The topic filter categorizes each incoming email message
according to <a
href="http://www.python.org/doc/current/lib/module-re.html">regular
expression filters</a> you specify below. If the message's
<code>Subject:</code> or <code>Keywords:</code> header contains a
match against a topic filter, the message is logically placed
into a topic <em>bucket</em>. Each user can then choose to only
receive messages from the mailing list for a particular topic
bucket (or buckets). Any message not categorized in a topic
bucket registered with the user is not delivered to the list.
<p>Note that this feature only works with regular delivery, not
digest delivery.
<p>The body of the message can also be optionally scanned for
<code>Subject:</code> and <code>Keywords:</code> headers, as
specified by the <a
href="?VARHELP=topics/topics_bodylines_limit">topics_bodylines_limit</a>
configuration variable.