@command

@command <command>
@command/<switch> <command>
@command/alias <command>=<alias>
@command/clone <command>=<clone>
@command/restrict <command>=<restriction> [" <error message>]

@command can be used for adding new built-in commands, altering the way a built-in command works, and displaying information about how commands currently work.

With no switches, @command shows all sorts of interesting information about how a command is parsed. Any player can use @command with no switch, while the switches are Wizard-only.

The /alias switch creates an alias for <command>, allowing players to type <alias> to run <command>. The /clone switch creates a separate copy of <command>, which works the same initially but can be restricted, @hooked, etc, separately.

@command/restrict can be used to restrict who can use <command>. See restrict for more information.

Switches include:

/add : Add a new command that does nothing, but can be @hook’d.
/delete : Delete a command added with @command/add or /alias. God only.
/disable : Disable a command added in the hardcode. A disabled command is not a command at all: what was typed goes on to $-commands and then Huh?.
/enable : Re-enable a command disabled with @command/disable.

<restriction> is a lock, or words naming who may use the command: flag and power names, admin (royalty or wizard), player, thing, room, exit or any, god, noguest, nogagged, nofixed, each negated with !, and nobody, which disables the command. Naming a type restricts the command to it, so @command/restrict foo=player thing leaves it usable by players and things only, while !player (or noplayer) leaves every other type. A <error message> after a " is shown instead of “Permission denied.” to anyone the restriction refuses; a bare " clears it.

The /quiet switch can be used to suppress output from @command.

Everything these switches change lasts until the server restarts. A permanent alias belongs in the command_aliases configuration option, and a permanent restriction in command_restrictions. Changing command_restrictions takes effect at once, and puts every command it names, before or after the change, back to the restriction it was made with before applying the new setting, so a live @command/restrict on one of those commands lasts only until the next restart or change to command_restrictions. HUH_COMMAND, @CHAT and GOTO are run by the game itself and cannot be disabled, and @command is always enabled.

Adding commands

@command/add is a powerful tool that lets you create new commands which are matched before normal $-commands, and which can be set not to parse their arguments, but (via @hook) can still execute softcode like an $-command.

You can use these additional switches, along with @command/add, to control how the new command parses its arguments:

/noparse : The command does not evaluate the leftside arg(s).
/eqsplit : The parser parses leftside and rightside around =
/lsargs : Comma-separated arguments on the left side are parsed.
/rsargs : When used with /eqsplit, the right-side arguments are comma-separated and are parsed individually
/rsnoparse : The command does not evaluate the rightside arg(s).

Any command added without both /noparse and /rsnoparse is provided with a /noeval switch automatically, so if you @command/add foo, then foo’s arguments are parsed by default, but you can call foo/noeval. Note: when you @hook/override foo, its $-command pattern must be able to match “foo/noeval” as well for the switch to actually be used.

Commands added with @command/add, like other standard commands, are always case-insensitive. Until it is hooked, an added command answers “This command has not been implemented.”

::: seealso

Added command example

> @create Dining Machine
> &eat dining=$eat *:@remit %L=%n takes a bite of %0.
> @command/add/noparse eat
> @hook/override eat=dining machine,eat
> eat meat loaf
Walker takes a bite of meat loaf.
> eat randword(apple tomato pear)
Walker takes a bite of randword(apple tomato pear)

> &drink dining=$^drink(/noeval)? (.*)$:@remit %L=%n drinks %2.
> @set dining/drink=regexp
> @command/add drink
> @hook/override drink=dining machine,drink
> drink reverse(tea)
Walker drinks aet.
> drink/noeval reverse(tea)
Walker drinks reverse(tea).