SYNOPSIS
========
-**notmuch** **search** ``--query=sexp`` '(and (to santa) (date december))'
+**notmuch** *subcommand* ``--query=sexp`` [option ...] ``--`` '(and (to santa) (date december))'
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 inside parentheses. Atoms are either
*basic value*
+
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 \""``.
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*
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| ``)``
+
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.
+``(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
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``
+
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 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 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")``
+
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
=====
+.. [#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
+.. [#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`
+
+.. |p1| replace:: :math:`p_1`
+.. |p2| replace:: :math:`p_2`
+.. |pn| replace:: :math:`p_n`
projects / notmuch / blobdiff