# lookDir.t | documentation

    #charset "us-ascii"
    #include <tads.h>
    #include "advlite.h"

    /*
     *   *********************************************************************************
     *
     *   This module provides the LookDir extension for the adv3Lite library (c) 2024 Eric Eve
     *
     *   Version 2.1  24-Jan-25
     *
     *   The LookDir extension provides better handling the LookDir action, which handles cdmmands of
     *   the form LOOK <DIR>, e.g., LOOK NORTH.
     *
     *   To use it, define xxxLook properties on each room where you want to provide a view in the xxx
     *   direction, for example:
     *
     *   northLook = "To the north you see a long row of pines marching into the middle distance. "
     *
     *   Where the appropriate xxxLook property hasn't been defined, this extension will attempt to
     *   generate a description of the direction being looked in based on what is defined on the
     *   corresponding direction property of the actor's location.
     */

    modify LookDir

        execAction(cmd)
        {
            /* Get the direction the player typed in their LOOK <DIR> command. */
            direction = cmd.verbProd.dirMatch.dir;

            /* If out handleLookIn() method handles looking in, return to stop here. */
            if(handleLookIn)
                return;

            /* Note our actor's immediate container */
            local actorContainer = gActor.location;

            /* Note our actor's outermost visible parent. */
            local outerLoc = gActor.outermostVisibleParent;

            /* If it's too dark to see, say so and stop here. */
            if(!outerLoc.isIlluminated)
            {
                outerLoc.sayTooDarkToLookDir();
                exit;
            }

            /*
             *   loop outwards from the actor's immediate container to their outermost visible parent to
             *   find the object from which to attempt to look in the specified direction, which will
             be the first object we encounter that wants to handle directional looking.
             */
            while(actorContainer != outerLoc)
            {
                if(actorContainer.handleLookDir)
                    break;

                actorContainer = actorContainer.location;
            }

            actorContainer.lookDir(direction);
        }
    ;

    /* Modifications to Room to handle LookDir */
    modify Room
    /*
     *   If all else has failed, this method will attempt to display a suitablle message saying what the
     *   actor can see in the dir direction.  Game code can tweak this to a small extent, but if there
     *   are many instances where you want to describe the view in a particular direction you might find
     *   it easier to use the xxxLook properties, which are consulted first.
     *
     *   We define this on Room rather than Thing since only Room can have the direction properties on
     *   which this method relies.
     */
        describeView(dir)
        {

            /*
             *   If autoLookDir is nil, we don't want to attempt to generate an automatic description of
             *   what lies in the direction the player character is looking, so we just say that we can
             *   see nothing unexpected in that direction.
             */
            if(!autoLookDir)
            {
                sayNothingUnexpectedThatWay();
                return;
            }

            /*
             *   The propery we need to work with is that correspdoning to the direction we're looking
             *   in.
             */
            local prop = dir.dirProp;

            /* Declare a local variable to hold any object that might be defined on prop. */
            local obj;

            /* Then handle matters according to what type of entity prop points to. */
            switch(propType(prop))
            {
                /*
                 *   If prop is a single-quoted string, simply display it, since the player character
                 *   can't travel that way and the string will probably include a description of why not
                 *   that might well serve as a description of what lies that way.
                 */
            case TypeSString:
                display(prop);
                break;

                /*
                 *   If prop is a method or a double-quoted string, first see is we can find a
                 *   destination from the extra dest info stored on libGlobal. If we don't find one,
                 *   simply tell the player that there oculd be an exit leading in the direction they're
                 *   looking, since we can't generate anything more detailed. If we do, fall through to
                 *   the next case, which handles objects.
                 */
            case TypeDString:
            case TypeCode:
                obj = libGlobal.extraDestInfo[[self, dir]];
                if(obj is in (nil, unknownDest_))
                {
                    sayCouldGoThatWay(dir);
                    break;
                }
                /* Deliberately fall through if we reaach here. */

                /* If prop holds an object, start by noting what the object is. */
            case TypeObject:
                /*
                 *   We test for obj being nil here so that we can use the value of obj from the
                 *   fall-through, if there is one.
                 */
                if (obj == nil)
                    obj = self.(prop);

                /*
                 *   If obj is a proxy connector, replace it with the connector it's a proxy for.
                 */
                if(obj.ofKind(UnlistedProxyConnector))
                    obj = obj.proxyForConnector(gActor.getOutermostRoom);

                /*
                 *   If obj is a travel connector that's either hidden or not apparent, say that we
                 *   can't see anything that way (since the player shouldn't be able to see it at this
                 *   point).
                 */
                if(obj.ofKind(TravelConnector) && (!obj.isConnectorApparent || obj.isHidden))
                {
                    sayNothingUnexpectedThatWay(dir);
                    break;
                }
                /*
                 *   Othewise if obj is a TravelConnector that defines a non-nil lookDirDesc, display
                 *   that lookDirDesc and stop there.
                 */
                else if(obj.ofKind(TravelConnector) && obj.propDefined(&lookDirDesc)
                        && obj.propType(&lookDirDesc) != TypeNil)
                {
                    introLookDirDesc(dir);
                    obj.display(&lookDirDesc);
                    ". ";
                    break;
                }

                /*
                 *   If obj is some king of physical travel connector such as a Door, Passage or
                 *   Stairway say that it lies in the direction we're looking in.
                 */
                if(obj.ofKind(Door) || obj.ofKind(Passage) || obj.ofKind(StairwayUp) ||
                   obj.ofKind(StairwayDown))
                {
                    /*
                     *   If obj is the door or other connector into an Enterable, the Enterable is
                     *   probably more noteworthy than the connector, so mention the Enterable first and
                     *   then the connector that leads into it.
                     *
                     *   To achieve this we first need to see if there's an Enterable in our room's
                     *   contents that uses obj as its connector.
                     */

                    local ent = getOutermostRoom. allContents.valWhich({x: x.connector == obj
                        && x.ofKind(Enterable)});

                    /* If we find one, display a suiteable message relating to it. */
                    if(ent)
                        DMsg(enterable with door, '\^{1} {i} {see} {2} enterable via {3}. ',
                             dir.departureName, ent.aName, obj.aName);

                    /* Otherwise just say we see the obj in that direction. */
                    else
                        DMsg(passage that way, '\^{1} {i} {see} {2}. ', dir.departureName, obj.theName);
                    break;
                }

                /*
                 *   If obj is an AskConector, list the possible connectors it leads to, provided we
                 *   have any physical connectors to list.
                 */
                if(defined(AskConnector) && obj.ofKind(AskConnector))
                {
                    local optList = obj.options.subset({x: x.ofKind(Thing)});
                    if(optList.length > 0)
                    {
                        DMsg(ask connector options, '\^{1} {i} {see} {2}. ', dir.departureName,
                             makeListStr(optList, &theName));
                        break;
                    }
                }

                /*
                 *   If the object is an abstract Travel Connector, get its destination and then, if we
                 *   find one and it's a Room, set obj to that destination to be picked up by the next
                 *   test.
                 */
                if(obj.ofKind(TravelConnector) && !obj.ofKind(Thing))
                {
                    local rm = obj.getDestination(gActor.getOutermostRoom);
                    if(rm && rm.ofKind(Room))
                        obj = rm;
                }

                /*
                 *   If obj is a Room that's familiar or visited or visible, say that if lies in the
                 *   direction we're looking in, unless obj is the room we're already in.
                 */
                if(obj.ofKind(Room) && (obj.familiar || obj.visited || gActor.canSee(obj))
                   && obj != self)
                {
                    DMsg(room that way, '\^{1} {dummy}{lies} {2}. ', dir.departureName, obj.theName);
                    break;
                }

                if(obj.ofKind(TravelConnector))
                {
                    sayCouldGoThatWay(dir);
                    break;
                }

                /*
                 *   If we reach here we've exhausted all attempt to generate an automated description,
                 *   so just say we don't see anything unexpected that wey.
                 */
                sayNothingUnexpectedThatWay(dir);
                break;

            default:
                /*
                 *   If we reach here we've exhausted all attempt to generate an automated description,
                 *   so just say we don't see anything unexpected that wey.
                 */
                sayNothingUnexpectedThatWay(dir);
            }
        }

        sayCouldGoThatWay(dir)
        {
            DMsg(could go that way, 'It {dummy} look{s/ed} like {i} might be able to go that
                way. ');
        }

        /* A Room is always a candidate for handling lookDir. */
        handleLookDir = true

        /*
         *   Display the introduction to a lookDirDesc. By default we display "To the dir you see ", but
         *   game code can override. One possible ovveride might be to make this method ddo nothing at
         *   all leaving the TravelConnector's lookDirDesc property to handle the entire method
         */
        introLookDirDesc(dir)
        {
            DMsg(intro look dirdesc, '\^{1} {i} {see} ', dir.departureName);
        }
    ;

    /* Modifications to Thing for the LookDir extension. */
    modify Thing

        /* Display a message saying we see nothing unexpected in the direction we're looking in. */
        sayNothingUnexpectedThatWay(dir)
        {
            DMsg(nothing unexpected that way, '{I} {see} nothing unexpected in that direction. ');
        }

        /*
         *   Display a message saying it's too dark to see that way (for when we're trying to look in a
         *   particular direction in the dark.
         */
        sayTooDarkToLookDir()
        {
            DMsg(too dark to look that way, 'It{dummy}{\'s} too dark to see anything that way. ' );
        }

        /*
         *   Flag - do we want the library to attempt to autogenerate a description of what lies in the
         *   direction we're looking in if we haven't provided one ourselves. By default we do, but if
         *   game authors don't like this feature they can switch it off by setting autoLookDir to nil.
         */
        autoLookDir = true

        /*
             If no object matches the vocabulary of the direction the player wants to look in, we next
             call this method to handle it.

             If the relevant xxxLook (e.g., northLook, westLook, portLook, upLook) is defined on this
             Thing, we use it to display what can be seen in the dir direction. Otherwise, if we're
             looking down and the
         */
        lookDir(dir)
        {

            /* Obtain the zzzLook property corresponding to the direction we want to look in. */
            local prop = dir.lookProp;

            /* Note that our starting location is this Thing. */
            local loc = self;

            /*
             *   Note that our outermost location is our outermost visible parent, which will either be
             *   the room we're in or a Booth if we're in a closed opaque booth.
             */
            local outerLoc = gActor.outermostVisibleParent();

            /* Keep a note of whether we've succeeded in describing the view. */
            local viewDescribed = nil;

            /*
             *   Work outwards from this object, which should be the actor's immmediate container, to
             *   its outermost visible parent to find an object that defines the appropriate xxxLook
             *   property and then use it to describe the view in that direction (if any is found).
             *   Otherwise, if we're looking down and we have a floor object, describe the floor object.
             *   Otherwise, if all else fails, call describeView() to autogenerate a description of what
             *   lies in the direction we're looking.
             */
            do
            {
                /* If our location defines this property and it's not nil, display it. */
                if(loc.propDefined(prop) && loc.propType(prop) != TypeNil)
                {
                    loc.display(prop);
                    viewDescribed = true;
                    break;
                }
                loc = loc.location;
            } while (loc != outerLoc && loc != nil);

            /*
             *   Otherwise if we're looking down try describing our floor object, and if not call our
             *   describeView method to generate a description of the view in the dir direction based on
             *   what's defined on our room's corresponding direction property.
             */
            if(!viewDescribed)
            {
                if(dir == downDir)
                    downLook();
                else
                    describeView(dir);
            }
        }

        /* By default, translate LOOK DOWN into examining our floor object if we have one. */
        downLook()
        {
            /* If we have a floor objecgt, examine it. */
            if(floorObj)
                doInstead(Examine, floorObj);
            /* Otherwise say there's nothing special to see. */
            else
                describeView(downDir);
        }

        /*
         *   We provide this method on Thing in case it's called on a nested room. By default, if we can
         *   see out we call use the describeView on the next suitable containing object working
         *   outwards from us or else if we can't see out we just display our nothing unexpected
         *   message.
         */

        describeView(dir)
        {
            if(canSeeOut)
            {
                getLookDirHandler(self).describeView(dir);
            }
            else
                sayNothingUnexpectedThatWay(dir);
        }

        /*
         *   Service method to find the next containing object that should handle a lookDir, working out
         *   from loc. We carry on looping outwards until we find a Room or a container for which
         *   handleLockDir is true of which we can't see out of.
         */
        getLookDirHandler(loc)
        {
            do
            {
                loc = loc.location;
            } while(!loc.ofKind(Room) && !loc.handleLookDir && loc.canSeeOut) ;

            return loc;
        }

        /*
         *   Are we a candidate object for calling lookDir() on? By default we are we can't see out from
         *   us. Game code can overried on nested rooms whose lookDir() method we always want to use,
         *   such as a partially enclosed Booth.
         */
        handleLookDir = !canSeeOut
    ;

    /*
     *   Add a lookProp property to each Direction object and populate it with a pointer to the
     *   appropriate xxxLook property.
     */
    modify northDir lookProp = &northLook;
    modify eastDir lookProp = &eastLook;
    modify southDir lookProp = &southLook;
    modify westDir lookProp = &westLook;
    modify northeastDir lookProp = &northeastLook;
    modify southeastDir lookProp = &southeastLook;
    modify southwestDir lookProp = &southwestLook;
    modify northwestDir lookProp = &northwestLook;

    modify starboardDir lookProp = &starboardLook;
    modify portDir lookProp = &portLook;
    modify foreDir lookProp = &foreLook;
    modify aftDir lookProp = &aftLook;

    modify upDir lookProp = &upLook;
    modify downDir lookProp = &downLook;
    modify inDir lookProp = &inLook;
    modify outDir lookProp = &outLook;

Adv3Lite Library Reference Manual
Generated on 13/06/2025 from adv3Lite version 2.2.1