Dynamic Name

This is left in for examples, but there is an easier way to get a dynamic name for a room or object, which will be shown at the bottom of this article. The method below may be useful for some cases, so it’s left here as an exercise.

The Original Suggestion

This allows the name of a room to be created dynamically. I had to do it because making the name dynamic by using a routine in the name property made the run-time system think I had overflowed the page and ask for a unnecessary [MORE] keypress.

1. Insert the following at the start of your code:

property dynname                     ! Room generates its own name dynamically

2. in routine Describeplace in file hugolib.h replace the line

  print "\n"; capital place.name;

with

!!! Dynamic Names

    if place.dynname
    {

    }
    else {
        print "\n"; capital place.name;
    }

What this does is call the dynname property if it exists, otherwise the name property is used.

3. To use dynname, add it as a property

Explanations are given with !! in front of them. Let’s say I want to call an area east or west depending on a flag, and have it assigned a number:

room Corner "Corner"   !! This name is what is shown in the room display
{
    dynname
    {
       if street_number < 1
           print "East ";
       else: print "West ";
       print number abs(street_number); ordinal( street_number ) ;"St. "
    }
 !!! ... more properties
}

(The ordinal routine mentioned above generates the st, rd, th extension on a number.)

A simpler method

To provide a dynamic name, do not define it in the object (or room’s) header, define it as the name property and create code for it.

The following example is for a gas meter, that if you hit it with a sledge hammer, it now reports it’s leaking. But before it’s hit, it’s just a gas meter. The code for a hit sets the special attribute leaking. So here is how we can change the name:

    name
    {
        if self is leaking
           {
            sound repeat "air leak.wav"
            return "gas meter - WARNING: The gas meter is leaking"
           } else {
           return "gas meter"
           }

    }

So if there are other meters there, you get this

>e

You are in the Meter Room of the control center
 You are in the meter room of the control center.  Nailed to a table is a yardstick. Oh. Excuse me, it’s 39 inches long.  It’s a meter stick.  Of course, how stupid of me! You can go OUT to return to the control center.
A gas meter, an electric meter, and a water meter are here.

>hit gas meter with sledge
You’ve smashed the meter.  It is now leaking.  Be careful or you won’t be here long.

>look
You are in the Meter Room of the control center
  You are in the meter room of the control center.  Nailed to a table is a yardstick. Oh. Excuse me, it’s 39 inches long.  It’s a meter stick.  Of course, how stupid of me! You can go OUT to return to the control center.
  A gas meter - WARNING: The gas meter is leaking, an electric meter, and a water meter are here.

---