
+Christian Limpach,
+Markus Linnala,
+Dave Love,
+Mike McEwan,
+Tonny Madsen,
+Shlomo Mahlab,
+Nat Makarevitch,
+Istvan Marko,
+David Martin,
+Jason R. Mastaler,
+Gordon Matzigkeit,
+Timo Metzemakers,
+Richard Mlynarik,
+Lantz Moore,
+Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
+Erik Toubro Nielsen,
+Hrvoje Niksic,
+Andy Norman,
+Fred Oberhauser,
+C. R. Oldham,
+Alexandre Oliva,
+Ken Olstad,
+Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
+Hideki Ono, @c Ono
+Ettore Perazzoli,
+William Perry,
+Stephen Peters,
+Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
+Ulrich Pfeifer,
+Matt Pharr,
+Andy Piper,
+John McClary Prevost,
+Bill Pringlemeir,
+Mike Pullen,
+Jim Radford,
+Colin Rafferty,
+Lasse Rasinen,
+Lars Balker Rasmussen,
+Joe Reiss,
+Renaud Rioboo,
+Roland B. Roberts,
+Bart Robinson,
+Christian von Roques,
+Markus Rost,
+Jason Rumney,
+Wolfgang Rupprecht,
+Jay Sachs,
+Dewey M. Sasser,
+Conrad Sauerwald,
+Loren Schall,
+Dan Schmidt,
+Ralph Schleicher,
+Philippe Schnoebelen,
+Andreas Schwab,
+Randal L. Schwartz,
+Justin Sheehy,
+Danny Siu,
+Matt Simmons,
+Paul D. Smith,
+Jeff Sparkes,
+Toby Speight,
+Michael Sperber,
+Darren Stalder,
+Richard Stallman,
+Greg Stark,
+Sam Steingold,
+Paul Stevenson,
+Jonas Steverud,
+Paul Stodghill,
+Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
+Kurt Swanson,
+Samuel Tardieu,
+Teddy,
+Chuck Thompson,
+Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
+Philippe Troin,
+James Troup,
+Trung Tran-Duc,
+Jack Twilley,
+Aaron M. Ucko,
+Aki Vehtari,
+Didier Verna,
+Vladimir Volovich,
+Jan Vroonhof,
+Stefan Waldherr,
+Pete Ware,
+Barry A. Warsaw,
+Christoph Wedler,
+Joe Wells,
+Lee Willis,
+Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
+and
+Lloyd Zusman.
+
+
+For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
+included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
+(550kB and counting).
+
+Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
+sure.
+
+Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
+actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
+
+
+@node New Features
+@subsection New Features
+@cindex new features
+
+@menu
+* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
+* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
+* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
+* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
+@end menu
+
+These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
+@emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
+Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
+
+
+@node ding Gnus
+@subsubsection (ding) Gnus
+
+New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
+(@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
+
+@item
+Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
+(@pxref{Select Methods}).
+
+@item
+You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
+
+@item
+You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
+All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
+
+@item
+Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
+their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
+can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
+(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+
+@item
+Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
+them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+
+@item
+Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
+entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
+(@pxref{The Active File}).
+
+@item
+Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
+(@pxref{Group Levels}).
+
+@item
+You can score articles according to any number of criteria
+(@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
+articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
+
+@item
+Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
+manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
+read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
+
+@item
+Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
+the @file{.emacs} file.
+
+@item
+You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
+operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item
+You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
+results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
+
+@item
+You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
+(@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+
+@item
+You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
+servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
+
+@item
+Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
+server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
+
+@item
+You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
+
+@item
+The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
+(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+
+@item
+You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
+of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
+
+@item
+Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
+glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+
+@item
+Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
+
+@item
+Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
+(@pxref{Document Groups}).
+
+@item
+Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
+Articles}).
+
+@item
+URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
+Buttons}).
+
+@item
+You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
+configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
+
+@item
+You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
+(@pxref{Buttons}).
+
+@end itemize
+
+
+@node September Gnus
+@subsubsection September Gnus
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
+for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
+now obsolete.
+
+@item
+Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
+missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
+Threading}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
+(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
+
+@item
+Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
+referred.
+
+@item
+Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
+
+@item
+Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
+
+@item
+A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-trees t)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
+buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
+Groups}).
+
+@item
+Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
+Topics}).
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
+
+@item
+Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
+is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
+groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
+
+@item
+Caching is possible in virtual groups.
+
+@item
+@code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
+news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
+else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
+
+@item
+Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
+(@pxref{SOUP}).
+
+@item
+The Gnus cache is much faster.
+
+@item
+Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
+Groups}).
+
+@item
+New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
+expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+@item
+All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
+(@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
+
+@item
+There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
+marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+
+@item
+The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
+articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
+bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
+
+@item
+Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
+(@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
+
+@item
+All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
+
+@item
+Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
+
+@item
+All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
+
+@item
+Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
+
+@item
+All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
+buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
+
+@item
+Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
+Configuration}).
+
+@item
+Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@item
+Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-nocem t)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
+
+@item
+Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
+
+@item
+Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
+(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+ 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
+refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
+buffer to allow easier treatment.
+
+@item
+Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
+
+@item
+Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
+Articles}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+@code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
+articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
+(@pxref{Article Washing}).
+
+@item
+Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
+cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
+
+@item
+Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
+
+@item
+Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
+
+@end itemize
+
+
+@node Red Gnus
+@subsubsection Red Gnus
+
+New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+@file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
+
+@item
+Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
+Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
+
+@item
+Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
+@code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
+Scoring}).
+
+@item
+Article washing status can be displayed in the
+article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
+
+@item
+@file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
+
+@item
+Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
+(@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
+considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
+been added.
+
+@item
+@code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
+Server Internals}).
+
+@item
+Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
+Parameters}).
+
+@item
+Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
+
+@item
+Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
+(@pxref{Article Signature}).
+
+@item
+Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
+numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
+articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
+
+@item
+Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
+another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
+
+@item
+There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
+when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
+
+@item
+Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
+(@pxref{Undo}).
+
+@item
+Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
+(@pxref{Score File Format}).
+
+@item
+Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
+(@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-decay-scores t)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
+normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
+
+@item
+A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
+the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
+
+@item
+A new command for reading collections of documents
+(@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
+(@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
+
+@item
+Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
+Marks}).
+
+@item
+A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
+server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
+
+@item
+A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
+(@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
+(@pxref{Web Searches}).
+
+@item
+Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
+functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
+Sorting}).
+
+@item
+Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
+Groups}).
+
+@item
+Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
+Commands}).
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@item
+Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
+Variables}).
+
+@item
+Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
+Mail}).
+
+@item
+More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
+mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
+
+@item
+Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
+
+@end itemize
+
+
+@node Quassia Gnus
+@subsubsection Quassia Gnus
+
+New features in Gnus 5.6:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
+added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
+@pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
+
+@item
+ The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
+before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
+group, which is created automatically.
+
+@item
+@code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
+values.
+
+@item
+ @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
+
+@item
+ A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
+outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
+
+@item
+ You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
+@kbd{C-u C-c C-c}.
+
+@item
+ @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
+
+@item
+ @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
+re-highlighting of the article buffer.
+
+@item
+ New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
+
+@item
+ @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
+Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
+
+@item
+ @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
+@kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
+
+@item
+ @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
+control over simplification.
+
+@item
+ @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
+
+@item
+ @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
+limit.
+
+@item
+ @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
+
+@item
+ @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
+
+@item
+ The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
+If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
+rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
+
+@item
+ Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
+@kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
+
+@item
+ New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
+text---@kbd{W d}.
+
+@item
+ For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
+@code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
+
+@item
+ @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
+controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
+
+@item
+ A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
+has been added.
+
+@item
+ A history of where mails have been split is available.
+
+@item
+ A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
+
+@item
+ Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
+@code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
+
+@item
+ A new function for citing in Message has been
+added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
+
+@item
+ @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
+
+@item
+ A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
+been added.
+
+@item
+ A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
+@code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
+
+@item
+ The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
+updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
+
+@item
+ Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
+
+@item
+ Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
+
+@end itemize
+
+
+@node Newest Features
+@subsection Newest Features
+@cindex todo
+
+Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
+next millennium.
+
+Be afraid. Be very afraid.
+
+(That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've
+decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds
+interesting.)
+
+(Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.)
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+ I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
+latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
+
+@item
+ A way to continue editing the latest Message composition.
+
+@item
+ http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/
+
+@item
+ facep is not declared.
+
+@item
+ Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles
+isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt.
+
+@item
+ Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy.
+
+@item
+@example
+ Hypermail:
+<URL:http://www.falch.no/people/pepper/DSSSL-Lite/archives/>
+<URL:http://www.eit.com/software/hypermail/hypermail.html>
+<URL:http://homer.ncm.com/>
+<URL:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/HTML_Converters/>
+http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html
+<URL:http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html>
+http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/
+
+@end example
+
+@item
+@samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX.
+
+@item
+ gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3.
+
+@item
+ when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on?
+@item
+ starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does
+NEWGROUPS answer too fast?
+@item
+ nndir doesn't read gzipped files.
+@item
+ FAQ doesn't have an up node?
+@item
+ when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box,
+the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group.
+@item
+ `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear.
+@item
+ nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will
+be marked as unread.
+@item
+ Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace
+@item
+ when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset.
+@item
+ rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive
+to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups.
+@item
+ expunged articles are counted when computing scores.
+@item
+ implement gnus-batch-brew-soup
+@item
+ ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and
+stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same.
+@item
+ topics that contain just groups with ticked
+articles aren't displayed.
+@item
+ nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
+@item
+ If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
+make the mail groups killed.
+@item
+ no "no news is good news" when using topics.
+@item
+ when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted
+and articles have to be removed.
+@item
+ nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several
+parts.
+@item
+ scoring on head immediate doesn't work.
+@item
+ finding short score file names takes forever.
+@item
+ canceling articles in foreign groups.
+@item
+ nntp-open-rlogin no longer works.
+@item
+ C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer.
+@item
+ move nnmail-split-history out to the backends.
+@item
+ nnweb doesn't work properly.
+@item
+ using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work?
+@item
+ when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the
+master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another.
+Perhaps.
+
+@item
+ warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
+@item
+ take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
+bar and the Gnus bar.
+@item
+@example
+ push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code.
+`(canonize-message-id id)'
+`(mail-parent-message-id references n)'
+`(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)'
+`(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)'
+`(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)'
+
+@end example
+
+@item
+ nnml .overview directory with splits.
+@item
+ asynchronous cache
+@item
+ postponed commands.
+@item
+ the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line.
+@item
+ when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from
+the server?
+@item
+ sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the
+headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number?
+@item
+ nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also
+inherit copy prompts and save files.
+@item
+ command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer.
+@item
+ allow editing the group description from the group buffer
+for backends that support that.
+@item
+gnus-hide,show-all-topics
+@item
+ groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic,
+and not just list all subtopics at the end.
+@item
+ a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect
+threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'?
+@item
+ a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer.
+@item
+ a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded.
+@item
+ add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic.
+@item
+ server mode command: close/open all connections
+@item
+ put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file
+has been changed before using it.
+@item
+ on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group.
+@item
+ hide (sub)threads with low score.
+@item
+ when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles.
+@item
+ gnus-summary-limit-to-body
+@item
+ a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed
+on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'.
+@item
+ easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that
+contain groups that match a regexp.
+@item
+ allow newlines in <URL:> urls, but remove them before using
+the URL.
+@item
+ If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the
+"From " line.
+@item
+ fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info
+from subject lines.
+@item
+ gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores.
+@item
+ nntp-ping-before-connect
+@item
+ command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt".
+@item
+ when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score
+files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables.
+@item
+ message annotations.
+@item
+ topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good.
+@item
+ (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf")
+to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs.
+@item
+ allow group line format spec to say how many articles there
+are in the cache.
+@item
+ AUTHINFO GENERIC
+@item
+ `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
+@item
+ stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
+@item
+ C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header.
+@item
+ go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the
+next group instead of going to the group buffer.
+@item
+ gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers.
+@item
+ record topic changes in the dribble buffer.
+@item
+ `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it
+finds and generate proper active ranges.
+@item
+ nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control
+whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories.
+@item
+ gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article
+@item
+ gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling.
+@item
+ when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups,
+articles aren't properly marked as expirable.
+@item
+ nneething should allow deletion/moving.
+@item
+ TAB on the last button should go to the first button.
+@item
+ if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function,
+and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to
+save mail in.
+@item
+ command for listing all score files that have been applied.
+@item
+ a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config.
+@item
+ `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override
+`C-c C-c' when posting.
+@item
+ nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use
+as a spool file.
+@item
+ when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article
+should be marker as expirable.
+@item
+ article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser".
+@item
+ on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance,
+on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server.
+@item
+ when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent.
+Also consult Date headers.
+@item
+ a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer
+@item
+ `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb.
+@item
+ duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read
+Message-ID, delete the "original".
+@item
+ when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids
+into a See-Also header.
+@item
+ support setext: URL:http://www.bsdi.com/setext/
+@item
+ support ProleText: <URL:http://proletext.clari.net/prole/proletext.html>
+@item
+ when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed
+should be listed as such and not as "K".
+@item
+ generate font names dynamically.
+@item
+ score file mode auto-alist.
+@item
+ allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement
+methods for each format for adding an article to the document.
+@item
+ `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate
+absolutely all headers there is.
+@item
+ function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles
+and pipe them to the process.
+@item
+ cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update
+the file whenever we read the active file or the list
+of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length.
+@item
+ function for starting to edit a file to put into
+the current mail group.
+@item
+ score-find-trace should display the total score of the article.
+@item
+ "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it
+to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to.
+@item
+ look at procmail splitting. The backends should create
+the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group.
+@item
+ function for backends to register themselves with Gnus.
+@item
+ when replying to several process-marked articles,
+have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle.
+@item
+ command to delete a crossposted mail article from all
+groups it has been mailed to.
+@item
+ `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware.
+@item
+ hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks.
+@item
+ Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups.
+@item
+ `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept
+pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all"
+@item
+ When buttifying <URL: > things, all white space (including
+newlines) should be ignored.
+@item
+ Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark
+groups in subtopics as well.
+@item
+ Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them.
+@item
+ nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest
+variable settings.
+@item
+ add edit and forward secondary marks.
+@item
+ nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files.
+@item
+ allow customizing sorting within gathered threads.
+@item
+ `B q' shouldn't select the current article.
+@item
+ nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions.
+@item
+ allow fetching mail from several pop servers.
+@item
+ Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original
+or the formatted article.
+@item
+ a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.).
+@item
+ I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin
+should be a feature in Red Gnus.
+@item
+ The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click.
+@item
+ more limiting functions -- date, etc.
+@item
+ be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches.
+@item
+ a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire
+even unread articles.
+@item
+ a command to print the article buffer as postscript.
+@item
+ variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet.
+@item
+ manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet
+@item
+ checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well.
+@item
+ canceling articles in foreign groups.
+@item
+ article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by
+Xref handling.
+@item
+ Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the
+next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found.
+@item
+ Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere --
+in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance.
+@item
+ Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next.
+@item
+ a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles.
+@item
+ a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes
+from a particular server? Hm.
+@item
+ `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill
+the article buffer if there are any looong lines there.
+@item
+ `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it.
+@item
+ a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file,
+and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend.
+@item
+ a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that
+all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache.
+@item
+ It should also probably be possible to delimit what
+`gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on
+some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than
+a certain number.
+@item
+ nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing
+the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages.
+@item
+ allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files.
+@item
+ a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder?
+@item
+ a command for making the native groups into foreign groups.
+@item
+ server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups
+from a server.
+@item
+ when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers
+from all articles.
+@item
+ a command for deciding what the total score of the current
+thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this.
+@item
+ command to show and edit group scores
+@item
+ a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers
+horizontally.
+@item
+ command to generate nnml overview file for one group.
+@item
+ `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups.
+@item
+ keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session).
+Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group
+buffer.
+@item
+ gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads
+that are of that length.
+@item
+ have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile.
+@item
+ cache the newsgroups descriptions locally.
+@item
+ asynchronous posting under nntp.
+@item
+ be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files.
+@item
+ a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method.
+@item
+ `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'.
+@item
+ if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have
+a score lower than this number.
+@item
+ split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method".
+@item
+ buttonize ange-ftp file names.
+@item
+ a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article
+so that each copy can be edited separately.
+@item
+ nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server.
+@item
+ record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that
+it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer.
+@item
+ nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for
+all nnml servers.
+@item
+ when the user does commands in the group buffer, check
+the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use
+ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying
+to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed.
+@item
+ M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in
+the topic.
+@item
+ command to remove all topic stuff.
+@item
+ allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail
+and splitting the resulting digests.
+@item
+ nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables.
+@item
+ command to nix out all nnoo state information.
+@item
+ nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names
+matches an alist -- before saving.
+@item
+ use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text.
+@item
+ variable to activate each group before entering them
+to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'.
+@item
+ command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even
+starting Gnus first if necessary.
+@item
+ when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just
+ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb.
+@item
+ buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way.
+@item
+ `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing
+of several groups at once.
+@item
+ command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that
+matches some regexp(s).
+@item
+ nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages.
+@item
+ it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header.
+@item
+ hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it.
+@item
+ `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer.
+@item
+ remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article.
+@item
+ `M-s' should highlight the matching text.
+@item
+ when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present.
+@item
+ killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy
+of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should
+be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics
+should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings.
+@item
+ command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say
+"ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache."
+@item
+ `X u' should decode base64 articles.
+@item
+ a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most
+recently cited text.
+@item
+ nnvirtual should be asynchronous.
+@item
+ after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should
+be invalidated.
+@item
+ there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the
+server and just read the articles in the server
+@item
+ allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default
+value of nnoo variables.
+@item
+ a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file.
+@item
+ groups from secondary servers have the entire select method
+listed in each group info.
+@item
+ a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group
+buffer.
+@item
+ a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions
+should only be applied to some groups.
+@item
+ Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed
+mail-copies-to: never.
+@item
+ new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
+using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
+@item
+ the slave dribble files should auto-save to the slave file names.
+@item
+ a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
+on article marks.
+@item
+ a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead
+of normal logo?)
+@item
+ Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable.
+@item
+ Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also
+clear up info.
+@item
+ group user-defined meta-parameters.
+
+
+
+From: John Griffith <griffith@@sfs.nphil.uni-tuebingen.de>
+@item
+ I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was
+thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives
+you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the
+problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
+What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
+
+In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at @*
+ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html
+
+
+
+
+@item
+@example
+From: Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs@@hpc.uh.edu>
+(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
+ (lambda ()
+ (gnus-group-add-parameter group
+ (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string))))))
+
+(defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
+ "Return the date the group was last read."
+ (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered)))
+ (t "")))
+@end example
+
+@item
+ tanken var at når du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til å lete
+opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den være en
+liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man
+hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder.
+
+
+@item
+LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like
+LMI> answered and read, I guess.
+
+It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of
+unix mbox files).
+
+They could be used like this:
+
+
+@example
+`M l <name> RET' add label <name> to current message.
+`M u <name> RET' remove label <name> from current message.
+`/ l <expr> RET' limit summary buffer according to <expr>.
+
+<expr> would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g.
+
+`/ l bug & !fixed RET'
+@end example
+
+would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled
+`fixed'.
+
+One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or
+affect the summary line format.
+
+
+@item
+Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk
+
+I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it
+would recognize things that looks like messages or folders:
+
+- If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir
+summary buffer.
+
+- For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer.
+
+- For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary.
+
+- For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary.
+
+- For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer.
+
+- For other files, just find them normally.
+
+I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a
+directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files.
+
+@item
+Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and
+tell him what you are doing.
+
+@item
+Currently, I get prompted:
+
+decend into sci?
+- type y
+decend into sci.something ?
+- type n
+decend into ucd?
+
+The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of
+science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If
+there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt
+for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?...
+
+@item
+Ja, det burde være en måte å si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel?
+`gnus-use-few-score-files'? Så kunne score-regler legges til den
+"mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av
+"no.all.SCORE", osv.
+
+@item
+What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following
+as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page"
+button:
+
+
+^L's
+
+more than n blank lines
+
+more than m identical lines
+(which should be replaced with button to show them)
+
+any whitespace surrounding any of the above
+
+
+@item
+Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' --
+`spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then
+subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the
+"same" subject for threading purposes.
+
+@item
+Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form
+"(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first
+form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between
+those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.)
+
+@item
+ Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks:
+tick - thumb tack
+killed - skull
+soup - bowl of soup
+score below - dim light bulb
+score over - bright light bulb
+
+@item
+Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows:
+
+@example
+Group-mode
+
+ show-list-of-articles-in-group
+ if (key-pressed == SPACE)
+ if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select)
+ if (articles-selected)
+ start-reading-selected-articles;
+ junk-unread-articles;
+ next-group;
+ else
+ show-next-page;
+
+ else if (key-pressed = '.')
+ if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus
+ select-thread-under-cursor;
+ else
+ select-article-under-cursor;
+
+
+Article-mode
+ if (key-pressed == SPACE)
+ if (more-pages-in-article)
+ next-page;
+ else if (more-selected-articles-to-read)
+ next-article;
+ else
+ next-group;
+@end example
+
+@item
+My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*.
+One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess
+it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such
+nneething groups.
+
+A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be
+allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting
+the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by
+the wildcard expression).
+
+@item
+It would be nice if it also handled
+
+ <URL:news://sunsite.auc.dk/>
+
+which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*.
+
+
+@item
+
+ Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out
+really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a
+gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and
+article versions) variable.
+
+ So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...)
+
+ A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in
+the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM.
+
+
+@item
+ nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its
+articles.
+@item
+ gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer
+active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well.
+(message-sent-hook).
+@item
+ rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers.
+
+@item
+ * Enhancements to Gnus:
+
+ Add two commands:
+
+ * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes
+ straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to
+ servers first.
+
+ * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to
+ the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed;
+ quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer.
+
+@item
+ add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder --
+go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates,
+and stuff.
+
+@item
+ `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification.
+
+@item
+ a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all
+secondary marks.
+
+@item
+ when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do
+the nnmail duplicate checking.
+
+@item
+ allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the
+value of the signature file.
+
+@item
+ In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it
+could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of
+interface like
+
+(setq message-tab-alist
+ '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group)
+ ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name)))
+
+then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in
+the header
+
+@item
+ cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time.
+
+@item
+ a command to import a buffer into a group.
+
+@item
+ nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers.
+
+@item
+ point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the
+beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles.
+
+@item
+ a command to process mark all unread articles.
+
+@item
+ `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first
+do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and
+do more gathering by subject.
+
+@item
+ gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in
+article numerical order.
+
+@item
+ (gnus-thread-total-score
+ (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header))))
+bind to a key.
+
+@item
+ sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads.
+
+@item
+ a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be
+in the summary buffer.
+
+@item
+ a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using
+version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc.
+
+@item
+ http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html ?
+This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews
+database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author,
+and/or newsgroup name.
+
+@item
+ new Date header scoring type -- older, newer
+
+@item
+ use the summary toolbar in the article buffer.
+
+@item
+ a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old.
+
+@item
+ in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the
+group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles
+will automatically get the process mark.
+
+@item
+ Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the
+default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a
+user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)).
+
+@item
+ make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the
+current group.
+
+@item
+ `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default
+to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'.
+
+@item
+ a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting.
+`first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are
+candidates.
+
+@item
+ be able to select groups that have no articles in them
+to be able to post in them (using the current select method).
+
+@item
+ be able to post via DejaNews.
+
+@item
+ `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed.
+
+@item
+ allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also
+allow them to be displayed separately.
+
+@item
+ gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from
+the processes when doing a process marked pipe.
+
+@item
+ a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all
+articles that match a certain From header.
+
+@item
+ a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer
+saving living summary buffers.
+
+@item
+ a function for selecting a particular group which will contain
+the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's.
+
+@item
+ a battery of character translation functions to translate common
+Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1.
+
+@example
+(defun article-fix-m$word ()
+ "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article."
+ (interactive)
+ (save-excursion
+ (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
+ (goto-char (point-min))
+ (while (search-forward "\221" nil t)
+ (replace-match "`" t t))
+ (goto-char (point-min))
+ (while (search-forward "\222" nil t)
+ (replace-match "'" t t))
+ (goto-char (point-min))
+ (while (search-forward "\223" nil t)
+ (replace-match "\"" t t))
+ (goto-char (point-min))
+ (while (search-forward "\224" nil t)
+ (replace-match "\"" t t)))))
+@end example
+
+@item
+@example
+ (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions
+'(lambda ()
+ (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file)
+ (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0))
+ (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ")
+ (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? "))))
+@end example
+
+@item
+ allow message-default-headers to be a function.
+
+@item
+ new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point
+numbers and match on the age of the article.
+
+@item
+@example
+> > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
+> > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
+> > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O
+>
+> > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with
+> > `M-x gnus-other-frame'?
+>
+> I normally start it up from the toolbar; at
+> least that's the way I've caught it doing the
+> deed before.
+@end example
+
+@item
+ all commands that react to the process mark should push
+the current process mark set onto the stack.
+
+@item
+ gnus-article-hide-pgp
+Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt å slette den dersom teksten matcher
+@example
+"\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by"
+@end example
+og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det-
+er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles.
+
+@item
+ `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been
+sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run.
+
+@item
+ gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set
+on the lines.
+
+@item
+ use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the
+home-brewed stuff for better reliability.
+
+@item
+ add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
+
+@item
+ nndraft-request-group should tally auto-save files.
+
+@item
+ implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
+
+@item
+ gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long)
+articles.
+
+@item
+ (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE)
+
+@item
+ nn*-spool-methods
+
+@item
+ interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles.
+
+@item
+ command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the
+current group.
+
+@item
+ a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than
+X characters in the body.
+
+@item
+ handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately.
+
+@item
+ include the texi/dir file in the distribution.
+
+@item
+ format spec to "tab" to a position.
+
+@item
+ Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style.
+
+@item
+ command to display all dormant articles.
+
+@item
+ gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do.
+
+@item
+ a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied
+to something someone else has said.
+
+@item
+ Read Netscape discussion groups:
+snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix
+
+@item
+One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit
+the displayed version.
+
+@item
+@kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the
+current article.
+
+@item
+Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism.
+
+@item
+How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be
+possible to make various constraints on when an article can be
+expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read
+& age > 14 days)?
+
+@item
+New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string
+in the head or body.
+
+@item
+Allow breaking lengthy NNTP commands.
+
+@item
+gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
+
+@item
+Editing an article should put the article to be edited
+in a special, unique buffer.
+
+@item
+A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param.
+
+@item
+A Date scoring type that will match if the article
+is less than a certain number of days old.
+
+@item
+New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56
+
+@item
+Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files.
+
+@item
+Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active
+file, for instance.
+
+@item
+With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article
+in any other dummy thread will make Gnus highlight the
+dummy root instead of the first article.
+
+@item
+Propagate all group properties (marks, article numbers, etc) up to the
+topics for displaying.
+
+@item
+`n' in the group buffer with topics should go to the next group
+with unread articles, even if that group is hidden in a topic.
+
+@item
+gnus-posting-styles doesn't work in drafts.
+
+@item
+gnus-summary-limit-include-cached is slow when there are
+many articles in the cache, since it regenerates big parts of the
+summary buffer for each article.
+
+@item
+Implement gnus-batch-brew-soup.
+
+@item
+Group parameters and summary commands for un/subscribing to mailing
+lists.
+
+@item
+Introduce nnmail-home-directory.
+
+@item
+gnus-fetch-group and friends should exit Gnus when the user
+exits the group.
+
+@item
+The jingle is only played on the second invocation of Gnus.
+
+@item
+Bouncing articles should do MIME.
+
+@item
+Crossposted articles should "inherit" the % or @ mark from the other
+groups it has been crossposted to, or something. (Agent.)
+
+@item
+If point is on a group that appears multiple times in topics, and
+you press `l', point will move to the first instance of the group.
+
+@item
+A spec for the group line format to display the number of
+agent-downloaded articles in the group.
+
+@item
+Some nntp servers never respond when posting, so there should be a
+timeout for all commands.
+
+@item
+When stading on a topic line and `t'-ing, point goes to the last line.
+It should go somewhere else.
+
+@item
+I'm having trouble accessing a newsgroup with a "+" in its name with
+Gnus. There is a new newsgroup on msnews.microsoft.com named
+"microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time" that I'm trying to
+access as
+"nntp+msnews.microsoft.com:microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time"
+but it gives an error that it cant access the group.
+
+Is the "+" character illegal in newsgroup names? Is there any way in
+Gnus to work around this? (gnus 5.6.45 - XEmacs 20.4)
+
+@item
+
+When `#F', do:
+
+@example
+Subject: Answer to your mails 01.01.1999-01.05.1999
+ --text follows this line--
+Sorry I killfiled you...
+
+Under the subject "foo", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
+> bar
+Under the subject "foo1", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
+> bar 1
+@end example
+
+@item
+Allow "orphan" scores in the Agent scoring.
+
+@item
+@example
+ - Edit article's summary line.
+ - End edit
+ - Sort lines in buffer by subject
+
+ --> the old subject line appears in Summary buffer, not the one that was
+ just changed to.
+@end example
+
+
+@item
+Remove list identifiers from the subject in the summary when doing `^'
+and the like.
+
+@item
+Have the Agent write out articles, one by one, as it retrieves them,
+to avoid having to re-fetch them all if Emacs should crash while
+fetching.
+
+@item
+Be able to forward groups of messages as MIME digests.
+
+@item
+Solve the halting problem.
+
+@c TODO
+@end itemize
+
+@iftex
+
+@page
+@node The Manual
+@section The Manual
+@cindex colophon
+@cindex manual
+
+This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
+either @code{texi2dvi}
+to get what you hold in your hands now.
+
+The following conventions have been used:
+
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+This is a @samp{string}
+
+@item
+This is a @kbd{keystroke}
+
+@item
+This is a @file{file}
+
+@item
+This is a @code{symbol}
+
+@end enumerate
+
+So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
+mean:
+
+@lisp
+(setq flargnoze "yes")
+@end lisp
+
+If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
+
+@lisp
+(setq flumphel 'yes)
+@end lisp
+
+@samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
+ever get them confused.
+
+
+@end iftex
+
+
+@page
+@node Terminology
+@section Terminology
+
+@cindex terminology
+@table @dfn
+
+@item news
+@cindex news
+This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
+News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
+generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
+world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
+snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
+
+@item mail
+@cindex mail
+Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
+readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
+there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
+not posting, and replying is not following up.
+
+@item reply
+@cindex reply
+Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
+
+@item follow up
+@cindex follow up
+Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
+are reading.
+
+@item backend
+@cindex backend
+Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
+backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
+is all done by the backends.
+
+@item native
+@cindex native
+Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
+default, way of getting news.
+
+@item foreign
+@cindex foreign
+You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
+These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
+news.
+
+@item secondary
+@cindex secondary
+Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
+foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
+
+@item article
+@cindex article
+A message that has been posted as news.
+
+@item mail message
+@cindex mail message
+A message that has been mailed.
+
+@item message
+@cindex message
+A mail message or news article
+
+@item head
+@cindex head
+The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
+put.
+
+@item body
+@cindex body
+The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
+body.
+
+@item header
+@cindex header
+A line from the head of an article.
+
+@item headers
+@cindex headers
+A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
+collection of @sc{nov} lines.
+
+@item @sc{nov}
+@cindex nov
+When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
+unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
+format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
+normal @sc{head} format.
+
+@item level
+@cindex levels
+Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
+that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
+higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
+@dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
+are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
+articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
+
+@item killed groups
+@cindex killed groups
+No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
+groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
+
+@item zombie groups
+@cindex zombie groups
+Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
+
+@item active file
+@cindex active file
+The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
+groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
+is rather large, as you might surmise.
+
+@item bogus groups
+@cindex bogus groups
+A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
+server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
+This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
+
+@item activating
+@cindex activating groups
+The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
+number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
+Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
+
+@item server
+@cindex server
+A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
+
+@item select method
+@cindex select method
+A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
+server settings.
+
+@item virtual server
+@cindex virtual server
+A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
+know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
+whole is a virtual server.
+
+@item washing
+@cindex washing
+Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
+result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
+original.
+
+@item ephemeral groups
+@cindex ephemeral groups
+Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
+groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
+group, it'll disappear into the aether.
+
+@item solid groups
+@cindex solid groups
+This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
+group buffer are solid groups.
+
+@item sparse articles
+@cindex sparse articles
+These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
+@code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
+
+@item threading
+@cindex threading
+To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
+to---in a hierarchical fashion.
+
+@item root
+@cindex root
+@cindex thread root
+The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
+articles in the thread.
+
+@item parent
+@cindex parent
+An article that has responses.
+
+@item child
+@cindex child
+An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
+
+@item digest
+@cindex digest
+A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
+specified by RFC1153.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@page
+@node Customization
+@section Customization
+@cindex general customization
+
+All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
+section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
+for some quite common situations.
+
+@menu
+* Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
+* Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
+* Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
+* Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Slow/Expensive Connection
+@subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
+
+If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
+over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
+Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-read-active-file
+Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
+entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
+also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
+@code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
+doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
+
+@item gnus-nov-is-evil
+This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
+the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
+support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Slow Terminal Connection
+@subsection Slow Terminal Connection
+
+Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
+Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
+possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-auto-center-summary
+Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
+buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
+re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
+horizontal and vertical recentering.
+
+@item gnus-visible-headers
+Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
+minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
+useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
+@samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
+
+Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
+ gnus-treat-hide-signature t
+ gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
+@end lisp
+
+@item gnus-use-full-window
+By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
+While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
+have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
+want to read them anyway.
+
+@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
+hidden initially.
+
+@item gnus-updated-mode-lines
+If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
+lines, which might save some time.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Little Disk Space
+@subsection Little Disk Space
+@cindex disk space
+
+The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
+sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-save-newsrc-file
+If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
+only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
+use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
+default.
+
+@item gnus-read-newsrc-file
+If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
+only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
+use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
+default.
+
+@item gnus-save-killed-list
+If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
+should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
+and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
+variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Slow Machine
+@subsection Slow Machine
+@cindex slow machine
+
+If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
+few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
+
+Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
+@code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
+
+Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
+@code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
+summary buffer faster.
+
+
+@page
+@node Troubleshooting
+@section Troubleshooting
+@cindex troubleshooting
+
+Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
+problems, really.
+
+Ahem.
+
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+Make sure your computer is switched on.
+
+@item
+Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
+been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
+Gnus will work.
+
+@item
+Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
+like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
+on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
+flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
+
+@item
+Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
+how-to.
+
+@item
+@vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
+Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
+rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
+you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
+something like that.
+@end enumerate
+
+If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
+
+@cindex bugs
+@cindex reporting bugs
+
+@kindex M-x gnus-bug
+@findex gnus-bug
+If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
+command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
+me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
+me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
+
+You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
+@kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
+a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
+environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
+time.
+
+It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
+you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
+back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
+insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
+for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
+mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
+
+If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
+it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
+it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
+the bug report.
+
+If you just need help, you are better off asking on
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
+
+@cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
+@cindex ding mailing list
+You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
+Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
+
+
+@page
+@node Gnus Reference Guide
+@section Gnus Reference Guide
+
+It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
+can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
+facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
+workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
+it.
+
+You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
+will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
+backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
+(ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
+and general methods of operation.
+
+@menu
+* Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
+* Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
+* Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
+* Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
+* Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
+* Group Info:: The group info format.
+* Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
+* Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
+* Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Gnus Utility Functions
+@subsection Gnus Utility Functions
+@cindex Gnus utility functions
+@cindex utility functions
+@cindex functions
+@cindex internal variables
+
+When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
+vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
+Below is a list of the most common ones.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-newsgroup-name
+@vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
+This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
+
+@item gnus-find-method-for-group
+@findex gnus-find-method-for-group
+A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
+
+@item gnus-group-real-name
+@findex gnus-group-real-name
+Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
+name.
+
+@item gnus-group-prefixed-name
+@findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
+Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
+(prefixed) Gnus group name.
+
+@item gnus-get-info
+@findex gnus-get-info
+Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
+
+@item gnus-group-unread
+@findex gnus-group-unread
+The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
+unknown.
+
+@item gnus-active
+@findex gnus-active
+The active entry for @var{group}.
+
+@item gnus-set-active
+@findex gnus-set-active
+Set the active entry for @var{group}.
+
+@item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
+@findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
+Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
+exit.
+
+@item gnus-continuum-version
+@findex gnus-continuum-version
+Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
+number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
+versions.
+
+@item gnus-group-read-only-p
+@findex gnus-group-read-only-p
+Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
+
+@item gnus-news-group-p
+@findex gnus-news-group-p
+Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
+
+@item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
+@findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
+Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
+
+@item gnus-server-to-method
+@findex gnus-server-to-method
+Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
+
+@item gnus-server-equal
+@findex gnus-server-equal
+Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
+
+@item gnus-group-native-p
+@findex gnus-group-native-p
+Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
+
+@item gnus-group-secondary-p
+@findex gnus-group-secondary-p
+Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
+
+@item gnus-group-foreign-p
+@findex gnus-group-foreign-p
+Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
+
+@item group-group-find-parameter
+@findex group-group-find-parameter
+Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
+returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
+
+@item gnus-group-set-parameter
+@findex gnus-group-set-parameter
+Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
+
+@item gnus-narrow-to-body
+@findex gnus-narrow-to-body
+Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
+
+@item gnus-check-backend-function
+@findex gnus-check-backend-function
+Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
+@var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
+@result{} t
+@end lisp
+
+@item gnus-read-method
+@findex gnus-read-method
+Prompts the user for a select method.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Backend Interface
+@subsection Backend Interface
+
+Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
+groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
+server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
+of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
+examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
+@code{nnmbox-directory}.
+
+When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
+something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
+function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
+virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
+server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
+been opened, the function should fail.
+
+Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
+name. Take this example:
+
+@lisp
+(nntp "odd-one"
+ (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
+ (nntp-port-number 4324))
+@end lisp
+
+Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
+the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
+
+The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
+The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
+server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
+
+There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
+which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
+always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
+
+All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
+@code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
+unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
+@dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
+talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
+the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
+return value.
+
+Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
+some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
+only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
+-- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
+more.
+
+In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
+@code{nnchoke}.
+
+@cindex @code{nnchoke}
+
+@menu
+* Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
+* Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
+* Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
+* Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
+* Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
+* Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Required Backend Functions
+@subsubsection Required Backend Functions
+
+@table @code
+
+@item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
+
+@var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
+@code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
+sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
+retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
+
+The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
+value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
+This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
+of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
+
+If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
+headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
+fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
+article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
+presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
+cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
+number, do maximum fetches.
+
+Here's an example HEAD:
+
+@example
+221 1056 Article retrieved.
+Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
+From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
+Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
+Subject: Re: Something very droll
+Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
+Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
+Lines: 26
+Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
+References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
+NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
+.
+@end example
+
+So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
+these in the data buffer.
+
+Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
+
+@example
+headers = *head
+head = error / valid-head
+error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
+valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
+valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
+header = <text> eol
+@end example
+
+If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
+@dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
+separated by tabs.
+
+@example
+nov-buffer = *nov-line
+nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
+field = <text except TAB>
+@end example
+
+For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
+@pxref{Headers}.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
+
+@var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
+list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
+
+If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
+may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
+server. In fact, it should do so.
+
+If the server is opened already, this function should return a
+non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
+
+Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
+to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
+reason.
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-close)
+
+Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
+have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
+should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
+function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
+
+If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
+physical server is alive, then this function should return a
+non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
+attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
+
+This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
+
+The result data from this function should be the article specified by
+@var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
+It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
+it would be nice if that were possible.
+
+If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
+in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
+possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
+another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
+into its article buffer.
+
+If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
+the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
+the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
+group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
+@code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
+on successful article retrieval.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
+
+Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
+making @var{group} the current group.
+
+If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
+the current group.
+
+Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
+
+@example
+211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
+@end example
+
+The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
+total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
+highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
+number of articles may be less than one might think while just
+considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
+may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
+whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
+problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
+
+@example
+group-status = [ error / info ] eol
+error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
+info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
+@end example
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
+
+Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
+a no-op on most backends.
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
+
+Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
+@emph{all}.
+
+Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
+
+@example
+ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
+ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
+@end example
+
+On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
+that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
+
+@example
+active-file = *active-line
+active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
+name = <string>
+flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
+@end example
+
+The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
+(@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
+(@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
+
+This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
+the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
+instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
+completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
+function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
+clear if the posting could not be completed.
+
+There should be no result data from this function.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Optional Backend Functions
+@subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
+
+@table @code
+
+@item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
+
+@var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
+on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
+should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
+
+The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
+@code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
+former is in the same format as the data from
+@code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
+in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
+
+@example
+group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
+@end example
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
+
+A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
+alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
+information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
+function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
+should return the (altered) group info.
+
+There should be no result data from this function.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
+
+When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
+summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
+user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
+@code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
+is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
+@var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
+might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
+and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
+
+There should be no result data from this function.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
+
+Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
+marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
+@code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as IMAP) however carry all
+information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to propagate
+the mark information to the server.
+
+ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
+
+@example
+(RANGE ACTION MARK)
+@end example
+
+Range is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. Action is
+@code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
+existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
+marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
+mentioned) marks. Mark is a list of marks; where each mark is a
+symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
+@code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
+@code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
+not limit itself to theese.
+
+Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
+effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
+@code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
+remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
+
+An example action list:
+
+@example
+(((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
+ ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
+ ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
+@end example
+
+The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
+mark on (currently not used for anything).
+
+There should be no result data from this function.
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
+
+If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
+function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
+returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
+@var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
+@var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
+
+The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
+it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
+in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
+expirable.
+
+There should be no result data from this function.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
+
+This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
+request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
+another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
+POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
+to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
+scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
+would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
+
+There should be no result data from this function.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
+
+The result data from this function should be a description of
+@var{group}.
+
+@example
+description-line = name <TAB> description eol
+name = <string>
+description = <text>
+@end example
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
+
+The result data from this function should be the description of all
+groups available on the server.
+
+@example
+description-buffer = *description-line
+@end example
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
+
+The result data from this function should be all groups that were
+created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
+format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
+
+This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
+
+There should be no return data.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
+
+This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
+@var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
+numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
+should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
+non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
+they are.
+
+This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
+able to delete.
+
+There should be no result data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
+&optional LAST)
+
+This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
+@var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
+
+This function should ready the article in question for moving by
+removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
+should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
+@var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
+will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
+non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
+
+If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
+that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
+optimizations.
+
+The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
+the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
+
+This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
+If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
+this function in short order.
+
+The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
+the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
+
+This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
+@var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
+
+This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
+really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
+itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
+
+This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
+articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Error Messaging
+@subsubsection Error Messaging
+
+@findex nnheader-report
+@findex nnheader-get-report
+The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
+error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
+perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
+symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
+there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
+This function must always returns @code{nil}.
+
+@lisp
+(nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
+
+(nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
+@end lisp
+
+Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
+@code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
+recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
+takes one argument---the server symbol.
+
+Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
+so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
+@code{nnchoke-status-string}.
+
+
+@node Writing New Backends
+@subsubsection Writing New Backends
+
+Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
+@code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
+@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
+and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
+@code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
+editing articles.
+
+It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
+backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
+want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
+
+All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
+package called @code{nnoo}.
+
+To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
+inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
+following macros:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nnoo-declare
+This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
+parameters. For instance:
+
+@lisp
+(nnoo-declare nndir
+ nnml nnmh)
+@end lisp
+
+@code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
+both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
+
+@item defvoo
+This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
+a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
+declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
+
+In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
+variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
+a function in those backends.
+
+@lisp
+(defvoo nndir-directory nil
+ "Where nndir will look for groups."
+ nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
+@end lisp
+
+This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
+@code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
+of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
+
+@item nnoo-define-basics
+This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
+have.
+
+@example
+(nnoo-define-basics nndir)
+@end example
+
+@item deffoo
+This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
+addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
+function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
+
+@item nnoo-map-functions
+This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
+functions from the parent backends.
+
+@example
+(nnoo-map-functions nndir
+ (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
+ (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
+@end example
+
+This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
+third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
+@code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
+value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
+
+@item nnoo-import
+This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
+last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
+haven't already been defined.
+
+@example
+(nnoo-import nndir
+ (nnmh
+ nnmh-request-list
+ nnmh-request-newgroups)
+ (nnml))
+@end example
+
+This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
+on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
+@code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
+defined now.
+
+@end table
+
+Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
+
+@lisp
+;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
+;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+;;; Code:
+
+(require 'nnheader)
+(require 'nnmh)
+(require 'nnml)
+(require 'nnoo)
+(eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
+
+(nnoo-declare nndir
+ nnml nnmh)
+
+(defvoo nndir-directory nil
+ "Where nndir will look for groups."
+ nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
+
+(defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
+ "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
+ nnml-nov-is-evil)
+
+(defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
+(defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
+(defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
+
+(defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
+(defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
+
+;;; Interface functions.
+
+(nnoo-define-basics nndir)
+
+(deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
+ (setq nndir-directory
+ (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
+ server))
+ (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
+ (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
+ (push `(nndir-current-group
+ ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
+ defs)
+ (push `(nndir-top-directory
+ ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
+ defs)
+ (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
+
+(nnoo-map-functions nndir
+ (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
+ (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
+ (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
+ (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
+
+(nnoo-import nndir
+ (nnmh
+ nnmh-status-message
+ nnmh-request-list
+ nnmh-request-newgroups))
+
+(provide 'nndir)
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
+@subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
+
+@vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
+Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
+declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
+enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
+
+@code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
+an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
+@end lisp
+
+The abilities can be:
+
+@table @code
+@item mail
+This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
+@item post
+This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
+@item post-mail
+This backend supports both mail and news.
+@item none
+This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
+different.
+@item respool
+It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
+articles and groups.
+@item address
+The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
+true for almost all backends.
+@item prompt-address
+The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
+@kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
+@code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Mail-like Backends
+@subsubsection Mail-like Backends
+
+One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
+backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
+functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
+@code{nnml-request-scan}:
+
+@lisp
+(deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
+ (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
+ (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
+@end lisp
+
+It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
+and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
+mail.
+
+This function takes four parameters.
+
+@table @var
+@item method
+This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
+the call.
+
+@item exit-function
+This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
+
+@item temp-directory
+Where the temporary files should be stored.
+
+@item group
+This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
+performed for one group only.
+@end table
+
+@code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
+save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
+find the article number assigned to this article.
+
+The function also uses the following variables:
+@var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
+this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
+@var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
+@var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
+this:
+
+@example
+(("a-group" (1 . 10))
+ ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
+@end example
+
+
+@node Score File Syntax
+@subsection Score File Syntax
+
+Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
+mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
+as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
+
+Here's a typical score file:
+
+@lisp
+(("summary"
+ ("win95" -10000 nil s)
+ ("Gnus"))
+ ("from"
+ ("Lars" -1000))
+ (mark -100))
+@end lisp
+
+BNF definition of a score file:
+
+@example
+score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
+element = rule / atom
+rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
+string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
+number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
+date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
+quote = <ascii 34>
+string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
+ "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
+number-header = "lines" / "chars"
+date-header = "date"
+string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
+ space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
+score = "nil" / <integer>
+date = "nil" / <natural number>
+string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
+ "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
+ "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
+ "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
+number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
+ space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
+number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
+date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
+ space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
+date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
+atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
+required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
+ exclude-files / read-only / touched
+optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
+mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
+nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
+expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
+mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
+files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
+exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
+read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
+adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
+adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
+local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
+eval = "eval" space <form>
+space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
+@end example
+
+Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
+discarded.
+
+As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
+space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
+left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
+one looong line, then that's ok.
+
+The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
+manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
+
+
+@node Headers
+@subsection Headers
+
+Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
+corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
+almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
+just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
+
+@dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
+RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
+@code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
+``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
+opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
+which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
+basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
+
+These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
+@code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
+@code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
+setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
+@code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
+
+All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
+contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
+
+
+@node Ranges
+@subsection Ranges
+
+@sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
+using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
+
+The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
+identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
+that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
+very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
+
+The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
+sequence.
+
+@example
+(1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
+@end example
+
+is transformed into
+
+@example
+((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
+@end example
+
+To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
+lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
+
+@example
+((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
+@end example
+
+This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
+is slightly tricky:
+
+@example
+((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
+@end example
+
+and
+
+@example
+((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
+@end example
+
+are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
+
+@example
+(1 2 3 4 5)
+@end example
+
+is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
+also valid:
+
+@example
+(1 . 5)
+@end example
+
+and is equal to the previous range.
+
+Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
+semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
+of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
+range handling.)
+
+@example
+range = simple-range / normal-range
+simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
+normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
+contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
+ number *[ " " contents ]
+@end example
+
+Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
+marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
+Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
+need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
+totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
+sequences.)
+
+
+@node Group Info
+@subsection Group Info
+
+Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
+This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
+describes the group.
+
+Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
+second is a more complex one:
+
+@example
+("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
+
+("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
+ ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
+ (nnml "")
+ ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
+@end example
+
+The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
+anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
+normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
+cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
+score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
+fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
+The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
+The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
+this section is about.
+
+Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
+In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
+three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
+
+Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
+
+@example
+info = "(" group space ralevel space read
+ [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
+ space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
+group = quote <string> quote
+ralevel = rank / level
+level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
+rank = "(" level "." score ")"
+score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
+read = range
+marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
+marks = "(" <string> range ")"
+method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
+parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
+@end example
+
+Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
+@samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
+in pseudo-BNF.
+
+If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
+series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-info-group
+@itemx gnus-info-set-group
+@findex gnus-info-group
+@findex gnus-info-set-group
+Get/set the group name.
+
+@item gnus-info-rank
+@itemx gnus-info-set-rank
+@findex gnus-info-rank
+@findex gnus-info-set-rank
+Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
+
+@item gnus-info-level
+@itemx gnus-info-set-level
+@findex gnus-info-level
+@findex gnus-info-set-level
+Get/set the group level.
+
+@item gnus-info-score
+@itemx gnus-info-set-score
+@findex gnus-info-score
+@findex gnus-info-set-score
+Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
+
+@item gnus-info-read
+@itemx gnus-info-set-read
+@findex gnus-info-read
+@findex gnus-info-set-read
+Get/set the ranges of read articles.
+
+@item gnus-info-marks
+@itemx gnus-info-set-marks
+@findex gnus-info-marks
+@findex gnus-info-set-marks
+Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
+
+@item gnus-info-method
+@itemx gnus-info-set-method
+@findex gnus-info-method
+@findex gnus-info-set-method
+Get/set the group select method.
+
+@item gnus-info-params
+@itemx gnus-info-set-params
+@findex gnus-info-params
+@findex gnus-info-set-params
+Get/set the group parameters.
+@end table
+
+All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
+functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
+
+The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
+necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
+is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
+the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
+
+
+@node Extended Interactive
+@subsection Extended Interactive
+@cindex interactive
+@findex gnus-interactive
+
+Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
+slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
+Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
+
+@lisp
+(defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
+ (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
+ ...
+ )
+@end lisp
+
+The best thing to do would have been to implement
+@code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
+@code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
+whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
+on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
+function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
+@code{interactive}.
+
+This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
+adds a few more.
+
+@table @samp
+@item y
+@vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
+The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
+variable.
+
+@item Y
+@vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
+A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
+@code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
+
+@item A
+The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
+function.
+
+@item H
+The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
+function.
+
+@item g
+The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
+function.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Emacs/XEmacs Code
+@subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
+@cindex XEmacs
+@cindex Emacsen
+
+While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
+platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
+like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
+
+This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
+while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
+As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
+Gnus, that's very useful.
+
+I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
+Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
+@code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
+function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
+takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
+Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
+However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
+following function:
+
+@lisp
+(defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
+ (start-itimer
+ "gnus-run-at-time"
+ `(lambda ()
+ (,function ,@@args))
+ time repeat))
+@end lisp
+
+This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
+not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
+does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
+all over.
+
+In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
+I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
+for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
+
+Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
+mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
+hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
+
+
+@node Various File Formats
+@subsection Various File Formats
+
+@menu
+* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
+* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Active File Format
+@subsubsection Active File Format
+
+The active file lists all groups available on the server in
+question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
+in each group.
+
+Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
+
+@example
+soc.motss 296030 293865 y
+alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
+comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
+comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
+no.general 1000 900 y
+@end example
+
+Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
+
+@example
+active = *group-line
+group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
+group = <non-white-space string>
+space = " "
+high-number = <non-negative integer>
+low-number = <positive integer>
+flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
+@end example
+
+For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
+@samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
+
+
+@node Newsgroups File Format
+@subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
+
+The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
+groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
+have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
+the user.
+
+The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
+Here's the definition:
+
+@example
+newsgroups = *line
+line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
+group = <non-white-space string>
+tab = <TAB>
+description = <string>
+@end example
+
+
+@page
+@node Emacs for Heathens
+@section Emacs for Heathens
+
+Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
+Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
+If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
+region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
+is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
+phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
+you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
+cat instead.
+
+@menu
+* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
+* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Keystrokes
+@subsection Keystrokes
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
+
+@item
+A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
+@end itemize
+
+Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
+key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
+(notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
+of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
+``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
+may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
+
+The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
+normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
+the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
+that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
+keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
+which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
+to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
+
+Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
+because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
+key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
+prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
+down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
+``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
+the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
+
+This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
+meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
+means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
+work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
+suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
+it.
+
+
+
+@node Emacs Lisp
+@subsection Emacs Lisp
+
+Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
+Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
+Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
+any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
+
+Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
+functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
+interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
+certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
+(Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
+beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
+some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
+to customize Gnus.
+
+If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
+write the following:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
+@end lisp
+
+This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
+set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
+you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
+how Gnus works.
+
+If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
+and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
+start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
+@kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
+previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
+
+Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
+@kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
+is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
+
+Some pitfalls:
+
+If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
+that means:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
+@end lisp
+
+On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
+@samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
+@end lisp
+
+So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
+former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
+
+@page
+@include gnus-faq.texi
+
+@node Index
+@chapter Index
+@printindex cp
+
+@node Key Index
+@chapter Key Index
+@printindex ky
+
+@summarycontents
+@contents
+@bye
+
+@iftex
+@end iftex
+
+@c End:
projects / elisp / gnus.git- / commitdiff