elmalias(1)elmalias(1)NAMEelmalias - display and verify elm user and system aliases
SYNOPSIS
format[alias-name-list]
Remarks
The former functionality of the command has been taken over by the com‐
mand (see newalias(1)).
DESCRIPTION
The command displays and verifies user and system aliases.
The system database must have been created by the command (see
newalias(1)). The user database must have been created by either the
command or the mail system (see elm(1)). If the same alias is in both
databases, the user version is used. Missing database files are
silently ignored.
Each database entry can have the following fields, which are described
in detail in newalias(1):
alias-list A list of one or more aliases for the entry.
address-list A list of one or more addresses for the entry.
An address can be an alias from another entry's
alias-list.
comment An optional field containing information about
the entry. This field is not included in out‐
bound mail.
firstname An optional field interpreted as the first name
of the person or group. It is used in fullname.
lastname An optional field interpreted as the last name of
the person or group. It is used in fullname.
fullname A combination value made up from the firstname
and lastname fields, in the form: firstname last‐
name.
recognizes three types of alias names:
A database entry that has one address in
address-list. assumes this address is a valid
mailing address.
A database entry that has two or more addresses in
address-list. assumes initially that these
addresses are aliases to or entries.
An address in a
entry or an alias in alias-name-list that is not
an alias in the database. In both cases, the
item is reported as both the alias name and its
address.
With no options or operands, displays the address-list field for each
alias in the two databases. If an entry has more than one alias, the
address-list field is displayed multiple times.
With an alias-name-list and no options, displays the address-list field
of each alias name in the list. If an alias name is not found in the
databases, it is treated as without comment.
Options
recognizes the following options:
Change the display to alias name followed by
address-list field.
Turn debugging on.
Fully expand aliases. This option can be used only when an
alias-name-list is given.
If an address in a address list is an alias name,
it is replaced by that alias entry. The process
is recursive until the results are either or
types. If a address is not an alias name, it is
reported as both the alias name and the address,
with type Duplicate alias names are reported only
once. entries are not expanded, even if their
addresses are actually aliases.
Display the format string for each alias name in the file or
in the alias-name-list. The following character
pairs are replaced in the format by the corre‐
sponding value for each alias.
The alias name.
The comment field.
The lastname field.
The fullname value.
The alias type:
or
The address-list field.
Change the display to
address-list followed by fullname, if any, in
parentheses.
Report an error if a name in
alias-name-list does not correspond to an alias
in the database. Display a message for each
unknown name and exit with a nonzero status.
Use the system alias database only,
unless is also specified.
Use the user alias database only,
unless is also specified.
Use a verbose output format.
Change the display to alias name, followed by
address-list, followed by fullname, if any, in
parentheses.
Use a very verbose, multiline output format with the following
titles,
corresponding to the format codes of the option.
If a field is empty, the title is omitted.
EXIT STATUS
sets the following exit status values:
Normal completion.
An error occurred.
You may have specified:
· An invalid option.
· The option without an alias-name-list.
· The option without a format.
· The option with an unknown alias name in alias-name-
list.
EXAMPLES
Consider a user database that contains the following entries:
Since and do not refer to alias entries, they are typed as
with no options or operands produces the following output.
produces the alias names, address, and full name, as follows:
To expand a set of aliases and format them with field titles, use the
and options, as in the following command:
producing:
AUTHOR
was developed by HP.
FILES
User alias database data table
User alias database directory table
User alias database hash table
User alias source text
System alias database data table
System alias database directory table
System alias database hash table
System alias source text
SEE ALSOelm(1), newalias(1).
elmalias(1)
