define custom highlights

[mehlert-zz]

would be cool if you could define your own highlights. our teams use them pretty heavily.

[furier]

:+1: as part of a user.json

[dzek69]

:+1: but i'd like to define/edit them from browser

[AlMcKinlay]

I'm currently working on this, I'm adding a setting to the Notifications section to allow defining a CSV list of things you will be highlighted on. Any objections to this way before I get the code finished and a PR up?

[furier]

:+1:

[astorije]

@YaManicKill, this is a feature I have wanted to, TBH. I don't have any objections apart from trying to keep it compartimentalized as much as possible.

I know this is not a reality yet, but I believe this ultimately belongs to a plugin (potentially shipped by default with Shout). I notI would love to hear your opinion on what are the inputs/outputs needed from a plugin system for this feature to be achievable in its simplest form. This will help drive the requirements being discussed in #554. I think these sorts of plugins can and should be developed very easily.

[AlMcKinlay]

I'm not sure I agree that it should be a plugin, it seems like quite a fundamental feature of an IRC client. I feel like everything that is being suggested just now is being told to be in a plugin, despite the fact that the plugin system doesn't exist just now.

Obviously, if that's what the maintainers want, then sure.

For this to be a plugin, it would obviously need:

1. To be able to read incoming messages
2. Have access to the notifications (and be able to activate them)
3. A way to add to the settings (in this case, a text input)

[astorije]

I'm not sure I agree that it should be a plugin, it seems like quite a fundamental feature of an IRC client. I feel like everything that is being suggested just now is being told to be in a plugin, despite the fact that the plugin system doesn't exist just now.

Hey, I'm not saying this is not a wonderful feature! :-) Basically, in the (near?) future, everything that is not core, aka that is not strictly required to have a bare working Shout, should be a plugin. I actually think these will be named "packages" instead of plugins: it's not about adding extra features that are non-essential, it's about encapsulating each feature of the project. I'm expecting that a lot of packages will be located along with the core and officially maintained, so it's really about the architecture. Also, see that as a way to make every piece individually testable, which is really cool (and test core+packageA+packageB only, ...). Finally, it's a great way to help people coding on Shout: no more wondering what the hell is this architecture (which will increase as features come), just need to figure out what is needed from the core and use only these.

That being said, I cannot deny that a plugin/package system is not implemented yet nor give a time estimate. I would be happy to see this coming in Shout before the package era because, as you pointed out, it's essential. There are however cases where we have declined over a package/plugin version indeed, and this applies when the suggested feature will require a lot of maintenance work and/or is not essential to a solid basic client and/or responds to very personal or suggestive needs. It's always a shame to turn PRs down, so always appreciated when things are discussed in issues or on the IRC channel beforehand :-)

Thanks for your inputs, that's helpful (and now documented in #554).

[AlMcKinlay]

Ah right, I understand. Sorry for the misunderstanding. What you say makes perfect sense. I would be happy to help migrate this feature to a plugin when that comes in.

I have really enjoyed shout for ages and I just want to help it get better ☺

[astorije]

I would be happy to help migrate this feature to a plugin when that comes in.

Yay!

I have really enjoyed shout for ages and I just want to help it get better ☺

Double yay!

I do believe this architecture will make everyone's life on Shout much better, and will lead to a better Shout. I just hope we won't be making any dumb decisions and that's also why I'm waving the plugin flag every time I can: to raise awareness and give people a way to yell at us if they think a wrong direction is being headed at :-)

Also, thanks for all your contributions, even minor, everything constructive is helpful.

[drunlade]

Any method of defining custom highlights needs to allow for different highlights per #room/server, since people may have different names/needs in different #rooms/servers (such as dev, work and personal).