X-Git-Url: https://git.notmuchmail.org/git?p=notmuch;a=blobdiff_plain;f=doc%2Fman7%2Fnotmuch-search-terms.rst;h=8a5eeb189179a41220139f634b6499172285d379;hp=637f7777dd932f6c027f966797654f09f4538e04;hb=f2e6f76a046492650713c1c3f1f1a19f49de59ea;hpb=6575b7eb31a710c8215be698d5cf31be20d4356e diff --git a/doc/man7/notmuch-search-terms.rst b/doc/man7/notmuch-search-terms.rst index 637f7777..8a5eeb18 100644 --- a/doc/man7/notmuch-search-terms.rst +++ b/doc/man7/notmuch-search-terms.rst @@ -30,137 +30,141 @@ recipient headers. As a special case, a search string consisting of exactly a single asterisk ("\*") will match all messages. +Search prefixes +--------------- + In addition to free text, the following prefixes can be used to force terms to match against specific portions of an email, (where -indicate user-supplied values): - -- from: - -- from:// - -- to: - -- subject: - -- subject:// - -- attachment: - -- mimetype: - -- tag: (or is:) - -- id: - -- thread: - -- folder: - -- path: or path:/** - -- date:.. - -- lastmod:.. - -- query: - -- property:= - -The **from:** prefix is used to match the name or address of the sender -of an email message. - -The **to:** prefix is used to match the names or addresses of any -recipient of an email message, (whether To, Cc, or Bcc). - -Any term prefixed with **subject:** will match only text from the -subject of an email. Searching for a phrase in the subject is supported -by including quotation marks around the phrase, immediately following -**subject:**. - -If notmuch is built with **Xapian Field Processors** (see below) the -**from:** and **subject** prefix can be also used to restrict the -results to those whose from/subject value matches a regular expression -(see **regex(7)**) delimited with //. - -:: - - notmuch search 'from:/bob@.*[.]example[.]com/' - -The **attachment:** prefix can be used to search for specific filenames -(or extensions) of attachments to email messages. - -The **mimetype:** prefix will be used to match text from the -content-types of MIME parts within email messages (as specified by the -sender). - -For **tag:** and **is:** valid tag values include **inbox** and -**unread** by default for new messages added by **notmuch new** as well -as any other tag values added manually with **notmuch tag**. - -For **id:**, message ID values are the literal contents of the -Message-ID: header of email messages, but without the '<', '>' -delimiters. - -The **thread:** prefix can be used with the thread ID values that are -generated internally by notmuch (and do not appear in email messages). -These thread ID values can be seen in the first column of output from -**notmuch search** - -The **path:** prefix searches for email messages that are in -particular directories within the mail store. The directory must be -specified relative to the top-level maildir (and without the leading -slash). By default, **path:** matches messages in the specified -directory only. The "/\*\*" suffix can be used to match messages in -the specified directory and all its subdirectories recursively. -**path:""** matches messages in the root of the mail store and, -likewise, **path:\*\*** matches all messages. - -The **folder:** prefix searches for email messages by maildir or MH -folder. For MH-style folders, this is equivalent to **path:**. For -maildir, this includes messages in the "new" and "cur" -subdirectories. The exact syntax for maildir folders depends on your -mail configuration. For maildir++, **folder:""** matches the inbox -folder (which is the root in maildir++), other folder names always -start with ".", and nested folders are separated by "."s, such as -**folder:.classes.topology**. For "file system" maildir, the inbox is -typically **folder:INBOX** and nested folders are separated by -slashes, such as **folder:classes/topology**. - -Both **path:** and **folder:** will find a message if *any* copy of -that message is in the specific directory/folder. - -The **date:** prefix can be used to restrict the results to only -messages within a particular time range (based on the Date: header) with -a range syntax of: - -date:.. - -See **DATE AND TIME SEARCH** below for details on the range expression, -and supported syntax for and date and time expressions. - -The time range can also be specified using timestamps with a syntax of: - -.. - -Each timestamp is a number representing the number of seconds since -1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC. - -The **lastmod:** prefix can be used to restrict the result by the -database revision number of when messages were last modified (tags -were added/removed or filenames changed). This is usually used in -conjunction with the **--uuid** argument to **notmuch search** -to find messages that have changed since an earlier query. - -The **query:** prefix allows queries to refer to previously saved -queries added with **notmuch-config(1)**. Named queries are only -available if notmuch is built with **Xapian Field Processors** (see -below). - -The **property:** prefix searches for messages with a particular -= property pair. Properties are used internally by notmuch -(and extensions) to add metadata to messages. A given key can be -present on a given message with several different values. See -**notmuch-properties(7)** for more details. +indicate user-supplied values). + +If notmuch is built with **Xapian Field Processors** (see below) some +of the prefixes with forms can be also used to restrict the +results to those whose value matches a regular expression (see +**regex(7)**) delimited with //, for example:: + + notmuch search 'from:"/bob@.*[.]example[.]com/"' + +from: or from:// + The **from:** prefix is used to match the name or address of + the sender of an email message. + +to: + The **to:** prefix is used to match the names or addresses of any + recipient of an email message, (whether To, Cc, or Bcc). + +subject: or subject:// + Any term prefixed with **subject:** will match only text from the + subject of an email. Searching for a phrase in the subject is + supported by including quotation marks around the phrase, + immediately following **subject:**. + +attachment: + The **attachment:** prefix can be used to search for specific + filenames (or extensions) of attachments to email messages. + +mimetype: + The **mimetype:** prefix will be used to match text from the + content-types of MIME parts within email messages (as specified by + the sender). + +tag: or tag:// or is: or is:// + For **tag:** and **is:** valid tag values include **inbox** and + **unread** by default for new messages added by **notmuch new** as + well as any other tag values added manually with **notmuch tag**. + +id: or mid: or mid:// + For **id:** and **mid:**, message ID values are the literal + contents of the Message-ID: header of email messages, but without + the '<', '>' delimiters. + +thread: + The **thread:** prefix can be used with the thread ID values that + are generated internally by notmuch (and do not appear in email + messages). These thread ID values can be seen in the first column + of output from **notmuch search** + +thread:{} + If notmuch is built with **Xapian Field Processors** (see below), + threads may be searched for indirectly by providing an arbitrary + notmuch query in **{}**. For example, the following returns + threads containing a message from mallory and one (not necessarily + the same message) with Subject containing the word "crypto". + + :: + + % notmuch search 'thread:"{from:mallory}" and thread:"{subject:crypto}"' + + The performance of such queries can vary wildly. To understand + this, the user should think of the query **thread:{}** + as expanding to all of the thread IDs which match ****; + notmuch then performs a second search using the expanded query. + +path: or path:/** or path:// + The **path:** prefix searches for email messages that are in + particular directories within the mail store. The directory must + be specified relative to the top-level maildir (and without the + leading slash). By default, **path:** matches messages in the + specified directory only. The "/\*\*" suffix can be used to match + messages in the specified directory and all its subdirectories + recursively. **path:""** matches messages in the root of the mail + store and, likewise, **path:\*\*** matches all messages. + + **path:** will find a message if *any* copy of that message is in + the specific directory. + +folder: or folder:// + The **folder:** prefix searches for email messages by maildir or + MH folder. For MH-style folders, this is equivalent to + **path:**. For maildir, this includes messages in the "new" and + "cur" subdirectories. The exact syntax for maildir folders depends + on your mail configuration. For maildir++, **folder:""** matches + the inbox folder (which is the root in maildir++), other folder + names always start with ".", and nested folders are separated by + "."s, such as **folder:.classes.topology**. For "file system" + maildir, the inbox is typically **folder:INBOX** and nested + folders are separated by slashes, such as + **folder:classes/topology**. + + **folder:** will find a message if *any* copy of that message is + in the specific folder. + +date:.. or date: + The **date:** prefix can be used to restrict the results to only + messages within a particular time range (based on the Date: + header). + + See **DATE AND TIME SEARCH** below for details on the range + expression, and supported syntax for and date and + time expressions. + + The time range can also be specified using timestamps without + including the date prefix using a syntax of: + + .. + + Each timestamp is a number representing the number of seconds + since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC. Specifying a time range this way + is considered legacy and predates the date prefix. + +lastmod:.. + The **lastmod:** prefix can be used to restrict the result by the + database revision number of when messages were last modified (tags + were added/removed or filenames changed). This is usually used in + conjunction with the **--uuid** argument to **notmuch search** to + find messages that have changed since an earlier query. + +query: + The **query:** prefix allows queries to refer to previously saved + queries added with **notmuch-config(1)**. Named queries are only + available if notmuch is built with **Xapian Field Processors** + (see below). + +property:= + The **property:** prefix searches for messages with a particular + = property pair. Properties are used internally by + notmuch (and extensions) to add metadata to messages. A given key + can be present on a given message with several different values. + See **notmuch-properties(7)** for more details. Operators --------- @@ -285,6 +289,33 @@ Both of these will match a subject "Free Delicious Pizza" while will not. +Quoting +------- + +Double quotes are also used by the notmuch query parser to protect +boolean terms, regular expressions, or subqueries containing spaces or +other special characters, e.g. + +:: + + tag:"a tag" + +:: + + folder:"/^.*/(Junk|Spam)$/" + +:: + + thread:"{from:mallory and date:2009}" + +As with phrases, you need to protect the double quotes from the shell +e.g. + +:: + + % notmuch search 'folder:"/^.*/(Junk|Spam)$/"' + % notmuch search 'thread:"{from:mallory and date:2009}" and thread:{to:mallory}' + DATE AND TIME SEARCH ==================== @@ -309,6 +340,13 @@ In this case, is taken as the earliest time it could describe could describe (the end of yesterday). Similarly, date:january..february matches from the beginning of January to the end of February. +If specifying a time range using timestamps in conjunction with the +date prefix, each timestamp must be preceded by @ (ASCII hex 40). As +above, each timestamp is a number representing the number of seconds +since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC. For example: + + date:@..@ + date:..! can be used as a shorthand for date:... The expansion takes place before interpretation, and thus, for example, date:monday..! matches from the beginning of Monday until the end of @@ -418,6 +456,7 @@ Currently the following features require field processor support: - non-range date queries, e.g. "date:today" - named queries e.g. "query:my_special_query" - regular expression searches, e.g. "subject:/^\\[SPAM\\]/" +- thread subqueries, e.g. "thread:{from:bob}" SEE ALSO ========