11.6.5 General Database Substitutions, $(...)

A substitution of the form $(text) is handled specially. The text part is used as a key to access the special general text database. This database consists of the file specified with the IMTA_GENERAL_DATABASE option in the msg-svr-base/config/imta_tailor file, which is usually the file msg-svr-base/db/generaldb.db.

If “text-string” is found in the database, the corresponding template from the database is substituted. If “text-string” does not match an entry in the database, the rewrite process fails; it is as if the rewrite rule never matched in the first place. If the substitution is successful, the template extracted from the database is re-scanned for additional substitutions. However, additional $(text) substitutions from the extracted template are prohibited in order to prevent endless recursive references.

As an example, suppose that the address jdoe@siroe.siroenet matches the following rewrite rule:

.SIROENET $($H)

Then, the text string siroe will be looked up in the general database and the result of the look up, if any, is used for the rewrite rule’s template. Suppose that the result of looking up siroe is $u%eng.siroe.com@siroenet. Then the output of the template will be jdoe@eng.siroe.com (i.e., username = jdoe, host/domain specification = eng.siroe.com), and the routing system will be siroenet.

If a general text database exists it should be world readable to insure that it operates properly. See 10.9.1 MTA Text Databases for more information.