This is docs/programmers_guide.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.6 from docs/programmers_guide.texinfo. This manual is for MOZ (MOO in Oz) version 1.0. Copyright (C) 2003 Robin Lee Powell Permission is granted to distribute and modify as long as credit is given. See the file license.txt in the main MOZ distribution for full copyright information.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Top, Next: General Issues, Up: (dir) This is the Programmer's Guide for MOZ (Moo in OZ). MOO is Mud Object Oriented. MUD is Multi-User Dungeon or Dimension. In general, a MUD is a multi-user text-based virtual environment. For information on MUDs in general, see `http://www.godlike.com/muds/' or your local search engine. For information on MOOs, see `http://www.moo.mud.org/moo-faq/'. Oz is a multi-paradigmatic language that happens to not suck. See `http://www.mozart-oz.org/'. * Menu: * General Issues:: Some basic concepts you should be aware of to program in MOZ. * Class Creation:: How to create a new class, and what to populate it with. * Control Objects:: Every object that is created causes the creation of a control object so that the player can do arbitrary things to the object they just got. This section describes some details about control objects that a programmer needs to know. * Verbs:: Information about verbs and how to create them. Note that verbs work rather differently in MOZ: each verb defines how its arguments should be parsed. * Core Classes:: The internal classes from a progammer's point of view, including methods on each class. * Unsorted:: Point-form notes that haven't been fully fleshed out. * Command Index:: * Method Index::  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: General Issues, Next: Class Creation, Prev: Top, Up: Top General Issues ************** * Menu: * Introduction:: A very basic overview of MOZ programming. * Localized Strings:: About the string type MOZ uses, and how to generate them.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Introduction, Next: Localized Strings, Up: General Issues Introduction ============ ***UNFINISHED***  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Localized Strings, Prev: Introduction, Up: General Issues Localized Strings ================= To deal with MOZ's requirement to be able to output to users in multiple languages, a MOZ programmer should never use Oz strings for output at all. Instead a structure called a Localized String is used. This is a record, with a feature for each language (using whatever short code is defined in the Server object, such as `en' for English). Each feature holds a string that is the string that should be output for a user that uses that language. An example: string( en: "A sample string.\n" lb: ".i le mupli seltcidu\n" ) However, for output of strings from program code (as opposed to output of strings set by players directly, such as those stored in names and descriptions), you shouldn't enter these strings directly. Instead, you should first add the strings to the LanguageStrings object using the ***UNFINISHED*** command. The `tell' method on the Player object will treat any atom by itself as a key into the database on LanguageStrings, making it easy to use these strings in your code. The reason to do this is it makes it much easier for others to translate everything in the MOZ to a new language if everything is collected on one object and easily retrievable.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Class Creation, Next: Control Objects, Prev: General Issues, Up: Top Class Creation ************** **UNFINISHED** Here go some notes about what classes are and why you would want to create one. * Menu: * Class Creation Introduction:: An introduction to class creation issues. * Creating A Class File:: How to create a class file, as well as how to put text into it. * Required Attributes And Features:: The minimal set of attributes and features a class must have to play nicely with the rest of the MOZ. * Common Methods:: Methods that you'll likely want to define on any object.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Class Creation Introduction, Next: Creating A Class File, Up: Class Creation Class Creation Introduction =========================== **UNFINISHED** Stuff about why you'd want to create classes (especially since this is the fundamental thing that makes one a MOZ programmer), stuff about class items and how to use them to control classes.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Creating A Class File, Next: Required Attributes And Features, Prev: Class Creation Introduction, Up: Class Creation Creating A Class File ===================== - Variable: create class named `className' Use this command to create a class you can edit. Actually, it technically only creates an object of class ClassControl, which you then use to write and compile the class. - Variable: write class `className' Takes text until you enter "EOF" on a line by itself, and puts that text in the class file. You must have run `create class' for this to work. - Variable: compile class `className' Compiles a class written using `write class'. Note that if your class has certain types of bugs, this will hang. You will be able to continue your activity in the MOZ, though, and try again if you like.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Required Attributes And Features, Next: Common Methods, Prev: Creating A Class File, Up: Class Creation Required Attributes And Features ================================ **UNFINISHED** Test. Attributes ---------- NAME A localized string containing the object's name in the MOZ. STORAGEREF The storageRef attribute just holds an object reference record for the MOZ's central Storage object. _Every_ object in the MOZ needs to talk to Storage at some point. LANGUAGESTRINGSOBJECTREF Holds the global set of localized strings, which all system object should use. HASPROPERNAME A boolean declaring if the object's name is a proper name (like Alice or Bob) or a generic name (like couch or door or puppy). VERBS A place to store the list of input verbs that this class recognizes. Note that there are special methods to deal with this structure; it should not be touched directly. PUBLICMETHODS This is a list of methods we let _everybody_ see. In particular, this list is used to give basic capabilities to an object's location, and vice versa. The list is updated using ADDPUBLICMETHOD. SERVERREF The serverRef attribute just holds an object reference record for the MOZ's central Server object. Features -------- OZNAME The ozName feature; holds an Oz name value unique to the current object. EXPORTS The exports feature holds a list of 2-tuples detailing the attributes to be handled by toRecord and fromRecord. In other words, it lists all attributes that need to be saved to disk to preserve the state of a member of this class, so it is _very_ important to fill exports properly. The 2-tuples are the name of the attribute and its type. Most type atoms are ignored, but some must be specially handled (i.e. object references, which must be mediated by the Storage object). A minimal example: exports: [ storageRef#objectRef serverRef#objectRef languageStringsObjectRef#objectRef hasProperName#bool name#string ] A more complicated example, with multiple inheritance: exports: {Append {Record.toListInd {Adjoin {List.toRecord exports Location.exports} {List.toRecord exports Mobile.exports} } } % Our local exports [ language#atom outputPort#notPersistent ] } FEATEXPORTS featExports is just like exports, except for features instead of attributes. A minimal example: featExports: [ ozName#name capabilityDict#dict ] METHODLIST The methodList feature just holds a list of the names of the methods that the wrapper should make capabilities for, i.e. the externally available methods. Note that UPGRADE should not be here, because it's handled specially. A minimal example: methodList: [ init start stop ozName className toRecord fromRecord revoke hasProperName getName setName deLocalize getVerbs addVerb ] A more complicated example, with multiple inheritance: methodList: {Append {Merge {Sort Location.methodList Value.'>'} {Sort Mobile.methodList Value.'>'} Value.'>' } % Our local methods. [ tell setLanguage getLanguage sayVerb setStorage reloadVerb languagesVerb languageVerb helpVerb ] } CLASSNAME The class name, stored as an atom: className: 'MozBase' CAPABILITYDICT The capability dictionary for this object. WRAPPER The active object wrapper procedure for this object.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Common Methods, Prev: Required Attributes And Features, Up: Class Creation Common Methods ============== `start' The start method is run everytime a new object is created, which includes when it is first loaded into the MOZ or upgraded, as well as at other times in some cases. The start method is normally either passed the boolean ISFORUPGRADE feature if the start is being run during an upgrade (which can require special processing) or nothing at all. `stop' The stop method works like the start method in all respects except that it is run before the object is shut down or upgraded.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Control Objects, Next: Verbs, Prev: Class Creation, Up: Top Control Objects *************** Every object that is created causes the creation of a control object so that the player can do arbitrary things to the object they just got. This section describes some details about control objects that a programmer needs to know. Control objects are of class Control, which is a child of class Mobile. * Menu: * Control Verbs:: Control objects have their own special verb set.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Control Verbs, Up: Control Objects Control Verbs ============= Control objects don't use the normal verbs of their class, because they need to provide functionality base on the class they are controlling. However, we don't want every verb available on the base object to be available on the control object (you can't go through a control object for an exit, for example) and more importantly, the verbs availble on the control object _must_ not be available on the controlled object (we don't want to let just anybody link an exit, for example). So, here's how you extend the control functionality of control objects made for a class you've created. It's actually fairly simple. First, create the verbs as normal, but instead of using `addVerb', use `addControlVerb'. Second, and this is _very_ important, make sure that the verb methods for control verbs are _not_ public. Thirdly, instead of using `self' when referring to the object being controlled, use `@controlled'.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Verbs, Next: Core Classes, Prev: Control Objects, Up: Top Verbs ***** * Menu: * Verb Methods:: Methods that do the actual processing for verb calls have a special list of default arguments, and return a special result record. * Verb Record Structure:: A description of how verb parsing records are structured. Methods that do the processing for a verb call have special default arguments that are sent to them, as well as needing to return a specialized result value.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Verb Methods, Next: Verb Record Structure, Up: Verbs Verb Methods ============ Verb Methods Are Always Public ------------------------------ Except for the special case noted in *Note Control Verbs::, methods used for a verb must always be publicly accessible, or they won't be usable. This just means adding a call like this to the `init' method on the class: {self addPublicMethod( method: myVerb ) } Verb Method Default Arguments ----------------------------- `caller' The objectRef for the calling object. `player' The objectRef for the player object. `language' The language of the verb itself, for when the player is able to run verbs in multiple languages (i.e. help has language en, sidju has language lb). `result' The result of the verb, a record that indicatats success or failure of the method, among other things. It is described thoroughly in the next section. If the result is not set, success is assumed. `force' If FORCE is set to true, no checking should be done to see if the current object is the one the verb call was intended for: it is assume that this object is, in fact, the correct choice. Such checking would be things like name and alias matched, for example. Verb Method Result Records -------------------------- The RESULT argument gets filled with a with a record similar to the pseudo-code one below: result( status: success|failure|other -- default success certainty: float from 0.0 through 1.0 -- default 1.0 comments: -- default nil, only relevant to failures ) There are a couple of problems that this structure is intended to address. The first is that we want the option of delivering a specialized failure message from whichever object and method knows best what the problem was if things didn't work. The difficulty there is that many failure will be from objects that really are *not* the one the verb call was intended for, so we don't want to return their errors to the user. The second problem is that on object might honestly not be sure if a verb call, that would in fact be successful, is meant for itself. For example, if an alias is used, or the name matches but only in a case-insensitive fashion, those matches should introduce some doubt as to whether the object in question is really the one the verb call was intended for. The solution to these is the CERTAINTY field. The CERTAINTY field is a number from zero (0) to one (1), inclusive, which indicates how certain the verb method is that it was the intended target for the original verb call. In the case of target uncertainty, the STATUS should be 'other'. The CERTAINTY field is ignored if the STATUS is success. If no STATUS field was set to success out of a group of verb method checks, the result records are sorted by CERTAINTY. The highest non-zero value whose STATUS is *not* failure is called again with the FORCE argument set to true. This selects, out of the methods that weren't sure they was being talked to, the method that was _most_ sure it was the intended target. Verb methods should skip all CERTAINTY checks when FORCE is set to true. If there are only failures, the failure with the highest CERTAINTY has its COMMENTS field de-localized and sent to the player to help them figure out what happened. Note that non-verb methods often also have `result' arguments. If so, they will often not return a CERTAINTY feature as part of their result record, because that sort of thing is the verb method's job to determine.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Verb Record Structure, Prev: Verb Methods, Up: Verbs Verb Record Structure ===================== Please note that this first section is largely not something you need to use: the `addVerb' method allows you to avoid most of the technical details. The section on Parse Records, on the other hand, is quite important. Verb records are used to associate particular types of user input with methods on objects. This means that when you type "list languages", a verb record somewhere (on your Player object, in fact) is used to compare against that to find out what method to call (in this case, the 'languagesVerb' method). Verb records are stored in the `verbs' attribute. The `verbs' record has features for each language that the object has verbs on, like so: verb: allVerbs( en: lb: ) The label of the record, in this case allVerbs, is irrelevant, as are the labels of all records in this section, unless specificially mentioned otherwise. The verb records themselves contain one feature for each verb word (that is, the first word of input) that the object wants to accept, like so: en: verbs( help: languages: ) Each actual verb record contains the language the verb was called in(1), and the parsing structure: help: help( language: en parses: [ helpVerbParseName( method: helpVerb endOfInput: nil ) ] ) The parses feature and its list are both complicated and unusual, and are discussed in the next section. Parse Records ------------- The parses list is something that is very unusual for a MUD: it allows each verb to define how its arguments are parsed, and in fact requires that each verb do so. Normally, a MUD understand some basic linguistic structures of one language, and attempts to shoe-horn whatever the player says into what it understands. For example, it might understand the English concepts of subject, preposition, and object, and will attempt to understand all input in those terms. MOZ, on the other hand, allows each verb in each language to define how it wishes its input to be broken up. It attempts to do this in a way that requires as little programming knowledge as possible, but it's still not exactly simple. The `parses' feature is, in fact, a list of records. This is used so that one verb word can access different methods, depending on how the rest of the line is parsed. _Important_: the label of the individual parse records, such as helpVerbParseName above, _must_ be unique within the verb in question on whatever object the parse record is being added, as addVerb uses that label to decide what to override when you update the verb. The record structure for the records inside the `parses' list is as follows: the `method' feature contains the name of the method, whatever feature is left after that feature is removed (there should be only one) is used as the first parsing directive. In this example: help: verb( language: en parses: [ playerHelpVerb( method: helpVerb endOfInput: nil ) ] ) the first, and only, parsing directive is endOfInput, which sees if the end of the user input has been reached(2). This means that nothing, other than whitespace, can follow the verb word "help" for this parsing structure to match. On the other hand, we have: list: verb( language: en parses: [ playerListLanguagesVerb( method: languagesVerb matchWord: matchWord( word: "languages" rest: rest( endOfInput: nil ) ) ) playerListHelpVerb( method: helpVerb matchWord: matchWord( word: "help" rest: rest( endOfInput: nil ) ) ) ] ) which matches either the word languages, then end of input, _or_ the word help followed by end of input. In the two cases, different verbs are called. In some cases, there will be parse records inside a parse directive; in this case, `matchWord' has a feature, `rest', which is used to match everything after whatever word matchWord is being used to match. These parse sub-records work just like the general parse records described here, except they _cannot_ be lists, the must be single records, and they should not include a `method' feature. Parsing Directives .................. Directive Name Arguments Effect endOfInput nil Matches end of character input. string any 1 atom Bind the longest string (i.e. series of space-seperated words) it can find to the atom passed to it, which is passed to the verb's method. A word is a list of anything that `Char.isGraph' returns true for. Because of this, `string' pretty much always matches the entire rest of the line. So, for example, "string: inputString" will pass the argument `inputString' to the verb's method containing the rest of the line. stringUntil `until' Fills `string' with words until it reaches `string' a word that matches the word (or _list_ of `rest' words) stored in `until'. matchWord `word' `rest' The `word' argument should contain a string with the word that needs to be matched in the input. `rest' contains a full parse tree. getWord `word' `rest' The `word' is filled with the next word in the input. `rest' contains a full parse tree. plus `first' This is the choice operator. Evaluates `second' `first' as a full parse tree. If the parsing of `first' succeeds, returns that. Otherwise, tries to parse with `second', returning that if succesful. Otherwise fails. multiMatchWord `words' Attempts to match anything from the list `wordFound' of strings in `words'. Whichever word is `rest' actually matched is given to the method in the atom named by `wordFound'. `rest' is the parse tree for everything after that word. article `wordFound' Same as multiMatchWord with `words' set to `rest' the contents of the `articles' attribute on the Parser object. mayHaveArticle `wordFound' Same as article, but accepts strings that `rest' _don't_ start with an article as well. bracket `left' Matches anything entirely inside the `right' `rest' brackets defined by `left' and `right'. Works if both `left' and `right' are words or if both are single characters, but not for a mix of the two. Note that it does not deal with nesting in any real way, and will only succeed if the first word or character in that part of the parse matches `left' and the last matches `right', regardless of what's in the middle. ---------- Footnotes ---------- (1) Yes, this is redundant, but there are parts of the internal code that only get to see the verb record, not the entire `verbs' structure (2) this is equivalent to the end of the line entered by the user at this time  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Core Classes, Next: Unsorted, Prev: Verbs, Up: Top Core Classes ************ * Menu: * Core Methods:: Information about the methods on the various major classes.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Core Methods, Up: Core Classes Core Methods ============ This is a list of methods on the core classes, for use in your programs. If it's not listed here, that's probably because the documentation is out of date, not for security reasons or anything; MOZ is a capablitiy-based system, if you want to shoot yourself in the foot, that's fine. Please inform the author of all missing entries. Note that this is a _very_ brief treatment of the various methods; details should be gleaned from the source code. Note further that verb methods are not listed here, because they cannot be called directly, and they can be deduced from the list of commands anyways. * Menu: * MozBase Methods:: * Storage Methods:: * Server Methods:: * Connection Methods:: * LanguageStrings Methods:: * Parser Methods:: * Described Methods:: * Located Methods:: * Mobile Methods:: * Location Methods:: * Container Methods:: * Player Methods:: * Exit Methods:: * Gate Methods:: * Terminus Methods:: * Control Methods:: * ClassControl Methods::  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: MozBase Methods, Next: Storage Methods, Up: Core Methods MozBase Methods --------------- - Method on MozBase: init ozName storageRef serverRef languageStringsObjectRef Initializes the attributes STORAGEREF, SERVERREF and LANGUAGESTRINGSOBJECTREF and the feature OZNAME to the values passed. - Method on MozBase: start None Does nothing; here to be over-ridden in other classes. - Method on MozBase: stop None Does nothing; here to be over-ridden in other classes. - Method on MozBase: ozName ozName Returns the Oz Name associated with the current object in the passed variable. Would normally be named getOzName, but this method is used very frequently, and the value can't be changed so there would be no corresponding setOzName anyways. - Method on MozBase: className className Returns the Oz Name associated with the current object in the passed variable. Would normally be named getClassName, but this method is used very frequently, and the value shouldn't be changed so there would be no corresponding setClassName anyways. - Method on MozBase: toRecord record toRecord is a very important method that runs through the elements of the exports feature and constructs a record using the information therein. This record can be pickled, saved to disk, and later loaded in with fromRecord. - Method on MozBase: fromRecord record convert objectRef fromRecord is the inverse operation to toRecord. It takes the output of toRecord and sets attributes appropriately. Note that this is a pure procedure: it is only called for its side effects. CONVERT is the procedure to convert stored attributes of type OBJECTREF into something useful, gotten from the STORAGE object. OBJECTREF is used to return an object reference to the newly initialized object, with all capabilities. - Method on MozBase: revoke method capability newCapability Revokes the current capability on the given method, assuming that the argument CAPABILITY matches it. The new capability on that method is returned in NEWCAPABILITY. - Method on MozBase: hasProperName hasProperName Returns a boolean declaring if the object's name is a proper name (like Alice or Bob) or a generic name (like couch or door or puppy). - Method on MozBase: setHasProperName hasProperName Sets the `hasProperName' to true or false. - Method on MozBase: addVerb language verb parse Adds a verb to the objects verbs record, dealing with things like over-writing the same verb parse, dealing with multiple parses of the same verb, and the fact that the whole verb record system is very baroque. LANGUAGE The language the verb applies in. VERB The verb word itself ("help", "look", whatever). PARSE The parse record to add. Note that this record will over-ride any other parse record for the same verb with the same label, so it's important that it be reasonably unique. - Method on MozBase: getName name Standard variable get. - Method on MozBase: getArticledName name Returns the object's name with the appropriate article in front of it. - Method on MozBase: getArticledStarterName name Like getArticledName, but adjusts for the article being the first word of a sentence if a language requires that. - Method on MozBase: setName name Standard variable set. - Method on MozBase: getVerbs verbs Standard variable get. - Method on MozBase: deLocalize inputString outputString language Returns a bare string from a localized string, based on a language argument. Arguments: INPUTSTRING The string to be de-localized, in string( lang: ) format as usual. OUTPUTSTRING A normal Oz string. LANGUAGE Optional, the language to de-localize into. - Method on MozBase: selfMatch string certainty language The object returns a certainty, as a value from 0 to 1, that it is the object being referred to by the string in question. The string should be localized. Possible Certainty Values: 1.0 A perfect string match, including case. 0.9 Matches only after converting both strings to lower case (i.e. a caseless match). - Method on MozBase: addPublicMethod method Adds the given atom to the list of public methods for this object (i.e. methods for which capabilities are given out freely). - Method on MozBase: enhanceStorage storageRef Adds the capabilities on the given STORAGEREF to the object's current capability set for the Storage object. - Method on MozBase: selfReference selfRef Returns a complete reference for the current object, including all capabilities. _Very insecure!_ - Method on MozBase: publicSelfReference selfRef Returns a complete reference for the current object, with capabilities for only the methods in publicMethods. - Method on MozBase: printedList stringList string Takes the list of strings in `stringList' and concatenates them together as might be expected in a natural language string (i.e. in English, using commas and "and"). - Method on MozBase: printedObjectList objectList string Like printedList, but the list is a list of object references, from which names are extracted.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Storage Methods, Next: Server Methods, Prev: MozBase Methods, Up: Core Methods Storage Methods --------------- - Method on Storage: start args modules serverObjFileNum realStart newMoz Extracts command line arguments from ARGS, sets up links to external Oz modules, and if SERVEROBJFILENUM is passed, set the internal file number where the Server object is known to reside to that number. This only happens when the MOZ is being re-initialized. NEWMOZ is used to tell the method that this is the initialization of a completely new moz. - Method on Storage: sync None Syncs all MOZ objects to disk. - Method on Storage: stop None Saves all MOZ objects to disk. - Method on Storage: info None Outputs debugging information; currently all commented out. - Method on Storage: init ozName fileNumToOzName storageRef languageStringsObjectRef Initializes a new Storage object, mostly using MozBase,init. FILENUMTOOZNAME is a dictionary that normally only contains a mapping from the number 1 to the new Storage object's Oz name. Initializes some other dictionaries. - Method on Storage: loadClasses None Compiles and loads all the MOZ's .class files. - Method on Storage: loadObject fileNum objectRef init This method loads an object from the disk by its number (using the fileNumToOzName dictionary). It returns the object record in OBJECTREF. - Method on Storage: saveObject objectWrapper ozName This method saves the object information to disk. Note that OBJECTWRAPPER is just the Active Object wrapper, _not_ the standard object reference object. - Method on Storage: createObject className objectRef ozName init Creates an object, returning a standard object reference in OBJECTREF. - Method on Storage: getClass className class Returns the class code for the given CLASSNAME - Method on Storage: upgradeObject objectRef className newObjectRef Upgrades the given object to the given class, returning NEWOBJECTREF. Note that this could be the same class name as before, but the class itself has been re-loaded in the mean time. In fact, that should be the most common type of upgrade. - Method on Storage: getObjectFileNum objectRef fileNum Take an object reference record and returns the file number associated with that object reference. Not for general use! - Method on Storage: getServerObjFileNum serverObjFileNum Returns the file number for the Server object. Not for general use! - Method on Storage: setServerObjFileNum serverObjFileNum Sets the file number for the Server object. Not for general use! - Method on Storage: getObjectFromFileNum fileNum objectRef Retrieves an object given the file number it is stored in. Not for general use! - Method on Storage: objectRefFromRecord convert This is the procedure that fromRecord needs to instantiate attrs of type 'object'. Full details are in the source. This is so far from being for general use that it's not even funny. - Method on Storage: logLevel level Set the current logging level to LEVEL. Logging levels are, in order from most to least verbose, DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR, and CRITICAL. The default is warn. For whatever level is selected, that level of log message and above (above meaning "less verbose" or "more severe") are printed. - Method on Storage: getConnectionModule module Returns a copy of the Connection module. That's the Oz Connection module, _NOT_ the MOZ Connection _class_. Used by the Gate and Terminus classes. - Method on Storage: getPickleResult url pickleResult Treats `url' as the URL to a file containing an Oz pickle, and returns the result of attempting to un-pickle that file. Used by the Gate class. - Method on Storage: writePickleToFile file value Writes the given value, as an Oz pickle, to the file given. The file is stripped of "/" and "\" characters, and placed under the "pickle" directory under the server's root directory. - Method on Storage: getCapabilitiesFromOzName ozName capabilities Returns a full set of capabilities for the object associated with the OZNAME given. - Method on Storage: getObjectFromOzName ozName objectRef Returns an object refrence, including a full set of capabilities, for the object associated with the OZNAME given. - Method on Storage: getObjectFromFileNum fileNum objectRef Returns an object refrence, including a full set of capabilities, for the object associated with the file number given. Please don't use this. - Method on Storage: upgradeObject objectRef className Forces an upgrade of the object in question. - Method on Storage: upgradeAll done Upgrades *all* objects in the MOZ. Well, OK, all the ones Storage knows about (which is everything but special user-created stuff, for which you're on your own). - Method on Storage: createClass className controlRef result Creates a ClassControl object for the given `className', after checking that no such class already exists, and returns a reference to the new object in `controlRef'. - Method on Storage: writeClassFile className string result Writes the class file associated with the given `className' using the `string' given as the _entire_ text of the class file. - Method on Storage: loadClass className Recompiles the class named `className'. Not that the actual compilation is threaded off.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Server Methods, Next: Connection Methods, Prev: Storage Methods, Up: Core Methods Server Methods -------------- - Method on Server: init ozName storageRef languageStringsObjectRef storageObjectRef startRoom As per usual, except for STORAGEOBJECTREF, which passes extra, better capabilities to the Server object, and STARTROOM, which passes and object reference to the player starting room. - Method on Server: start args modules hold REALSTART As with Storage, except HOLD, which returns a variable that remains unbound until the server is shut down. REALSTART is used to say that this is the real start call, rather then the normal one that happens when the object is created. - Method on Server: stop Stops the server; also binds HOLD from the `start' method. - Method on Server: handleLogin acceptObject playerRef outputPort acceptProc Deals with a user's attempt to log in, including creating new player objects if necessary. More details in the source. - Method on Server: upgradeStorage newClass convert Storage calls this to get the server to upgrade it during an UPGRADEALL call. No user servicable parts inside. - Method on Server: changePassword player oldPassword newPassword If the stored password for the login name PLAYER matches OLDPASSWORD, changes it to NEWPASSWORD.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Connection Methods, Next: LanguageStrings Methods, Prev: Server Methods, Up: Core Methods Connection Methods ------------------ - Method on Connection: start socket storageRef modules parser outputStream Handles the connection, reading from the TCP/IP port and passing to the parser, and then back.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: LanguageStrings Methods, Next: Parser Methods, Prev: Connection Methods, Up: Core Methods LanguageStrings Methods ----------------------- - Method on LanguageStrings: init ozName storageRef Nothing unusual here. - Method on LanguageStrings: getLanguageString key string Simple dictionary lookup on the LANGUAGESTRINGS dictionary. If the KEY passed as an argument does not exist, a blank, globally localized string is returned. )" - Method on LanguageStrings: setLanguageString key string Dictionary write on the LANGUAGESTRINGS dictionary. Any languages not covered by the STRING argument are left as they were. - Method on LanguageStrings: resetLanguageStrings Reloads all of the default language strings. Note that if new languages have been added, they will not be overwritten; only the languages that ship with the server by default will be, and only in the original strings; no newly added strings will be affected.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Parser Methods, Next: Described Methods, Prev: LanguageStrings Methods, Up: Core Methods Parser Methods -------------- - Method on Parser: start storageRef modules outputPort serverStop player languageStringsObjectRef Starts a new parser objcet. OUTPUTPORT is the Socket object that is used for sending output to the player. PLAYER is an object reference to the player object. - Method on Parser: parseOutVerb string result Just extracts the first word from the input string, which is then treated as the verb word. - Method on Parser: parse input First tests to see if the first character, by itself, is a verb, using matchVerbs, then tries the whole first word, again using matchVerbs. If that fails, complains to the character. - Method on Parser: runVerb verb rest result Attempts to match the input verb against any verb it can get its hands on, starting with the player object, then the player's contents, then the player's room, then everybody in the room. This method does _not_ implement the verb record parsing strategy; it calls verbParseRest for that. VERB contains the verb word, REST contains the rest of the input, and MATCHED is set to true if a match was found. - Method on Parser: verbParseRest verbParse rest verbMethod language result Implements parsing of verb records. Takes the parse segment of a verb record, and returns a record named after the verb word with the various arg1:, arg2: ... elements in it, filled according to the parse record. VERBPARSE The parse record for the verb. LANGUAGE The language of the verb match we're working against. RESULT The results of the parse, as a record named after the verb word with features named according to the parse record. - Method on Parser: eval input Evaluates the input as a piece of Oz code. (1) ---------- Footnotes ---------- (1) Currently isn't implemented as a verb; this needs to be fixed.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Described Methods, Next: Located Methods, Prev: Parser Methods, Up: Core Methods Described Methods ----------------- - Method on Described: init ozName storageRef name description Adds name and description attributes to the standard init. - Method on Described: getDescription description Standard variable get. - Method on Described: setDescription description Standard variable set. - Method on Described: deLocalize inputString outputString language Returns a bare string from a localized string, based on a language argument, using the MozBase version of the same methed but passing a value for the Server class. The Server information allows using the Server's default language value as a fallback.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Located Methods, Next: Mobile Methods, Prev: Described Methods, Up: Core Methods Located Methods --------------- - Method on Located: init location Adds location to Described's list. - Method on Located: getLocation location Standard variable get.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Mobile Methods, Next: Location Methods, Prev: Located Methods, Up: Core Methods Mobile Methods -------------- - Method on Mobile: setLocation location Standard variable set.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Location Methods, Next: Container Methods, Prev: Mobile Methods, Up: Core Methods Location Methods ---------------- - Method on Location: init contents Adds contents information to Described's list. - Method on Location: addToContents objectRef Adds the given object to the current CONTENTS list. - Method on Location: getContents contents Standard variable get. - Method on Location: getContentsString string Returns a string that contains a list of the names of all the objects in the object's CONTENTS list. - Method on Location: removeFromContents objectRef Removes the given object from the current CONTENTS list. - Method on Location: wantToGet newLocation origRecord newRecord This is called by other objects who desire to get one of the objects from our CONTENTS list. *Note GET on Location: location-get. ORIGRECORD is a minimal object reference to the object that NEWLOCATION wants. - Method on Location: wantToGive oldLocation objectRef result This is called by other objects who desire to give us one of the objects from their CONTENTS list. *Note GIVE on Location: location-give. RESULT is set to true if we accept the object, false otherwise. - Method on Location: searchByObjectName name except objectRef result language Returns the object in our contents best matching the given name, else returns a standard result in `result'. `except' is used to exclude the calling object from the searching, as this will cause a hang. - Method on Location: announce string except This is called by other objects who desire to have a string presented to the tell methods of all objects in this location (at least, those _with_ tell methods). The `except' argument takes an object reference and causes the string to _not_ be presented to that object. This is very important, because if you call announce and the object making the announce call has a tell method, the announce will hand trying to re-enter that object. So, always put the object calling announce in the `except' argument! - Method on Location: get fromLocation objectRef Gets an object from another object, which must be a descendant of location. First we call getFrom on the from location, then put the object that that call returns into our contents list. Note that OBJECTREF is limited reference to the object we want to _get_. *Note WANTTOGET on Location: location-wantToGet. - Method on Location: give toLocation objectRef Gives an object to another object, which must be a descendant of location. First we call wantToGive on the from location, then remove the object that we give to that call from our contents list if the call returns true. *Note WANTTOGIVE on Location: location-wantToGive.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Container Methods, Next: Player Methods, Prev: Location Methods, Up: Core Methods Container Methods ----------------- - Method on Container: init Merges the INITs of Location and Thing; Location's INIT is run first.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Player Methods, Next: Exit Methods, Prev: Container Methods, Up: Core Methods Player Methods -------------- - Method on Player: init Runs the INIT methods for Location and Mobile (in that order). Sets LANGUAGE and OUTPUTPORT to nil. - Method on Player: start modules outputPort realStart Sets the OUTPUTPORT object variable. REALSTART is used to say that this is the real start call, rather then the normal one that happens when the object is created. - Method on Player: stop Nothing special here, except during upgrades. - Method on Player: setStorage storage Just used to set the storage attribute with a new capability set. Used for wizardry and dewizardry and the like. - Method on Player: tell string language Sends a string to the user. The string can either be a single string or a list of strings. Any individual string can be either a localized MOZ string or a single atom. If it is an atom, that atom is looked up on the LanguageStrings object and the result is output. - Method on Player: setLanguage language Standard variable set. - Method on Player: getLanguage language Standard variable get. - Method on Player: setStorage storageRef Standard variable set, for storageRef. - Method on Player: grabInputUntil untilString inputString result Takes all input entered by the player until the player types the string passed in `untilString'. The input is returned in `inputString'. `result' is as per usual. This method can only be called once every thirty seconds, to prevent malicious code from not letting the player interact with the rest of the MOZ. Further attempts to call this method will return a failure result instantly.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Exit Methods, Next: Gate Methods, Prev: Player Methods, Up: Core Methods Exit Methods ------------ - Method on Exit: setDestination destination Sets the destination for this exit to the object given. - Method on Exit: setName name Sets the exit's name. Also creates verbs corresponding to the new name, so the player can use the exit.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Gate Methods, Next: Terminus Methods, Prev: Exit Methods, Up: Core Methods Gate Methods ------------ - Method on Gate: setDestination destination Sets the destination for this exit to the object referenced by the pickle stored at given url.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Terminus Methods, Next: Control Methods, Prev: Gate Methods, Up: Core Methods Terminus Methods ---------------- - Method on Terminus: getTicket ticket Uses the Connection module to return a ticket to itself. - Method on Terminus: writeTicket file Uses the `writePickleToFile' method on Storage to write a ticket for a reference to itself to the file given (which will be physically stored in the "pickle" directory under the server root directory).  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Control Methods, Next: ClassControl Methods, Prev: Terminus Methods, Up: Core Methods Control Methods --------------- - Method on Control: getName name Generates a name based on the name of the underlying controlled object. For example, if the controlled object is named "Dead Parrot", this method will return "Control Rod For a Dead Parrot". Also updates the Control object's `name' attribute. - Method on Control: selfMatch Makes sure that its name is set properly, based on the current name of the controlled object, then runs the normal `selfMatch' method. - Method on Control: otherwise The `otherwise' method is priviledged in Oz: it is called for any method call that doesn't match anything else. It is used here to handle the extensibility of Control verbs and methods based on the underlying controlled object's class. - Method on Control: getMethodList methodList Returns the combined methods of the Control object and the controlled object. - Method on Control: getVerbs verbs Returns getControlVerbs on the underlying object. - Method on Control: start Generates a perfect object reference on the controlled object (i.e. one that can never lose capabilities) using a special capability set from Storage, and sets its `name'. - Method on Control: publicSelfReference Calls selfReference: with Control objects, possession is ten tenths of the law.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: ClassControl Methods, Prev: Control Methods, Up: Core Methods ClassControl Methods -------------------- - Method on ControlClass: getName name Generates a name based on the name of the underlying controlled class. Also updates the Control object's `name' attribute. - Method on ControlClass: selfMatch Makes sure that its name is set properly, based on the current name of the controlled object, then runs the normal `selfMatch' method.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Unsorted, Next: Command Index, Prev: Core Classes, Up: Top Unsorted ******** * Provided imformation on how to upgrade a class of objects, including the case where there are new init() attributes on the new class, thus requiring an upgrade then a seperate set-method call of some kind, probably to a temporary set-method. * Add objectName or whatever to the verb record info. * Example verb creation, including the method. * Examples of 'fun' objects (meep, wind-up ducky, tame falcon). * Some documentation on Parsing.oz, or a pointer to it * Put a list of articles somewhere. * Document the standard arguments to verb methods. * Note somewhere that an init method should always be able to accept nothing but "ozName" and "storageRef", because upgrades will pass only those (and fill them with nil, expecting fromRecord to fix them). * Write out how to format a Result field in a verb method. * Describe all the different export and featExport types (or, rather, copy this info from the design doc).  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Command Index, Next: Method Index, Prev: Unsorted, Up: Top Command Index ************* * Menu: * compile class: Creating A Class File. * create class: Creating A Class File. * write class: Creating A Class File.  File: programmers_guide.info, Node: Method Index, Prev: Command Index, Up: Top Method Index ************ * Menu: * addPublicMethod on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * addToContents on Location: Location Methods. * addVerb on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * announce on Location: Location Methods. * changePassword on Server: Server Methods. * className on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * createClass on Storage: Storage Methods. * createObject on Storage: Storage Methods. * deLocalize on Described: Described Methods. * deLocalize on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * enhanceStorage on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * eval on Parser: Parser Methods. * fromRecord on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * get on Location: Location Methods. * getArticledName on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * getArticledStarterName on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * getCapabilitiesFromOzName on Storage: Storage Methods. * getClass on Storage: Storage Methods. * getConnectionModule on Storage: Storage Methods. * getContents on Location: Location Methods. * getContentsString on Location: Location Methods. * getDescription on Described: Described Methods. * getLanguage on Player: Player Methods. * getLanguageString on LanguageStrings: LanguageStrings Methods. * getLocation on Located: Located Methods. * getMethodList on Control: Control Methods. * getName on Control: Control Methods. * getName on ControlClass: ClassControl Methods. * getName on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * getObjectFileNum on Storage: Storage Methods. * getObjectFromFileNum on Storage: Storage Methods. * getObjectFromOzName on Storage: Storage Methods. * getPickleResult on Storage: Storage Methods. * getServerObjFileNum on Storage: Storage Methods. * getTicket on Terminus: Terminus Methods. * getVerbs on Control: Control Methods. * getVerbs on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * give on Location: Location Methods. * grabInputUntil on Player: Player Methods. * handleLogin on Server: Server Methods. * hasProperName on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * info on Storage: Storage Methods. * init on Container: Container Methods. * init on Described: Described Methods. * init on LanguageStrings: LanguageStrings Methods. * init on Located: Located Methods. * init on Location: Location Methods. * init on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * init on Player: Player Methods. * init on Server: Server Methods. * init on Storage: Storage Methods. * loadClass on Storage: Storage Methods. * loadClasses on Storage: Storage Methods. * loadObject on Storage: Storage Methods. * logLevel on Storage: Storage Methods. * objectRefFromRecord on Storage: Storage Methods. * otherwise on Control: Control Methods. * ozName on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * parse on Parser: Parser Methods. * parseOutVerb on Parser: Parser Methods. * printedList on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * printedObjectList on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * publicSelfReference on Control: Control Methods. * publicSelfReference on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * removeFromContents on Location: Location Methods. * resetLanguageStrings on LanguageStrings: LanguageStrings Methods. * revoke on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * runVerb on Parser: Parser Methods. * saveObject on Storage: Storage Methods. * searchByObjectName on Location: Location Methods. * selfMatch on Control: Control Methods. * selfMatch on ControlClass: ClassControl Methods. * selfMatch on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * selfReference on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * setDescription on Described: Described Methods. * setDestination on Exit: Exit Methods. * setDestination on Gate: Gate Methods. * setHasProperName on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * setLanguage on Player: Player Methods. * setLanguageString on LanguageStrings: LanguageStrings Methods. * setLocation on Mobile: Mobile Methods. * setName on Exit: Exit Methods. * setName on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * setServerObjFileNum on Storage: Storage Methods. * setStorage on Player: Player Methods. * start on Connection: Connection Methods. * start on Control: Control Methods. * start on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * start on Parser: Parser Methods. * start on Player: Player Methods. * start on Server: Server Methods. * start on Storage: Storage Methods. * stop on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * stop on Player: Player Methods. * stop on Server: Server Methods. * stop on Storage: Storage Methods. * sync on Storage: Storage Methods. * tell on Player: Player Methods. * toRecord on MozBase: MozBase Methods. * upgradeAll on Storage: Storage Methods. * upgradeObject on Storage: Storage Methods. * upgradeStorage on Server: Server Methods. * verbParseRest on Parser: Parser Methods. * wantToGet on Location: Location Methods. * wantToGive on Location: Location Methods. * writeClassFile on Storage: Storage Methods. * writePickleToFile on Storage: Storage Methods. * writeTicket on Terminus: Terminus Methods.  Tag Table: Node: Top378 Node: General Issues1744 Node: Introduction2028 Node: Localized Strings2173 Node: Class Creation3525 Node: Class Creation Introduction4181 Node: Creating A Class File4564 Node: Required Attributes And Features5463 Node: Common Methods9522 Node: Control Objects10198 Node: Control Verbs10723 Node: Verbs11760 Node: Verb Methods12292 Node: Verb Record Structure15953 Ref: Verb Record Structure-Footnote-124109 Ref: Verb Record Structure-Footnote-224253 Node: Core Classes24336 Node: Core Methods24548 Node: MozBase Methods25618 Node: Storage Methods31164 Node: Server Methods36856 Node: Connection Methods38289 Node: LanguageStrings Methods38654 Node: Parser Methods39681 Ref: Parser Methods-Footnote-141727 Node: Described Methods41798 Node: Located Methods42590 Node: Mobile Methods42896 Node: Location Methods43121 Ref: location-wantToGet43824 Ref: location-wantToGive44122 Ref: location-get45325 Ref: location-give45723 Node: Container Methods46076 Node: Player Methods46348 Node: Exit Methods48176 Node: Gate Methods48575 Node: Terminus Methods48872 Node: Control Methods49394 Node: ClassControl Methods50902 Node: Unsorted51406 Node: Command Index52526 Node: Method Index52859  End Tag Table