25.16. Handling phrase options

| Chapter 25: Extensions |

| 25.16. Handling phrase options

The Standard Rules use the Inform list-writer with the following definition, which shows how a much more complicated I6 routine can be given a natural-language expression.

> To list the contents of (O - an object),
> with newlines,
> indented,
> giving inventory information,
> as a sentence,
> including contents,
> including all contents,
> tersely,
> giving brief inventory information,
> using the definite article,
> listing marked items only,
> prefacing with is/are,
> not listing concealed items,
> suppressing all articles
> and/or with extra indentation:
> (- I7WriteListFrom(child({O}), {phrase options}); -).

This can be used by, say:

> list the contents of O, as a sentence, using the definite article

"{phrase options}" is a special substitution: it is a bitmap which assigns the given options one bit each, starting with the least significant bit for the first-mentioned option ("with newlines" above) and going up to the most significant bit for the last ("not listing concealed items").

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