I've taken code from default.js to create a message menu but there are
two components, that I don't understand that are in the code:
What are node_action: value? NODE_XFER was just copied from the file
menu definition.
What is the "eval: 'bbs.messages_cmds++' used for?

const message_menu = {
file: "messages",
eval: 'bbs.message_cmds++',
node_action: NODE_XFER,
prompt: "\x01-\x01c\xfe \x01b\x01h" + gettext("Messages") + " \x01n\x01c\xfe \x01h" + time_code +
" \x01n\x01c[\x01h@GN@\x01n\x01c] @GRP@\x01\\ [\x01h@SN@\x01n\x01c] @SUB@: \x01n",
num_input: shell.get_sub_num,
slash_num_input: shell.get_grp_num,
command: {
'&': { exec: 'msgscancfg.js' },
'F': { eval: 'bbs.scan_subs(SCAN_FIND)'
,msg: '\r\n\x01c\x01h' + gettext("Find Text in Messages") + '\r\n' },
'J': { eval: 'shell.select_msg_area()' },
'L': { eval: 'bbs.list_msgs()' },
'M': { eval: 'bbs.scan_subs(SCAN_NEW, /* all */true)' },
'P': { eval: 'bbs.post_msg()' },
'/P': { exec: 'postpoll.js' },
'R': { eval: 'bbs.scan_msgs()' },
'S': { eval: 'bbs.scan_subs(SCAN_TOYOU)'
,msg: '\r\n\x01c\x01h' + gettext("Scan for Messages Posted to You") + '\r\n' },
'U': { eval: 'bbs.scan_subs(SCAN_TOYOU, /* all */true)' },
'V': { exec: 'scanpolls.js' },
'/V': { exec: 'scanpolls.js', args: ['all'] },
},
nav: {
'\r': { },
'Q': { eval: 'menu = main_menu' },
'>': { eval: 'shell.sub_up()' },
'}': { eval: 'shell.sub_up()' },
')': { eval: 'shell.sub_up()' },
'+': { eval: 'shell.sub_up()' },
'=': { eval: 'shell.sub_up()' },
'<': { eval: 'shell.sub_down()' },
'{': { eval: 'shell.sub_down()' },
'(': { eval: 'shell.sub_down()' },
'-': { eval: 'shell.sub_down()' },
']': { eval: 'shell.grp_up()' },
'[': { eval: 'shell.grp_down()' },
},
};

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Re: Creating message menu
By: Amessyroom to All on Tue Sep 24 2024 10:41 pm

I've taken code from default.js to create a message menu but there are
two components, that I don't understand that are in the code:
What are node_action: value? NODE_XFER was just copied from the file
menu definition.

"XFER" in this context means "file transfer". Probably not what you want.
The possible values for the node_action can be found in load/nodedefs.js.
For a "message menu", you'd probably want to use NODE_RMSG (reading messages).

What is the "eval: 'bbs.messages_cmds++' used for?

It's not. I suspect you might've create that property yourself via search/replace maybe? The built-in command counters are bbs.main_cmds and bbs.xfer_cmds and their used for special actions that only occur before/during/after a specific number of user commands have been entered. It's not a common use case. If you want to create and increment bbs.message_cmds in your script, that's fine. No harm.
--
digital man (rob)

Synchronet "Real Fact" #22:
The second ever Synchronet BBS was the Mid-Nite Hacker BBS (sysop: The Zapper) Norco, CA WX: 62.2°F, 85.0% humidity, 0 mph W wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs

Re: Creating message menu
By: Amessyroom to All on Tue Sep 24 2024 22:41:15

I've taken code from default.js to create a message menu but there are two components, that I don't understand that are in the code: What are node_action: value? NODE_XFER was just copied from the file menu
What is the "eval: 'bbs.messages_cmds++' used for?

The "message_menu" variable contains values that the script uses to take a few actions when the user opens that menu. The "file", "prompt", and "command" properties are fairly obvious.

"eval" is a place where you can specify some JS code that will be executed when the menu loads (including when a user returns from a command, I think). So the bbs.messages_cmds variable is being incremented when this happens. For reasons I don't know.

(And each command can have an "eval" or "exec" depending on whether you want to run script from a string or execute a file to fulfill the command.)

As an aside, these "menu objects" seem very much like they were meant to be stored in JSON files. "eval" would make some sense there; inside the script itself these could just be functions.

node_action: NODE_XFER,

https://synchro.net/docs/jsobjs.html#bbs_object

The "bbs" object has a "node_action" property which says what the user is currently doing. This is used in things like a "who's online" list. As DM said, look at "exec/load/nodedefs.js" for possible values.

This script takes the "node_action" value from the menu object and applies it when the menu loads. So it's setting "bbs.node_action = NODE_XFER", which corresponds to "at transfer menu". I would say NODE_RMSG is probably the best fit when the user is viewing the messages menu.

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