/uptopic {
  var %string = $strip($channel($active).topic)
  if ($stripped != 0) { echo -a [topic] no changes necessary; return }
  var %color = $rand(2,15)
  var %len = $len(%string)
  var %count = 1
  var %out =  $+ %color
  while (%len) {
    if (%color == 16) { %color = 2 }
    if ($mid(%string,%count,1) == $chr(124)) {
      inc %color
      %out = $+(%out,,%color,|)
    }
    else {
      %out = $+(%out,$mid(%string,%count,1),$chr(32))
    }
    inc %count
    dec %len
  }
  /topic $active %out
}