Subj : Discord webook integration
To   : Hunter-Z
From : Digital Man
Date : Sun Oct 24 2021 04:07 pm

  Re: Discord webook integration
  By: Hunter-Z to All on Sat Oct 23 2021 07:27 pm

 > Hello. I used to run a Synchronet BBS in the mid-late 1990s, and set up a
 > modern version in a WinXP VirtualBox VM in 2015 for fun. I recently blew the
 > dust off of this because some friends on Discord were interested in
 > experiencing the BBS thing in a private setting.
 >
 > Since we're using Discord and Synchronet is now heavy into JavaScript, I
 > thought I'd try hooking the two together. I've had limited success using an
 > HTTPRequest from Synchronet's http.js to send POST requests to a Discord
 > webhook URL, but I've run into some issues and limitations that I could use
 > some advice on.
 >
 > I should mention up-front that I'm a novice at JavaScript, so I'm probably
 > going about this all wrong. My native language is C++!
 > +--------------------------+
 > |Logon/logoff notifications|
 > +--------------------------+
 > The first thing I tried to do was have Synchronet tell people on Discord
 > when someone logs on or off. Logon works great, even reporting the user and
 > node number. Logoff, on the other hand, is problematic: It seems that
 > regardless of whether I use the fixed event or an on-logoff event-driven
 > external program entry, Synchronet terminates my JavaScript code before it
 > can send the POST request! As an ugly hack, I was able to get it working by
 > having a fixed logoff event call a .BAT file, which in turn calls jsexec -x,
 > but there has to be a better way?

For non-interactive logout event, you want to set SCFG->External Programs->Fixed Events->Logout Event to execute your script (e.g. "?logout"). I tested this with a simple logout.js to logs some lines, runs a loop, sleeps 1 second, the complete script ran without getting terminated. One thing that might help you is to include "js.auto_terminate = false" in the beginning of your script.

 > I'm also wondering if this is the best way to do any of this in general.
 > What about just creating custom logon/logoff *modules* that wrap the default
 > ones or something?

Not really sure what you're asking here. There is no "default" logout event.

 > +-------------------------+
 > |BBS up/down notifications|
 > +-------------------------+
 > I'd love to have something notify Discord when the BBS goes up or down, but
 > there isn't an obvious way to do this either. I was able to get a "BBS up"
 > notification to work by creating a timed even that is set to run on *no*
 > days of the week, and to run on (re)init, but this again feels like a hack.

That's how I'd do it. But ideally, a BBS is a stable server (like a web server) and shouldn't need to be telling its users when it's online or offline. It should *always* (or almost alway) be online.

 > I also don't see any way at all to trigger a "BBS down" event. I'm wondering
 > if maybe I should just handle this externally to Synchronet, like maybe via
 > a Windows Task Manager job or something?

Sure. Or just make a script that both sends your status update and terminates sbbs.

 > +------------------------------+
 > |External Program notifications|
 > +------------------------------+
 > Edit: Forgot to mention this. It would be great if I could somehow trigger a
 > script when someone enters a door program, without having to edit every
 > door's configuration to integrate it via a batch file or whatever.
 >
 >
 > Any advice/thoughts appreciated.

Look at exec/prextrn.js and postxtrn.js.
-- 
                                            digital man

Rush quote #47:
All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer by the stars
Norco, CA WX: 73.5øF, 53.0% humidity, 1 mph SSW wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs

.