Preliminaries

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

Chapter 1: Configuration and Control

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

Chapter 2: Emission

• Hierarchy - To provide an enforced structure and set of naming conventions for packages and names in the Inter code we generate.

• Noun Identifiers - Instances and kinds are both referred to by nouns, and here we create corresponding inames for use in compiled Inter code, and identifiers for use in the index.

• Compilation Units - The source text is divided into compilation units, and the material they lead to is similarly divided up.

• Emit - "Emitting" is the process of generating Inter bytecode, and this section provides a comprehensive API for the runtime and imperative modules to do that.

• Emit Code - Here is how bytecode for instructions inside functions is emitted.

• Emit Arrays - Here is how bytecode to create ready-initialised arrays of Inter data is emitted.

• Interventions - Material written in low-level Inform 6 notation can be emitted for later linking, a distasteful process called "intervening".

• Shared Variables - Functions to create sets of shared variables.

• The Heap - Texts, lists and other flexibly-sized structures make use of a pool of run-time storage called "the heap".

• Default Values - An unusual feature of Inform is that every kind has a default value, so that it is impossible for any variable or property to be uninitialised.

• Equality Schemas - To define how to compile a comparison of two values.

• Instance Counting - Though a feature, for convenience of implementation, this code is always active and provides for efficient loops through instances at runtime.

• Kind Declarations - Each different kind used anywhere in the tree must be declared with an Inter kind declaration.

• Showme Command - A feature to provide some support for the SHOWME testing command.

• Here, Nowhere and Everywhere - Almost a Beatles song, but really a set of schemas for compiling the meaning of the unary predicates here, nowhere and everywhere.

• Short Names - To compile the "short name" and "capitalised short name" properties.

• General Parsing Routines - To compile "general parsing routines", or GPRs, which are runtime functions used to match noun phrases in the command parser.

• Index Extensions - To keep details of the extensions currently loaded, their authors, titles, versions and rubrics, and to index and credit them suitably.

Chapter 3: Basics

• Generic Module - A variety of Inter constants which do not depend on the content of the program.

• Completion Module - The completion module contains material turning the collection of resources into a playable work.

• Use Options - To give use options a presence at run-time.

Chapter 4: Enclosed Resources

• Enclosures - Packages which contain all the resources any of their subpackages will need are called "enclosures".

• List Literals - Each enclosure contains the literal lists needed by its functions.

• Text Literals - In this section we compile text constants.

• Text Substitutions - In this section we compile text with substitutions.

• Responses - In this section we keep track of response texts.

• Box Quotations - In this section we compile text constants.

• Relation Literals - In fact there is only one literal relation: the empty one, used as a default value.

• Stored Action Literals - Explicit actions stored in memory as literals.

• Version Number Literals - Explicit actions stored in memory as literals.

• Group Together - The "group together" phrase in the Standard Rules needs support functions, which are compiled within the user's enclosure.

• Looping Over Scope - To compile functions which implement conditions such as "in the presence of Mrs Dalloway".

Chapter 5: Provision Submodules

• Activities - To compile the activities submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _activity packages.

• Adjectives - To compile the adjectives submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _adjective, _adjective_phrase and _measurement packages.

• Chronology - To compile the chronology submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _past_condition and _action_history_condition packages.

• Conjugations - To compile the conjugations submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _verb, _modal_verb and _verb_form packages.

• Equations - To compile the equations submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _equation packages.

• Instances - To compile the instances submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _instance packages.

• Backdrop Instances - Some additions to an _instance package for instances of the kind "backdrop".

• Door Instances - Property values for two-sided doors to make them interconnect with the map at runtime.

• Region Instances - Some additions to an _instance package for instances of the kind "region".

• Scene Instances - Some additions to an _instance package for instances of the kind "backdrop".

• Multimedia - To compile the multimedia submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _external_file, _figure and _sound packages.

• Tables - To compile the tables submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _table packages containing _table_column_usage subpackages.

• Table Columns - To compile the table_columns submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _table_column packages.

• Dialogue Beat Instances - To compile any dialogue details in the instances submodule.

• Dialogue - To compile any dialogue details in the instances submodule.

• Dialogue Choice Instances - To compile any dialogue details in the instances submodule.

• Rules - To compile the rules submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _rule packages.

• Rulebooks - To compile the rulebooks submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _rulebook and _outcome packages.

• Variables - To compile the variables submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _variable packages.

• Properties - To compile the properties submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _property packages.

• Relations - To compile the relations submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _relation packages.

• Literal Patterns - Compiled code to print and parse values expressed as literals.

• Kind Constructors - Each kind constructor has an Inter package of resources.

• Kind IDs - To compile the equations submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _equation packages.

• Actions - To compile the actions submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _action packages.

• Named Action Patterns - To compile the named_action_patterns submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _named_action_pattern packages.

• Test Scripts - To compile the tests submodule for a compilation unit, which contains _test packages.

Chapter 6: Completion Resources

• Bibliographic Data - Recording bibliographic data, such as title and authorship, in Inter.

• The Player - Providing for the player and her initial situation, that is, at the start of play.

• The Map - The runtime representation of the spatial map for works of interactive fiction: that is, how the rooms and doors connect up.

• Property Permissions - Each property needs permission to be used, and here we emit the Inter statements necessary.

• Property Values - Compiling Inter property value instructions for the properties of instances and kinds.

• Action Bitmap Property - To compile tiny arrays as values of the action_bitmap property.

• Phrasebook Index - Compiling what amounts to the Phrasebook index into the Inter hierarchy.

• Mapping Hints - To transcribe mapping hints for the World Index into suitable packages.

• Inferences - To index inferences.

Chapter 7: Command Grammar

• Command Grammars - Runtime support for CGs.

• Command Grammar Lines - Compiling lines of command parser grammar.

• Command Grammar Tokens - Compiling single command parser tokens.

• Kind GPRs - General parsing routine (GPR) functions to match values of non-object kinds in the command parser.

• Noun Filter Tokens - General parsing routine (GPR) functions to match objects which fit some description, or have some scoping requirement.

• Name Properties - Small arrays of dictionary words which are values of the name property for objects.

• Parse Name Properties - Functions which are values of the parse_name property for objects.