> I've been out of touch with the IF world for a bit, but at long > last I felt it was time to update Spatterlight. Here is the newest > and greatest release, which includes several updated interpreters: > Alan 3.0 alpha 5, Glulxe 0.4.3, Level9 4.1, Scare 1.3.9.
> If there are any bugs or features that you sorely miss > this is the thread where you can tell me all about it. If this > new release doesn't work on the latest and greatest interactive > masterpieces (or even on the old classics) shout it out here.
> Tor
Heh, I don't believe this! Just when I had given the Alan 3 language up as a bad job because it had no Mac interpreter that I could find. And I'd thought it was meant to be the language for me to learn on, as my technophobic husband's name is Alan and my son's name is ... yes ... Tor! So much for synchronicity!
Erica MacKenzie
-- Posted on news://freenews.netfront.net - Complaints to n...@netfront.net --
gairlochan wrote: > Heh, I don't believe this! Just when I had given the Alan 3 language up as a > bad job because it had no Mac interpreter that I could find.
If you'd like to give Alan another go, I'd be happy to help you with whatever compilation problems you were having before.
IMO, Alan is quite a nice language that deserves more attention than it gets. It would be good to see it discussed here more.
On 2008-07-22 04:48:14 +0100, Greg Ewing <greg.ew...@canterbury.ac.nz> said:
> gairlochan wrote:
>> Heh, I don't believe this! Just when I had given the Alan 3 language up as a >> bad job because it had no Mac interpreter that I could find.
> If you'd like to give Alan another go, I'd be happy to > help you with whatever compilation problems you were > having before.
> IMO, Alan is quite a nice language that deserves more > attention than it gets. It would be good to see it > discussed here more.
I'd like to know more about it in general. I've never even seen any code or anything. Isn't it similar to I7 in that it attempts to make language elements more englishlike? -- Best
James Jolley wrote: > I'd like to know more about it in general. I've never even seen any code > or anything.
I've appended a few snippets from the manual below to give an idea of the flavour.
I'll see if I can dig out the Alan 2 game I wrote a while back, which will provide a more substantial example.
> Isn't it similar to I7 in that it attempts to make language > elements more englishlike?
In a way, but it doesn't go nearly as far in that direction. It's English-like to about the same extent that COBOL was English-like. The syntax has a clear structure to it, and there is a BNF grammar for it published in the manual.
The kitchen Isa location Exit east To hallway. End The Kitchen.
The hallway Isa location Description "In front of you is a long hallway. In one end is the front door, in the other a doorway. From the smell Kitchen." Exit west To kitchen Check door Is open Else "The door is closed." Does "As you enter the kitchen the smell of something burning is getting stronger." End Exit west. End The hallway.
The door Isa object At hallway Is closed. Description "The door to the kitchen is a sliding door." If door Is closed Then "It is closed." Else "It is open." End If. Verb open Does Make door Not closed. End Verb open. End The door.
>> I'd like to know more about it in general. I've never even seen any >> code or anything.
> I've appended a few snippets from the manual below to > give an idea of the flavour.
> I'll see if I can dig out the Alan 2 game I wrote a while > back, which will provide a more substantial example.
> > Isn't it similar to I7 in that it attempts to make language > > elements more englishlike?
> In a way, but it doesn't go nearly as far in that direction. > It's English-like to about the same extent that COBOL was > English-like. The syntax has a clear structure to it, and > there is a BNF grammar for it published in the manual.
Code Snipped
Thanks a lot for all your help there. It's certainly an interesting system, makes me think a little of AGT but not sure why.
Thanks and if you can dig up the code and feel like sending it, feel free to email me. -- Best
>> Heh, I don't believe this! Just when I had given the Alan 3 language >> up as a >> bad job because it had no Mac interpreter that I could find.
> If you'd like to give Alan another go, I'd be happy to > help you with whatever compilation problems you were > having before.
> IMO, Alan is quite a nice language that deserves more > attention than it gets. It would be good to see it > discussed here more.
Yes, in a way it's a pity that the Alan mailing list is such a nice, friendly place because it means that all the Alan chit-chat happens out of sight of other raif readers.
Blank wrote: > Yes, in a way it's a pity that the Alan mailing list is such a nice, > friendly place because it means that all the Alan chit-chat happens out > of sight of other raif readers.
Not that there's been much chit-chat on the mailing list either in recent times. Not sure if this means that everything is crystal-clear to everyone, or that nobody is doing anything with Alan. I rather fear the latter...
>> Yes, in a way it's a pity that the Alan mailing list is such a nice, >> friendly place because it means that all the Alan chit-chat happens >> out of sight of other raif readers.
> Not that there's been much chit-chat on the mailing list > either in recent times. Not sure if this means that > everything is crystal-clear to everyone, or that nobody > is doing anything with Alan. I rather fear the latter...
Yeah, for me I just got discouraged when I saw how much of the documentation is yet to be written (especially all the stuff around NPCs). Being a hobbyist programmer I have neither the experience nor the time to play blind-man's-buff with the compiler to discover what works and what doesn't.
