Distinguisher class | disambig.t[25]

Distinguisher. This object encapsulates logic that determines whether or not we can tell two objects apart.

Each game object has a list of distinguishers. For most objects, the distinguisher list contains only BasicDistinguisher, since most game objects are unique and thus are inherently distinguishable from all other objects.

`class Distinguisher : object`

Superclass Tree (in declaration order)

`Distinguisher`
`object`

Subclass Tree

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Global Objects

`basicDistinguisher litUnlitDistinguisher locationDistinguisher nullDistinguisher ownershipDistinguisher`

Summary of Properties

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Summary of Methods

`canDistinguish matchName notePrompt objInScope`

Properties

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Methods

`canDistinguish (a, b)` | `disambig.t[27]`

can we distinguish the given two objects?

`matchName (obj, origTokens, adjustedTokens, matchList, fullMatchList)` | `disambig.t[79]`

Try matching an object to a noun phrase in a disambiguation reply from the player (that is, the player's response to a "Which foo did you mean" question). By default, we call the object's matchNameDisambig() method to let it try to match its disambiguation name.

Subclasses can override this to check for additional phrasing specific to the subclass. For example, the locational distinguisher checks for a match to the container or owner name, so that the player can simply respond to the question with the location name rather than typing in a whole locational phrase. Note that subclasses will usually want to inherit the default handling if they don't find a match to their own special phrasing, because the player might respond with a simple adjective pertaining to the base object even if there's some external distinguishing characteristic handled by the subclass.

`notePrompt (lst)` | `disambig.t[42]`

Note that we're showing a prompt to the player asking for help in narrowing the object list, based on this distinguisher. 'lst' is the list of ResolveInfo objects which we're mentioning in the prompt.

By default, we do nothing. Some types of distinguishers might want to do something special here. For example, an ownership distinguisher might want to set pronoun antecedents based on the owners mentioned in the disambiguation prompt, so that the player's response can refer anaphorically to the nouns in the prompt.

`objInScope (obj, matchList, fullMatchList)` | `disambig.t[55]`

Is the object in scope for the purposes of the disambiguation reply from the player? By default, any object in the full match list is in scope.

Distinguishers that can use related objects to qualify the name should add those related objects to the scope by returning true here. For example, the locational distinguisher can use the location name as a qualifying phrase, so the location name is in scope.

TADS 3 Library Manual
Generated on 8/21/2012 from TADS version 3.1.2