.\"set the default error message to a specified string
.TH notify_fail 3 "5 Sep 1994" MudOS "LPC Library Functions"
 
.SH NAME
int notify_fail( string | function str );
 
.SH DESCRIPTION
Store `str' as the error message to be returned instead of the default message
`What?'.  The message will be displayed if a 0 is returned from an action
setup via add_action().  This is the preferred way to display error messages
since it allows other objects a chance to respond to the same verb (command).
Do not use write() to display the error message since this will require you
to return a 1 (unless you want to see the result of the write() in addition to
the 'What?' message).  However, if you do return a 1, then no other objects
will get a chance to respond to the user command.

If a function is passed instead of a string, the function is called
instead of printing a message.  If the function returns a string, that
string is used as the failure message.  Also, this_player() is set
correctly, so write() can be used.

.PP
If "notify_fail()" is called more than once, only the last call will have
an effect.
.PP
The idea behind this function is to allow better error messages than
`What?'.
 
.SH RETURN VALUE
notify_fail() always returns 0.