process_string(3)     LPC Library Functions     process_string(3)

NAME
     process_string() - give a string with replaced  calldescrip-
     tions

SYNOPSIS
     string process_string( string combinestring );

DESCRIPTION
     Processes a string by replacing specific syntactic  patterns
     with  what  is returned when the pattern is interpreted as a
     function call description.

     The syntactic patterns are on the form:

            "@@function[:filename][|arg1|arg2....|argN]@@"

     This is interpreted as a call:

             filename->function(arg1, arg2, ....., argN)

     Note that process_string  does  not  recurse  over  returned
     replacement  values. If a function returns another syntactic
     pattern, that description will not be replaced.

     All such occurrences in  'combinestring'  is  processed  and
     replaced  if  the  return  value  is a string. If the return
     value is not a string the pattern will remain unreplaced.

     Note that both object and arguments are marked optional with
     the  brackets  and that the brackets are not included in the
     actual pattern.

SEE ALSO
     process_value(3)

CAVEAT
     This is usually used to support 'value by function call'  in
     the  mudlib.   It is wise to set the effuserid of the object
     to 0 before using  process_value  as  any  function  in  any
     object can be called with almost any arguments.

EXAMPLE
     A string:
         "You are chased by @@query_the_name:/obj/monster#123@@ eastward."

     is replaced by:
         "You are chased by the orc eastward."

MudOS                Last change: 5 Sep 1994                    1

process_string(3)     LPC Library Functions     process_string(3)

     Assuming that query_the_name in monster#123 returns "the orc".

MudOS                Last change: 5 Sep 1994                    2