botserver/docs/src/chapter-05/keyword-first.md

FIRST Keyword

Syntax

FIRST "text"

Parameters

• "text" – A string expression from which the first word will be extracted.

Description

FIRST returns the first whitespace‑separated token of the provided string. If the string is empty or contains only whitespace, the result is an empty string. The keyword is useful for extracting a leading command or identifier from user input.

Example

SET command = FIRST user_input
TALK "You entered the command: " + command

If user_input is "search books about Rust", FIRST returns "search".

Implementation Notes

• The keyword splits the string on any whitespace (spaces, tabs, newlines) and returns the first element.
• It does not modify the original string.
• Case‑insensitive; the returned word preserves the original casing.