format, fixes #254

src/main/java/carpet/script/CarpetExpression.java

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import carpet.script.exception.ExpressionException;
 import carpet.script.exception.InternalExpressionException;
 import carpet.script.value.BlockValue;
 import carpet.script.value.EntityValue;
+import carpet.script.value.FormattedTextValue;
 import carpet.script.value.FunctionValue;
 import carpet.script.value.LazyListValue;
 import carpet.script.value.ListValue;
@@ -2677,17 +2678,33 @@ public class CarpetExpression
         {
             ServerCommandSource s = ((CarpetContext)c).s;
             Value res = lv.get(0).evalValue(c);
-            if (s.getEntity() instanceof  PlayerEntity)
+            if (res instanceof FormattedTextValue)
             {
-                Messenger.m((PlayerEntity) s.getEntity(), "w "+ res.getString());
+                s.sendFeedback(((FormattedTextValue) res).getText(), false);
             }
             else
             {
-                Messenger.m(s, "w "+ res.getString());
+                if (s.getEntity() instanceof PlayerEntity)
+                {
+                    Messenger.m((PlayerEntity) s.getEntity(), "w " + res.getString());
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    Messenger.m(s, "w " + res.getString());
+                }
             }
             return (_c, _t) -> res; // pass through for variables
         });
 
+        this.expr.addLazyFunction("format", -1, (c, t, lv) -> {
+            if (lv.size() == 0 ) throw new InternalExpressionException("'format' requires at least one component");
+            List<Value> values = lv.stream().map(lazy -> lazy.evalValue(c)).collect(Collectors.toList());
+            if (values.get(0) instanceof ListValue && values.size()==1)
+                values = ((ListValue) values.get(0)).getItems();
+            Value ret = new FormattedTextValue(Messenger.c(values.stream().map(Value::getString).toArray()));
+            return (cc, tt) -> ret;
+        });
+
         //"overidden" native call to cancel if on main thread
         this.expr.addLazyFunction("task_join", 1, (c, t, lv) -> {
             if (((CarpetContext)c).s.getMinecraftServer().isOnThread())

src/main/java/carpet/script/value/FormattedTextValue.java

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package carpet.script.value;
+
+import net.minecraft.text.BaseText;
+
+public class FormattedTextValue extends StringValue
+{
+    BaseText text;
+    public FormattedTextValue(BaseText text)
+    {
+        super(null);
+        this.text = text;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getString() {
+        return text.getString();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean getBoolean() {
+          return text.getSiblings().size() > 0;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Value clone()
+    {
+        return new FormattedTextValue(text);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getTypeString()
+    {
+        return "text";
+    }
+
+    public BaseText getText()
+    {
+        return text;
+    }
+}

src/main/java/carpet/utils/Messenger.java

@@ -116,10 +116,14 @@ public class Messenger
         {
             message = "w"+message;
         }
-        String[] parts = message.split("\\s", 2);
-        String desc = parts[0];
+        int limit = message.indexOf(' ');
+        String desc = message;
         String str = "";
-        if (parts.length > 1) str = parts[1];
+        if (limit >= 0)
+        {
+            desc = message.substring(0, limit);
+            str = message.substring(limit+1);
+        }
         if (desc.charAt(0) == '/') // deprecated
         {
             if (previous_message != null)