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I use Inform 7 as the very first case study language for a class I teach in programming language design theory for a uni CS program. * It's very well documente

I use Inform 7 as the very first case study language for a class I teach in programming language design theory for a uni CS program. * It's very well documented. The entire compiler design and language grammar is detailed to near text-book standards. * It's a language that none of my students have ever heard of before * The syntax of the language is an English-like syntax which weirdly trips up most CS students the first time they see it * It's a great example of a language used for specialty purposes. No kitchen-sink language here. Students at first hate it...but many have told me later that they really like coding an IF game using Inform 7 once they get the hang of it.

runnerup 4y ago
Thanks for the unique perspective! What’s an IF game? Very difficult to search that; Google prioritizes matches containing the English word ‘if’.
- rprospero 4y ago
  Interactive Fiction
  - 082349872349872 4y ago
    Note well that people who enjoy Interactive Fiction (what we used to call "text adventures") ought to be the most likely people to forgive the fact that a pseudo-natural language interface is, in fact, much pickier with regard to accepted input than actual natural language. (what we used to call tolerance for "guess the verb")
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      [deleted]
- deleted 4y ago
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- qznc 4y ago
  Here is a reasonable starting point: https://ifcomp.org/about/if https://ifcomp.org/about/if
- agiacalone 4y ago
  As many have said, it stands for Interactive Fiction. Since there seems to be some interest in it, the assignment I give my students is on Github here: https://github.com/agiacalone/cecs-342-lab-inform7 https://github.com/agiacalone/cecs-342-lab-inform7 I have more info on IF/text adventures there as well.
- kcartlidge 4y ago
  > What’s an IF game? Very difficult to search that; Google prioritizes matches containing the English word ‘if’. Replace "IF" with "text adventure" and you'll get better results. Their heyday was pre-Windows and the classic names to look for are Infocom (US), Scott Adams (US), and Level 9 (UK). Edit: To add, just download Inform and try it, alongside https://ganelson.github.io/inform-website/book/WI_1_1.html https://ganelson.github.io/inform-website/book/WI_1_1.html which takes you step by step through stuff.
082349872349872 4y ago
An example of the syntax, from a version of Dijkstra's algorithm[0]: The current node is a node that varies. A node can be found, examined, or unreached. A node has a number called the total distance. Definition: a node is near if its total distance is 10 or less. Following relates various nodes to one node (called the precedent). The verb to follow (he follows, they follow, he followed, it is followed, he is following) implies the following relation. [0] https://literateprograms.org/dijkstra_s_algorithm__inform_7_.html https://literateprograms.org/dijkstra_s_algorithm__inform_7_...
- TuringTest 4y ago
  It looks like classic mathematical demonstrations in old books, before they learned to use algebra for everything :-)
vanderZwan 4y ago
> Students at first hate it...but many have told me later that they really like coding an IF game using Inform 7 once they get the hang of it. A sign you're pushing them out of their comfort zones. Probably one of the bigger gifts a teacher can give their students
Abishek_Muthian 4y ago
> but many have told me later that they really like coding an IF game using Inform 7 once TIL a programming language purpose built for text adventure games, Is there any example of a famous game written using it with source? I wonder whether inform is specifically useful where there's meta programming within the game. Also, You seem to take extra care and effort in teaching your students and I appreciate it. Edit: It seems like there are several inform 7 games at itch.io - https://itch.io/games/tag-inform-7 https://itch.io/games/tag-inform-7 . Bonus: While searching about how the games are published on web, I found the following snippet - Release along with an interpreter. Apparently that creates a web page and encodes the game as a Parchment (Javascript) file!
- kcartlidge 4y ago
  > Is there any example of a famous game written using it with source? Here's a page of links to Inform source for a number of games including Zork. Obviously it's a rewrite of Zork using Inform as Infocom predate Inform by many years. https://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archive/games/source/inform/ https://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archive/games/source/inform...
  - Abishek_Muthian 4y ago
    Excellent, Thank you. Considering there's no use in protecting the source of web games, I guess most would be inclined to release it anyways.

runnerup 4y ago

Thanks for the unique perspective! What’s an IF game? Very difficult to search that; Google prioritizes matches containing the English word ‘if’.

rprospero 4y ago
Interactive Fiction
- 082349872349872 4y ago
  Note well that people who enjoy Interactive Fiction (what we used to call "text adventures") ought to be the most likely people to forgive the fact that a pseudo-natural language interface is, in fact, much pickier with regard to accepted input than actual natural language. (what we used to call tolerance for "guess the verb")
  - deleted 4y ago
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deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
qznc 4y ago
Here is a reasonable starting point: https://ifcomp.org/about/if https://ifcomp.org/about/if
agiacalone 4y ago
As many have said, it stands for Interactive Fiction. Since there seems to be some interest in it, the assignment I give my students is on Github here: https://github.com/agiacalone/cecs-342-lab-inform7 https://github.com/agiacalone/cecs-342-lab-inform7 I have more info on IF/text adventures there as well.
kcartlidge 4y ago
> What’s an IF game? Very difficult to search that; Google prioritizes matches containing the English word ‘if’. Replace "IF" with "text adventure" and you'll get better results. Their heyday was pre-Windows and the classic names to look for are Infocom (US), Scott Adams (US), and Level 9 (UK). Edit: To add, just download Inform and try it, alongside https://ganelson.github.io/inform-website/book/WI_1_1.html https://ganelson.github.io/inform-website/book/WI_1_1.html which takes you step by step through stuff.

082349872349872 4y ago

An example of the syntax, from a version of Dijkstra's algorithm[0]: The current node is a node that varies. A node can be found, examined, or unreached. A node has a number called the total distance. Definition: a node is near if its total distance is 10 or less. Following relates various nodes to one node (called the precedent). The verb to follow (he follows, they follow, he followed, it is followed, he is following) implies the following relation. [0] https://literateprograms.org/dijkstra_s_algorithm__inform_7_.html https://literateprograms.org/dijkstra_s_algorithm__inform_7_...

TuringTest 4y ago
It looks like classic mathematical demonstrations in old books, before they learned to use algebra for everything :-)

vanderZwan 4y ago

> Students at first hate it...but many have told me later that they really like coding an IF game using Inform 7 once they get the hang of it. A sign you're pushing them out of their comfort zones. Probably one of the bigger gifts a teacher can give their students

Abishek_Muthian 4y ago

> but many have told me later that they really like coding an IF game using Inform 7 once TIL a programming language purpose built for text adventure games, Is there any example of a famous game written using it with source? I wonder whether inform is specifically useful where there's meta programming within the game. Also, You seem to take extra care and effort in teaching your students and I appreciate it. Edit: It seems like there are several inform 7 games at itch.io - https://itch.io/games/tag-inform-7 https://itch.io/games/tag-inform-7 . Bonus: While searching about how the games are published on web, I found the following snippet - Release along with an interpreter. Apparently that creates a web page and encodes the game as a Parchment (Javascript) file!

kcartlidge 4y ago
> Is there any example of a famous game written using it with source? Here's a page of links to Inform source for a number of games including Zork. Obviously it's a rewrite of Zork using Inform as Infocom predate Inform by many years. https://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archive/games/source/inform/ https://ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archive/games/source/inform...
- Abishek_Muthian 4y ago
  Excellent, Thank you. Considering there's no use in protecting the source of web games, I guess most would be inclined to release it anyways.