Substitution

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Description

The most basic form of evaluation is a %-substitution. Even when other forms of evalution are not performed, %-substitutions usually are. A %-substitution is a '%' followed by one or two letters, digits, or symbols.

If a sequence is understood, it is substituted by a corresponding value.

If a sequence is not understood, the initial '%' is removed. In this way, the '%' also acts similarly to the '\' escape.

For some substitutions, if the letter following the '%' is capitalized, the first letter of the result of the substitution is also capitalized.

Certain %-sequences provide gender-specific pronouns. Some provide information about the execution state. Some provide control over the appearance of text.

Commonly-Used

%r: Carriage Return
%t: Tab
%b: Space
%%: Literal '%'.
%\: Literal '\'.
%x<code>: ANSI color codes.
%c<code>: ANSI color codes.

Pronoun-Related

%s, %S: Subjective form: he, she, it, they. See: subj(%#)
%o, %O: Objective form: him, her, it, them. See: obj(%#)
%p, %P: Possessive form: his, her, its, their. See: poss(%#)
%a, %A: Absolute Possessive form: his, hers, its, theirs. See: aposs(%#)

Database

%n, %N: Enactor's name. See name(%#).
%va-%vz: Contents of attribute va through vz.
%=<attr>: Equivalent to v(attr) or get(me/attr).

Execution State

%m: Text of the last command executed.
%0-%9: Value of positional parameter/stack location 0 through 9.
%q0-%q9: Value of temporary (setq) register 0 through 9.
%qa-%qz: Value of temporary (setq) register A through Z.
%#: Database number of the object that caused the message to be displayed or the action list to be run (Enactor).
%@: Database number of the object immediately calling %! (Caller). This number starts as the same as %#, but can be affected by u()-type functions, zones, and @function.
%!: Database number of the object holding the message or running the action list (Executor).
%l: Database number of the location of the object that caused the message to be displayed or the action list to be run.
%|: A string piped from the previous command in a pipe.

Note that %<whatever> is equivalent to v(<whatever>), but is more efficient.

See also: ANSI(), ANSI codes, ANSI substitution, Gender, V().

Relevant help files: help substitutions, help substitutions2, help substitutions3