intfiction.org

I'm having good success with this in my project, but I don't have any over-arching design pattern other than, "I want the result to look like this."

Granted, I may hit a wall later on for not studying enough theory, but as far as i'm concerned, there's nothing magical about compilers. It transforms data from format A to format B like many other pieces of code.

_________________
Blog at Gamasutra :: Programmer's Guide to Inform 7 :: Seattle I-F

I guess I should have said "if Inform 8 comes out" rather than "when Inform 8 comes out". The point is if Inform 6 were revamped in the same way Inform 5 was to create Inform 6 then logically it should be called Inform 7, but since this is taken, it may then be called Inform 8. Similarly, if Inform 7 were revamped in a similar way then logically it should be called Inform 8. So here we have a clash.

There is also the final and most likely option that neither Inform 6 and Inform 7 undergo such a revamp and remain as they are for thousands of years to come.



The way I see it, Inform 7 is not actually Inform 7 yet, but a hybrid of Inform 6 and Inform 7. I'm assuming that this is so that Inform 7 could be brought out sooner and to lessen the wordload on those creating Inform 7. Also, Inform 7 could be thought of as still in beta. I guess that over time, the Inform 6 template layer will eventually be converted into Inform 7 code.

_________________
"Will you stop breaking the fourth wall? It's costing me an absolute fortune to replace it!"

If there's a major update to Inform 6, it'll be called Inform 6.4. There's a bend in the version-numbering curve, but so what.

Anyhow, nobody is planning a major update to Inform 6 as a language. (The I6 library has its own numbering system.)



Eh, I wouldn't put too much weight on that view. Shifting more template code to I7 is an ongoing goal, but I've never heard that there's any master plan in which that reaches 100% someday. Anyhow, that has nothing to do with the name, which is solidly established.

If you want an evolution of I6, there's my Typed Inform patch. It didn't catch on at the time.

Sounds interesting.

_________________
David Griffith

Jumping on this thread a little belatedly, the numbering between I6 and I7 is confusing. (Much like the relationship between Infocom, Inform, ZIL, and Z-code...) A higher version number always seems to indicate a newer and more powerful release, thus if somebody released I6.1, my (naive) assumption would be that this is still outdated in respect to I7.

I would have preferred it if I6 was called "Inform", and I7 "Inform Script" or such. This would keep the relationship between the two threads somewhat clear*) and would allow for independent version numbering of the two.

But I reckon it's a little late for that...?

Cheers,

syzygy


*) Please don't mention Java and JavaScript.

_________________
"Art is pretty, but a lot of work." -- Karl Valentin, comedian
The Ontos Enterprise

Why not? People mix up Java and JavaScript constantly. Why would Inform and InformScript (which would be doubly bad choice since I7 is not a scripting language) be any different?

_________________
Vorple UI library — Beta testing site — Blog

Because Java and JavaScript were given similar namens despite having little in common, as opposed to I6/7.

"InformScript" was not a serious suggestion, just something I came up with on the spot. Perhaps "InformTalk" or such would be better.

Personally I would also like "Inform I" and "Inform II", but of course that would give a very messy version numbering.

syzygy

_________________
"Art is pretty, but a lot of work." -- Karl Valentin, comedian
The Ontos Enterprise

This old thread at raif has a bit to say about I6/7.