asciiq function

Synopsis

$asciiq(ctcp-encoded-character-list)

Technical

asciiq() CTCP-decodes its entire argument string, then converts the decoded bytes before the first NUL into a space-separated list of unsigned decimal values. It returns the empty string for missing or empty input, or when the decoded string begins with NUL.

Like ascii(), it reports bytes, not Unicode code points. A multibyte UTF-8 character produces several values, each no greater than 255. High-bit bytes produce positive numbers. No UTF-8 validation or encoding conversion occurs.

The CTCP decoder recognizes these backslash sequences in the string actually received by the function:

An unrecognized escape drops the backslash and keeps the following character; for example, \q becomes q. A final unpaired backslash decodes to NUL. Ordinary characters, spaces, and quotes are otherwise retained. Script quoting and expansion can act before this decoding, so chrq() is a convenient way to generate encoded input without manually escaping it.

Restrictions

chrq() converts a byte list into a CTCP-encoded string. The two operations can reconstruct a byte list containing no NUL, but they are not a general binary inverse: asciiq() stops at the first decoded NUL and omits that byte and everything after it. Thus $asciiq($chrq(65 0 66)) returns 65, not 65 0 66. For unquoted text, use ascii().

CTCP encoding can transport NUL and other special bytes, but this function's conversion loop treats the decoded result as a NUL-terminated string. It does not inspect the transform's decoded length. Malformed escapes are handled as described above rather than rejected as syntax errors.

Examples

History

The asciiq() function first appeared in EPIC4-1.1.8.

Source

source/functions.c registers asciiq and implements function_asciiq() and function_chrq(). source/ircaux.c implements transform_string_dyn() and the CTCP encoder/decoder.