Subject: How does Pine separate messages?

From: [email-masked] (Paul Shen)
Date: 13 Nov 1996 23:11:34 GMT

Hi Pine Users...

   Can someone tell me what Pine uses to distinguish between 1 message and
the next.  For example, if I were to type out 2 consecutive messages
(header+body), I get one long text file.  When I cat the /var/spool/mail
file, it's one long text file, yet Pine can divide the text file into
separate messages.  I think this convention works for all e-mail
readers...but don't know what it is...
   Any answer would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Paul Shen
[email-masked]

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From: Timothy J Luoma <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 96 17:19:54 -0500

Responding To:	[email-masked] (Paul Shen)
Original Date:	13 Nov 1996 23:11:34 GMT
Message-ID: 	<[email-masked]>

> Can someone tell me what Pine uses to distinguish between 1 message
> and the next. For example, if I were to type out 2 consecutive
> messages (header+body), I get one long text file. When I cat the
> /var/spool/mail file, it's one long text file, yet Pine can divide
> the text file into separate messages. I think this convention works
> for all e-mail readers...but don't know what it is...

pretty simple, really.

It looks for a blank line, followed by the word "From "

The word "From " must be right up against the left margin, and it  
must have a space after it.

When a mail message is received by "sendmail" (and I assume any  
other mail program) it requires that the message begins with a "From  
" and ends with a "." (also left-justified, on a line by itself).   
Then it scans the message to make sure the word "From " doesn't  
appear anywhere as the first word on a line.  If it is found,  
sendmail will put a ">" in front of it

I'll show you what I mean with this sentence: "This message is from  
me to you."  Now that's OK because the word "From " is not the  
first word.  (It also isn't capitalized.).

But the next "From " will get a ">" in this:
This
Message
Is
From
Me

the "From " that I wrote doesn't have a ">", but when it gets to  
you it will

This
Is
A
From
without
a
space
after
it

A
lowercase
from
with
a
space

and
a
lowercase
from
without
a
space

Hope that helps...

TjL

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From: [email-masked] (Vikas Agnihotri)
Date: 19 Nov 1996 21:00:15 GMT

That was a good explanation, but I dont see the '>' before your
From where you say it should be. I also forwarded this message to myself
to see if I get it but I still didnt. 
  ????
 
--Vikas

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From: [email-masked] (Adam H. Kerman)
Date: 20 Nov 1996 19:12:00 -0600

In article <[email-masked]>,
>to see if I get it but I still didnt.

The message boundary is "\n\nFrom ". In other words, a blank line and then
"From " are the boundary. No blank line is needed ahead of the first
message in the mailbox, though. The ">", then, is only needed if "From "
follows a blank line within the body of the message.

There are other mailbox formats, though. This is a "religious" issue in
some newsgroups, like comp.mail.headers.