source: trunk/third/nmh/man/vmh.man @ 12455

.\"
.\" %nmhwarning%
.\" $Id: vmh.man,v 1.1.1.1 1999-02-07 18:14:22 danw Exp $
.\"
.\" include the -mh macro file
.so %etcdir%/tmac.h
.\"
.TH VMH %manext1% MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
.SH NAME
vmh \- visual front-end to nmh
.SH SYNOPSIS
.in +.5i
.ti -.5i
vmh
\%[\-prompt\ string]
\%[\-vmhproc\ program] \%[\-novmhproc]
.br
\%[switches\ for\ \fIvmhproc\fR]
\%[\-version]
\%[\-help]
.in -.5i
.SH DESCRIPTION
\fIvmh\fR is a program which implements the server side of the \fInmh\fR
window management protocol and uses \fIcurses\fR\0(3) routines to maintain
a split\-screen interface to any program which implements the client
side of the protocol.  This latter program, called the \fIvmhproc\fR,
is specified using the `\-vmhproc\ program' switch.

The upshot of all this is that one can run \fImsh\fR on a display terminal
and get a nice visual interface.  To do this, for example, just add
the line

.ti +.5i
mshproc: vmh

to your \&.mh\(ruprofile.  (This takes advantage of the fact that
\fImsh\fR is the default \fIvmhproc\fR for \fIvmh\fR.)

In order to facilitate things, if the `\-novmhproc' switch is given,
and \fIvmh\fR can't run on the user's terminal, the \fIvmhproc\fR is
run directly without the window management protocol.

After initializing the protocol, \fIvmh\fR prompts the user for a command
to be given to the client.  Usually, this results in output being sent to
one or more windows.  If a output to a window would cause it to scroll,
\fIvmh\fR prompts the user for instructions, roughly permitting the
capabilities of \fIless\fR or \fImore\fR (e.g., the ability to scroll
backwards and forwards):

.nf
.in +.5i
.ta \w'RETURN  'u +\w'*  'u
SPACE           advance to the next windowful
RETURN  *       advance to the next line
y       *       retreat to the previous line
d       *       advance to the next ten lines
u       *       retreat to the previous ten lines
g       *       go to an arbitrary line
                (preceed g with the line number)
G       *       go to the end of the window
                (if a line number is given, this acts like `g')
CTRL\-L         refresh the entire screen
h               print a help message
q               abort the window
.re
.in -.5i
.fi

(A `*' indicates that a numeric prefix is meaningful for this command.)

Note that if a command resulted in more than one window's worth of
information being displayed, and you allow the command which is generating
information for the window to gracefully finish (i.e., you don't use
the `q' command to abort information being sent to the window), then
\fIvmh\fR will give you one last change to peruse the window.  This is
useful for scrolling back and forth.  Just type `q' when you're done.

To abnormally terminate \fIvmh\fR (without core dump), use <QUIT>
(usually CTRL\-\\).  For instance, this does the \*(lqright\*(rq thing
with \fIbbc\fR and \fImsh\fR.

.Fi
^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
.Pr
^Path:~^To determine the user's nmh directory
.Sa
msh(1)
.De
`\-prompt\ (vmh)\ '
.Ds
`\-vmhproc\ msh'
.Co
None
.Bu
The argument to the `\-prompt' switch must be interpreted as a single
token by the shell that invokes \fIvmh\fR.  Therefore, one must usually
place the argument to this switch inside double\-quotes.

At present, there is no way to pass signals (e.g., interrupt, quit) to
the client.  However, generating QUIT when \fIvmh\fR is reading a command
from the terminal is sufficient to tell the client to go away quickly.

Acts strangely (loses peer or botches window management protocol with
peer) on random occasions.
.En