I think there's no easy AND accurate way to detect highlighting with scripted means, which I want to demonstrate below.

The $highlight identifier allows cycling through all highlight entries:
Code:
alias listhighlight {
  var %nr = 1
  while ($highlight(%nr)) {
    echo -na HIGHLIGHT nr. %nr is $v1 
    echo -na SETTINGS: match regex: $iif($highlight(%nr).regex,yes,no) $&
      • match nicks: $iif($highlight(%nr).nicks,yes,no) $&
      • message: $iif($highlight(%nr).message,$v1,none) $&
      • flash: $iif($highlight(%nr).flash,$v1 times,no) $&
      • tip: $iif($highlight(%nr).tip,$v1 seconds,no) $&
      • sound: $iif($highlight(%nr).sound,$v1,none) • colour: $iif($highlight(%nr).colour,$v1,none) 
    inc %nr
  }
}
Side Note: $highlight().regex and $highlight().tip are not officially documentated, and I did not find the property for case seinsitive by guessing so far...

One can return if highlight is enabled or not as well.. $highlight (without property).

But the trouble begins when trying to catch all highlights correctly. For example:
Code:
on *:text:*:*: {
  if ($highlight($1-)) { echo -anc highlight Highlight triggers (matching: $highlight($1-).text $+ ) }
}
This works apparently well. But $highlight uses the syntax $highlight(N/text). Now, if text == N? That is: if someone sends the message "1"? confused

Therefore, one needs to go the other way round (evaluate all highlight entries against the given text).
Pseudocode:
Code:
event or text to loop {
  while $highlight(N) {
    if (the highlight is a regex) { check for (regex(text,highlight) }
    elseif (the highlight contains wildcards) { check for (highlight iswm text) }
    else { check for (istok(highlight,text,32)) }
  }
}
And this does not even take the "case sensitive" switch into account.... to me, that seems quite intricately. frown

Thus, I am looking forward for (I'm aware of the fact that this has been requested before)

- an ishighlight operator:
if (<text> ishl) { }
... allowing easy loops through blocks of text

and / or (more important):

- an $ishighlight identifier returning $true/$false for on text/on action events:
if ($ishiglight) { }
... allowing easy event-related highlight scripting


PS: In addition, a switch ignore -h(ighlight) would be most welcome. S

Sorry for the lengthy post smile