path: root/doc/en/weechat_scripting.en.txt

WeeChat Scripting Guide
=======================
FlashCode <flashcode@flashtux.org>


This manual documents WeeChat chat client, it is part of WeeChat.

Latest version of this document can be found on this page:
http://www.weechat.org/doc


[[introduction]]
Introduction
------------

WeeChat (Wee Enhanced Environment for Chat) is a free chat client, fast and
light, designed for many operating systems.

This manual documents way to write scripts for WeeChat, using one of five
supported script languages: perl, python, ruby, lua or tcl.

[NOTE]
Almost all examples in this doc are written in Python, but API is the same for
other languages.

[[scripts_in_weechat]]
Scripts in WeeChat
------------------

[[languages_specifities]]
Languages specificities
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some things are specific to languages:

* perl:
** functions are called with `weechat::xxx(arg1, arg2, ...);`
* python:
** you have to `import weechat`
** functions `print*` are called `prnt*` in python (because 'print' is reserved
   keyword)
** functions are called with `weechat.xxx(arg1, arg2, ...)`
* ruby:
** you have to define 'weechat_init' and call 'register' inside
** functions are called with `Weechat.xxx(arg1, arg2, ...)`
* tcl:
** functions are called with `weechat::xxx arg1 arg2 ...`

[[register]]
Register
~~~~~~~~

All WeeChat scripts must "register" themselves to WeeChat, and this must be
first WeeChat function called in script.

Prototype:

[source,python]
----------------------------------------
weechat.register(name, author, version, license, description, shutdown_function, charset)
----------------------------------------

Arguments:

* 'name': string, internal name of script
* 'author': string, author name
* 'version': string, script version
* 'license': string, script license
* 'description': string, short description of script
* 'shutdown_function': string, name of function called when script is unloaded
* 'charset': string, script charset (optional, if your script is UTF-8, you
  can use blank value here, because UTF-8 is default charset)

[[script_example]]
Script example
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Example of script, for each language:

* perl:

[source,perl]
----------------------------------------
weechat::register("test_perl", "FlashCode", "1.0", "GPL3", "Test script", "", "");
weechat::print("", "Hello, from perl script!");
----------------------------------------

* python:

[source,python]
----------------------------------------
import weechat

weechat.register("test_python", "FlashCode", "1.0", "GPL3", "Test script", "", "")
weechat.prnt("", "Hello, from python script!")
----------------------------------------

* ruby:

[source,ruby]
----------------------------------------
def weechat_init
  Weechat.register("test_ruby", "FlashCode", "1.0", "GPL3", "Test script", "", "")
  Weechat.print("", "Hello, from ruby script!")
  return Weechat::WEECHAT_RC_OK
end
----------------------------------------

* lua:

[source,lua]
----------------------------------------
weechat.register("test_lua", "FlashCode", "1.0", "GPL3", "Test script", "", "")
weechat.print("", "Hello, from lua script!")
----------------------------------------

* tcl:

// [source,tcl]
----------------------------------------
weechat::register "test_tcl" "FlashCode" "1.0" "GPL3" "Test script" "" ""
weechat::print "" "Hello, from tcl script!"
----------------------------------------

[[load_script]]
Load script
~~~~~~~~~~~

You have to use command, depending on language:

----------------------------------------
/perl load perl/script.pl
/python load python/script.py
/ruby load ruby/script.rb
/lua load lua/script.lua
/tcl load tcl/script.tcl
----------------------------------------

You can make link in directory 'language/autoload' to autoload script when
WeeChat is starting.

For example with perl:

----------------------------------------
$ cd ~/.weechat/perl/autoload
$ ln -s ../script.pl
----------------------------------------

[[differences_with_c_api]]
Differences with C API
----------------------

Script API is almost the same as C plugin API.
You can look at 'WeeChat Plugin API Reference' for detail about each function
in API: prototype, arguments, return values, examples.

It's important to make difference between a 'plugin' and a 'script': a
'plugin' is a binary file compiled and loaded with command `/plugin`, whereas
a 'script' is a text file loaded with a plugin like 'perl' with command
`/perl`.

When your script 'test.py' calls a WeeChat API function, path is like that:

........................................
       (script API)                           (C API)
            \/                                   \/
test.py  ------->  python plugin (python.so)  ------->  WeeChat core
........................................

When WeeChat calls a callback in your script 'test.py', it's reverse of
previous path:

........................................
              (C API)                            (script API)
                 \/                                   \/
WeeChat core  ------->  python plugin (python.so)  ------->  test.py
........................................

Pointers
~~~~~~~~

As you probably know, there is not really "pointers" in scripts. So when API
functions return pointer, it is converted to string for script.

For example, if function return pointer 0x1234ab56, script will get string
"0x1234ab56".

And when an API function expects a pointer in arguments, script must give that
string value. C plugin will convert it to real pointer before calling C API
function.

Empty string or "0x0" are allowed, they means NULL in C.
For example, to print data on core buffer (WeeChat main buffer), you can do:

[source,python]
----------------------------------------
weechat.prnt("", "hi!")
----------------------------------------

[WARNING]
In many functions, for speed reasons, WeeChat does not check if your pointer
is correct or not. It's your job to check you're giving a valid pointer,
otherwise you may see a nice crash report ;)

Callbacks
~~~~~~~~~

Almost all WeeChat callbacks must return WEECHAT_RC_OK or WEECHAT_RC_ERROR
(exception is modifier callback, which returns a string).

C callbacks are using a "data" argument, which is a pointer. In script API,
this "data" is a string with a any value (it's not a pointer).

For example:

[source,python]
----------------------------------------
weechat.hook_timer(1000, 0, 1, "my_timer_cb", "my data")

def my_timer_cb(data, remaining_calls):
    # this will display: "my data"
    weechat.prnt("", data)
    return weechat.WEECHAT_RC_OK
----------------------------------------

[[script_api]]
Script API
----------

For more information about functions in API, please read
'WeeChat Plugin API Reference'.

Functions
~~~~~~~~~

List of functions in script API:

* general:
** 'register'
* plugins:
** 'plugin_get_name'
* strings:
** 'charset_set'
** 'iconv_to_internal'
** 'iconv_from_internal'
** 'gettext'
** 'ngettext'
** 'string_remove_color'
* directories:
** 'mkdir_home'
** 'mkdir'
** 'mkdir_parents'
* sorted lists:
** 'list_new'
** 'list_add'
** 'list_search'
** 'list_casesearch'
** 'list_get'
** 'list_set'
** 'list_next'
** 'list_prev'
** 'list_string'
** 'list_size'
** 'list_remove'
** 'list_remove_all'
** 'list_free'
* configuration files:
** 'config_new'
** 'config_new_section'
** 'config_search_section'
** 'config_new_option'
** 'config_search_option'
** 'config_string_to_boolean'
** 'config_option_reset'
** 'config_option_set'
** 'config_option_set_null'
** 'config_option_unset'
** 'config_option_rename'
** 'config_option_is_null'
** 'config_option_default_is_null'
** 'config_boolean'
** 'config_boolean_default'
** 'config_integer'
** 'config_integer_default'
** 'config_string'
** 'config_string_default'
** 'config_color'
** 'config_color_default'
** 'config_write_option'
** 'config_write_line'
** 'config_write'
** 'config_read'
** 'config_reload'
** 'config_option_free'
** 'config_section_free_options'
** 'config_section_free'
** 'config_free'
** 'config_get'
** 'config_get_plugin'
** 'config_is_set_plugin'
** 'config_set_plugin'
** 'config_unset_plugin'
* display:
** 'prefix'
** 'color'
** 'print' (for python: 'prnt')
** 'print_date_tags' (for python: 'prnt_date_tags')
** 'print_y' (for python: 'prnt_y')
** 'log_print'
* hooks:
** 'hook_command'
** 'hook_command_run'
** 'hook_timer'
** 'hook_fd'
** 'hook_process'
** 'hook_connect'
** 'hook_print'
** 'hook_signal'
** 'hook_signal_send'
** 'hook_config'
** 'hook_completion'
** 'hook_completion_list_add'
** 'hook_modifier'
** 'hook_modifier_exec'
** 'hook_info'
** 'hook_infolist'
** 'unhook'
** 'unhook_all'
* buffers:
** 'buffer_new'
** 'current_buffer'
** 'buffer_search'
** 'buffer_search_main'
** 'buffer_clear'
** 'buffer_close'
** 'buffer_merge'
** 'buffer_unmerge'
** 'buffer_get_integer'
** 'buffer_get_string'
** 'buffer_get_pointer'
** 'buffer_set'
** 'buffer_string_replace_local_var'
* windows:
** 'current_window'
** 'window_get_integer'
** 'window_get_pointer'
** 'window_set_title'
* nicklist:
** 'nicklist_add_group'
** 'nicklist_search_group'
** 'nicklist_add_nick'
** 'nicklist_search_nick'
** 'nicklist_remove_group'
** 'nicklist_remove_nick'
** 'nicklist_remove_all'
* bars:
** 'bar_item_search'
** 'bar_item_new'
** 'bar_item_update'
** 'bar_item_remove'
** 'bar_search'
** 'bar_new'
** 'bar_set'
** 'bar_update'
** 'bar_remove'
* commands:
** 'command'
* infos:
** 'info_get'
* infolists:
** 'infolist_new'
** 'infolist_new_item'
** 'infolist_new_var_integer'
** 'infolist_new_var_string'
** 'infolist_new_var_pointer'
** 'infolist_new_var_time'
** 'infolist_get'
** 'infolist_next'
** 'infolist_prev'
** 'infolist_reset_item_cursor'
** 'infolist_fields'
** 'infolist_integer'
** 'infolist_string'
** 'infolist_pointer'
** 'infolist_time'
** 'infolist_free'
* upgrade:
** 'upgrade_new'
** 'upgrade_write_object'
** 'upgrade_read'
** 'upgrade_close'

Constants
~~~~~~~~~

List of constants in script API:

* 'WEECHAT_RC_OK'
* 'WEECHAT_RC_OK_EAT'
* 'WEECHAT_RC_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_READ_OK'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_READ_MEMORY_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_READ_FILE_NOT_FOUND'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_WRITE_OK'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_WRITE_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_WRITE_MEMORY_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_OPTION_SET_OK_CHANGED'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_OPTION_SET_OK_SAME_VALUE'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_OPTION_SET_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_OPTION_SET_OPTION_NOT_FOUND'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_OPTION_UNSET_OK_NO_RESET'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_OPTION_UNSET_OK_RESET'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_OPTION_UNSET_OK_REMOVED'
* 'WEECHAT_CONFIG_OPTION_UNSET_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_LIST_POS_SORT'
* 'WEECHAT_LIST_POS_BEGINNING'
* 'WEECHAT_LIST_POS_END'
* 'WEECHAT_HOTLIST_LOW'
* 'WEECHAT_HOTLIST_MESSAGE'
* 'WEECHAT_HOTLIST_PRIVATE'
* 'WEECHAT_HOTLIST_HIGHLIGHT'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_PROCESS_RUNNING'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_PROCESS_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_CONNECT_OK'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_CONNECT_ADDRESS_NOT_FOUND'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_CONNECT_IP_ADDRESS_NOT_FOUND'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_CONNECT_CONNECTION_REFUSED'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_CONNECT_PROXY_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_CONNECT_LOCAL_HOSTNAME_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_CONNECT_GNUTLS_INIT_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_CONNECT_GNUTLS_HANDSHAKE_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_CONNECT_MEMORY_ERROR'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_SIGNAL_STRING'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_SIGNAL_INT'
* 'WEECHAT_HOOK_SIGNAL_POINTER'