text.ini file

New in Synchronet v3.20, the text.ini file is an optional configuration file that a sysop can create in their Synchronet ctrl directory to over-ride one or more string values in the text.dat file or in some JavaScript files (e.g. default.js).

The text.ini method of text.dat customization has the following advantages over modifying the text.dat file itself:

• The file won't ever be over-written by any Synchronet upgrades or updates
• The order of the strings configured in the file is not significant, you can order/group them however you like
• Only your modified strings need to be included in the file, any that you don't want to customize need not be included

The text.ini method of text.dat customization has the following advantages over modification using Baja or JavaScript code:

• Any strings that may be used in other servers (besides the Terminal Server) will have your customized values
• There's no time at which the original (pre-modified) text.dat strings might be used (e.g. before your script could execute and replace them)
• The string syntax a bit simpler than JavaScript or Baja

Follow the following steps to customize your text.dat strings using the text.ini file.

Find a string you want to over-ride in the ctrl/text.dat file. Example:

"\1_\1?\1b\1hE-mail (User name or number): \1w"           010 Email

The “text ID” of the string (“Email” in this example) follows the double-quoted string value and the text number (10, in this example).

Edit the ctrl/text.ini file (create, if it doesn't already exist) using a text editor.

Add the line:

ID: string

where “ID” is the text id of the text string you are customizing and double-quotes around the string value are optional but recommended:

Email: "\1_\1?\1c\1hE-mail (User name or number): \1w"

• A string value cannot span multiple lines in the text.ini file.
• A string value read from the text.ini file is limited to a maximum of 1023 characters.
• Although the double-quotes around the string value are optional, if you wish to include any initial or trailing white-space, you'll need the quotes. See string literals for details.
• Although “ID = value” syntax is also valid, if you wish to include any control characters, you'll need to use the “ID: value” syntax. See string literals for details.
• If you're wondering what we changed in this example customization, we just changed the color of the prompt from bright blue to bright cyan by changing the value of one of the included Ctrl-a_codes (for changing text attributes and performing other console control operations).

At the minimum, users will have to logoff and back on to see any text.ini string changes. If a server doesn't automatically recycle or otherwise reload configuration files, you may need to force a recycle or restart of the server manually.

Follow the following steps to customize JavaScript strings using the text.ini file.

The text string you wish to customize must be wrapped in a call to gettext() in a JavaScript file (e.g. *.js, *.ssjs, or *.xjs).

1. Edit the ctrl/text.ini file (create, if it doesn't already exist) using a text editor.
2. Add the [JS] section to end of the text.ini file, if it doesn't already exist.
3. Add the original string followed by equals (=) then the new custom string, or colon (:) and the new custom string as a string literal
4. The JavaScript file must require() or load() the gettext.js load library.

Example

[JS]
Find Text in Messages = find yo text bro

Variants of the text.ini file are supported for multiple-language support: ctrl/text.lang.ini. These files use the same format as text.ini, but are required to include a LANG key/value pair (to specify the name of the language) and will be automatically loaded upon logon for terminal server user's that have chosen that alternate language for their user account.

The alternate language text.lang.ini files also support the [JS] section for translated JavaScript strings.

• custom index
• text.dat File
• gettext.js Library
• localization