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<HR><H2>Re: [COLD] Details in $places ($detail_frobs)?</H2>
<H3>daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Mon Aug 25 18:18:05 1997
)</H3>
<PRE>
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 16:15:47 -0600 (MDT)
From: Brandon Gillespie &lt;brandon@roguetrader.com&gt;
To: "Luther, Clay" &lt;clay@selsius.com&gt;
cc: "ColdStuff Mailing List (E-mail)" &lt;coldstuff@cold.org&gt;,
        "'mud@dante.selsius.com'" &lt;mud@dante.selsius.com&gt;
In-Reply-To: &lt;97D99B08E012D111A0CE00805F70754FB85C@RAPHAEL&gt;

On Mon, 25 Aug 1997, Luther, Clay wrote:
&gt; In my old MOO(s), I would extend $rooms (and $things) so that they could
&gt; include themselves in the description of a room.  These "details" added
&gt; much to the depth of the MOO, since a player could look at, even fiddle
&gt; with, something described in the room.

Some of this already exists, other aspects will be coming, as we add more
functionality to CML.

Currently, to create a detail you simply use the CML format tag {detail},
ala:

     There is a {detail name=table:The table is oaken.} against the wall.

Would look like:

     There is a table against the wall.

(with 'table' being marked as appropriate, for your content-type).  Typing
'look table' would return:

     The table is oaken.

As for including objects in the room, this will occur with an [embed]
generator (which is not currently implemented).  Essentially, you should
be able to embed anything from the object's contents, and by embeding it,
you also have the option of not having it showup in the standard contents
list.

Furthermore, the standard template of:

    The room
    The desc
    &lt;users&gt; are here.
    You see &lt;objects&gt; here.

Will become softcoded, all a part of the description.  For instance, the
default place description CML would be:

    {subj:[title]}
    {br}You see nothing special.
    {br}[english:[users]] are here.
    {br}You see [english:[non-users]] here.

(yes, I am just pulling the specific syntax out of the air--but it will be
similar to what I am showing). 

Also, you can currently integrate day/night and weather into a room.  For
instance, consider the description for the Courtyard, in the Cold Dark:

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    [switch value=[daynight]:  
      [case:day]
        Heavy stone walls overgrown with moss and ivy surround the
        courtyard. To the north and southeast are large castle gates open 
        to traffic Through the southern gate you can hear the bustle of a
        crowd gathered in the [weather] day. An inviting entrance is to
        the east, where marble columns surround two metal-bound oaken
        doors. On the western wall is a single door, nestled amoung the ivy.
      [case:night]
        The silence of this [weather] night is interrupted by\ 
        [switch value=[precipitation]:  
          [case:rain]
            the light tapping of raindrops beating steadily on the ground.
          [case:shower]
            the light roar of the rain.
          [default]
            an occasional servant.]
        \ Heavy stone walls overgrown with moss and ivy surround the
        courtyard. To the north and southeast are lighted castle gates,
        open to traffic.  An inviting entrance is to the east, where
        illuminated marble columns surround two metal-bound oaken doors.
        On the western wall a small light illuminates a single door,
        nestled amoung the ivy. ]
    [switch value=[precipitation]:  
      [case:rain]
        Rain lightly dances on the water of a running fountain in the
        center of the courtyard
      [case:shower]
        In the center of the courtyard is a fountain
      [default]
        A faint babble comes from a fountain in the center of the
        courtyard]
    \ with small islands of shrubbery and sculptures. Next to the fountain
    is a large sign.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------

We are still working on getting the unparser to be a little cleaner, but
this gives you an idea of the direction we are heading..

-Brandon Gillespie

</PRE>
