Highlight Strings

In the Cosrin client, you can use the **highlight strings** feature to perform an action whenever the client detects a particular string. Possible actions include:

* Changing the color of a word or phrase.
* Changing a word or phrase to display as another word or phrase.
* Playing a sound.
* Triggering a script.
* Diverting a word or phrase to a certain game window.

Highlight strings are an easy yet important way to customize your Cosrin client. Text can scroll by quickly when playing a MUD, so it’s a good idea to let the client handle a lot of the text management on your behalf. Example uses of highlight strings below.

## String Coloring

As the name “highlight string” would imply, the first purpose for a highlight string is to actually highlight a string with a new color. This can be useful for a number of things, such as distinguishing different types of event messages:

You can also highlight with a different background color, which can be useful for alert-type highlights. Here I’ve highlighted **snotler shaman** because it can put me to sleep, so I always want to know when one spawns:

Highlights can also be set to *trigger* on a specific phrase but *highlight* the entire line. I use this option for my tells so I can see new tells at a glance:

## String Replacement

There’s an option with highlight strings that allows you to replace the highlighted string with a different word or phrase. Potential uses include:

* **Censorship.** If you don’t want to see specific words or phrases (such as cursing), you can set it up so that the client highlights them and replaces them with a blank.
* More to be added later.

## String Diverts

The Cosrin client can handle multiple windows being open where each window handles a different type of game text (shouts, chats, events, arrivals, etc.). But sometimes, you’ll receive certain messages or texts that you want to divert to a different window type than normal. Potential uses include:

* **Remove messages.** Sometimes, you just don’t want to see a message, period. For this, you can open up a dummy window in the background and divert all unsavory messages to that window.
* **Important messages.** Say you want to track every instance someone mentions your name, regardless of the message type. Open up a blank window and divert all instances of your name to that window. Now you’ll never be out of the loop.
* More to be added later.

## Playing Sounds

Highlight strings can play a notification sound when triggered. Potential uses include:

* **Leveling.** With all of the text scrolling by, sometimes you’ll miss the fact that you’ve leveled up. Setting a sound to play whenever you gain a land level, guild level, or city level can be useful as an alert.
* **Tells.** Being notified when you receive a tell can be immensely useful, especially when combined with string coloring.
* **Shouts and chats.** Some people like to hear a soft message sound whenever a shout or chat is detected.
* More to be added later.

## Script Triggers

Cosrin has a versatile scripting system that you can use to automate various tasks. Highlight strings can be used to trigger specific scripts to run. Potential uses include:

* **Buffbot.** Set up a trigger to run when someone sends you a specific tell (e.g., “buffmeplz”), which runs a script that casts colors on the target.
* **Monsters.** When a particular monster enters the room, you can run a particular command, such as recalling back home.
* **Roleplay.** Respond to various world events. The player Deesul does this. Whenever the time of day switches, thunder rumbles in the heavens above, and he automatically responds to that thunder.
* More to be added later.