Phantasmal Site > DGD > Writing a Library > GurbaLib

Implementing From GurbaLib

From DGD Mailing List  Fri Aug 27 23:28:02 2004
From: DGD Mailing List (David Jackson)
Date: Fri Aug 27 23:28:02 2004
Subject: [DGD] GurbaLib

I'm glad you chimed in.  I started trying to convert the H7 lib over, not 
realizing how involved the port would be.

I've since returned to GurbaLib.  If I'm going to have to do most of the 
work on the lib, I might as well work with something that already works 
with DGD.  Which leads me to my next announcement...

I have recently been in discussions with Erlend Simonsen, the original 
developer for GurbaLib, and after some lengthy talks, we have worked out an 
arrangement where I am to take over the maintenance and continued 
development of the GurbaLib mudlib.

No, I do not claim to be a GurbaLib expert, so I can't really field 
technical questions just yet, but I am in the process of writing up 
documentation on it, in the hopes of bringing to focus the tremendous 
amount of work that Erlend has done on this lib so far.  If you aren't 
aware, GurbaLib supports the following (existing) features;

A "verb" system
Rooms, Items, Monsters, Doors
Channels
InterMud3
an FTP Daemon
Message Boards
Events
Combat
Guilds
Races

My first goals are to;

Update the command parsing, to be more in line with Lima, or Abermud.
Overhaul the room code to include weather effects, and integrate the door 
code more closely
Expand the Item code
Streamline the combat code a bit
Add several "stock" guilds
Add several "stock" races

Additionally, the monster code will receive a complete renovation, to 
incorporate some ideas regarding artificial life that I have (this is in 
response to Stephen Schmidt's ideas regarding new innovation in mudlibs).

And, I intend to add an HTTP daemon, which I had started quite some time ago.

Any input will be appreciated.

David Jackson

From: David Jackson <atari_x@bellsouth.net>
Subject: [DGD] Algorithm for Parsing Commands
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 2004 02:33:31 -0500


I have been working on the Gurba lib, and I wanted to make the command 
parser a little more robust, but I need some input.

First, a question; for a long time, the paradigm has been to have a basic 
command parser determine which verb to use, and then call that verb 
function, which would parse the command further.  What is the reasoning 
behind this?

My basic algorith for parsing commands is as such;

Our example command is; "Put the green rock into the yellow sack".
Assumption:  Most commands will follow the form "verb adjective noun 
preposition adjective noun"
     or, more likely, the form "verb adjective noun"
     acceptable input can be "verb noun" or "verb noun preposition noun"
Assumption:  Articles are treated as whitespace

1)  Receive input, and split input into an array of seperate words
      a) If there is a "then" or "comma" or "and" in the sentence, then 
split the sentence into two arrays.
      b) operate on the first array now
2)  Determine which words are verbs, by comparing them to a list of 
suitable verbs (this takes into account synonyms for verbs)
      a) If there is no suitable verb, produce error output
3)  Determine which words are nouns, by checking for the existence of the 
object in the player's environment (or inventory)
      a) If no such noun exists, produce error output
4)  Determine which words are adjectives, by checking it's companion noun 
(query_adjective()) in the player's environment
      a) If no adjective, and more than one noun exists with that name, 
produce error output
	1)  Error output should ask, "which noun, the adjective noun1 or the 
adjective noun2?" (etc.)
5)  Check for legal prepositions
     a) If not legal, produce error output
5)  If we have gotten this far, get object pointers for adjective-noun 
pairs, parsing sentence into verb/adj.noun1/preposition
6)  Pass parsed sentence to verb function as a function call parameter.
7)  Return to 2 with second sentence, if there was a then.

I know that this, so far, is still relatively simple; it can handle "verb 
adjective noun preposition adjective noun" sentences all day long.  I would 
like to make it more robust, to handle sentences such as;

"cast gnusto at spellbook" - gnusto is a noun, but would forever be missed 
because it doesn't exist in the player's environment
"wear red cloak from burlap sack" - Would only work if there was 
preposition/adjective/noun checking in "wear".
"read newspaper by candlelight" - another sentence that would just fail.
"check settings on dial" - and another sentence that would just fail.

Any thoughts?

David Jackson