Preliminaries

• What This Module Does - An overview of the knowledge module's role and abilities.

Chapter 1: Configuration and Control

• Knowledge Module - Setting up the use of this module.

• Assert Propositions - To declare that a given proposition is a true statement about the state of the world when play begins.

Chapter 2: Instances and Variables

• Instances - To manage constant values of enumerated kinds or kinds of object.

• Instances as Adjectives - When instances are adjectives as well as nouns.

• Preform for Instances - Preform grammar to parse names of instances.

• Ordering Instances - A simple system for making an ordered list of instances.

• Nonlocal Variables - To manage variables whose scope is wider than the current rule.

Chapter 3: Properties

• Properties - Subjects in the model world have properties associated with them: some either/or, others with values.

• Either-Or Properties - Properties which can either be present or not, but have no value attached.

• Either-Or Property Adjectives - Names of either-or properties when used as adjectives.

• Valued Properties - Properties which attach values to subjects, with such values always having a given kind.

• The Provision Relation - To define the provision relation, which determines which properties can be held by which objects.

• Same Property Relation - Each value property has an associated relation to compare its value between two owners.

• Setting Property Relation - Each value property has an associated relation to set its value.

• Measurements - To define adjectives such as large, wide or roomy, which make implicit comparisons of the size of some numerical property, and which lead to comparative and superlative forms.

• Measurement Adjectives - The family of adjectives arising from property value comparisons.

• Comparative Relations - When a measurement adjective like "tall" is defined, so is a comparative relation like "taller than".

Chapter 4: Subjects

• Inference Subjects - A unified way to refer to the things propositions talk about.

• Variable Subjects - The global variables family of inference subjects.

• Instance Subjects - The instances family of inference subjects.

• Kind Subjects - The kinds family of inference subjects.

• Relation Subjects - The relations family of inference subjects.

• Property Permissions - To enforce the domain of properties: for instance, that a door can be open or closed but that an animal cannot, or that a person can have a carrying capacity but that a door cannot.

• Conditions of Subjects - Properties which hold one of an enumerated set of named states of something.

Chapter 5: Modelling

• Inferences - An inference is a single datum about the world model, believed to be true or untrue and with some degree of certainty.

• Property Inferences - Inferences that a property of something is true, or has a particular value.

• Indefinite Appearance - When the source text comments on something with a sentence consisting only of a double-quoted literal text, we infer that as an indefinite appearance property.

• Relation Inferences - Inferences that a relation holds between two subjects or values.

• The Model World - Once the assertions have all been read and reduced to inferences, we try to complete our model world.

• The Naming Thicket - Inform has a thicket of properties to do with names: not just the name itself, but whether it is a plural, a proper name, and so on. Here we look after these properties, and give them their initial states.