input.conf syntax: support custom quotes !XstringX!

Where X is any ASCII char chosen by the user. An argument is only
interpreted as custom-quoted if it starts with '!' and the line doesn't
end right after it. Custom quotes don't interpret backslash-escape.

This change only affects command arguments which mpv parses (not array
commands), and not tokens before the arguments (where applicable - key
name, input section, command prefixes, command name).

1 files changed, 18 insertions, 8 deletions

diff --git a/DOCS/man/input.rst b/DOCS/man/input.rst
index 394f394552..82b570c228 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/input.rst
+++ b/DOCS/man/input.rst
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ command.
 
 ``<command>`` is the command itself. It consists of the command name and
 multiple (or none) arguments, all separated by whitespace. String arguments
-need to be quoted with ``"``. Details see ``Flat command syntax``.
+should be quoted, typically with ``"``. See ``Flat command syntax``.
 
 You can bind multiple commands to one key. For example:
 
@@ -162,18 +162,28 @@ a number of other places.
 
 |
 | ``<command>  ::= [<prefixes>] <command_name> (<argument>)*``
-| ``<argument> ::= (<string> | " <quoted_string> ")``
+| ``<argument> ::= (<unquoted> | " <double_quoted> " | !X <custom_quoted> X!)``
 
 ``command_name`` is an unquoted string with the command name itself. See
 `List of Input Commands`_ for a list.
 
-Arguments are separated by whitespace. This applies even to string arguments.
-For this reason, string arguments should be quoted with ``"``. If a string
-argument contains spaces or certain special characters, quoting and possibly
-escaping is mandatory, or the command cannot be parsed correctly.
+Arguments are separated by whitespaces even if the command expects only one
+argument. Arguments with whitespaces or other special characters must be quoted,
+or the command cannot be parsed correctly.
 
-Inside quotes, C-style escaping can be used. JSON escapes according to RFC 8259,
-minus surrogate pair escapes, should be a safe subset that can be used.
+Double quoted arguments start and end with ``"``. Custom quotes start with ``!``
+(exclamation mark) followed by any ASCII character, and end in the same pair in
+reverse order, e.g. ``!'foo'!`` or ``!-bar-!``. The final pair sequence is not
+allowed inside the string - in these examples ``'!`` and ``-!`` respectively.
+
+Custom quotes take their content literally, while inside double quotes
+JSON/C-style escaping can be used. JSON escapes according to RFC 8259, minus
+surrogate pair escapes, should be a safe subset that can be used.
+
+Note that argument parsing and property expansion happen at different stages.
+First, arguments are determined as described above, and then, where applicable,
+properties are expanded - regardless of argument quoting. However, expansion
+can still be prevented with ``$>``. See `Property Expansion`_.
 
 Commands specified as arrays
 ----------------------------