Pipe Code Support

May 28, 2026 · View on GitHub

BinktermPHP now supports pipe codes (also called MCI codes or color codes) used by various BBS software including Synchronet, Renegade, and Mystic BBS.

What are Pipe Codes?

Pipe codes are text formatting codes that use the pipe character (|) followed by a two-digit hexadecimal code to change colors and styles. They were popularized by BBS software as a simpler alternative to ANSI escape sequences.

Format

|XX

Where XX is a two-digit hexadecimal code (00-FF).

Color Mapping

Foreground Colors (|00 to |0F)

  • |00 - Black
  • |01 - Blue
  • |02 - Green
  • |03 - Cyan
  • |04 - Red
  • |05 - Magenta
  • |06 - Yellow
  • |07 - White
  • |08 - Gray (Bright Black)
  • |09 - Bright Blue
  • |0A - Bright Green
  • |0B - Bright Cyan
  • |0C - Bright Red
  • |0D - Bright Magenta
  • |0E - Bright Yellow
  • |0F - Bright White

Background + Foreground (|10 to |FF)

For codes above |0F, the format is |XY where:

  • X (upper nibble) = Background color (0-F)
  • Y (lower nibble) = Foreground color (0-F)

Examples:

  • |1F - Blue background, white foreground
  • |4E - Red background, yellow foreground
  • |2C - Green background, bright red foreground

Usage

Pipe codes are automatically detected and rendered when displaying messages.

Parser Mode

Pipe-code detection is controlled by the PIPE_CODE_PARSER_MODE environment variable in .env:

PIPE_CODE_PARSER_MODE=decimal_relaxed

Supported values:

  • strict - conservative uppercase-only parsing with a trailing boundary check. Avoids false positives such as |Advertise, but can leave sequences like |01A side of beans unparsed.
  • decimal_relaxed - default. Greedily accepts two-digit decimal color codes (|00-|99) even when followed by uppercase text, so |01A side of beans parses as |01 + A side of beans. Uppercase hex-with-letter codes and two-letter control codes remain stricter.
  • loose - legacy permissive behavior for experiments. Re-enables broader matching and can reintroduce false positives in normal prose.

In Message Bodies

|0FWelcome to the BBS!

|0EYou have |0F5 |0Enew messages.

|0CMenu: |0F1|07) Messages  |0F2|07) Files

Mixed with ANSI Codes

Pipe codes can be mixed with ANSI escape sequences in the same message:

|0CThis is pipe red [33mThis is ANSI yellow[0m Back to normal

Implementation

The pipe code parser works by:

  1. Detecting pipe codes according to PIPE_CODE_PARSER_MODE
  2. Converting them to ANSI escape sequences
  3. Processing through the existing ANSI parser

This approach ensures:

  • Backward compatibility with existing ANSI rendering
  • Support for mixing both formats
  • Consistent color rendering across the application

JavaScript Functions

hasPipeCodes(text)

Detects if text contains pipe codes.

convertPipeCodesToAnsi(text)

Converts pipe codes to ANSI escape sequences.

renderAnsiTerminal(text)

Main function that handles both ANSI and pipe codes. Automatically detects and processes both formats.

parseColorCodes(text)

Alias for renderAnsiTerminal() that handles auto-detection.

Testing

A test page is available at /pipecode-test.html showing various examples of pipe code usage including:

  • Basic foreground colors
  • Bright colors
  • Background + foreground combinations
  • Mixed ANSI and pipe codes
  • Realistic BBS message examples

User Settings

Pipe code parsing can be disabled in user settings:

window.userSettings.pipe_parsing = false;  // Disable pipe code parsing

This uses the same setting as ANSI parsing. If ANSI parsing is disabled, pipe codes will also be disabled.

Compatibility

Pipe codes are compatible with:

  • Synchronet BBS - Standard |XX format
  • Mystic BBS - Standard |XX format with hex codes
  • Renegade BBS - Standard |XX format
  • Other FTN-compatible BBS software using similar pipe code standards

Special Pipe Codes

BBS software uses letter-based pipe codes for terminal control, dynamic content substitution, and display-file behaviour. These fall into three categories:

Rendered

A small number of letter codes have a meaningful equivalent in the web viewer:

  • |PI - Literal pipe character (|) — Mystic BBS escape for a pipe symbol
  • |CD - Reset colour to default — converted to ANSI reset (\x1b[0m)

Stripped (control codes)

These are interactive terminal control codes that have no meaning when viewing archived messages:

  • |AA / |AO - Abort on / Abort off (Mystic display-file control)
  • |BE - Beep / bell character
  • |BS - Destructive backspace
  • |CL - Clear screen
  • |CN / |CY - iCE colours off / on
  • |CR - Carriage return + line feed
  • |DE - Half-second delay
  • |LC - Load last colour mode
  • |LF - Load last font
  • |PA - Pause prompt
  • |PB - Purge input buffer
  • |PE / |PN - Pause for Enter / wait for key (no prompt)
  • |PO - Pause off (Mystic display-file control)
  • |RA / |RS / |SA / |SS - Save/restore attribute and screen
  • |RD - Read
  • Cursor/screen codes: |[0, |[1, |[K, |[A##, |[X##, etc.

Stripped (information codes)

These codes are substituted by the BBS at display time. In archived messages there is no live BBS context to resolve them, so they are removed:

  • |BN - BBS name, |SN - Sysop name, |DN - Domain name
  • |UN - User real name, |UH - User handle
  • |TI / |TM / |TS - Current time variants
  • |DA - Current date
  • |CS / |CT - Total calls / calls today
  • |SL - Security level
  • All other unrecognised two-letter codes

Mystic BBS theme colour codes (|T0–|T9) are also stripped as they are theme-dependent.

Notes

  • In strict and decimal_relaxed modes, letter-based pipe codes are uppercase-sensitive by design.
  • loose mode restores case-insensitive matching for experiments.
  • Mystic-style hex colour codes (|0A–|FF) are parsed as two hex nibbles: upper = background, lower = foreground
  • Renegade-style decimal colour codes (|00–|23) use decimal values: 00–15 = foreground, 16–23 = background
  • Recognized two-letter control/info codes are stripped; unknown ones are preserved as literal text
  • The implementation covers Renegade, Mystic, Synchronet, and other FTN-compatible BBS software