enigma-bbs/docs/art/mci.md

---
layout: page
title: MCI Codes
---
ENiGMA½ supports a variety of MCI codes. Some **predefined** codes produce information about the current user, system,
or other statistics while others are used to instantiate a **View**. MCI codes are two characters in length and are
prefixed with a percent (%) symbol. Some MCI codes have additional options that may be set directly from the code itself
while others -- and more advanced options -- are controlled via the current theme. Standard (non-focus) and focus colors
are set by placing duplicate codes back to back in art files.

## Predefined MCI Codes
There are many predefined MCI codes that can be used anywhere on the system (placed in any art file). More are added all
the time so also check out [core/predefined_mci.js](https://github.com/NuSkooler/enigma-bbs/blob/master/core/mci_view_factory.js)
for a full listing. Many codes attempt to pay homage to Oblivion/2, iNiQUiTY, etc.

| Code | Description  |
|------|--------------|
| `BN` | Board Name |
| `VL` | Version *label*, e.g. "ENiGMA½ v0.0.11-beta" |
| `VN` | Version *number*, eg.. "0.0.11-beta" |
| `SN` | SysOp username |
| `SR` | SysOp real name |
| `SL` | SysOp location |
| `SA` | SysOp affiliations |
| `SS` | SysOp sex |
| `SE` | SysOp email address |
| `UN` | Current user's username |
| `UI` | Current user's user ID |
| `UG` | Current user's group membership(s) |
| `UR` | Current user's real name |
| `LO` | Current user's location |
| `UA` | Current user's age |
| `BD` | Current user's birthday (using theme date format) |
| `US` | Current user's sex |
| `UE` | Current user's email address |
| `UW` | Current user's web address |
| `UF` | Current user's affiliations |
| `UT` | Current user's theme name |
| `UD` | Current user's *theme ID* (e.g. "luciano_blocktronics") |
| `UC` | Current user's login/call count |
| `ND` | Current user's connected node number |
| `IP` | Current user's IP address |
| `ST` | Current user's connected server name (e.g. "Telnet" or "SSH") |
| `FN` | Current user's active file base filter name |
| `DN` | Current user's number of downloads |
| `DK` | Current user's download amount (formatted to appropriate bytes/megs/etc.) |
| `UP` | Current user's number of uploads |
| `UK` | Current user's upload amount (formatted to appropriate bytes/megs/etc.) |
| `NR` | Current user's upload/download ratio |
| `KR` | Current user's upload/download *bytes* ratio |
| `MS` | Current user's account creation date (using theme date format) |
| `PS` | Current user's post count |
| `PC` | Current user's post/call ratio |
| `MD` | Current user's status/viewing menu/activity |
| `MA` | Current user's active message area name |
| `MC` | Current user's active message conference name |
| `ML` | Current user's active message area description |
| `CM` | Current user's active message conference description |
| `SH` | Current user's term height |
| `SW` | Current user's term width |
| `AC` | Current user's total achievements |
| `AP` | Current user's total achievement points |
| `DR` | Current user's number of door runs |
| `DM` | Current user's total amount of time spent in doors |
| `DT` | Current date (using theme date format) |
| `CT` | Current time (using theme time format) |
| `OS` | System OS (Linux, Windows, etc.) |
| `OA` | System architecture (x86, x86_64, arm, etc.) |
| `SC` | System CPU model |
| `NV` | System underlying Node.js version |
| `AN` | Current active node count |
| `TC` | Total login/calls to the system *ever* |
| `TT` | Total login/calls to the system *today* |
| `RR` | Displays a random rumor |
| `SD` | Total downloads, system wide |
| `SO` | Total downloaded amount, system wide (formatted to appropriate bytes/megs/etc.) |
| `SU` | Total uploads, system wide |
| `SP` | Total uploaded amount, system wide (formatted to appropriate bytes/megs/etc.) |
| `TF` | Total number of files on the system |
| `TB` | Total amount of files on the system (formatted to appropriate bytes/megs/gigs/etc.) |
| `TP` | Total messages posted/imported to the system *currently* |
| `PT` | Total messages posted/imported to the system *today* |

Some additional special case codes also exist:

| Code   | Description  |
|--------|--------------|
| `CF##` | Moves the cursor position forward _##_ characters |
| `CB##` | Moves the cursor position back _##_ characters |
| `CU##` | Moves the cursor position up _##_ characters |
| `CD##` | Moves the cursor position down _##_ characters |
| `XY`   | A special code that may be utilized for placement identification when creating menus or to extend an otherwise empty space in an art file down the screen. |


## Views
A **View** is a control placed on a **form** that can display variable data or collect input. One example of a View is
a Vertical Menu (`%VM`): Old-school BBSers may recognize this as a lightbar menu.

| Code | Name                 | Description      |
|------|----------------------|------------------|
| `TL` | Text Label           | Displays text       |
| `ET` | Edit Text            | Collect user input  |
| `ME` | Masked Edit Text     | Collect user input using a *mask* |
| `MT` | Multi Line Text Edit | Multi line edit control |
| `BT` | Button               | A button |
| `VM` | Vertical Menu        | A vertical menu aka a vertical lightbar |
| `HM` | Horizontal Menu      | A horizontal menu aka a horizontal lightbar |
| `SM` | Spinner Menu         | A spinner input control |
| `TM` | Toggle Menu          | A toggle menu commonly used for Yes/No style input |
| `KE` | Key Entry            | A *single* key input control |


Peek at [/core/mci_view_factory.js](https://github.com/NuSkooler/enigma-bbs/blob/master/core/mci_view_factory.js) to
see additional information.


## Properties & Theming
Predefined MCI codes and other Views can have properties set via `menu.hjson` and further *themed* via `theme.hjson`. See [Themes](themes.md) for more information on this subject.

### Common Properties

| Property    | Description  |
|-------------|--------------|
| `textStyle` | Sets the standard (non-focus) text style. See **Text Styles** below |
| `focusTextStyle` | Sets focus text style. See **Text Styles** below. |
| `itemSpacing` | Used to separate items in menus such as Vertical Menu and Horizontal Menu Views. |
| `height` | Sets the height of views such as menus that may be > 1 character in height |
| `width` | Sets the width of a view |
| `focus` | If set to `true`, establishes initial focus |
| `text` | (initial) text of a view |
| `submit` | If set to `true` any `accept` action upon this view will submit the encompassing **form** |
| `itemFormat` | Sets the format for a list entry. See **Entry Formatting** below |
| `focusItemFormat` | Sets the format for a focused list entry. See **Entry Formatting** below |

These are just a few of the properties set on various views. *Use the source Luke*, as well as taking a look at the default
`menu.hjson` and `theme.hjson` files!

### Custom Properties
Often a module will provide custom properties that receive format objects (See **Entry Formatting** below). Custom property formatting can be declared in the `config` block. For example, `browseInfoFormat10`..._N_ (where _N_ is up to 99) in the `file_area_list` module received a fairly extensive format object that contains `{fileName}`, `{estReleaseYear}`, etc.

### Text Styles

Standard style types available for `textStyle` and `focusTextStyle`:

| Style    | Description  |
|----------|--------------|
| `normal` | Leaves text as-is. This is the default. |
| `upper` | ENIGMA BULLETIN BOARD SOFTWARE |
| `lower` | enigma bulletin board software |
| `title` | Enigma Bulletin Board Software |
| `first lower` | eNIGMA bULLETIN bOARD sOFTWARE |
| `small vowels` | eNiGMa BuLLeTiN BoaRD SoFTWaRe |
| `big vowels` | EniGMa bUllEtIn bOArd sOftwArE |
| `small i` | ENiGMA BULLETiN BOARD SOFTWARE |
| `mixed` | EnIGma BUlLEtIn BoaRd SOfTWarE (randomly assigned) |
| `l33t` | 3n1gm4 bull371n b04rd 50f7w4r3 |

### Entry Formatting
Various strings can be formatted using a syntax that allows width & precision specifiers, text styling, etc. Depending on the context, various elements can be referenced by `{name}`. Additional text styles can be supplied as well. The syntax is largely modeled after Python's [string format mini language](https://docs.python.org/3/library/string.html#format-specification-mini-language).

### Additional Text Styles
Some of the text styles mentioned above are also available in the mini format language:

| Style | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `normal` | Leaves text as-is. This is the default. |
| `toUpperCase` or `styleUpper` | ENIGMA BULLETIN BOARD SOFTWARE |
| `toLowerCase` or `styleLower` | enigma bulletin board software |
| `styleTitle` | Enigma Bulletin Board Software |
| `styleFirstLower` | eNIGMA bULLETIN bOARD sOFTWARE |
| `styleSmallVowels` | eNiGMa BuLLeTiN BoaRD SoFTWaRe |
| `styleBigVowels` | EniGMa bUllEtIn bOArd sOftwArE |
| `styleSmallI` | ENiGMA BULLETiN BOARD SOFTWARE |
| `styleMixed` | EnIGma BUlLEtIn BoaRd SOfTWarE (randomly assigned) |
| `styleL33t` | 3n1gm4 bull371n b04rd 50f7w4r3 |

Additional text styles are available for numbers:

| Style             | Description   |
|-------------------|---------------|
| `sizeWithAbbr`    | File size (converted from bytes) with abbreviation such as `1 MB`, `2.2 GB`, `34 KB`, etc. |
| `sizeWithoutAbbr` | Just the file size (converted from bytes) without the abbreviation. For example: 1024 becomes 1.  |
| `sizeAbbr`        | Just the abbreviation given a file size (converted from bytes) such as `MB` or `GB`.  |
| `countWithAbbr`   | Count with abbreviation such as `100 K`, `4.3 B`, etc.  |
| `countWithoutAbbr`    | Just the count |
| `countAbbr`       | Just the abbreviation such as `M` for millions.   |
| `durationHours` | Converts the provided *hours* value to something friendly such as `4 hours`, or `4 days`. |
| `durationMinutes` | Converts the provided *minutes* to something friendly such as `10 minutes` or `2 hours` |
| `durationSeconds` | Converts the provided *seconds* to something friendly such as `23 seconds` or `2 minutes` |


#### Examples
Suppose a format object contains the following elements: `userName` and `affils`. We could create a `itemFormat` entry that builds a item to our specifications: `|04{userName!styleFirstLower} |08- |13{affils}`. This may produce a string such as "<font color="red">eVIL cURRENT</font> <font color="grey">-</font> <font color="magenta">Razor 1911</font>".

Remember that a Python [string format mini language](https://docs.python.org/3/library/string.html#format-specification-mini-language) style syntax is available for widths, alignment, number prevision, etc. as well. A number can be made to be more human readable for example: `{byteSize:,}` may yield "1,123,456".