is support for Inform 6 likely to fall

[Brian]

I understand that Inform 7 converts the script code to Inform 6 language
then creates a adventure file by compiling the Inform 6 code. At the moment
people have a choice to either program in Inform 6 using its program type
code or program in Inform 7 using the more natural language. Is support for
Inform 6 likely to be dropped in favour of programming in the more recent
Inform 7?

Can code be mixed by including some inform 6 code when entering code into
the inform 7 compiler? This could be useful if the adventure creator has
problems with the inform 7 language.

In order for inform 7 to convert the code to inform 6 language then it must
write a file with the converted code. Where can this file be found as it
would be interesting to look at.

I read that I need to study the Inform 6 code to fully understand the
Inform 7 code.

--
Regards Brian

[Hannes Schüller]

Brian <bcl...@es.co.nz> wrote:
> Can code be mixed by including some inform 6 code when entering code
> into the inform 7 compiler?

See for example 25.14 and 25.15 of the Inform manual.

> In order for inform 7 to convert the code to inform 6 language then
> it must write a file with the converted code. Where can this file be
> found as it would be interesting to look at.

It's in the project directory, i.e.

project.inform/Build/auto.inf

I was once told that that directory is supposed to be 'hidden' on some
platforms. How to access it depends on your platform (I would assume it
should be accessible in a shell, though).

Hannes

[Adam Thornton]

In article <1230377020373892816....@free.teranews.com>,

Brian <bcl...@es.co.nz> wrote:
>I read that I need to study the Inform 6 code to fully understand the
>Inform 7 code.

This is untrue, or at any rate, true only in a very, very pedantic sense
of "fully." It is true in the same sense that you need to study the
assembly output of your C compiler to fully understand the C code.
Which is to say, for practical purposes, not.

The generated I6 code looks like machine-generated code rather than like
Inform 6 that an actual human would write. It is much more useful to
continue to view the code at an I7-like level of abstraction than to
look at the generated I6.

If you are fluent in more traditional programming languages, you might
consider writing directly in Inform 6 instead. It certainly has its
proponents. I find that the writing speed gained from I7 is worth the
additional verbosity and requirement to use glulx as a target format for
even a medium-scale game.

Adam

[Andrew Plotkin]

Here, Brian <bcl...@es.co.nz> wrote:
> Is support for Inform 6 likely to be dropped in favour of
> programming in the more recent Inform 7?

No. David Griffith is actively working on a new Inform 6 library, and
last month I added some I6 compiler features that are specifically for
I6 development. (I7 will not make use of all of them.)

--Z

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

[Andrew Plotkin]

Here, Hannes Sch�ller <han...@yllr.net> wrote:

> Brian <bcl...@es.co.nz> wrote:
>
> > In order for inform 7 to convert the code to inform 6 language then
> > it must write a file with the converted code. Where can this file be
> > found as it would be interesting to look at.
>
> It's in the project directory, i.e.
>
> project.inform/Build/auto.inf
>
> I was once told that that directory is supposed to be 'hidden' on some
> platforms. How to access it depends on your platform (I would assume it
> should be accessible in a shell, though).

On the Mac, the project.inform directory is treated as a sealed
package. But you can open it with the "Show Package Contents" menu
option, or with shell commands.

[Brian]

After taking a look at some I6 code examples it seems that one line of text
in I7 replaces several lines of text in I6.

Some lines of text look easy in I6 such as:
If (player in Bridleway)....
If (location == Bridleway)...
So for me its a matter of finding replacements for these in the I7
language.
In the past I have been using another adventure creator that had basic
conditions and actions such as...
If object x is in the same room as object y.
Move object x to the room that has object Y
If object x is available to player [ either in the same room as the player
or being carried by player]
So I'm hoping to find ways of doing these type of things using the I7
language.

It seems that one thing lacking (unless I have not found it in the manual)
is a way to hide objects.
You might not want displayed that a box is on the table until the player
examines the table, or a box is behind another object, or a box contains a
key.

One error in the I7 source code of Zork is that a object is on the table
hiding behind the satchel that is on the table. When the player picks up
the satchel then the object on the table is listed. This is near the start
of the game when the player enters the kitchen by going thru the window.
However who ever converted the Zork code to I7 did a good job.

--
Regards Brian

[Brian]

Andrew Plotkin <erky...@eblong.com> wrote:

> Here, Hannes Schüller <han...@yllr.net> wrote:
>> Brian <bcl...@es.co.nz> wrote:
>>
>>> In order for inform 7 to convert the code to inform 6 language then
>>> it must write a file with the converted code. Where can this file be
>>> found as it would be interesting to look at.
>>
>> It's in the project directory, i.e.
>>
>> project.inform/Build/auto.inf
>>
>> I was once told that that directory is supposed to be 'hidden' on some
>> platforms. How to access it depends on your platform (I would assume it
>> should be accessible in a shell, though).
>
> On the Mac, the project.inform directory is treated as a sealed
> package. But you can open it with the "Show Package Contents" menu
> option, or with shell commands.
>
> --Z

I have a PC computer so I'm hoping there is a folder called project that
will lead me to the file.

--
Regards Brian