On Mon, Dec 15, 2008 at 10:11:57PM +0100, Melisizwe Dubaku wrote:
> I would change it to "Meeting cancelled [was: Meeting next week]".

Yes, that's precisely the syntax which I've also absorbed from
inhabiting a number of technical lists. It is the only one which I've
noticed to be consistent across several lists.

> Maybe some mail-clients have a way of handling this kind of situation,
> I don't know.

Up till now I'd just edited the subject line during reply. While that
can obviously be done after edit, just prior to posting, it can be taken
one step further if .muttrc has:

set edit_headers=yes

and then adding a key mapping to .vimrc:

au BufNewFile,BufRead   /tmp/mutt-*   map <M-w> ^[gg/Re:^Mce[Was^[A]^[0Wi

Now Alt-w changes:

Subject: Re: standardized method of changing reply-subject

to:

Subject: [Was: standardized method of changing reply-subject]
        ^
        |
and places us in insert mode, immediately before the '['.

There is no need to pre-position the cursor, or leave insert mode.
That's done in the mapping. (So long as there's no "Re:" string in your
editable headers, prior to the subject line.)

I've just checked the mapping. The stuff prior to "map" may be omitted
if it's OK to have the mapping when editing things other than mutt
temporary files. ("^[" is entered as Ctl-v Esc, and "^M" is Ctl-v Enter.
The "<M-w>" is literal in the mapping, and the dual keypress Alt-w to
execute. You've probably figured all that. :-)

It is better implement your task in one's favourite editor, because only
it can place us in edit mode, in the right place for insertion of the
new subject.

My only regret now, is that convenience could encourage gratuitous
subject changes. (Like mine above, which does at least lead any future
archive diver directly to a solution, potentially saving the time taken
to read a thread sequentially.)

Erik

-- 
Didn't the prophet Urdure vanquish the Dragon of Sluth on the plain of
Gidral after three days fighting? ... And wasn't it true that the sons
of Exequial beat the hosts of Myrilom?
      - from The Book of Om, in Carpe Jugulum, by Terry Pratchett.

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