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SCI Programming => SCI Development Tools => Topic started by: gumby on November 23, 2010, 08:11:01 AM

Title: Parser
Post by: gumby on November 23, 2010, 08:11:01 AM

I've been toying with the idea of porting a new parser for SCI.  I know where to insert it into the current scripts, so that part is done & tested.

I've been looking at using the Inform parser which I've been working with quite a bit lately.  It is really robust, almost too robust.  I think there shouldn't be any problem with data types & storage,  I am concerned about the heap however.  I'm not sure what other limitations there might be here.  I believe I read somewhere that the longest input string in SCI could be 50 (or maybe I saw that in the code) which is probably OK.

Thoughts?

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: Collector on November 23, 2010, 02:33:13 PM

Could this be done without other changes to SCI? I suppose if any, it would be mostly with the template game. I'm just wondering about any kind of compatibility problems.

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: gumby on November 23, 2010, 03:29:17 PM

Quote from: Collector on November 23, 2010, 02:33:13 PM

Could this be done without other changes to SCI? I suppose if any, it would be mostly with the template game. I'm just wondering about any kind of compatibility problems.

I think so.  All the logic would be performed in procedures & methods, just like all the programming for SCI games is done now.  So as long as the game can be compiled (and rendered bug-free) it should be fine from a compatibility standpoint.

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: gumby on November 23, 2010, 04:07:01 PM

After further investigation, I'm not sure this is worth the effort.  I guess lets just 'fix' the shortcomings of the existing parser with custom scripting.

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: Collector on November 23, 2010, 04:25:30 PM

Is there anything in the source of Studio that may help? Again it would be good if we had the source for Companion.

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: MusicallyInspired on November 23, 2010, 06:51:06 PM

The current parser is embedded in the interpreter. Adding a new parser via scripting would definitely introduce heap issues, I'd think. To replace it any other way would mean rewriting the interpreter itself, which is out of the scope of Studio/Companion.

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: Cloudee1 on November 23, 2010, 07:12:55 PM

Are we using the best interpreter for the job?

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: MusicallyInspired on November 24, 2010, 12:37:07 AM

We're kind of limited to whatever version of the interpreter Brian turned into the template game.

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: Collector on November 24, 2010, 03:09:26 AM

IIRC, Brian used Larry 3 for the template game. Would Hero's Quest or QfG2 provide a more robust interpreter and what would be involved with creating another template game

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: MusicallyInspired on November 24, 2010, 03:14:27 AM

I honestly have no idea. If any of us did I image we'd have done something with the SCI Studio VGA source code by now.

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: Collector on November 24, 2010, 04:45:28 AM

Quote from: MusicallyInspired on November 24, 2010, 03:14:27 AM

If any of us did I image we'd have done something with the SCI Studio VGA source code by now.

True :)

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: MusicallyInspired on November 24, 2010, 04:29:50 PM

I'd personally like to have the KQ1SCI interpreter because it supports scrolling backgrounds.

Title: Re: Parser
Post by: Collector on November 24, 2010, 05:59:32 PM

So did SQ1SCI, but of course that was not SCI0.