list unread articles, in multi-column format

[Rich Morin]

:
: unread - get multi-column counts of unread news groups
:
# Uses UNIX tools instead of rn -c; runs faster, doesn't blow up...
#
# Written by Rich Morin, CFCL, April, 1988.
# Borrows from work by Jeff Forys and Don Gworek.

if [ ! -f $HOME/.newsrc ]; then
  echo "unread: no .newsrc file, fergeddit..."
  exit 1
fi

t=/tmp/unread_$$
trap "rm -f $t; exit 0" 0 2 15

sort /usr/lib/news/active					> $t

sed -n '
  s@: .*[-,]@: @
  s@: @ @p
' $HOME/.newsrc							|
sort								|
join - $t							|
# foo.bar <lastread> <lastactive> <firstactive> <modflag>
# $1      $2         $3            $4           $5
awk '
  BEGIN {
    COLS = 3
    WIDTH = 26
    LIMIT = WIDTH - 7			# foo.bar.baz (123)
    BLANX = "                                                   "
  }
  {
    i = $4-1
    if ($2 > i)
      i = $2
    unread = $3-i
    if (unread < 1)			# boring, ignore it...
      next
    group = $1
    len = length(group)
    if (len > LIMIT)			# too long, truncate beginning...
      group = "?" substr(group,1+len-LIMIT)
    string = group " (" unread ")" BLANX
    printf("%s", substr(string,1,WIDTH))
    if (++cols == COLS) {		# start new line
      print ""
      cols = 0
    }
  }

  END {
    if (cols > 0)
      print ""
  }
'
-- 

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