Variable: message-citation-line-format

message-citation-line-format is a customizable variable defined in message.el.gz.

Value

"On %a, %b %d %Y, %N wrote:\n"

Documentation

Format of the "Whomever writes:" line.

The string is formatted using format-spec. The following constructs are replaced:

  %f The full From, e.g. "John Doe <john.doe@example.invalid>".
  %n The mail address, e.g. "john.doe@example.invalid".
  %N The real name if present, e.g.: "John Doe", else fall
       back to the mail address.
  %F The first name if present, e.g.: "John", else fall
       back to the mail address.
  %L The last name if present, e.g.: "Doe".

All other format specifiers are passed to format-time-string which is called using the date from the article your replying to, but the date in the formatted string will be expressed in the author's time zone as much as possible. Extracting the first (%F) and last name (%L) is done heuristically, so you should always check it yourself.

Please also read the note in the documentation of message-citation-line-function.

This variable was added, or its default value changed, in Emacs 23.1.

Probably introduced at or before Emacs version 26.1.

Source Code

;; Defined in /usr/src/emacs/lisp/gnus/message.el.gz
(defcustom message-citation-line-format "On %a, %b %d %Y, %N wrote:\n"
  "Format of the \"Whomever writes:\" line.

The string is formatted using `format-spec'.  The following constructs
are replaced:

  %f   The full From, e.g. \"John Doe <john.doe@example.invalid>\".
  %n   The mail address, e.g. \"john.doe@example.invalid\".
  %N   The real name if present, e.g.: \"John Doe\", else fall
       back to the mail address.
  %F   The first name if present, e.g.: \"John\", else fall
       back to the mail address.
  %L   The last name if present, e.g.: \"Doe\".

All other format specifiers are passed to `format-time-string'
which is called using the date from the article your replying to, but
the date in the formatted string will be expressed in the author's
time zone as much as possible.
Extracting the first (%F) and last name (%L) is done heuristically,
so you should always check it yourself.

Please also read the note in the documentation of
`message-citation-line-function'."
  :type '(choice (const :tag "Plain" "%f writes:")
		 (const :tag "Include date" "On %a, %b %d %Y, %n wrote:")
		 string)
  :link '(custom-manual "(message)Insertion Variables")
  :version "23.1" ;; No Gnus
  :group 'message-insertion)