shawn rider dot com

These are the bookmarks I created on June 23rd, 2008:

• yWriter4 - word processor for authors - Looks like the closest thing to Scrivener available for Mac. I’d still prefer a cross-platform compatible software, but this will do for now, I think…
• celtx - Integrated Media Pre-Production - A tool that looks quite handy for handling various types of pre-production work, including writing.
• is.gd URL Shortener - The Shortest URLs Around - Another URL shortening website.

Inform 7 has been released, and I got a minute to play with it last night. In that minute, I managed to build a four-room Interactive Fiction (IF) very easily. I am amazed at how smooth and easy this system is to use. I have played with TADS some before, and it was not nearly as intuitive or slick.

The whole programming language for Inform 7 is a beautiful thing. The source code is nearly as readable as the final product– everything is defined with simple subject-verb-object sentences and objects or rooms can be created easily without prior definition. So, for example, if you want to create a room, you simply type:

The Room is here. "This is the description of the room you will see when you enter."

If you then wanted to indicate that outside the room is a hallway, then you just define the relationship in (mostly) plain english:

Outside from the Room is the Hallway. "This is the description you see upon exiting the room and entering the hallway."

In all, I think Inform 7 displays an extremely forward-thinking notion of what programming will be like in the near future, for a certain group of creators anyway. It is also an open source project, and there is an extensions system which could lead to extra functions that should keep Inform 7 dynamic for awhile to come.

I’m very excited by the possibilities of Inform, so maybe it’s time that I finally get around to creating a full IF work. This system certainly entices me to do so. I have a story that’s been kicking around for awhile now, and I think it might fit nicely into this structure. I’ll be sure to post it up when I get it running. In the meantime, check out Inform 7 and start writing your own stories.