If the group parameter has an element that looks like
@code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
@code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
-(@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
-can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
-symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
+settings (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages.
+The value can be either a number of days (not necessarily an integer),
+or one of the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
@item expiry-target
@cindex expiry-target
@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
-expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
-message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
-days.
+expirable article has to live. The value of this variable can be
+either a number of days (not necessarily an integer), or one of the
+symbols @code{immediate} or @code{never}, meaning an article is
+immediately or never expirable, respectively.
-Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
-are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
-have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
-expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
-everywhere else:
+Gnus starts counting days from when the message @emph{arrived}, not
+from when it was sent. The default is seven days.
@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} variable lets you fine-tune how
+long articles are to live, based on what group they are in. When set
+to a function, its returned value, if non-@code{nil}, overrides that
+of @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}. Otherwise, the value of
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait} is used instead.
+
+For example, let's say you want to have a one month expiry period in
+the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day expiry period in the
+@samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period everywhere else.
+This can be achieved as follows:
+
@lisp
(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
(lambda (group)
- (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
+ (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
31)
- ((string= group "mail.junk")
+ ((string= group "mail.junk")
1)
- ((string= group "important")
+ ((string= group "important")
'never)
- (t
+ (t
6))))
@end lisp
The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
-The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
-@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
-necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
-@code{never}.
-
-You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
-change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+As an alternative to the variables @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} or
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}, you can also use the
+@code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively change the expiry
+period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
@vindex nnmail-expiry-target
The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
(defcustom nnmail-expiry-wait 7
"Expirable articles that are older than this will be expired.
-This variable can either be a number (which will be interpreted as a
-number of days) -- this doesn't have to be an integer. This variable
-can also be `immediate' and `never'."
+This variable can be either a number of days (not necessarily an
+integer), or one of the symbols `immediate' or `never', meaning
+an article is immediately or never expirable, respectively.
+For more granular control, see `nnmail-expiry-wait-function'."
:group 'nnmail-expire
- :type '(choice (const immediate)
- (number :tag "days")
- (const never)))
+ :type '(choice (const :tag "Immediate" immediate)
+ (const :tag "Never" never)
+ (number :tag "Days")))
(defcustom nnmail-expiry-wait-function nil
- "Variable that holds function to specify how old articles should be before they are expired.
-The function will be called with the name of the group that the expiry
-is to be performed in, and it should return an integer that says how
-many days an article can be stored before it is considered \"old\".
-It can also return the values `never' and `immediate'.
+ "Function to determine how old articles should be before they are expired.
+The function is called with the name of the group that the expiry
+is to be performed in, and should return a value supported by
+`nnmail-expiry-wait', which it overrides. If this variable is
+nil, the value of `nnmail-expiry-wait' is used instead.
E.g.:
\(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
- (lambda (newsgroup)
- (cond ((string-match \"private\" newsgroup) 31)
- ((string-match \"junk\" newsgroup) 1)
- ((string-match \"important\" newsgroup) \\='never)
- (t 7))))"
+ (lambda (group)
+ (cond ((string-match-p \"private\" group) 31)
+ ((string-match-p \"junk\" group) 1)
+ ((string-match-p \"important\" group) \\='never)
+ (t 7))))"
:group 'nnmail-expire
:type '(choice (const :tag "nnmail-expiry-wait" nil)
- (function :format "%v" nnmail-)))
+ (function :tag "Custom function")))
(defcustom nnmail-expiry-target 'delete
"Variable that says where expired messages should end up.