mje@olsa99.UUCP (Mark J Elkins) (09/10/90)
I've been playing around with the MAILPATH variable in the shell.
This is used to specify other 'files' you want monitored and also
provides a mechanism to give a different message from 'You have mail'
for each monitored file. The format is
'file to check:file to check#message to print:file to check#message to print'
... where the '#' is either a '%' or a '?'.
It is a '%' for the bourne shell and looking at the source - the '%'
character is the only allowed character. In the Korn shell, a '?' is
used instead - although '%' is also catered for - however - reading
the style of the source - it looks like the compatability with
Bournes '%' was put in as an afterthought.
Reading my Sys V Rel 4.0 Manuals - nothing has changed.
Question - why the difference anyway?
(or was it a slip-up?)
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