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<h2>§A1 Library attributes</h2>
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<dt><code>absent</code></dt>
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<dd>A ‘floating object’ (one with a <code>found_in</code>
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property, which can appear in many different rooms) which is <code>absent</code>
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will in future no longer appear in the game. Note that you cannot make
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a floating object disappear merely by giving it <code>absent</code>,
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but must explicitly <code>remove</code> it as well.</dd>
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<dt><code>animate</code></dt>
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<dd>“Is alive (human or animal).” Can be spoken to in
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“richard, hello” style; matches the <code>creature</code> token
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in grammar; picks up “him” or “her” (according
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to gender) rather than “it”, likewise “his”;
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an object the player is changed into becomes <code>animate</code>; some
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messages read “on whom”, etc., instead of “on
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which”; can't be taken; its subobjects “belong to”
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it rather than “are part of” it; messages don't assume
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it can be “touched” or “squeezed” as an
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ordinary object can; the actions <code>Attack</code>, <code>ThrowAt</code>
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are diverted to <code>life</code> rather than rejected as being
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‘futile violence’.</dd>
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<dt><code>clothing</code></dt>
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<dd>“Can be worn.”</dd>
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<dt><code>concealed</code></dt>
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<dd>“Concealed from view but present.” The player object
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has this; an object which was the player until <code>ChangePlayer</code>
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happened loses this property; a <code>concealed door</code> can't
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be entered; does not appear in room descriptions.</dd>
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<dt><code>container</code></dt>
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<dd>Affects scope and light; object lists recurse through it if <code>open</code>
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(or <code>transparent</code>); may be described as closed, open, locked,
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empty; a possession will give it a <code>LetGo</code> action if the
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player tries to remove it, or a <code>Receive</code> if something is
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put in; things can be taken or removed from it, or inserted into it,
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but only if it is <code>open</code>; likewise for “transfer”
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and “empty”; room descriptions describe using <code>when_open</code>
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or <code>when_closed</code> if given; if there is no defined description,
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an <code>Examine</code> causes the contents to be searched (i.e. written
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out) rather than a message “You see nothing special about…”;
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<code>Search</code> only reveals the contents of containers, otherwise
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saying “You find nothing”. <em>Note:</em> an object cannot
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be both a <code>container</code> and a <code>supporter</code>.</dd>
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<dt><code>door</code></dt>
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<dd>“Is a door or bridge.” Room descriptions describe using
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<code>when_open</code> or <code>when_closed</code> if given; and an
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<code>Enter</code> action becomes a <code>Go</code> action. If a
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<code>Go</code> has to go through this object, then: if <code>concealed</code>,
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the player “can't go that way”; if not <code>open</code>, then
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the player is told either that this cannot be ascended or descended (if
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the player tried “up” or “down”), or that it is in
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the way (otherwise); but if neither, then its <code>door_to</code> property is
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<a id="p419" name="p419"></a>
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consulted to see where it leads; finally, if this is zero,
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then it is said to “lead nowhere” and otherwise the player
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actually moves to the location.</dd>
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<dt><code>edible</code></dt>
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<dd>“Can be eaten” (and thus removed from game).</dd>
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<dt><code>enterable</code></dt>
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<dd>Affects scope and light; only an <code>enterable</code> on the
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floor can be entered. If an <code>enterable</code> is also a <code>container</code>
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then it can only be entered or exited if it is <code>open</code>.</dd>
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<dt><code>female</code></dt>
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<dd>This object has a feminine name. In games written in English, this
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makes her a female person, though in other languages it might be inanimate.
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The parser uses this information when considering pronouns like “her”.
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(In English, anything <code>animate</code> is assumed to be male
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unless <code>female</code> or <code>neuter</code> is set.)</dd>
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<dt><code>general</code></dt>
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<dd>A general-purpose attribute, defined by the library but never
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looked at or altered by it. Available for designers to use if they
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choose to do so.</dd>
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<dt><code>light</code></dt>
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<dd>“Is giving off light.” (See <a href="s19.html">§19</a>.)
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Also: the parser understands “lit”, “lighted”,
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“unlit” using this; inventories will say “(providing
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light)” of it, and so will room descriptions if the current
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<code>location</code> is ordinarily dark; it will never be automatically
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put away into the player's <code>SACK_OBJECT</code>, as it might plausibly
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be inflammable or the main light source.</dd>
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<dt><code>lockable</code></dt>
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<dd>Can be locked or unlocked by a player holding its key object,
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which is given by the property <code>with_key</code>; if a <code>container</code>
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and also <code>locked</code>, may be called “locked” in
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<dt><code>locked</code></dt>
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<dd>Can't be opened. If a <code>container</code> and also <code>lockable</code>,
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may be called “locked” in inventories.</dd>
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<dt><code>male</code></dt>
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<dd>This object has a masculine name. In games written in English, this
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makes him a male person, though in other languages it might be inanimate.
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The parser uses this information when considering pronouns like
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“him”. (In English, anything <code>animate</code> is assumed
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to be male unless <code>female</code> or <code>neuter</code> is set.)</dd>
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<dt><code>moved</code></dt>
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<dd>“Has been or is being held by the player.” Objects
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(immediately) owned by the player after <code>Initialise</code> has run
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are given it; at the end of each turn, if an item is newly held by
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the player and is <code>scored</code>, it is given <code>moved</code>
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and <code>OBJECT_SCORE</code> points are awarded; an object's
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<code>initial</code> message only appears in room descriptions if it
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is un<code>moved</code>.</dd>
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<dt><code>neuter</code></dt>
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<dd>This object's name is neither masculine nor feminine. (In English,
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anything without <code>animate</code> is assumed neuter, because only
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people and higher animals have gender. Anything <code>animate</code> is
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assumed <code>male</code> unless <code>female</code> or <code>neuter</code>
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is set. A robot, for instance, might be an <code>animate</code>
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object worth making <code>neuter</code>.)</dd>
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<dt><code>on</code></dt>
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<dd>“Switched on.” A <code>switchable</code> object
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with <code>on</code> is described by <code>with_on</code> in room
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descriptions; it will be called “switched on” by <code>Examine</code>.</dd>
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<dt><code>open</code></dt>
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<dd>“Open door or container.” Affects scope and light;
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lists (such as inventories) recurse through an <code>open
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container</code>; if a <code>container</code>, called
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<a id="p420" name="p420"></a>
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“open” by some descriptions; things can be taken or removed from an <code>open
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container</code>; similarly inserted, transferred or emptied. A
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<code>container</code> can only be entered or exited if it is both
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<code>enterable</code> and <code>open</code>. An <code>open door</code>
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can be entered. Described by <code>when_open</code> in room
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<dt><code>openable</code></dt>
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<dd>Can be opened or closed, unless <code>locked</code>.</dd>
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<dt><code>pluralname</code></dt>
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<dd>This single object's name is in the plural. For instance, an
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object called “seedless grapes” should have <code>pluralname</code>
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set. The library will then use the pronoun “them” and
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the indefinite article “some” automatically.</dd>
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<dt><code>proper</code></dt>
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<dd>Its short name is a proper noun, and never preceded by “the”
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or “The”. The player's object must have this (so something
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changed into will be given it).</dd>
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<dt><code>scenery</code></dt>
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<dd>Not listed by the library in room descriptions; “not portable”
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to be taken; “you are unable to” pull, push, or turn it.</dd>
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<dt><code>scored</code></dt>
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<dd>The player gets <code>OBJECT_SCORE</code> points for picking it
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up for the first time; or, if a room, <code>ROOM_SCORE</code> points
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for visiting it for the first time.</dd>
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<dt><code>static</code></dt>
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<dd>“Fixed in place” if player tries to take, remove, pull,
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<dt><code>supporter</code></dt>
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<dd>“Things can be put on top of it.” Affects scope and
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light; object lists recurse through it; a possession will give it
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a <code>LetGo</code> action if the player tries to remove it, or
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a <code>Receive</code> if something is put in; things can be taken
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or removed from it, or put on it; likewise for transfers; a player
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inside it is said to be “on” rather than “in”
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it; room descriptions list its contents in separate paragraphs
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if it is itself listed. <em>Note:</em> an object cannot be both
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a <code>container</code> and a <code>supporter</code>.</dd>
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<dt><code>switchable</code></dt>
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<dd>Can be switched on or off; listed as such by <code>Examine</code>;
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described using <code>when_on</code> or <code>when_off</code> in
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room descriptions.</dd>
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<dt><code>talkable</code></dt>
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<dd>Player can talk to this object in “thing, do this”
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style. This is useful for microphones and the like, when
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<code>animate</code> is inappropriate.</dd>
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<dt><code>transparent</code></dt>
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<dd>“Contents are visible.” Affects scope and light;
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a <code>transparent</code> container is treated as if it were
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<code>open</code> for printing of contents.</dd>
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<dt><code>visited</code></dt>
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<dd>“Has been or is being visited by the player.” Given
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to a room immediately after a <code>Look</code> first happens there:
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if this room is <code>scored</code> then <code>ROOM_SCORE</code> points
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are awarded. Affects whether room descriptions are abbreviated or not.</dd>
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<dt><code>workflag</code></dt>
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<dd>Temporary flag used by Inform internals, also available to outside
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routines; can be used to select items for some lists printed by
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<code>WriteListFrom</code>.</dd>
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<dt><code>worn</code></dt>
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<dd>“Item of clothing being worn.” Should only be an object
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being immediately carried by player. Affects inventories; doesn't
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count towards the limit of <code>MAX_CARRIED</code>; won't be automatically
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put away into the <code>SACK_OBJECT</code>; a <code>Drop</code> action
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will cause a <code>Disrobe</code> action first; so will <code>PutOn</code>
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or <code>Insert</code>.</dd>
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<a id="p421" name="p421"></a>
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<p class="aside"><i>Note.</i> The only library attributes which
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it's useful to apply to locations are <code>light</code>,
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<code>scored</code> and <code>visited</code>.</p>
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