Reading Commands¶

Ever wish you could peek at another command's source code without leaving the dashboard? Bot.read and Bot.readCommand let your bot inspect its own commands at runtime — perfect for admin panels, documentation bots, and "what does /secret actually do?" debugging sessions.

Read-only, safe, and slightly meta. Your bot reading itself. Very introspective.

What is reading commands?¶

Two methods, two levels of detail:

Method	Returns	Best for
`Bot.read("/start")`	Raw source code (string)	Code previews, AI analysis, debugging logic
`Bot.readCommand("/start")`	Full definition (object)	Admin panels, config audits, command editors

Neither method executes anything — you're just looking. Like reading a recipe without turning on the oven.

New to TBL?

Bot, chat, and user are globals available in every command. Quick intro: Learning TBL.

How to use it¶

Read source code only — `Bot.read`¶

Returns the command's Logic field as a plain string. No keyboard, aliases, or need_reply settings:

let code = Bot.read("/start")
// Returns something like: "Bot.sendMessage('Welcome!')"

Bot.sendMessage("That command is " + code.length + " characters long.")

Parameter	Type	Description
`commandName`	`string`	Command name (e.g. `"/start"`)

Returns: string — the command's source code.

Read full definition — `Bot.readCommand`¶

Returns everything — code plus dashboard settings:

let cmd = Bot.readCommand("/start")

Bot.sendMessage("Keyboard: " + (cmd.keyboard || "none"))
Bot.sendMessage("Aliases: " + cmd.aliases.join(", ") || "none")

Returns: object with fields such as:

Field	Type	Description
`code`	`string`	Source code from the Logic field
`answer`	`string \\| null`	Auto-reply text
`keyboard`	`string \\| null`	Reply keyboard config
`aliases`	`array`	Command aliases
`allow_only_group`	`boolean`	Restrict to groups
`need_reply`	`boolean`	Wait for user reply before running

Example response:

{
  "code": "Bot.sendMessage('Welcome!')",
  "answer": null,
  "keyboard": null,
  "aliases": [],
  "allow_only_group": false,
  "need_reply": false
}

Try it — copy-paste examples¶

Code length checker (admin tool)¶

let code = Bot.read("/help")
Bot.sendMessage("/help logic: " + code.length + " chars")

List commands that use reply keyboards¶

// Assume you have a list of command names from your admin panel
let cmd = Bot.readCommand("/menu")
if (cmd.keyboard) {
  Bot.sendMessage("/menu has a reply keyboard configured.")
}

Safe read with error handling¶

Both methods throw if the command name is missing, not a string, or doesn't exist (with suggestions for similar names):

try {
  let code = Bot.read("/nonexistent")
} catch (e) {
  Bot.sendMessage("That command doesn't exist.")
}

Errors can also be caught by your ! error handler.

Important notes¶

Read-only — returned data never runs. You're inspecting, not executing.
The target command must exist in your bot's command list.
Great for in-bot documentation, moderation tools, or "show me the code" admin features.
Restrict these commands to admins — exposing source code to everyone is rarely a good idea.