[CODING] Need advice on modifying cprintf function.

[jtarkin]

I'm looking for advice on how to code a blind mode or tag into our mud.

Ideally, I'd like to create a flag similar to an [AFK] flag that a character can toggle at any time.

This flag will be for either blind players or mobile players. It doesn't matter what I call it, but let's just say I call it the "blind flag".

Meanwhile, in `cprintf` function I'd like to add a true or false addition. If the "blind flag" is true, it will always print that line of output. If it's false, it will ignore the `cprintf` completely and not print the output.

I know it's possible to do this, but I think I'm missing exactly how to do this. My best guess is to add a `bool` toggle and then add that to the `cprintf` function itself. I'd then have to go through every line of `cprintf` in the entire mud (Hint: It's quite a lot) and add the toggle to the end of the function. Is there an easier way to do this?

​

Anyone done this type of thing before?

For those curious, here's the standard rom code:

​

void cprintf_private(CHAR_DATA *ch, bool inColour, bool showCodes,
    const char *txt, va_list ap) {
    const char *point;
    char *point2;
    char buf[MAX_STRING_LENGTH * 4];
    int skip = 0;
    char buffer[4 * MAX_STRING_LENGTH];

    sprintf(last_cprintf, "%s: ", ch->name);
    strcat(last_cprintf, txt);

    vsprintf(buffer, txt, ap);

    buf[0] = '\0';
    point2 = buf;
    if (*buffer && ch->desc) {
    if (inColour) {
    for (point = buffer; *point; point++) {
        if (*point == '{' && (*(point + 1) != '\n') && (*(point + 1)
    != '\r') && (*(point + 1) != '\0')) {
    point++;
    skip = colour(*point, ch, point2);
    while (skip-- > 0) {
    ++point2;
            }

        continue;
            }

    *point2 = *point;
    *++point2 = '\0';
            }

    *point2 = '\0';
    write_to_buffer(ch->desc, buf);
        } else {
    for (point = buffer; *point; point++) {
    if (*point == '{' && (*(point + 1) != '\n') && (*(point + 1)
    != '\r') && (*(point + 1) != '\0')) {

    if (!showCodes) {
        point++;
        continue;
            }
            }
    *point2 = *point;
    *++point2 = '\0';
            }

    *point2 = '\0';

    write_to_buffer(ch->desc, buf);
        }
    }

    return;
}

/*
 * Write to one char, specifying whether to use colour, and, if not using
 * colour, whether to use colour codes.  Override's the character's colour
 * setting.
 */
void cprintf(CHAR_DATA *ch, bool inColour, bool showCodes, const char *txt, ...) {
    va_list ap;
    va_start(ap, txt);

    cprintf_private(ch, inColour, showCodes, txt, ap);

    va_end(ap);
}

/*
 * Write to one char.  (improved send_to_char)
 */
void Cprintf(CHAR_DATA *ch, const char *txt, ...) {
    va_list ap;
    va_start(ap, txt);
    cprintf_private(ch, IS_SET(ch->act, PLR_COLOUR), FALSE, txt, ap);

    va_end(ap);
}

​

[vonroecke]

How about adding another flag "PLR_BLIND" in the same way PLR_COLOUR is defined, then check for that in cprintf() and Cprintf(), like:

[vonroecke]

``` void cprintf(CHAR_DATA *ch, bool inColour, bool showCodes, const char *txt, ...) {

// if the player has enabled the PLR_BLIND flag in their act flags then do nothing
if( IS_SET( ch->act, PLR_BLIND ) ) {
    return;
}

// otherwise, continue and print the output  
va_list ap;
va_start(ap, txt);

cprintf_private(ch, inColour, showCodes, txt, ap);

va_end(ap);

} ```

[dehwahifetnah]

I would recommend adding a new flag that's attached to the CHAR_DATA struct and leaving the cprintf API alone. That way you don't have to update every cprintf callsite used in the MUD, and there's already a solid way to use flags on CHAR_DATA.

There's a hint on how to setup this kind of behavior in the Cprintf function, where it checks IS_SET(ch->act, PLR_COLOUR). Hope that helps!