GREPHISTORY (1)

NAME
     grephistory - display file names from Usenet history file

SYNOPSIS
     grephistory [ -f filename ] [ -e ] [ -n ] [ -q ] [ -l ] [ -t ] [ -i  ]  [
     -s ] [ messageid ]

DESCRIPTION
     Grephistory queries the dbz(3) index into  the  history(5)   file  for  an
     article having a specified Message-ID.

     If messageid cannot be found in the database, the  program  prints  ``Not
     found''  and  exits  with  a  non-zero  status.   If  messageid is in the
     database, the program prints the pathname and exits successfully.

OPTIONS

     -n   If no pathname exists, the program will print ``/dev/null'' and exit
          successfully.   This  can happen when an article has been cancelled,
          or if it has been expired but its history is still  retained.   This
          is  default  behaviour,  which  can  be obtained by using the ``-n''
          flag.

     -q   If the ``-q'' flag is used,  then  no  message  is  displayed.   The
          program will still exit with the appropriate exit status.

     -t   If the ``-t'' flag is used, then only the offset  into  the  history
          text file is printed.

     -e   If the ``-e'' flag is used, then grephistory  will  only  print  the
          filename of an existing article.

     -l   If the ``-l'' flag is used then the entire  line  from  the  history
          file will be displayed.

     -i   If the ``-i'' flag is used, then grephistory will  read  a  list  of
          Message-ID's  on standard input, one per line.  Leading and trailing
          whitespace is ignored, as are any malformed lines.  It will print on
          standard  output  those  Message-ID's  which  are  not  found in the
          history database.   This  flag  is  used  in  processsing  ``ihave''
          control messages.

     -s   If the ``-s'' flag is used, then grephistory  will  read  a  similar
          list  from  its  standard input.  It will print on standard output a
          list of filenames for each article that is  still  available.   This
          flag is used in processsing ``sendme'' control messages.

     -f   To specify a different value for the history file and database,  use
          the ``-f'' flag.

HISTORY
     Written by Rich $alz  <rsalz@uunet.uu.net>  for  InterNetNews.   This  is
     revision 1.7, dated 1996/11/08.

SEE ALSO
     dbz(3), history(5) .