Inform 7: Different versions lead to different size files??

[BrooksSeveer]

I've been working on a project for a little while now, and decided to
work on it at a different computer from my home computer. It's
literally the exact same source code, same extensions, etc. But the
version of Inform 7 that I loaded onto my computer at work is newer.
The one on my home computer is Sept. 2008.

Here's the problem. BIG problem:

When I compile the game, depending on which version of Inform I'm
using I get two very different file sizes!

With the old Inform, Sept. 2008 version my file compiles to 387kb.
With the newer Inform, April 2009, USING THE EXACT SAME STORY CODE, my
file compiles now to 479 kb!!

I would really like to keep the game file under 512kb, so I don't
drift into having to deal with GLULX. Is there something I'm missing?
Is there something I'm overlooking?

Any help or advice or even explanation would be greatly appreciated.

[Andrew Plotkin]

Here, BrooksSeveer <brooks...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've been working on a project for a little while now, and decided to
> work on it at a different computer from my home computer. It's
> literally the exact same source code, same extensions, etc. But the
> version of Inform 7 that I loaded onto my computer at work is newer.
> The one on my home computer is Sept. 2008.
>
> Here's the problem. BIG problem:
>
> When I compile the game, depending on which version of Inform I'm
> using I get two very different file sizes!
>
> With the old Inform, Sept. 2008 version my file compiles to 387kb.
> With the newer Inform, April 2009, USING THE EXACT SAME STORY CODE, my
> file compiles now to 479 kb!!

The newest I7 includes regular-expression features, which adds a lot
of code. (This are not compiled into every game, but if you use
"indexed text" at all, then the regular-expression code is included.)

I suspect there are other new features being included as well.

If you go to <http://inform7.com/download/>, you will see all the
earlier releases are available.

--Z

--
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*

[BrooksSeveer]

On Jan 4, 9:25 am, Andrew Plotkin <erkyr...@eblong.com> wrote:

Thank you! I will download the earlier version right now. And uh...
just wanted to say, big fan!

[Otto Grimwald]

On 04/01/2010 17:29, BrooksSeveer wrote:

> I will download the earlier version right now.

I would advice you to use the latest version of inform so you can be
sure to always access to the latest cool features.

In the case you reach the limit of the zmachine and you prefer not to
use the glulx machine (why?), there are a few tricks to spare a few
bytes. You can for example include this code, if it's not already done:

Use memory economy.

Read chapter 2.14 about this in the Inform7 manual.