doc/sexp-queries: replace definition lists with block quotes.

[notmuch] / doc / man7 / notmuch-sexp-queries.rst

diff --git a/doc/man7/notmuch-sexp-queries.rst b/doc/man7/notmuch-sexp-queries.rst
index b763876d3672ddffc51aa8cc810ec67c85ea1503..d3b18593e30f31ce4f6492fc3c5a35397605917d 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/man7/notmuch-sexp-queries.rst
+++ b/doc/man7/notmuch-sexp-queries.rst
@@ -7,11 +7,22 @@ notmuch-sexp-queries
 SYNOPSIS
 ========
 
 SYNOPSIS
 ========
 

-**notmuch** **search** ``--query=sexp`` '(and (to santa) (date december))'
+**notmuch** *subcommand* ``--query=sexp`` [option ...]  ``--`` '(and (to santa) (date december))'

 
 DESCRIPTION
 ===========
 
 
 DESCRIPTION
 ===========
 

+Notmuch supports an alternative query syntax based on `S-expressions
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-expression>`_ . It can be selected
+with the command line ``--query=sexp`` or with the appropriate option
+to the library function :c:func:`notmuch_query_create_with_syntax`.
+Support for this syntax is currently optional, you can test if your
+build of notmuch supports it with
+
+::
+
+   $ notmuch config get built_with.sexpr_query
+

 
 S-EXPRESSIONS
 -------------
 
 S-EXPRESSIONS
 -------------


@@ -20,10 +31,12 @@ An *s-expression* is either an atom, or list of whitespace delimited
 s-expressions inside parentheses. Atoms are either
 
 *basic value*
 s-expressions inside parentheses. Atoms are either
 
 *basic value*

+

     A basic value is an unquoted string containing no whitespace, double quotes, or
     parentheses.
 
 *quoted string*
     A basic value is an unquoted string containing no whitespace, double quotes, or
     parentheses.
 
 *quoted string*

+

     Double quotes (") delimit strings possibly containing whitespace
     or parentheses. These can contain double quote characters by
     escaping with backslash. E.g. ``"this is a quote \""``.
     Double quotes (") delimit strings possibly containing whitespace
     or parentheses. These can contain double quote characters by
     escaping with backslash. E.g. ``"this is a quote \""``.


@@ -36,8 +49,13 @@ An s-expression query is either an atom, the empty list, or a
 a *field*, *logical operation*, or *modifier*, and 0 or more
 subqueries.
 
 a *field*, *logical operation*, or *modifier*, and 0 or more
 subqueries.
 

-``*`` ``()``
-    Match all messages.
+``*``
+
+   "*" matches any non-empty string in the current field.
+
+``()``
+
+    The empty list matches all messages

 
 *term*
 
 
 *term*
 


@@ -48,18 +66,30 @@ subqueries.
     phrase splitting see :any:`fields`.
 
 ``(`` *field* |q1| |q2| ... |qn| ``)``
     phrase splitting see :any:`fields`.
 
 ``(`` *field* |q1| |q2| ... |qn| ``)``

+

     Restrict the queries |q1| to |qn| to *field*, and combine with *and*
     (for most fields) or *or*. See :any:`fields` for more information.
 
 ``(`` *operator* |q1| |q2| ... |qn| ``)``
     Restrict the queries |q1| to |qn| to *field*, and combine with *and*
     (for most fields) or *or*. See :any:`fields` for more information.
 
 ``(`` *operator* |q1| |q2| ... |qn| ``)``

+

     Combine queries |q1| to |qn|. Currently supported operators are
     ``and``, ``or``, and ``not``. ``(not`` |q1| ... |qn| ``)`` is equivalent
     to ``(and (not`` |q1| ``) ... (not`` |qn| ``))``.
 
 ``(`` *modifier* |q1| |q2| ... |qn| ``)``
     Combine queries |q1| to |qn|. Currently supported operators are
     ``and``, ``or``, and ``not``. ``(not`` |q1| ... |qn| ``)`` is equivalent
     to ``(and (not`` |q1| ``) ... (not`` |qn| ``))``.
 
 ``(`` *modifier* |q1| |q2| ... |qn| ``)``

+

     Combine queries |q1| to |qn|, and reinterpret the result (e.g. as a regular expression).
     See :any:`modifiers` for more information.
 
     Combine queries |q1| to |qn|, and reinterpret the result (e.g. as a regular expression).
     See :any:`modifiers` for more information.
 

+``(macro (`` |p1| ... |pn| ``) body)``
+
+    Define saved query with parameter substitution. The syntax is
+    recognized only in saved s-expression queries (see ``squery.*`` in
+    :any:`notmuch-config(1)`). Parameter names in ``body`` must be
+    prefixed with ``,`` to be expanded (see :any:`macro_examples`).
+    Macros may refer to other macros, but only to their own
+    parameters [#macro-details]_.
+

 .. _fields:
 
 FIELDS
 .. _fields:
 
 FIELDS


@@ -81,6 +111,14 @@ string) into words, ignore punctuation. Phrase splitting is applied to
 terms in phrase (probabilistic) fields. Both phrase splitting and
 stemming apply only in phrase fields.
 
 terms in phrase (probabilistic) fields. Both phrase splitting and
 stemming apply only in phrase fields.
 

+Each term or phrase field has an associated combining operator
+(``and`` or ``or``) used to combine the queries from each element of
+the tail of the list. This is generally ``or`` for those fields where
+a message has one such attribute, and ``and`` otherwise.
+
+Term or phrase fields can contain arbitrarily complex queries made up
+from terms, operators, and modifiers, but not other fields.
+

 .. _field-table:
 
 .. table:: Fields with supported modifiers
 .. _field-table:
 
 .. table:: Fields with supported modifiers


@@ -112,7 +150,7 @@ stemming apply only in phrase fields.
   +------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+----------+
   |  mimetype  |    or     |  phrase   |    yes    |    yes    |    no    |
   +------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+----------+
   +------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+----------+
   |  mimetype  |    or     |  phrase   |    yes    |    yes    |    no    |
   +------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+----------+

-  |    path    |    or     |   term    |    yes    |    yes    |   yes    |
+  |    path    |    or     |   term    |    no     |    yes    |   yes    |

   +------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+----------+
   |  property  |    and    |   term    |    yes    |    yes    |   yes    |
   +------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+----------+
   +------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+----------+
   |  property  |    and    |   term    |    yes    |    yes    |   yes    |
   +------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+----------+


@@ -130,40 +168,178 @@ stemming apply only in phrase fields.
 MODIFIERS
 `````````
 
 MODIFIERS
 `````````
 

+*Modifiers* refer to any prefixes (first elements of compound queries)
+that are neither operators nor fields.
+
+``(infix`` *atom* ``)``
+
+    Interpret *atom* as an infix notmuch query (see
+    :any:`notmuch-search-terms(7)`). Not supported inside fields.
+
+``(matching`` |q1| |q2| ... |qn| ``)`` ``(of`` |q1| |q2| ... |qn|  ``)``
+
+    Match all messages have the same values of the current field as
+    those matching all of |q1| ... |qn|. Supported in most term [#not-path]_ or
+    phrase fields. Most commonly used in the ``thread`` field.
+
+``(query`` *atom* ``)``
+
+    Expand to the saved query named by *atom*. See
+    :any:`notmuch-config(1)` for more. Note that the saved query must
+    be in infix syntax (:any:`notmuch-search-terms(7)`). Not supported
+    inside fields.
+
+``(regex`` *atom* ``)`` ``(rx`` *atom* ``)``
+
+    Interpret *atom* as a POSIX.2 regular expression (see
+    :manpage:`regex(7)`). This applies in term fields and a subset [#not-phrase]_ of
+    phrase fields (see :any:`field-table`).
+
+``(starts-with`` *subword* ``)``
+
+    Matches any term starting with *subword*.  This applies in either
+    phrase or term :any:`fields <fields>`, or outside of fields [#not-body]_. Note that
+    a ``starts-with`` query cannot be part of a phrase. The
+    atom ``*`` is a synonym for ``(starts-with "")``.
+

 EXAMPLES
 ========
 
 ``Wizard``
 EXAMPLES
 ========
 
 ``Wizard``

+

     Match all messages containing the word "wizard", ignoring case.
 
 ``added``
     Match all messages containing the word "wizard", ignoring case.
 
 ``added``

+

     Match all messages containing "added", but also those containing "add", "additional",
     "Additional", "adds", etc... via stemming.
 
 ``(and Bob Marley)``
     Match all messages containing "added", but also those containing "add", "additional",
     "Additional", "adds", etc... via stemming.
 
 ``(and Bob Marley)``

+

     Match messages containing words "Bob" and "Marley", or their stems
     The words need not be adjacent.
 
 ``(not Bob Marley)``
     Match messages containing words "Bob" and "Marley", or their stems
     The words need not be adjacent.
 
 ``(not Bob Marley)``

+

     Match messages containing neither "Bob" nor "Marley", nor their stems,
 
 ``"quick fox"`` ``quick-fox`` ``quick@fox``
     Match messages containing neither "Bob" nor "Marley", nor their stems,
 
 ``"quick fox"`` ``quick-fox`` ``quick@fox``

+

     Match the *phrase* "quick" followed by "fox" in phrase fields (or
     outside a field). Match the literal string in a term field.
 
     Match the *phrase* "quick" followed by "fox" in phrase fields (or
     outside a field). Match the literal string in a term field.
 

+``(folder (of (id 1234@invalid)))``
+
+    Match any message in the same folder as the one with Message-Id "1234@invalid"
+
+``(id 1234@invalid blah@test)``
+
+    Matches Message-Id "1234@invalid" *or* Message-Id "blah@test"
+
+``(and (infix "date:2009-11-18..2009-11-18") (tag unread))``
+
+    Match messages in the given date range with tag unread.
+
+``(starts-with prelim)``
+
+    Match any words starting with "prelim".
+

 ``(subject quick "brown fox")``
 ``(subject quick "brown fox")``

+

     Match messages whose subject contains "quick" (anywhere, stemmed) and
     the phrase "brown fox".
 
     Match messages whose subject contains "quick" (anywhere, stemmed) and
     the phrase "brown fox".
 

+``(subject (starts-with prelim))``
+
+    Matches any word starting with "prelim", inside a message subject.
+
+``(subject (starts-wih quick) "brown fox")``
+
+    Match messages whose subject contains "quick brown fox", but also
+    "brown fox quicksand".
+
+``(thread (of (id 1234@invalid)))``
+
+    Match any message in the same thread as the one with Message-Id "1234@invalid"
+
+``(thread (matching (from bob@example.com) (to bob@example.com)))``
+
+    Match any (messages in) a thread containing a message from
+    "bob@example.com" and a (possibly distinct) message to "bob at
+    example.com")
+
+``(to (or bob@example.com mallory@example.org))`` ``(or (to bob@example.com) (to mallory@example.org))``
+
+    Match in the "To" or "Cc" headers, "bob@example.com",
+    "mallory@example.org", and also "bob@example.com.au" since it
+    contains the adjacent triple "bob", "example", "com".
+
+``(not (to *))``
+
+    Match messages with an empty or invalid 'To' and 'Cc' field.
+
+``(List *)``
+
+    Match messages with a non-empty List-Id header, assuming
+    configuration ``index.header.List=List-Id``
+
+.. _macro_examples:
+
+MACRO EXAMPLES
+--------------
+
+A macro that takes two parameters and applies different fields to them.
+
+::
+
+   $ notmuch config set squery.TagSubject '(macro (tagname subj) (and (tag ,tagname) (subject ,subj)))'
+   $ notmuch search --query=sexp '(TagSubject inbox maildir)'
+
+Nested macros are allowed.
+
+::
+
+    $ notmuch config set squery.Inner '(macro (x) (subject ,x))'
+    $ notmuch config set squery.Outer  '(macro (x y) (and (tag ,x) (Inner ,y)))'
+    $ notmuch search --query=sexp '(Outer inbox maildir)'
+
+Parameters can be re-used to reduce boilerplate. Any field, including
+user defined fields is permitted within a macro.
+
+::
+
+    $ notmuch config set squery.About '(macro (name) (or (subject ,name) (List ,name)))'
+    $ notmuch search --query=sexp '(About notmuch)'
+
+

 NOTES
 =====
 
 NOTES
 =====
 

+.. [#macro-details] Technically macros impliment lazy evaluation and
+                    lexical scope. There is one top level scope
+                    containing all macro definitions, but all
+                    parameter definitions are local to a given macro.
+

 .. [#aka-pref] a.k.a. prefixes
 
 .. [#aka-prob] a.k.a. probabilistic prefixes
 
 .. [#aka-bool] a.k.a. boolean prefixes
 
 .. [#aka-pref] a.k.a. prefixes
 
 .. [#aka-prob] a.k.a. probabilistic prefixes
 
 .. [#aka-bool] a.k.a. boolean prefixes
 

+.. [#not-phrase] Due to the implemention of phrase fields in Xapian,
+                 regex queries could only match individual words.
+
+.. [#not-body] Due the the way ``body`` is implemented in notmuch,
+               this modifier is not supported in the ``body`` field.
+
+.. [#not-path] Due to the way recursive ``path`` queries are implemented
+               in notmuch, this modifier is not supported in the
+               ``path`` field.
+

 .. |q1| replace:: :math:`q_1`
 .. |q2| replace:: :math:`q_2`
 .. |qn| replace:: :math:`q_n`
 .. |q1| replace:: :math:`q_1`
 .. |q2| replace:: :math:`q_2`
 .. |qn| replace:: :math:`q_n`

+
+.. |p1| replace:: :math:`p_1`
+.. |p2| replace:: :math:`p_2`
+.. |pn| replace:: :math:`p_n`