1997Q4/
<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 -->
<!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD&#45;Dev]	string parsing -->
<!--X-From-R13: ptNnzv&#45;pt.UenlEntr.Sqzbagba.OP.QO (Quevf Uenl) -->
<!--X-Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 09:32:28 +0000 -->
<!--X-Message-Id: 9710300540.8ju8@ami&#45;cg.GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA -->
<!--X-Content-Type: text/plain -->
<!--X-Head-End-->
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev]	string parsing</title>
<!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" -->
<link rev="made" href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">
</head>
<body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff"
      text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000">

  <font size="+4" color="#804040">
    <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong>
  </font>
      
<br>
[&nbsp;<a href="../">Other Periods</a>
&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a>
&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="/search.php3">Search</a>
&nbsp;]
<br clear=all><hr>
<!--X-Body-Begin-->
<!--X-User-Header-->
<!--X-User-Header-End-->
<!--X-TopPNI-->

Date:&nbsp;
[&nbsp;<a href="msg00173.html">Previous</a>
&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="msg00175.html">Next</a>
&nbsp;]
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Thread:&nbsp;
[&nbsp;<a href="msg00173.html">Previous</a>
&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="msg00188.html">Next</a>
&nbsp;]
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Index:&nbsp;
[&nbsp;<A HREF="author.html#00174">Author</A>
&nbsp;|&nbsp;<A HREF="#00174">Date</A>
&nbsp;|&nbsp;<A HREF="thread.html#00174">Thread</A>
&nbsp;]

<!--X-TopPNI-End-->
<!--X-MsgBody-->
<!--X-Subject-Header-Begin-->
<H1>Re: [MUD-Dev]	string parsing</H1>
<HR>
<!--X-Subject-Header-End-->
<!--X-Head-of-Message-->
<UL>
<LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#null,net">mud-dev#null,net</A></LI>
<LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev]	string parsing</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: <A HREF="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</A> (Chris Gray)</LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 29 Oct 97 22:40:49 MST</LI>
</UL>
<!--X-Head-of-Message-End-->
<!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin-->
<HR>
<!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End-->
<!--X-Body-of-Message-->
<PRE>
[Ola F:]

:Or even better, but much more advanced, give the user feedback of the
:parsing during entering of input:
:
:types:  kill&lt;tab&gt;
:output: 'kill' (myself|green troll|blue troll) with (fist|knife|hammer)
:
:types:  kill gre&lt;tab&gt;
:output: 'kill green troll with' (fist|knife|hammer)
:
:etc.
:
:By adding contextsensitivity it should also be able to narrow down the
:choices of weapons by considering the monster at hand.

I think we've discussed this sort of thing here before, but as usual,
I only remember my opinion, and not any general concensus!

My problem with doing the above is that time passes between when the
system produces the expansion, and when the user makes a choice and
presses return. During that time, the choices present can become invalid.
As an implementer, I also have a problem with this - its quite expensive
to do. As a world designer, I consider it a bit of a misfeature - you
are in some sense misleading the player by presenting a list of
alternatives. Those won't be the only acceptable alternatives (I hope, else
its much harder to have puzzles and "hidden" objects, etc.). Also the
set of alternatives can be *very* context sensitive - how will any
generic parsing code determine the set? (Consider the recent discussion
on the difficulty of identifying what is an attack and what is just an
"accident".)

--
Chris Gray   cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA

</PRE>

<!--X-Body-of-Message-End-->
<!--X-MsgBody-End-->
<!--X-Follow-Ups-->
<HR>
<!--X-Follow-Ups-End-->
<!--X-References-->
<!--X-References-End-->
<!--X-BotPNI-->
<UL>
<LI>Prev by Date:
<STRONG><A HREF="msg00173.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]	string parsing</A></STRONG>
</LI>
<LI>Next by Date:
<STRONG><A HREF="msg00175.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Reusable plots for quests</A></STRONG>
</LI>
<LI>Prev by thread:
<STRONG><A HREF="msg00173.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]	string parsing</A></STRONG>
</LI>
<LI>Next by thread:
<STRONG><A HREF="msg00188.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]	string parsing</A></STRONG>
</LI>
<LI>Index(es):
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="index.html#00174"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="thread.html#00174"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL>

<!--X-BotPNI-End-->
<!--X-User-Footer-->
<!--X-User-Footer-End-->
<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev]  string parsing</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00191" HREF="msg00191.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  string parsing</A></strong>, 
Felix A. Croes <a href="mailto:felix#xs1,simplex.nl">felix#xs1,simplex.nl</a>, Fri 31 Oct 1997, 12:02 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00195" HREF="msg00195.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  string parsing</A></strong>, 
Nathan Yospe <a href="mailto:yospe#hawaii,edu">yospe#hawaii,edu</a>, Fri 31 Oct 1997, 20:54 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00213" HREF="msg00213.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  string parsing</A></strong>, 
coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Sun 02 Nov 1997, 20:59 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</ul>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00173" HREF="msg00173.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]	string parsing</A></strong>, 
Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Thu 30 Oct 1997, 09:32 GMT
<UL>
<li>&lt;Possible follow-up(s)&gt;<br>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00174" HREF="msg00174.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]	string parsing</A></strong>, 
Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Thu 30 Oct 1997, 09:32 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00188" HREF="msg00188.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]	string parsing</A></strong>, 
Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Fri 31 Oct 1997, 07:00 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00194" HREF="msg00194.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] string parsing</A></strong>, 
Nathan Yospe <a href="mailto:yospe#hawaii,edu">yospe#hawaii,edu</a>, Fri 31 Oct 1997, 20:40 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00170" HREF="msg00170.html">Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, 
coder <a href="mailto:coder#ibm,net">coder#ibm,net</a>, Thu 30 Oct 1997, 07:14 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00172" HREF="msg00172.html">Re: [MUD-Dev]  Re: Idea: Hive-mind monster</A></strong>, 
Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:nightfall#user1,inficad.com">nightfall#user1,inficad.com</a>, Thu 30 Oct 1997, 07:51 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL></BLOCKQUOTE>

</ul>
<hr>
<center>
[&nbsp;<a href="../">Other Periods</a>
&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a>
&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="/search.php3">Search</a>
&nbsp;]
</center>
<hr>
</body>
</html>