inform7/resources/Documentation/Examples/FinishingSchool.txt

Example: * Finishing School
Location: Defining new adjectives
RecipeLocation: Characterization
Index: Another, distinct from the player
Description: The "another" adjective for rules such as "in the presence of another person".
For: Z-Machine

It is often useful to write action rules which apply only when the player is observed by a third party. "In the presence of a person", however, will react even if only the player is in the room, because the player is, of course, a person as well.

A convenient way around this problem is to define an "other" adjective:

	{*}"Finishing School"

	The apple is an edible thing carried by the player.

	The Hall is a room. Miss Wicket is a woman in the Hall.

	The Dormitory is south of the Hall.

	Definition: a person is another if it is not the player.

	Instead of eating something in the presence of another person:
		say "Your mannerly upbringing prevents you from eating without a fork or knife in front of someone."

	Test me with "eat apple / south / eat apple".

If we did not have "another" here, Inform would interpret even the player as a possible schoolmarm, leading to such lines as "yourself stares at you coldly...". Clearly not quite the thing.