x8 Inform Libraries

Simple, industrialise and use libraries. Inform allows .h library files to be incorporated into your programme all you have to do is include the command Include "AskTellOrder.h"; for example at the top of your programme usually after Include "VerbLib"; which must always be included. The comments in each library will tell you if your include command needs to go elsewhere. Most libraries have been heavily tested both by their programmer and in games that have been in general use so are highly reliable. Some are written for Inform version 5.5, the current version is 6.15 so this may cause some problems but Inform is designed to be backward compatible. Here are some of the libraries I have come across that I found useful. Which libraries you choose to use really depends on what your programme is going to do and how professional you want to make it.

AskTellOrder.h (3Kbytes)
Converts ASK/TELL THE NPC TO DO SOMETHING into NPC, DO SOMETHING. Standard Inform doesn't understand the first sentence configuration and most people would normally type this and assume a puzzle in a game couldn't be solved this way. So it is a good idea to include this library if you have any puzzles of this type ie. if you use an NPC (Non-Person Character or Actor) to solve a problem for you.

follower.h (3Kbytes)
A follow command isn't implemented in Inform but this library provides one, so you can follow NPC's when they are not in the same location as you, even if they are in moving objects like a car. Inform is generally an easy language to programme once you have learned it but it does seem tricky when trying to refer to an object not in the current location, looking through this library will show you how to deal with this problem.

footnote.h (5Kbytes)
A very useful and easy to use library which allows footnotes to be implemented. Footnotes can not be referred to until mentioned in the game thus preventing the player learning anything too early, and are numbered in the order they are mentioned so the player never knows how many there are.

locktest.h (2Kbytes)
This library automatically chooses locked and key objects first during the parsing routine to make the game look smarter e.g. you might normally type:
>UNLOCK TOOLBOX WITH KEY
but with this library you could type:
>UNLOCK and it would add
(the toolbox)
(with the key)
You unlock the toolbox.
This library is also very simple to use.

Outofrch.h (17Kbytes)
This library prevents the player taking out of reach objects when in a seat, chair, bed etc... and drops items on the floor instead of the object you are sitting on. Reach zones allow desks, tables etc... to be reached by the player when required. Beware! If you alter the floor object as I did in spacestation (version 2) so I could call it deck this library may not work and go into a infinite loop. But otherwise it should work fine and has been well tested.

hints.h (9Kbytes)
This library provides some facilities which make writing an Infocom style on-line hint system a lot easier.

menus.h (9Kbytes) and AltMenu.h (14Kbytes)
Provide on screen menu routines similar to the Infocom on-line hints system. I haven't actually used them myself but have played a lot of games that utilize them. They give a very professional appearance.

Virtually all libraries currently available can be found at
http://www.ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archiveXinfocomXcompilersXinform6XlibraryXcontributions.html.

Study the source code for the above games and absorb the material in the following sites. Then apply a phenomenal amount of time and patience. Simple! :-)

house_inform_tutorial.zip 31 KBytes - goes through easy stages house01.inf - house08.inf gradually teaching you new inform commands. Beginning with simple room descriptions and map directions, then adding objects...

Inform 6.30: A Design System for Interactive Fiction, tells you lots of stuff about Inform and also has links to many other useful sites. You can download the compiler and designers manual (in HTML and PDF format) from here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inform - Wikipedia Encyclopedia Inform Entry, with example Game Code.

Disinform (781Kbytes) WinZip File, an Inform decompiler by Jeremy Smith, with the partial ability to translate even Infocom-compiled story files into Inform source.

rec.arts.int-fiction newsgroup on your server is where you can ask for technical advice and playtesters. Precede any post title with [INFORM].

rec.games.int-fiction newsgroup on your server rec.games.int-fiction newsgroup is where you can ask for solutions to games puzzles. If you post a solution either put SPOILERS in the title or message with enough spaces to hide the answer. Playtesters can also be obtained here, as can game reviews. DON'T mix the two sites up, they each have a specific function.

If you don't have a news server on your Email you can view newsgroups at google newsgroups on-line. To setup newserver put news.???? in Outlook Express in tools/accounts/news/properties . Go to tools/newsgroups to activate and download list of groups.

If you want to write a transcript you might wish to contact me first so as to prevent the unlikely event of two people working on the same transcript. Once written I will include it on this site. It must contain the notice 'Not for commercial distribution' at the start of the game and preferably be somewhere I can download it from i.e. an ftp or internet site.

You can E-mail the ~~Dungeon~~, woops I mean Web-master.