Elf programming example #5

To achieve this task requires several steps:

• some triggers to recognise the messages we want to intercept
• an alias to copy the message in a user window (eventually opening it)

The implementation of all those triggers is almost the same.

You simply have to create a trigger for every message that isolates the name of who's talking and what he's saying.

Let's trap the message "[Elfred] tells you 'how are you?'".

The trigger will be
[*] tells you '*'

We also need to set the CHECK COMPLETE LINES flag.

The commands related to this trigger are the following:
@SLocal t
@t=@ParmS(2a)
<chat @ParmS(1a),0
 

Note:

if you want, you can merge this trigger with the one that remaps messages to obtain a really nice result. In such case you ought to set the following flags too: REMOVE ORIGINAL LINE and LAST TRIGGER TO CHECK IF ACTIVATED. The @OUTSTR command can added as the last command.

The first command creates a local string variable used to store what the person actually says.

The second one stores in the local variable what has been told.

The third one actually invokes the user defined alias <chat with two parameters. The first one identifies the name of the talker. The second one is used to select the color (actually we'll define two different aliases that differ in the colors they use (to distinguish received from sent messages)).

The trigger used to recognise the message we send (e.g.: "You tell Elfred 'Fine thanks!'") will look like:

The trigger will be
You tell * '*'

We also need to set the CHECK COMPLETE LINES flag.

The commands related to this trigger are the following:
@SLocal t
@t=@ParmS(2a)
<chat @ParmS(1a),1

With the same meaning of the previous trigger. The only difference is in the '1' calling the alias.

Let's define now the aliases used to (eventually) create the user window and to write the message in it. Long lines are split and the right color is used.

The alias will be activated by the pattern
chat *,0

The commands related to this alias are the following:
@NLocal id
@id=@WOpEq(@ParmS(1t)+" (chat)")
@While @t<>""
@Skip (@Len(@t)>50)*3
@WAdd @id,@FGLightGreen+@t
@t=""
@Skip 2
@WAdd @id,@FGLightGreen+@Copy(@t,1,50)
@t=@Copy(@t,51,255)
@EndW

The function @WOpEq opens a new user window with the given title (built with the name of the person we're talking to). If a user window with the same title already exists, its id is returned without opening a new one.

The @While-@Wend loop is used to split long lines.

The alias used for sent messages is the following one. The only difference from the previous one is the color used to show the message.

The alias will be activated by the pattern
chat *,1

The commands related to this alias are the following:
@NLocal id
@id=@WOpEq(@ParmS(1t)+" (chat)")
@While @t<>""
@Skip (@Len(@t)>50)*3
@WAdd @id,@FGGreen+@t
@t=""
@Skip 2
@WAdd @id,@FGGreen+@Copy(@t,1,50)
@t=@Copy(@t,51,255)
@EndW

Here is the necessary programming for this task:
 

trigger Someone talks to me
trigger	[*] tells you '*'
flags	check complete lines
commands	@SLocal t  @t=@ParmS(2a)  <chat @ParmS(1a),0

 

trigger I'm talking to someone
trigger	You tell * '*'
flags	check complete lines
commands	@SLocal t  @t=@ParmS(2a)  <chat @ParmS(1a),1

 

alias Show chat messages (received)
pattern	chat *,0
flags	none
commands	@NLocal id  @id=@WOpEq(@ParmS(1t)+" (chat)")  @While @t<>""  @Skip (@Len(@t)>50)*3  @WAdd @id,@FGLightGreen+@t  @t=""  @Skip 2  @WAdd @id,@FGLightGreen+@Copy(@t,1,50)  @t=@Copy(@t,51,255)  @EndW

 

alias Show chat messages (sent)
pattern	chat *,1
flags	none
commands	@NLocal id  @id=@WOpEq(@ParmS(1t)+" (chat)")  @While @t<>""  @Skip (@Len(@t)>50)*3  @WAdd @id,@FGGreen+@t  @t=""  @Skip 2  @WAdd @id,@FGGreen+@Copy(@t,1,50)  @t=@Copy(@t,51,255)  @EndW