From: pds@lemming.webo.dg.com (Paul D. Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.archives
Subject: [rec.games.int-fiction] Portable Infocom Datafile Interpreter 3.0 released
Date: 5 Nov 92 05:40:08 GMT
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Archive-name: auto/rec.games.int-fiction/Portable-Infocom-Datafile-Interpreter-3-0-released

The official version 3.0 of the portable Infocom datafile interpreter
(pinfocom) is available for anonymous ftp now.

Some of you may have seen a post for a previous version of this
interpreter when it was known as the InfoTaskForce interpreter version
2.99: since the real InfoTaskForce burst back onto the scene I've
changed the name of this version, which is based on a very early pass
of their interpreter but which has extensive changes and enhancements.

I really believe this version has substantive improvements over ITF
4.01: it has a truly great Amiga interface, support for GNU Readline
command-line editing for UNIX systems (beta-tested on numerous UNIX
systems so it should work out-of-the-box), command-line restore of
saved games, well-defined terminal interface which should make it
simple to add new systems, etc.

However, it should be noted that this version only plays standard
series (Z-Code version 3) games, although it does support all standard
series features such as fixed-window support for _Seastalker_ and
sound (unlike Matthias Pfaller's zmachine)--for UNIX and MS-DOS
systems a message is printed: sounds are played on Amiga systems.
My beta-testers say they use pinfocom for Standard series games and
ITF 4.01 for v.4 and v.5 games :).

Please see the features list below, or in the README file in the
package for more details.

You can get the package via anonymous ftp from:

    wuarchive.wustl.edu:/pub/pinfocom-3.0/pinfocom-3.0.tar.Z

for the time being.  I'm going to try to get it posted to
comp.sources.games so it will be more permanently archived.  I can't
email it, sorry...

Try it, you'll like it! :)

--------------------
Features of the interpreter include (features marked with a * are
not available in ITF 4.01), for *all* Infocom games including higher
versions:

  - Display of game header information, including release/serial
    number info, interpretations of various flags, and offset info.

  - Display of complete vocabulary (includes support for alternate
    character sets, needed in Shogun for example).

  - Display of all objects, their attributes and link information.

  - Display of all objects in a "contained" tree format.

* - Verifying the data file is not corrupted

Additionally, the following features are supported for playing all
Standard Series (Z-Code version 3) games:

  - Save/Restore (* restore accepted from the command line as well)
  - Paging long output
  - Different screen sizes
  - Script generation to a printer (if available) or a text file
* - In-game modification of most command-line options

The following additional features are supported for playing Standard
series games on UNIX systems:

  - Support for termcap or terminfo
  - Support for termio, termios, or stty line discipline control
* - Optional support for GNU readline command line editing and history
*     - Line editing
*     - History and history file storage
*     - User-defined command completion
*     - Filename completion
  - Status line printing
  - Fixed windows (used in _Seastalker_) for terminals supporting
    scrolling regions (e.g., vt100)

The following additional features are supported for playing Standard
series games on Amiga systems (ITF 4.01 doesn't have an Amiga
interface):

* - Status line printing
* - Sound support
* - Proportional font support
* - Fixed windows (used in _Seastalker_)
* - Support for command line editing and history
* - Function key command assignment
* - Support for Kickstart 1.2 and 1.3
* - Executable saved game files, w/ all options stored
* - Advanced features for Kickstart 2.04 and above:
*     - Pull-down menus
*     - Point & click interface for saving and restoring
*       games and scripting
*     - Games can be restored by dropping their icons on
*       the interpreter window
*     - Selecting the `About' menu item will display
*       information on the current game

The following additional features are supported for playing Standard
series games on MS-DOS systems:

  - Status line printing
  - Support for color monitors
  - Fixed window support (used in _Seastalker_)
--

                                                                paul
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