load -pf <file> [<file> …]

The pf loader (“pf” stands for “pre-formatted”) reads in a text file that contains one big block of code and executes it.

All of the scripts that come with epic5 are in pf-format. It is expected that most, if not all script packs that work with epic5 will be in pf-format. You should switch, because it's much less painful for you this way.

The pf loaders behavior requires that your file follows the normal ircii syntax. The most important differences between the standard loader and the pf loader is

*) PF loader does not support C-like comments *) PF loader does not rewrite your script by putting semicolons in at ends of lines, but it does convert newlines into spaces. *) PF loader does expand $ values, so you need to protect them

To convert a standard loader script to pf format, follow the following recipe:

Always put the following line at the top of every pf script to allow it to be transparantly /load'ed by the user

  if (word(2 $loadinfo()) != [pf]) { load -pf $word(1 $loadinfo());return };

This checks to see what loader you're using [$word(2 $loadinfo())], and if it is not the “pf” loader, then reload this script [$word(1 $loadinfo())] with the “pf” loader, and then “return” from the non-standard loader.

The : command is a comment and it takes a standard ircII argument list. This means you can wrap multiple lines in {} and the whole thing is used as the argument list.

      Before
      ------
      /*
       * The FE script... showing you the wonders of /fe!
       * Current supported version: ircii-EPIC
       * Mass* has never been easier! (tm)
       */

      After
      -----
      : {
      /*
       * The FE script... showing you the wonders of /fe!
       * Current supported version: ircii-EPIC
       * Mass* has never been easier! (tm)
       */
      };

The biggest task the standard loader does for you is figure out where semicolons need to be put into your script. The new loader does not do this task, so you will have to put in the semicolons. Semicolons are used to separate commands, so you will need to put them in.

      Before
      ------
      alias opalot fe ($2-) xx yy zz {mode $0 $1ooo $xx $yy $zz}
      alias banalot fe ($2-) xx yy zz {mode $0 $1bbb $xx $yy $zz}
      #alias kickalot fe ($1-) xx {kick $0 $xx}
      alias kickalot for xx in ($1-) {kick $0 $xx}

      After
      -----
      alias opalot fe ($2-) xx yy zz {mode $0 $1ooo $xx $yy $zz};
      alias banalot fe ($2-) xx yy zz {mode $0 $1bbb $xx $yy $zz};
      #alias kickalot fe ($1-) xx {kick $0 $xx}
      alias kickalot for xx in ($1-) {kick $0 $xx};

Note that in Rule 1, we put a semicolon after the } in the multi-line comment. If we did not do that, then each line that follows would be appended as part of the arguments to comment, and if you didn't have any comments in the file, the entire file would be treated as a comment! So make sure that you put semicolons between each command in your script.

The standard loader executes your commands as though they were entered at the input line, subject to the /SET INPUT_ALIASES value. This means that you can do “alias opalot foo $*” and it will not expand the $* at /LOAD time. The PF loader does not simulate the input prompt and subjects each command to standard $-expansion, but not to ``quoting hell'' – don't worry.

So you will need to put {}s around your alias and on bodies to make sure that the expandos inside of them are not expanded at /LOAD time.

      Before
      ------
      alias opalot fe ($2-) xx yy zz {mode $0 $1ooo $xx $yy $zz};
      alias banalot fe ($2-) xx yy zz {mode $0 $1bbb $xx $yy $zz};
      #alias kickalot fe ($1-) xx {kick $0 $xx}
      alias kickalot for xx in ($1-) {kick $0 $xx};

      After
      -----
      alias opalot {fe ($2-) xx yy zz {mode $0 $1ooo $xx $yy $zz}};
      alias banalot {fe ($2-) xx yy zz {mode $0 $1bbb $xx $yy $zz}};
      #alias kickalot fe ($1-) xx {kick $0 $xx}
      alias kickalot {for xx in ($1-) {kick $0 $xx}};

Note that the semicolons go outside of the {}s that wrap your aliases!

This is similar to rule 2, but you need to make sure you put semicolons between your commands INSIDE your aliases, and not just between the alias commands themselves at the top level of your script

      Before
      ------
      alias cuh {
              ^local foobar
      #       fe ($onchannel($0)) ix { push foobar $userhost($ix) }
              for ix in ($onchannel($0)) { push foobar $userhost($ix) }
              @ function_return = foobar
      }

      After
      -----
      alias cuh {
              ^local foobar;
      #       fe ($onchannel($0)) ix { push foobar $userhost($ix) }
              for ix in ($onchannel($0)) { push foobar $userhost($ix) };
              @ function_return = foobar;
      };

Note that we put semicolons in after each line, but not after the comment (it is not necessary, it would just be ignored), and we put a semicolon after the closing } of the alias.