# adv3.h | documentation

    #charset "us-ascii"

    /*
     *   Copyright (c) 2000, 2006 Michael J. Roberts.  All Rights Reserved.
     *
     *   TADS 3 Library - main header
     *
     *   This file provides definitions of macros, properties, and other
     *   identifiers used throughout the library and in game source.
     *
     *   Each source code file in the library and in a game should generally
     *   #include this header near the top of the source file.
     */

    #ifndef ADV3_H
    #define ADV3_H

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Include the system headers that we depend upon.  We include these here
     *   so that each game source file will pick up the same set of system
     *   headers in the same order, which is important for intrinsic function
     *   set definitions.
     */
    #include <tads.h>
    #include <tok.h>
    #include <t3.h>
    #include <vector.h>
    #include <strbuf.h>
    #include <file.h>
    #include <dict.h>

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Establish the default dictionary for the game's player command parser
     *   vocabulary.
     */
    dictionary cmdDict;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   canInherit - determine if there's anything to inherit from the current
     *   method.  Returns true if there's a method to inherit, nil if
     *   'inherited' in the current context would not invoke any code.
     */
    #define canInherit() \
        propInherited(targetprop, targetobj, definingobj, PropDefAny)

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Generic part of speech for "miscellaneous word."  We use this to
     *   classify words in unstructured phrases; it can apply to any token.
     *   Note that dictionary entries are never made with this word type, so
     *   it's not specific to any language; this is merely for flagging words in
     *   unstructured phrases in grammar matches.
     */
    dictionary property miscWord;

    /*
     *   Generic part of speech for SpecialTopic words.  We enter special topic
     *   keywords into the parser dictionary so that they're not flagged as
     *   unknown words if they're used out of context.
     */
    dictionary property specialTopicWord;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   If we're compiling for debugging, automatically include the parser
     *   debug code, which allows certain information on the parsing process
     *   (such as grammar match trees) to be displayed each time a command is
     *   typed.
     *
     *   Note that you can turn on parser debugging independently of full
     *   compiler debug information simply by explicitly defining PARSER_DEBUG
     *   (with the t3make -D option, for example).
     */
    #ifdef __DEBUG
    #define PARSER_DEBUG
    #endif

    /*
     *   Define some convenience macros for parser debug operations.  When
     *   PARSER_DEBUG isn't defined, these macros expand out to nothing.
     */
    #ifdef PARSER_DEBUG

    #define dbgShowGrammarList(lst) showGrammarList(lst)
    #define dbgShowGrammarWithCaption(headline, match) \
        showGrammarWithCaption(headline, match)

    #else /* PARSER_DEBUG */

    #define dbgShowGrammarList(lst)
    #define dbgShowGrammarWithCaption(headline, match)

    #endif /* PARSER_DEBUG */

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Parser global variables giving information on the command currently
     *   being performed.  These are valid through doAction processing.  These
     *   should never be changed except by the parser.
     */

    /* the actor performing the current command */
    #define gActor (libGlobal.curActor)

    /*
     *   For convenience, define some macros that return the current direct and
     *   indirect objects from the current action.  The library only uses direct
     *   and indirect objects, so games that define additional command objects
     *   will have to add their own similar macros for those.
     */
    #define gDobj (gAction.getDobj())
    #define gIobj (gAction.getIobj())

    /*
     *   Get the current ResolvedTopic, and the literal text of the topic phrase
     *   as the user typed it (but converted to lower case).  These are
     *   applicable when the current action has a topic phrase.
     */
    #define gTopic (gAction.getTopic())
    #define gTopicText (gTopic.getTopicText.toLower())

    /* get the current literal phrase text, when the command has one */
    #define gLiteral (gAction.getLiteral())

    /*
     *   The tentative pre-resolution lists for the direct and indirect objects.
     *   When we're resolving an object of a multi-object command, these
     *   pre-resolution lists are available for the later-resolved objects.
     *
     *   Note that these values are list of ResolveInfo objects.  The obj_
     *   property of a list entry gives the entry's game-world object.
     *
     *   These lists do not provide the final resolution lists for the objects;
     *   rather, they provide a tentative set of possibilities based on the
     *   information that's available without knowing the results of resolving
     *   the earlier-resolved objects yet.
     *
     *   These are not meaningful when resolving single-object actions.
     */
    #define gTentativeDobj (gAction.getTentativeDobj())
    #define gTentativeIobj (gAction.getTentativeIobj())

    /*
     *   the actor who *issued* the current command (this is usually the player
     *   character, because most commands are initiated by the player on the
     *   command line, but it is also possible for one actor to send a command
     *   to another programmatically)
     */
    #define gIssuingActor (libGlobal.curIssuingActor)

    /* the Action object of the command being executed */
    #define gAction (libGlobal.curAction)

    /*
     *   Determine if the current global action is the specified action.  Only
     *   the action prefix is needed - so use "Take" rather than "TakeAction"
     *   here.
     *
     *   This tests to see if the current global action is an instance of the
     *   given action class - we test that it's an instance rather than the
     *   action class itself because the parser creates an instance of the
     *   action when it matches the action's syntax.
     */
    #define gActionIs(action) \
        (gAction != nil && gAction.actionOfKind(action##Action))

    /* is the current global action ANY of the specified actions? */
    #define gActionIn(action...) \
        (gAction != nil \
         && (action#foreach/gAction.actionOfKind(action##Action)/||/))

    /* the verification results object - this is valid during verification */
    #define gVerifyResults (libGlobal.curVerifyResults)

    /* the command transcript object - this is valid during command execution */
    #define gTranscript (mainOutputStream.curTranscript)

    /*
     *   Some message processors add their own special parameters to messages,
     *   because they want to use expansion parameters (in the "{the dobj/him}"
     *   format) outside of the set of objects directly involved in the command.
     *
     *   The Action method setMessageParam() lets you define such a parameter,
     *   but for convenience, we define this macro for setting one or more
     *   parameters whose names exactly match their local variable names.  In
     *   other words, if you call this macro like this:
     *
     *   gMessageParams(obj, cont)
     *
     *   then you'll get one parameter with the text name 'obj' whose expansion
     *   will be the value of the local variable obj, and another with text name
     *   'cont' whose expansion is the value of the local variable cont.
     */
    #define gMessageParams(var...) \
        (gAction.setMessageParams(var#foreach/#@var, var/,/))

    /*
     *   Synthesize a global message parameter name for the given object and
     *   return the synthesized name.  This is useful in cases where there might
     *   be repeated instances of global message parameters in the same action,
     *   so it's not safe to use a fixed name string for the object.  We'll
     *   create a unique global message parameter name, associate the object with
     *   the name, and return the name string.
     */
    #define gSynthMessageParam(var) (gAction.synthMessageParam(var))

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Miscellaneous macros
     */

    /* get the current player character Actor object */
    #define gPlayerChar (libGlobal.playerChar)

    /*
     *   the exit lister object - if the exits module isn't included in the
     *   game, this will be nil
     */
    #define gExitLister (libGlobal.exitListerObj)

    /*
     *   the hint manager object - if the hints module isn't included in the
     *   game, this will be nil
     */
    #define gHintManager (libGlobal.hintManagerObj)

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   The current library messages object.  This is the source object for
     *   messages that don't logically relate to the actor carrying out the
     *   comamand.  It's mostly used for meta-command replies, and for text
     *   fragments that are used to construct descriptions.
     *
     *   This message object isn't generally used for parser messages or action
     *   replies - most of those come from the objects given by the current
     *   actor's getParserMessageObj() or getActionMessageObj(), respectively.
     *
     *   By default, this is set to libMessages.  The library never changes this
     *   itself, but a game can change this if it wants to switch to a new set of
     *   messages during a game.  (If you don't need to change messages during a
     *   game, but simply want to customize some of the default messages, you
     *   don't need to set this variable - you can simply use 'modify
     *   libMessages' instead.  This variable is designed for cases where you
     *   want to *dynamically* change the standard messages during the game.)
     */
    #define gLibMessages (libGlobal.libMessageObj)

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   readMainCommandTokens() phase identifiers.  We define a separate code
     *   for each kind of call to readMainCommandTokens() so that we can do any
     *   special token processing that depends on the type of command we're
     *   reading.
     *
     *   The library doesn't use the phase information itself for anything.
     *   These phase codes are purely for the author's use in writing
     *   pre-parsing functions and for differentiating prompts for the different
     *   types of input, as needed.
     *
     *   Games that read additional response types of their own are free to add
     *   their own enums to identify the additional phases.  Since the library
     *   doesn't need the phase information for anything internally, it won't
     *   confuse the library at all to add new game-specific phase codes.
     */

    /* reading a normal command line */
    enum rmcCommand;

    /* reading an unknown word response, to check for an "oops" command */
    enum rmcOops;

    /* reading a response to a prompt for a missing object phrase */
    enum rmcAskObject;

    /* reading a response to a prompt for a missing literal phrase */
    enum rmcAskLiteral;

    /* reading a response to an interactive disambiguation prompt */
    enum rmcDisambig;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Property set definitions
     */

    /* in debug mode, flag objFor definitions for non-existent actions */
    #ifdef __DEBUG
    # define objForCheck(which, action) \
        sentinel##which##action = __objref(action##Action, warn)
    #else
    # define objForCheck(which, action)
    #endif

    #define objFor(which, action) \
        objForCheck(which, action) \
        propertyset '*' ## #@which ## #@action

    #define dobjFor(action) objFor(Dobj, action)
    #define iobjFor(action) objFor(Iobj, action)

    /*
     *   Treat an object definition as equivalent to another object definition.
     *   These can be used immediately after a dobjFor() or iobjFor() to treat
     *   the first action as though it were the second.  So, if the player types
     *   "search box", and we want to treat the direct object the same as for
     *   "look in box", we could make this definition for the box:
     *
     *   dobjFor(Search) asDobjFor(LookIn)
     *
     *   Note that no semicolon is needed after this definition, and that this
     *   definition is completely in lieu of a regular property set for the
     *   object action.
     *
     *   In general, a mapping should NOT change the role of an object:
     *   dobjFor(X) should not usually be mapped using asIobjFor(Y), and
     *   iobjFor(X) shouldn't be mapped using asDobjFor(Y).  The problem with
     *   changing the role is that the handler routines often assume that the
     *   object is actually in the role for which the handler was written; a
     *   verify handler might refer to '{dobj}' in generating a message, for
     *   example, so reversing the roles would give the wrong object in the role.
     *
     *   Role reversals should always be avoided, but can be used if necessary
     *   under conditions where all of the code involved in the TARGET of the
     *   mapping can be carefully controlled to ensure that it doesn't make
     *   assumptions about object roles, but only references 'self'.  Reversing
     *   roles in a mapping should never be attempted in general-purpose library
     *   code, because code based on the library could override the target of the
     *   role-reversing mapping, and the override could fail to observe the
     *   restrictions on object role references.
     *
     *   Note that role reversals can almost always be handled with other
     *   mechanisms that handle reversals cleanly.  Always consider remapTo()
     *   first when confronted with a situation that seems to call for a
     *   role-reversing asObjFor() mapping, as remapTo() specifically allows for
     *   object role changes.
     */
    #define asObjFor(obj, Action) \
        { \
            preCond { return preCond##obj##Action; } \
            verify() { verify##obj##Action; } \
            remap() { return remap##obj##Action; } \
            check() { check##obj##Action; } \
            action() { action##obj##Action; } \
        }

    #define asDobjFor(action) asObjFor(Dobj, action)
    #define asIobjFor(action) asObjFor(Iobj, action)

    /*
     *   Define mappings of everything except the action.  This can be used in
     *   cases where we want to pick up the verification, preconditions, and
     *   check routines from another handler, but not the action.  This is often
     *   useful for two-object verbs where the action processing is entirely
     *   provided by one or the other object, so applying it to both would be
     *   redundant.
     */
    #define asObjWithoutActionFor(obj, Action) \
        { \
            preCond { return preCond##obj##Action; } \
            verify() { verify##obj##Action; } \
            remap() { return remap##obj##Action(); } \
            check() { check##obj##Action; } \
            action() {  } \
        }

    #define asDobjWithoutActionFor(action) asObjWithoutActionFor(Dobj, action)
    #define asIobjWithoutActionFor(action) asObjWithoutActionFor(Iobj, action)

    /*
     *   "Remap" an action.  This effectively rewrites the action in the given
     *   form.  Each of the object slots can be filled either with a specific
     *   object, or with a noun phrase role name (DirectObject, IndirectObject);
     *   in the latter case, the object or objects from the named noun phrase
     *   role in the *current* action (i.e., before the rewrite) will be used.
     *
     *   If the new action has two or more objects (for example, if it's a
     *   TIAction), then EXACTLY ONE of the slots must be filled with a specific
     *   object, and all of the other slots must be filled with role names.  The
     *   specific object is the one that corresponds to the original object
     *   that's doing the remapping in the first place - this can simply be
     *   'self' if the new action will operate on the same object, or it can be
     *   a different object.  The important thing is that the 'verify' method
     *   for the defining object will be forwarded to the corresponding 'verify'
     *   method on the corresponding object for the new action.
     *
     *   This macro must be used as the ENTIRE definition block for a dobjFor()
     *   or iobjFor().  For example, to remap a "put in" command directed to a
     *   desk so that the command is instead applied to a drawer in the desk, we
     *   could define the following on the desk object:
     *
     *   iobjFor(PutIn) remapTo(PutIn, DirectObject, deskDrawer)
     */
    #define remapTo(action, objs...) { remap = [action##Action, ##objs] }

    /*
     *   Conditionally remap an action.  If 'cond' (a conditional expression)
     *   evaluated to true, we'll remap the action as directed; otherwise, we'll
     *   inherit the default handling
     */
    #define maybeRemapTo(cond, action, objs...) \
        { remap = ((cond) ? [action##Action, ##objs] : inherited()) }

    /*
     *   For two-object push-travel actions, such as "push sled into cave",
     *   define a special mapping for both the direct and indirect objects:
     *
     *   - Map the direct object (the object being pushed) to a simple
     *   PushTravel action.  So, for "push sled into cave," map the direct
     *   object handling to PushTravel for the sled.  This makes the handling of
     *   the command equivalent to "push sled north" and the like.
     *
     *   - Map the indirect object (the travel connector) to use the PushTravel
     *   action's verify remapper.  This is handled specially by the PushTravel
     *   action object to handle the verification as though it were verifying
     *   the corresponding ordinary (non-push) travel action on the indirect
     *   object.  Beyond verification, we do nothing, since the direct object of
     *   a pushable object will handle the whole action using a nested travel
     *   action.
     *
     *   This effectively decomposes the two-object action into two coupled
     *   single-object actions: a regular PushTravel action on the object being
     *   pushed, and a regular whatever-kind-of-travel on the connector being
     *   traversed.  This handling has the appeal that it means that we don't
     *   need a separate PUSH version of every kind of allowed travel on a
     *   connector, and we don't need a special handler version for each kind of
     *   travel on a pushable object; instead, we just use the basic PushTravel
     *   and kind-of-travel handlers to form the combined form.  Note that this
     *   still allows separate treatment of the combined form wherever desired,
     *   just by overriding these default handlers for the two-object action.
     */
    #define mapPushTravelHandlers(pushAction, travelAction) \
        dobjFor(pushAction) asDobjFor(PushTravel) \
        mapPushTravelIobj(pushAction, travelAction)

    #define mapPushTravelIobj(pushAction, travelAction) \
        iobjFor(pushAction) \
        { \
            verify() \
                { gAction.verifyPushTravelIobj(self, travelAction##Action); } \
        }

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   For an Actor, delegate an action handler to the ActorState object for
     *   processing.  You can use this any time you want to write the handlers
     *   for a particular action in the ActorState rather than in the Actor
     *   itself.  This would be desirable if the actor's response for a
     *   particular action varies considerably according to the actor's state.
     *   For example, if you want an actor's response to being attacked to be
     *   handled in the actor's current ActorState object, you could put this
     *   code in the Actor object:
     *
     *   dobjFor(AttackWith) actorStateDobjFor(AttackWith)
     *
     *   Once you've done this, you'd just write a normal dobjFor(AttackWith)
     *   handler in each of the ActorState objects associated with the actor.
     */
    #define actorStateObjFor(obj, Action) \
        { \
            preCond { return curState.preCond##obj##Action; } \
            verify() { curState.verify##obj##Action; } \
            remap() { return curState.remap##obj##Action; } \
            check() { curState.check##obj##Action; } \
            action() { curState.action##obj##Action; } \
        }

    #define actorStateDobjFor(action) actorStateObjFor(Dobj, action)
    #define actorStateIobjFor(action) actorStateObjFor(Iobj, action)

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Object role identifiers.  These are used to identify the role of a noun
     *   phrase in a command.
     *
     *   The library provides base classes for actions of zero, one, and two noun
     *   phrases in their grammars: "look", "take book", "put book on shelf".  We
     *   thus define role identifiers for direct and indirect objects.  Note that
     *   even though we stop there, this doesn't preclude games or library
     *   extensions from adding actions that take more than two noun phrases
     *   ("put coin in slot with tongs"); any such extensions must simply define
     *   their own additional role identifiers for the third or fourth (etc) noun
     *   phrase.
     */
    enum ActorObject, DirectObject, IndirectObject;

    /*
     *   A special role for the "other" object of a two-object command.  This
     *   can be used in certain contexts (such as remapTo) where a particular
     *   object role is implied by the context, and where the action involved
     *   has exactly two objects; OtherObject in such contexts means
     *   DirectObject when the implied role is IndirectObject, and vice versa.
     */
    enum OtherObject;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Pronoun types.  These are used to identify pronoun antecedents when
     *   resolving noun phrases involving pronouns.
     *
     *   We define a basic set of pronouns here that are common to most
     *   languages.  Language-specific modules are free to add their own pronoun
     *   types as needed.
     *
     *   Our basic set is:
     *
     *   'it' - the neuter singular
     *.  'him' - the masculine singular
     *.  'her' - the feminine singular
     *.  'them' - the ungendered plural
     *.  'you' - second person singular
     *.  'me' - first person singular
     *
     *   Note that the first-person and second-person pronouns are assigned
     *   meanings that can vary by context.  When a command is issued by the
     *   player character to the player character (i.e., the command comes from
     *   the player and no target actor is specified), these refer to the player
     *   character when the PC is in the appropriate referral person - if the
     *   game calls the PC "you", then the player calls the PC "me", and vice
     *   versa.  When a command is targeted to or issued by an actor other than
     *   the PC, then "you" refers to the command's target and "me" refers to
     *   the command's issuer.
     */
    enum PronounIt, PronounThem, PronounHim, PronounHer, PronounYou, PronounMe;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   set the location property
     */
    + property location;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Alternative exit definition.  This can be used to define a secondary
     *   direction that links to the same destination, via the same connector, as
     *   another direction.  It's frequently desirable to link multiple
     *   directions to the same exit; for example, a door leading north might
     *   also lead out, or a stairway to the north could lead up as well.
     *
     *   Use this as follows in a room's property list:
     *
     *.     out asExit(north)
     *
     *   (Note that there's no '=' sign.)
     *
     *   It's not necessary to use this macro to declare an alternative exit,
     *   since the alternatives can all point directly to the same connector as
     *   the original.  The only thing this macro does is to make the alternative
     *   exit unlisted - it won't be shown in the list of exits in the status
     *   line, and it won't be shown in "you can't go that way" messages.
     *
     *   Note that there's one common case where you should be careful with
     *   asExit(): if you have a room that has an exit in some compass direction,
     *   you might be tempted to make OUT the primary "direction" for the exit,
     *   and treat the equivalent compass as a synonym, with a line such as
     *   "south asExit(out)".  You should avoid doing this - do it the other way
     *   instead, with the compass direction as the primary direction and OUT as
     *   the synonym: "out asExit(south)".  The reason this is important is that
     *   if there's a nested room inside the location (such as a chair), OUT
     *   while in the nested room will mean to get out of the nested room.  If
     *   you make the compass direction primary and make OUT the synonym, the
     *   compass direction will be listed as an available exit both in the
     *   location and in any nested rooms within it.
     */
    #define asExit(dir) = static ((dir).createUnlistedProxy())

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   "Person" indices.  We define these as numbers rather than enums so that
     *   we can easily use these as list indices.
     */
    #define FirstPerson   1
    #define SecondPerson  2
    #define ThirdPerson   3

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Transparency levels
     */

    /* the sense is passed without loss of detail */
    enum transparent;

    /* the sense is passed, but with a loss of detail associated with distance */
    enum distant;

    /*
     *   The sense is passed, but with attenuation of energy level.  No other
     *   obscuration of detail occurs; this is something like tinted glass that
     *   doesn't distort the transmitted sense but reduces the amount of energy.
     */
    enum attenuated;

    /*
     *   The sense is passed, but with a loss of detail due to an obscuring
     *   layer of material.  The energy level is also attenuated.  This is
     *   something like dirty or wavy glass that distorts an image transmitted
     *   through it but doesn't completely block out light.
     */
    enum obscured;

    /* the sense is not passed at all */
    enum opaque;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Size classes.  An object is large, medium, or small with respect to
     *   each sense; the size is used to determine how well the object can be
     *   sensed at a distance or when obscured.
     *
     *   What "size" means depends on the sense.  For sight, the size
     *   indicates the visual size of the object.  For hearing, the size
     *   indicates the loudness of the object.
     */

    /*
     *   Large - the object is large enough that its details can be sensed
     *   from a distance or through an obscuring medium.
     */
    enum large;

    /*
     *   Medium - the object can be sensed at a distance or when obscured, but
     *   not in any detail.  Most objects fall into this category.  Note that
     *   things that are parts of large objects should normally be medium.
     */
    enum medium;

    /*
     *   Small - the object cannot be sensed at a distance at all.  This is
     *   appropriate for detailed parts of medium-class objects.
     */
    enum small;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Path traversal operations.
     */

    /* traverse from the starting point of the path */
    enum PathFrom;

    /* traverse into the contents */
    enum PathIn;

    /* traverse out to the container */
    enum PathOut;

    /* traverse from an object to a peer at the same containment level */
    enum PathPeer;

    /*
     *   traverse through an object with no common container on either side of
     *   the traversal - this is used when we are traversing an object, such as a
     *   SenseConnector, that connects unrelated locations
     */
    enum PathThrough;

    /* traverse to the ending point of the path */
    enum PathTo;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Listing Options
     */

    /*
     *   use "tall" notation, which lists objects in a single column, one item
     *   per line (the default is "wide" notation, which creates a sentence
     *   with the object listing)
     */
    #define ListTall      0x0001

    /*
     *   Recursively list the contents of each item we list.
     *
     *   For a 'tall' list, this indicates that we'll show the listed contents
     *   of each item that we list, and the listed contents of those items, and
     *   so on, indenting each level to indicate the containment relationship.
     *
     *   For a 'wide' list, this indicates that we'll show the listed contents
     *   of each item in-line in the listing, as a parenthetic note.
     *
     *   For both types of listings, when this flag is set and the indent level
     *   is zero (indicating a top-level listing), after the main list, we'll
     *   show a separate list for the contents of each item in our list that
     *   isn't itself listable but has listed contents, or has contents with
     *   listed contents, and so on to any level.  For example, if we're showing
     *   a room description, and the room contains a desk that isn't listed
     *   because it's a fixed part of the room, we'll show a separate list of
     *   the desk's listed contents.
     */
    #define ListRecurse   0x0002

    /*
     *   use "long list" notation - separates items that contain sublists with
     *   special punctuation, to set off the individual items in the longer
     *   listing from the items in the sublists (for example, separates items
     *   with semicolons rather than commas)
     */
    #define ListLong      0x0004

    /*
     *   This is a recursive listing of the contents of an item.  This is set by
     *   showList() in calls it makes to recursive listing levels.
     */
    #define ListContents  0x0008

    /*
     *   Custom option bits.  Flag bits with this value and higher are reserved
     *   for use by individual lister subclasses.
     *
     *   To ensure compatibility with any future changes that involve adding
     *   more base lister flags, subclasses are encouraged to use the following
     *   mechanism.  DO NOT use #define to define your own custom subclass
     *   flags.  Instead, define a property of your lister subclass for each
     *   flag you need as follows:
     *
     *   myCustomFlag1 = ListerCustomFlag(1) // use 1 for the first flag
     *.  myCustomFlag2 = ListerCustomFlag(2) // etc
     *.  nextCustomFlag = ListerCustomFlag(3)
     *
     *   You DO NOT have to use the name 'myCustomFlag1' - use whatever name you
     *   like that describes the nature of the flag.  However, the last item
     *   MUST be called 'nextCustomFlag' - this ensures that any subclasses of
     *   your class will allocate their own flags with new values that don't
     *   conflict with any of yours.
     *
     *   Then, when a client of your Lister subclass needs to pass one of your
     *   flag to the Lister, it should simply evaluate your 'myCustomFlagN'
     *   property of your lister.  If you'd like, you can even #define a ListXxx
     *   macro that retrieves the value, for the convenience of your callers:
     *
     *   #define ListMyclassMyCustomFlag1 (Myclass.myCustomFlag1)
     */
    #define ListCustomFlag 0x0100

    #define ListerCustomFlag(n) static ((inherited.nextCustomFlag) << ((n) - 1))

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Spelled-out number options, for spellInt() and related functions.
     *
     *   Note that the interfaces to the number-spelling functions can vary by
     *   language, and that variation can include these flags.  Some language
     *   modules might ignore some of these generic flags or define additional
     *   language-specific flags.
     */

    /*
     *   Use tens of hundreds rather than thousands if possible - 1950 is
     *   'nineteen hundred fifty' rather than 'one thousand nine hundred
     *   fifty'.  This only works if the number (not including the millions
     *   and billions) is in the range 1,100 to 9,999, because we don't want
     *   to say something like 'one hundred twenty hundred' for 12,000.
     */
    #define SpellIntTeenHundreds    0x0001

    /*
     *   use 'and' before the tens - 125 is 'one hundred and twenty-five'
     *   rather than 'one hundred twenty-five'
     */
    #define SpellIntAndTens         0x0002

    /*
     *   put a comma after each power group - 123456 is 'one hundred
     *   twenty-three thousand, four hundred fifty-six'
     */
    #define SpellIntCommas          0x0004

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Decimal number format options.  These are used with the number
     *   formatting functions to control the formatting of numbers displayed in
     *   decimal digit format.
     */

    /*
     *   Use a group separator character between digit groups, using the
     *   default setting in languageGlobals.
     */
    #define DigitFormatGroupSep     0x0001

    /*
     *   Explicitly use a comma/period to separate digit groups, overriding
     *   the current languageGlobals setting.
     */
    #define DigitFormatGroupComma   0x0002
    #define DigitFormatGroupPeriod  0x0004

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   aHref() flags
     */
    #define AHREF_Plain  0x0001    /* plain text hyperlink (no underline/color) */

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   ResolveInfo flags
     */

    /* the noun phrase ends with an adjective */
    #define EndsWithAdj      0x0001

    /*
     *   one of the words in the noun phrase was truncated from its full
     *   dictionary spelling
     */
    #define VocabTruncated   0x0002

    /*
     *   One or more plurals was truncated from its full dictionary spelling.
     *   (We specially distinguish plurals that are truncated, because in
     *   English a plural is usually formed by adding "s" or "es" to the end of
     *   the singular form of a noun, meaning that a given singular form is
     *   usually a leading substring of its plural.  When a singular noun is
     *   longer than the truncation limit, which is conventionally six
     *   characters, the singular will always match as a truncated version of
     *   the plural, so every time someone types in a singular it'll be treated
     *   as ambiguous between the singular and plural form.  So, in the English
     *   parser, we have a preference to ignore a truncated plural any time the
     *   word could also be interpreted as an untruncated singular, hence we
     *   note when we have a truncated plural.)
     */
    #define PluralTruncated  0x0004

    /*
     *   The object came from an 'all' phrase.  Normally, the only time this
     *   makes any difference is when deciding whether or not to mention which
     *   object we're acting upon; an 'all' object should normally be mentioned
     *   explicitly, as though the command had involved multiple objects,
     *   because otherwise it might not be clear to the user what object had
     *   actually matched 'all'.
     */
    #define MatchedAll       0x0008

    /*
     *   Always announce the object before executing the command on it.  This
     *   flag can be set for objects that match phrases whose meaning isn't
     *   necessarily known to the player, such as "all" (which selects objects
     *   based on the simulation state, which might not exactly match what the
     *   player had in mind) or "any book" (which might select arbitrarily from
     *   several possibilities, so the player can't know which we'll choose).
     */
    #define AlwaysAnnounce   0x0010

    /*
     *   The noun phrase describing this object was ambiguous, and the object
     *   was selected by automatic disambiguation in a context where it was
     *   clear which object was indicated.  This is used in cases where the
     *   objects not selected were all illogical for the action context.
     */
    #define ClearDisambig    0x0020

    /*
     *   The noun phase describing this object was ambiguous, and the object was
     *   selected by automatic disambiguation in a context where it was not
     *   perfectly clear which object was indicated.  This is used for cases
     *   where the objects selected were more logical than the objects not
     *   selected, but some of the unselected objects were still logical.
     *
     *   This flag doesn't mean that we chose arbitrarily, but rather that we
     *   chose the best object or objects from a field that included additional
     *   objects that, though not quite as good, were still valid.  We flag this
     *   case because the user *could* have meant to use one of the other valid
     *   objects, even though we consider it most likely that the user meant to
     *   use the one(s) we selected; so, we want to flag this so we can call the
     *   user's attention to our choice, to make it more likely that the user
     *   will immediately notice if we made the wrong choice.
     *
     *   Note that we can't have both ClearDisambig and UnclearDisambig at the
     *   same time, but we *can* have neither of these.  If neither flag is set
     *   for an object, it simply means that the object wasn't ambiguous to
     *   start with.  When the user explicitly picks an object interactively,
     *   the selected object is effectively unambiguous, so it won't have either
     *   flag set; even though it started off ambiguous, the user did all of the
     *   work of selecting the appropriate object, leaving things unambiguous in
     *   the end.
     */
    #define UnclearDisambig  0x0040

    /*
     *   The noun phrase was missing from the command and this object was
     *   supplied as an implicit default.
     */
    #define DefaultObject    0x0080

    /*
     *   We've announced this as a defaulted object.  We use this to ensure that
     *   we only make this type of announcement once, even if the opportunity to
     *   make the announcement comes up more than once; this can happen when
     *   we're asking for missing objects interactively in a multi-object
     *   command, since we might want to announce a default before prompting as
     *   well as before execution.
     */
    #define AnnouncedDefaultObject  0x0100

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Announcement styles for disambiguated objects.  These are used in the
     *   gameMain object (see GameMainDef) to select which type of announcement
     *   is used when the parser disambiguates a noun phrase using the
     *   logicalness rules.
     */

    /*
     *   Announce unclear disambiguation results only.  When this setting is
     *   selected, the parser makes a parenthetical announcement (e.g., "(the red
     *   door)") when it selects an object based on likelihood rankings from
     *   among more than one logical match.  The parser makes no announcement
     *   when exactly one logical object is in scope, even if other objects match
     *   the noun phrase by name.
     */
    enum AnnounceUnclear;

    /*
     *   Announce clear and unclear disambiguation results, both using
     *   parenthetical announcement ("(the red door)").  When this setting is
     *   selected, the parser makes these announcements every time it applies the
     *   logicalness rules or likelihood rankings to disambiguate a noun phrase.
     *   There's no announcement when no disambiguation is needed (because the
     *   noun phrase matches only one in-scope object).
     */
    enum AnnounceClear;

    /*
     *   Describe clear disambiguation results, rather than announcing them.  The
     *   parser makes the parenthetical announcement, as usual, for unclear
     *   disambiguation picks, but not for clear picks (a clear pick is one where
     *   there's only one logical object, even though the noun phrase matches
     *   more than one object).  For clear picks, however, the parser uses a
     *   verbose version of the action reply in lieu of one of the terse default
     *   messages.  For example, rather than saying just "Taken", the parser
     *   would reply "You take the red book."  The longer messages mention the
     *   object by name, to make it clear exactly which one was chosen.
     */
    enum DescribeClear;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Inventory modes.  "Wide" mode displays the inventory in paragraph form;
     *   "tall" mode displays as a list, with one item per line, indenting items
     *   to reflect containment.
     */
    enum InventoryWide, InventoryTall;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Define an action with the given base class.  This adds the *Action
     *   suffix to the given root name, and defines a class with the given base
     *   class.  We also define the baseActionClass property to refer to myself;
     *   this is the canonical class representing the action for all subclasses.
     *   This information is useful because a language module might define
     *   several grammar rule subclasses for the given class; this lets us
     *   relate any instances of those various subclasses back to this same
     *   canonical class for the action if necessary.
     */
    #define DefineAction(name, baseClass...) \
        class name##Action: ##baseClass \
        baseActionClass = name##Action

    /*
     *   Define a "system" action.  System actions are meta-game commands, such
     *   as SAVE and QUIT, that generally operate the user interface and are not
     *   part of the game world.
     */
    #define DefineSystemAction(name) \
        DefineAction(name, SystemAction)

    /*
     *   Define a concrete IAction, given the root name for the action.  We'll
     *   automatically generate a class with name XxxAction.
     */
    #define DefineIAction(name) \
        DefineAction(name, IAction)

    /* define a conversational IAction, such as Hello, Goodbye, Yes, No */
    #define DefineConvIAction(name) \
        DefineAction(name, ConvIAction)

    /*
     *   Define a concrete TAction, given the root name for the action.  We'll
     *   automatically generate a class with name XxxAction, a verProp with name
     *   verXxx, a checkProp with name checkXxx, and an actionProp with name
     *   actionDobjXxx.
     */
    #define DefineTAction(name) \
        DefineTActionSub(name, TAction)

    /*
     *   Define a concrete TAction with a specific base class.
     */
    #define DefineTActionSub(name, cls) \
        DefineAction(name, cls) \
        verDobjProp = &verifyDobj##name \
        remapDobjProp = &remapDobj##name \
        preCondDobjProp = &preCondDobj##name \
        checkDobjProp = &checkDobj##name \
        actionDobjProp  = &actionDobj##name \

    /*
     *   Define a concrete TIAction, given the root name for the action.  We'll
     *   automatically generate a class with name XxxAction, a verDobjProp with
     *   name verDobjXxx, a verIobjProp with name verIobjxxx, a checkDobjProp
     *   with name checkDobjXxx, a checkIobjProp with name checkIobjXxx, an
     *   actionDobjProp with name actionDobjXxx, and an actionIobjProp with name
     *   actionIobjXxx.
     */
    #define DefineTIAction(name) \
        DefineTIActionSub(name, TIAction)

    /*
     *   Define a concrete TIAction with a specific base class.
     */
    #define DefineTIActionSub(name, cls) \
        DefineAction(name, cls) \
        verDobjProp = &verifyDobj##name \
        verIobjProp = &verifyIobj##name \
        remapDobjProp = &remapDobj##name \
        remapIobjProp = &remapIobj##name \
        preCondDobjProp = &preCondDobj##name \
        preCondIobjProp = &preCondIobj##name \
        checkDobjProp = &checkDobj##name \
        checkIobjProp = &checkIobj##name \
        actionDobjProp  = &actionDobj##name \
        actionIobjProp = &actionIobj##name

    /*
     *   Define a concrete TopicAction, given the root name for the action.
     */
    #define DefineTopicAction(name) \
        DefineAction(name, TopicAction)

    /*
     *   Define a concrete TopicTAction, given the root name for the action.
     *   'which' gives the role the topic serves, for message generation purposes
     *   - this should be one of the object role enums (DirectObject,
     *   IndirectObject, etc) indicating which role the topic plays in the
     *   action's grammar.
     */
    #define BaseDefineTopicTAction(name, which, cls) \
        DefineAction(name, cls) \
        verDobjProp = &verifyDobj##name \
        remapDobjProp = &remapDobj##name \
        preCondDobjProp = &preCondDobj##name \
        checkDobjProp = &checkDobj##name \
        actionDobjProp = &actionDobj##name \
        whichMessageTopic = which

    #define DefineTopicTAction(name, which) \
        BaseDefineTopicTAction(name, which, TopicTAction)

    /*
     *   Define a concrete ConvTopicTAction.  This is just like defining a
     *   TopicTAction, but defines the action using the ConvTopicTAction
     *   subclass.
     */
    #define DefineConvTopicTAction(name, which) \
        BaseDefineTopicTAction(name, which, ConvTopicTAction)

    /*
     *   Define a concrete LiteralAction, given the root name for the action.
     */
    #define DefineLiteralAction(name) \
        DefineAction(name, LiteralAction)

    /*
     *   Define a concrete LiteralTAction, given the root name for the action.
     *   'which' gives the role the literal phrase serves, for message generation
     *   purposes - this should be one of the object role enums (DirectObject,
     *   IndirectObject, etc) indicating which role the topic plays in the
     *   action's grammar.
     */
    #define DefineLiteralTAction(name, which) \
        DefineAction(name, LiteralTAction) \
        verDobjProp = &verifyDobj##name \
        remapDobjProp = &remapDobj##name \
        preCondDobjProp = &preCondDobj##name \
        checkDobjProp = &checkDobj##name \
        actionDobjProp = &actionDobj##name \
        whichMessageLiteral = which

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Convenience macros for setting verify results.
     *
     *   A verify routine can use these macros to set any number of verify
     *   results.  The VerifyResultList will keep only the result that gives the
     *   strongest disapproval of the action, since the verification process is
     *   by its nature only interested in the most negative result.
     *
     *   These macros take advantage of the fact that we have a global
     *   VerifyResultList object, which gathers the results of the verification,
     *   so they can be used only in verify routines.  The global verification
     *   results object is valid during each verification invocation.
     */

    /*
     *   Command is logical.  There's generally no need to add a logical result
     *   explicitly, since a command is logical unless disapproved, but we
     *   include this for completeness.
     *
     *   We use 100 as the default likelihood, to leave plenty of room for
     *   specific likelihood rankings both above and below the default level.
     */
    #define logical \
        (gVerifyResults.addResult(new LogicalVerifyResult(100, '', 100)))

    /*
     *   Command is logical, and is ranked as indicated among logical results.
     *   The 'rank' value is the likelihood rank; the higher the rank, the more
     *   logical the command is.  The rank is only used to establish an ordering
     *   of the logical results; if a command also has illogical results, all of
     *   the illogical results rank as less logical than the logical result with
     *   the lowest likelihood.
     *
     *   The 'key' value is an arbitrary string value associated with the
     *   ranking.  When two result lists both have a logical result object, and
     *   both logical result objects have the same likelihood level, we'll check
     *   the keys; if the keys match, we'll treat the two results as equivalent
     *   and thus not distinguishing for disambiguation.  This is useful because
     *   it creates a crude multivariate space for ranking items for
     *   disambiguation.
     *
     *   For example, suppose we have a "put in" command, and we have two
     *   possibilities for the target container.  Neither is being held by the
     *   actor, so they both have a result with a logical rank of 70 with a key
     *   value of 'not held'.  In addition, both are openable, and one is open
     *   and the other is closed; the closed one has an additional result with a
     *   logical rank of 80 and a key of 'not open'.  Which do we choose?  If we
     *   looked only at the logical rankings, both would be equivalent, since
     *   both have 70's as their most disapproving results.  However, we see
     *   that the two 70's were applied for the same reason - because they share
     *   a common key - so we know this information isn't helpful for
     *   disambiguation and can be ignored.  So, we find that the closed one has
     *   an 80, and the other has no other results (hence is by default logical
     *   with rank 100), thus we take the '80' as the better one.
     *
     *   Throughout the library, we use the following conventions:
     *
     *   150 = especially good fit: a good candidate for the action that is
     *   especially likely to be used with the command.  For example, a book is
     *   especially suitable for a "read" command.
     *
     *   140 = similar to 150, but slightly less ideal a fit.  We use this for
     *   objects that are excellent fits, but for which we know certain other
     *   objects might be better fits.
     *
     *   100 = default: a perfectly good candidate for the action, with nothing
     *   that would make it illogical, but nothing that makes it especially
     *   likely, either
     *
     *   80 = slightly less than perfect: a good candidate, but with some
     *   temporary and correctable attribute that may make it less likely than
     *   others.  This is used for attributes that can be corrected: a container
     *   needs to be opened for the action to succeed, but isn't currently open,
     *   or an article of clothing cannot be worn for the action to proceeds,
     *   but is currently being worn.
     *
     *   60/70 = slightly less than perfect, but with some attributes that can't
     *   be readily corrected and which make the candidate potentially less
     *   likely.  These are used to make guesses about which might object might
     *   be intended when several are logical but some might be more readily
     *   used than others; for example, if putting an object into a container, a
     *   container being held might rank higher than one not being held, so the
     *   one not being held might be ranked a "70" likelihood.
     *
     *   50 = logical but not especially likely: an acceptable candidate for the
     *   action, but probably not the best choice for the action.  This is used
     *   when an object can be used for the action, but would not be expected to
     *   do anything special with the action.
     */
    #define logicalRank(rank, key)  \
        (gVerifyResults.addResult(new LogicalVerifyResult(rank, key, 100)))

    /*
     *   Logical ranking with specific list ordering.  This is the same as a
     *   regular logicalRank, but uses the given list ordering rather than the
     *   default list ordering (100).
     */
    #define logicalRankOrd(rank, key, ord) \
        (gVerifyResults.addResult(new LogicalVerifyResult(rank, key, ord)))

    /* command is logical but dangerous */
    #define dangerous \
        (gVerifyResults.addResult(new DangerousVerifyResult('')))

    /*
     *   command is logical but non-obvious: the object should never be taken as
     *   a default
     */
    #define nonObvious \
        (gVerifyResults.addResult(new NonObviousVerifyResult('')))

    /* command is currently (but not always) illogical, for the given reason */
    #define illogicalNow(msg, params...) \
        (gVerifyResults.addResult(new IllogicalNowVerifyResult(msg, ##params)))

    /* illogical because things are already as the command would make them */
    #define illogicalAlready(msg, params...) \
        (gVerifyResults.addResult( \
            new IllogicalAlreadyVerifyResult(msg, ##params)))

    /* command is always illogical */
    #define illogical(msg, params...) \
        (gVerifyResults.addResult(new IllogicalVerifyResult(msg, ##params)))

    /* illogical since we're trying to use something on itself (eg, PUT X IN X) */
    #define illogicalSelf(msg, params...) \
        (gVerifyResults.addResult(new IllogicalSelfVerifyResult(msg, ##params)))

    /* command is being performed on an inaccessible object */
    #define inaccessible(msg, params...) \
        (gVerifyResults.addResult(new InaccessibleVerifyResult(msg, ##params)))

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Convenience macros for setting command results.
     */

    /*
     *   Set a default report for the current command.  This report will be
     *   shown unless a non-default report is issued, or if the default report
     *   is to be suppressed (for example, because the command is being
     *   performed implicitly as part of another command).
     *
     *   Default reports should be used only for simple acknowledgments of the
     *   command's successful completion - things like "Taken" or "Dropped" or
     *   "Done."
     *
     *   Default responses are suppressed for implicit commands because they are
     *   redundant.  When a command is performed implicitly, it is conventional
     *   to mention the command being performed with a parenthetical: "(First
     *   taking the book)".  In such cases, a simple acknowledgment that the
     *   command was successfully performed would add nothing of use but would
     *   merely make the output more verbose, so we omit it.
     */
    #define defaultReport(msg, params...) \
        (gTranscript.addReport(new DefaultCommandReport(msg, ##params)))

    /*
     *   Set a default descriptive report for the current command.  This report
     *   will be shown unless any other report is shown for the same command.
     *   This differs from defaultReport in that we don't suppress a default
     *   description for an implied command: we only suppress a default
     *   description when there are other reports for the same command.
     *
     *   The purpose of the default descriptive report is to generate reports
     *   that say things along the lines that there's nothing special to
     *   describe.  For example:
     *
     *   >x desk
     *.  You see nothing special about it.
     *
     *   >look in alcove
     *.  There's nothing in the alcove.
     *
     *   When there's nothing else to report, these default descriptions are
     *   suitable as the full response to the command.  However, they become
     *   undesirable when we have other "status" information or related special
     *   descriptions to display; consider:
     *
     *   >x desk
     *.  You see nothing special about it.
     *.  Someone has jabbed a dagger into the top of the desk.
     *
     *   >look in alcove
     *.  There's nothing in the alcove.
     *.  A vase is displayed in the alcove.
     *
     *   >x bag
     *.  You see nothing special about it.  It's open, and it contains
     *.  a red book, an iron key, and a brass key.
     *
     *   In the first two examples above, we have special descriptions for
     *   objects contained in the objects being described.  The special
     *   descriptions essentially contradict the default descriptions' claims
     *   that there's nothing special to mention, and also render the default
     *   descriptions unnecessary, in that it would be enough to show just the
     *   special descriptions.  The third example above is similar, but the
     *   extra information is status information for the object being described
     *   rather than a special description of a contained item; as with the
     *   other examples, the generic default description is both contradictory
     *   and unnecessary.
     *
     *   Default description reports should ONLY be used for messages that have
     *   the character of the examples above: generic descriptions that indicate
     *   explicitly that there's nothing special to report.  Messages that offer
     *   any sort of descriptive detail should NOT be generated as default
     *   description reports, because it is suitable and desirable to retain an
     *   actual descriptive message even when other status information or
     *   related special descriptions are also shown.
     */
    #define defaultDescReport(msg, params...) \
        (gTranscript.addReport(new DefaultDescCommandReport(msg, ##params)))

    /*
     *   Add an cosmetic internal spacing report.  This type of report is used
     *   to show spacing (usually a paragraph break) within command output.
     *
     *   The important thing about this report is that it doesn't trigger
     *   suppression of any default reports.  This is useful when internal
     *   separation is added on speculation that there might be some reports to
     *   separate, but without certainty that there will actually be any reports
     *   shown; for example, when preparing to show a list of special
     *   descriptions, we might add some spacing just in case some special
     *   descriptions will be shown, saving the trouble of checking to see if
     *   anything actually needs to be shown.
     */
    #define cosmeticSpacingReport(msg, params...) \
        (gTranscript.addReport(new CosmeticSpacingCommandReport(msg, ##params)))

    /*
     *   Add an "extra" report.  This is an incidental message that doesn't
     *   affect the display of a default report.
     */
    #define extraReport(msg, params...) \
        (gTranscript.addReport(new ExtraCommandReport(msg, ##params)))

    /*
     *   Set a main report for the current command.  This report will be shown
     *   as the main report from the command, overriding any default report for
     *   the command.
     */
    #define mainReport(msg, params...) \
        (gTranscript.addReport(new MainCommandReport(msg, ##params)))

    /*
     *   Set a "before" report for the current command.  This report will be
     *   shown before any main report, but will override any default report for
     *   the command.
     */
    #define reportBefore(msg, params...) \
        (gTranscript.addReport(new BeforeCommandReport(msg, ##params)))

    /*
     *   Set an "after" report for the current command.  This report will be
     *   shown after any main report, but will override any default report for
     *   the command.
     */
    #define reportAfter(msg, params...) \
        (gTranscript.addReport(new AfterCommandReport(msg, ##params)))

    /*
     *   Report failure.  This overrides any default report, and marks the
     *   command as having failed.
     *
     *   A failure report should NOT indicate any state change - this is
     *   important because failure reports are suppressed under some conditions
     *   (for example, when an NPC is performing an implied command, and the
     *   implied command fails, we don't show the failure report).  If a failure
     *   is accompanied by a state change, then a mainReport() should be made in
     *   addition to the failure report - the main report should indicate the
     *   state change.
     */
    #define reportFailure(msg, params...) \
        (gTranscript.addReport(new FailCommandReport(msg, ##params)))

    /*
     *   Report a question.  This shows a report that's really an interactive
     *   prompt for more information, such as a prompt for a missing object.
     */
    #define reportQuestion(msg, params...) \
        (gTranscript.addReport(new QuestionCommandReport(msg, ##params)))

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Thing message property overrides sometimes need to be selective about
     *   the role of the object.  These macros let you specify that a Thing
     *   message override is only in effect when the Thing is the direct or
     *   indirect object.  When the object isn't in the specified role, the
     *   message override will be ignored.
     *
     *   For example, suppose you want to override an object's response to PUT
     *   IN, but *only* when it's the indirect object of PUT IN - *not* when the
     *   object is itself being put somewhere.  To do this, you could give the
     *   object a property like this:
     *
     *.    notAContainerMsg = iobjMsg('The vase\'s opening is too small. ')
     *
     *   This specifies that when the object is involved in a PUT IN command that
     *   fails with the 'notAContainerMsg' message, the given message should be
     *   used - but *only* when the object is the indirect object.
     */
    #define dobjMsg(msg) (gDobj == self ? msg : nil)
    #define iobjMsg(msg) (gIobj == self ? msg : nil)

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Try performing a command implicitly.  The action is the root name of
     *   the action, without the 'Action' suffix - we'll automatically add the
     *   suffix.  'objs' is a varying-length list of the resolved objects in the
     *   new action - the direct object, indirect object, and any others needed
     *   for the action.
     */
    #define tryImplicitAction(action, objs...) \
        _tryImplicitAction(gIssuingActor, gActor, &announceImplicitAction, \
        action##Action, ##objs)

    /*
     *   Try performing a command implicitly, with a special descriptive
     *   message.  'msgProp' gives the libMessages method to invoke the announce
     *   the action, if the action is performed.  If 'msgProp' is nil, no
     *   message is displayed at all.
     *
     *   'action' is the root name of the action, without the 'Action' suffix
     *   (we'll automatically add the suffix).  'objs' is a varying-length list
     *   of the resolved objects - direct object, indirect object, and any
     *   others needed.
     */
    #define tryImplicitActionMsg(msgProp, action, objs...) \
        _tryImplicitAction(gIssuingActor, gActor, msgProp, \
                           action##Action, ##objs)

    /*
     *   Replace the current action with a new action.  The new action will be
     *   performed, and the original action will be terminated with 'exit'.
     *
     *   'action' is the root name of the action, without the 'Action' suffix
     *   (we'll add the suffix automatically).  'objs' is a varying-length list
     *   of the resolved objects - direct object, indirect object, etc.
     */
    #define replaceAction(action, objs...) \
        _replaceAction(gActor, action##Action, ##objs)

    /*
     *   Replace the current action with a new action directed to a different
     *   actor (but from the same issuing actor).
     */
    #define replaceActorAction(actor, action, objs...) \
        _replaceAction(actor, action##Action, ##objs)

    /*
     *   Run a nested action.
     */
    #define nestedAction(action, objs...) \
        _nestedAction(nil, gActor, action##Action, ##objs)

    /*
     *   Run a nested action targeted to a given actor.
     */
    #define nestedActorAction(actor, action, objs...) \
        _nestedAction(nil, actor, action##Action, ##objs)

    /*
     *   Run a new action.  This is a brand new action run as a separate turn,
     *   not as a nested action.  This doesn't replace any current action, but is
     *   simply a separate action.
     *
     *   This is normally used only for internal actions that are run between
     *   other actions.  This should not normally be used while another action is
     *   being processed - use nestedAction for that instead.  This should also
     *   not normally be used to replace the current action with another - use
     *   replaceAction for that.
     *
     *   Returns a CommandTranscript object, which provides information on the
     *   results of the action.
     */
    #define newAction(action, objs...) \
        _newAction(CommandTranscript, nil, gActor, action##Action, ##objs)

    /* run a new action with a specific actor */
    #define newActorAction(actor, action, objs...) \
        _newAction(CommandTranscript, nil, actor, action##Action, ##objs)

    /*
     *   Ask for a direct object and retry the command using the single-object
     *   phrasing.  This can be used in the action() routine for a no-object
     *   command to ask for the missing direct object.
     *
     *   In many cases, there is simply no grammar rule for a zero-object form
     *   of a verb; in such cases, this macro is not needed, since the missing
     *   object is handled via the grammar.  However, for some actions, it is
     *   desirable to allow the zero-object phrasing some of the time, but
     *   require the direct-object phrasing other times.  This macro exists for
     *   these cases, because it allows the intransitive version of the action
     *   to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether to process the no-object
     *   form of the command or to prompt for a direct object.
     *
     *   newAction is the root name (without the Action suffix) of the
     *   transitive action to execute.  For example, if we're processing a plain
     *   "in" command, we could use askForDobj(Enter) to ask for a direct object
     *   for the transitive "enter" phrasing.
     */
    #define askForDobj(newAction) \
        (newAction##Action.retryWithMissingDobj(gAction, ResolveAsker))

    /*
     *   Ask for an indirect object and retry the command using the two-object
     *   phrasing.  This can be used in the action() routine of a single-object
     *   command to ask for the missing indirect object.
     *
     *   In many cases, there is simply no grammar rule for a single-object form
     *   of a verb; in such cases, this macro is not needed, since the missing
     *   object is handled via the grammar.  However, for some actions, it is
     *   desirable to allow the single-object phrasing some of the time, but
     *   require the two-object phrasing other times.  This macro exists for
     *   these cases, because it allows the action() routine to decide, on a
     *   case-by-case basis, whether to process the single-object form of the
     *   command or to prompt for an indirect object.
     *
     *   newAction is the root name (without the Action suffix) of the
     *   two-object form of the action.  For example, if we're processing a
     *   single-object "unlock" command, we would use askForIobj(UnlockWith) to
     *   ask for an indirect object for the "unlock with" two-object phrasing.
     */
    #define askForIobj(newAction) \
        (newAction##Action.retryWithMissingIobj(gAction, ResolveAsker))

    /*
     *   Ask for a literal phrase and retry the command using the two-object
     *   phrasing.  This is analogous to askForDobj() and askForIobj(), but for
     *   literal phrases; we effectively convert a TAction into a
     *   LiteralTAction.
     */
    #define askForLiteral(newAction) \
        (newAction##Action.retryWithMissingLiteral(gAction))

    /*
     *   Ask for a topic phrase and retry the command using the two-object
     *   phrasing.
     */
    #define askForTopic(newAction) \
        (newAction##Action.retryWithMissingTopic(gAction))

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Command interruption signal macros.
     */

    /* a concise macro to throw an ExitSignal */
    #define exit throw new ExitSignal()

    /* a concise macro to throw an ExitActionSignal */
    #define exitAction throw new ExitActionSignal()

    /* a concise macro to throw an AbortImplicitSignal */
    #define abortImplicit throw new AbortImplicitSignal()

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Flags for LOOK AROUND styles
     */

    /* show the room name as part of the description */
    #define LookRoomName       0x0001

    /* show the room's long desription (the roomDesc) */
    #define LookRoomDesc       0x0002

    /* show the non-portable items (the specialDesc's) */
    #define LookListSpecials   0x0004

    /* show the portable items */
    #define LookListPortables  0x0008

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Template for multi-location objects.  To put a MultiLoc object in
     *   several initial locations, simply use a template giving the list of
     *   locations.
     */
    MultiLoc template [locationList];

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Templates for style tags
     */
    StyleTag template 'tagName' 'openText'? 'closeText'?;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   A template for footnotes - all we usually need to define in a footnote
     *   is its descriptive text, so this makes it easy to define one.
     */
    Footnote template "desc";

    /* footnote status levels */
    enum FootnotesOff, FootnotesMedium, FootnotesFull;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   An achievement defines its descriptive text.  It can also optionally
     *   define the number of points it awards.
     */
    Achievement template +points? "desc";

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   An event list takes a list of strings, objects, and/or functions.
     */
    EventList template [eventList];

    /*
     *   A shuffled event list with two lists - the first list is the sequential
     *   initial list, fired in the exact order specified; and the second is the
     *   random list, with the events that occur in shuffled order after we
     *   exhaust the initial list.
     */
    ShuffledEventList template [firstEvents] [eventList];

    /* a synchronized event list takes its state from another list */
    SyncEventList template ->masterObject inherited;

    /* low-level shuffled list */
    ShuffledList template [valueList];

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Define a template for the Tip class.
     */
    Tip template "desc";

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Definitions for the menu system
     */

    /*
     *   The indices for the key values used to navigate menus, which are held
     *   in the keyList array of MenuItems.
     */
    #define M_QUIT      1
    #define M_PREV      2
    #define M_UP        3
    #define M_DOWN      4
    #define M_SEL       5

    /* some templates for defining menu items */
    MenuItem template 'title' 'heading'?;
    MenuTopicItem template 'title' 'heading'? [menuContents];
    MenuLongTopicItem template 'title' 'heading'? 'menuContents';

    /* templates for hint system objects */
    Goal template ->closeWhenAchieved? 'title' 'heading'? [menuContents];
    Hint template 'hintText' [referencedGoals]?;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Templates for topic database entries.
     */

    /*
     *   A TopicEntry can be defined with an optional score, followed by the
     *   match criteria (which can be either a single matching object, a list of
     *   matching objects, or a regular expression pattern string), followed by
     *   the optional response text (which can be given either as a double-quoted
     *   string or as a list of single-quoted strings to use as an EventList).
     */
    TopicEntry template
       +matchScore?
       @matchObj | [matchObj] | 'matchPattern'
       "topicResponse" | [eventList] ?;

    /* a ShuffledEventList version of the above */
    TopicEntry template
       +matchScore?
       @matchObj | [matchObj] | 'matchPattern'
       [firstEvents] [eventList];

    /* we can also include *both* the match object/list *and* pattern */
    TopicEntry template
       +matchScore?
       @matchObj | [matchObj]
       'matchPattern'
       "topicResponse" | [eventList] ?;

    /* a ShuffledEventList version of the above */
    TopicEntry template
       +matchScore?
       @matchObj | [matchObj]
       'matchPattern'
       [firstEvents] [eventList];

    /* miscellanous topics just specify the response text or list */
    MiscTopic template "topicResponse" | [eventList];
    MiscTopic template [firstEvents] [eventList];

    /*
     *   A SpecialTopic takes a keyword list or a regular expression instead of
     *   the regular match criteria.  It also takes a suggestion name string and
     *   the normal response text.  There's no need for a score in a special
     *   topic, since these are unique.
     */
    SpecialTopic template
       'name'
       [keywordList] | 'matchPat'
       "topicResponse" | [eventList] ?;

    /* a ShuffledEventList version of the above */
    SpecialTopic template
       'name'
       [keywordList] | 'matchPat'
       [firstEvents] [eventList];

    /* default topics just specify the response text */
    DefaultTopic template "topicResponse" | [eventList];
    DefaultTopic template [firstEvents] [eventList];

    /* alternative topics just specify the response string or strings */
    AltTopic template "topicResponse" | [eventList];
    AltTopic template [firstEvents] [eventList];

    /* a TopicGroup can specify its score adjustment */
    TopicGroup template +matchScoreAdjustment;

    /* a conversation node need a name */
    ConvNode template 'name';

    /*
     *   End-of-conversation reason codes
     */
    enum endConvBye;                                    /* player typed GOODBYE */
    enum endConvTravel;         /* the other character is trying to travel away */
    enum endConvBoredom;                /* our attentionSpan has been exhausted */
    enum endConvActor;     /* the NPC itself (not the player) is saying GOODBYE */

    /*
     *   Special result code for Actor.canEndConversation() - this indicates that
     *   the other actor said something to force the conversation to keep going.
     */
    enum blockEndConv;

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   Conversation manager macros
     */

    /* has a topic key been revealed through <.reveal>? */
    #define gRevealed(key) (conversationManager.revealedNameTab[key] != nil)

    /* reveal a topic key, as though through <.reveal> */
    #define gReveal(key) (conversationManager.setRevealed(key))

    /* mark a Topic/Thing as known/seen by the player character */
    #define gSetKnown(obj) (gPlayerChar.setKnowsAbout(obj))
    #define gSetSeen(obj) (gPlayerChar.setHasSeen(obj))

    /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */
    /*
     *   For compatibility with versions before 3.1.1, define
     *   openableContentsLister as a synonym for openableDescContentsLister.  The
     *   former was renamed to the latter in 3.1.1 because the original name was
     *   inconsistent with the corresponding listers for other classes.  In
     *   principle, openableContentsLister is meant to be the 'contentsLister'
     *   (for displaying the openable's contents in room descriptions, etc) for
     *   an Openable, while openableDescContentsLister is its
     *   'descContentsLister' (for displaying the openable's contents in its own
     *   EXAMINE description).  Fortunately we don't have a need for a special
     *   contentsLister for Openable, so we can avoid breaking existing code by
     *   mapping the old name to the new name.
     */
    #define openableContentsLister openableDescContentsLister

    #endif /* ADV3_H */

TADS 3 Library Manual
Generated on 5/16/2013 from TADS version 3.1.3