on general_privmsg

Synopsis

/on [<noise>]general_privmsg "<pattern>" [(<argument list>)] { <commands> }

Description

Triggered when an incoming IRC privmsg has ordinary message text remaining after CTCP processing. It supplies the sender, original destination, and text together before EPIC invokes the more specific private or public message hook.

CTCP-only messages can be consumed without reaching this event; see on ctcp_request and on action. EPIC6 has no former encrypted-private-message hook stage.

Use standard on matching and noise controls. The pattern matches all three fields below together. There are no event-specific options.

Parameters

Parameter	Meaning
`$0`	Message sender's nickname.
`$1`	Original destination supplied in the `privmsg`.
`$2-`	Message text remaining after CTCP processing.

For a status-prefixed channel destination such as @#channel, $1 retains the prefix. EPIC can strip one prefix recognized by the server's statusmsg capability internally when classifying a message to a joined channel. The channel and sender classifications use the client's cached state on the receiving server.

Default behavior

If this event permits default handling, EPIC invokes one specific event:

Destination and sender	Next event
Joined channel without cached mode `+n`, with sender absent from its cached membership list.	public_msg
Joined channel otherwise, current in its owning window.	public
Joined channel otherwise, not current in its owning window.	public_other
Your nickname.	msg
Any other destination.	msg_group

The outsider check is skipped when cached mode +n is present, so an absent sender does not always select public_msg. If the specific event also permits default handling, EPIC formats and displays the message. There is no direct built-in display attached to general_privmsg itself.

A suppressing hook, such as a serial-zero ^general_privmsg hook, prevents the specific event and its built-in line, including public_msg. It does not undo earlier CTCP processing. EPIC updates the last public sender or last private sender, as applicable, before invoking this hook, even when display is suppressed.

The output context uses the normalized channel at the public level, the sender at the msg level for personal messages, or the destination at the wall level for other destinations. The hook does not automatically send a response.

Sending replies

Use notice for automated responses when needed to avoid message-reply loops. The current built-in msg sending path does not automatically convert a message into a notice merely because this hook is running. The generic ctcp command does choose notice reply framing during incoming private-message processing; that is separate command behavior.

Example

Replace the normal display while preserving the original destination in your output:

on ^general_privmsg * (sender, target, message) {
    echo Message from $sender to $target: $message;
};

Source references

source/parse.c: p_privmsg processes CTCP payloads, classifies the message, updates sender state, invokes this hook, and conditionally dispatches the specific event; is_target_channel_wall checks statusmsg.
source/names.c: is_channel_nomsgs, is_on_channel, and is_current_channel provide cached classification checks.
source/commands.c: send_text selects outgoing message type from the requested command; ctcpcmd handles CTCP reply framing.
source/hook.c: event registration and do_hook implement matching and suppression.