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### 2.10 Mail Aliases

The `message-mail-alias-type` variable controls what type of mail alias expansion to use. Currently two forms are supported: `mailabbrev` and `ecomplete`. If this variable is `nil`, no mail alias expansion will be performed.

`mailabbrev` works by parsing the `/etc/mailrc` and `~/.mailrc` files. These files look like:

         alias lmi "Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@ifi.uio.no>"
         alias ding "ding@ifi.uio.no (ding mailing list)"

After adding lines like this to your `~/.mailrc` file, you should be able to just write ‘`lmi`’ in the `To` or `Cc` (and so on) headers and press `SPC` to expand the alias.

No expansion will be performed upon sending of the message—all expansions have to be done explicitly.

If you're using `ecomplete`, all addresses from `To` and `Cc` headers will automatically be put into the `~/.ecompleterc` file. When you enter text in the `To` and `Cc` headers, `ecomplete` will check out the values stored there and “electrically” say what completions are possible. To choose one of these completions, use the `M-n` command to move down to the list. Use `M-n` and `M-p` to move down and up the list, and `RET` to choose a completion.