What to do to make use of the lexicon module in a new command-line tool.

§1. Status. The lexicon module is provided as one of the "services" suite of modules, which means that it was built with a view to potential incorporation in multiple tools. It can be found, for example, in inform7 and linguistics-test.

By convention, the modules considered as "services" have no dependencies on other modules except for foundation and other "services" modules.

A tool can import lexicon only if it also imports foundation, words, syntax and inflections.

§2. Importing the module. We'll use the term "parent" to mean the tool which is importing lexicon, that is, which will include its code and be able to use it. As with any imported module,

§3. Defining parsing methods. When lexicon entries are registered (see Lexicon (in lexicon)), they are assigned "meaning codes", and these affect the way that parsing is done. The user should define EXACT_PARSING_BITMAP, SUBSET_PARSING_BITMAP and PARAMETRISED_PARSING_BITMAP to be sums of the meaning codes for which these methods are used -- see Parse Excerpts.

For example, the parent could define INGREDIENTS_MC and RECIPES_MC to have two different namespaces, and then define EXACT_PARSING_BITMAP to be INGREDIENTS_MC + RECIPES_MC to make both of them parsed exactly.

Minimal default settings are made if the parent doesn't create these constants.

§4. Using callbacks. Shared modules like this one are tweaked in behaviour by defining "callback functions". This means that the parent might provide a function of its own which would answer a question put to it by the module, or take some action on behalf of the module: it's a callback in the sense that the parent is normally calling the module, but then the module calls the parent back to ask for data or action.

The parent must indicate which function to use by defining a constant with a specific name as being equal to that function's name. A fictional example would be

    @d EXPRESS_SURPRISE_LEXICON_CALLBACK Emotions::gosh

    =
    void Emotions::gosh(text_stream *OUT) {
        WRITE("Zowie!\n");
    }

The lexicon module has many callbacks, but they are all optional. The following alphabetical list has references to fuller explanations: