Dungeon Master Forum

More questions/reports

1) What can I do when I receive the following warning after an objects check:
Text 2260-Valid indirect pointer is nowhere referenced.

1a) Is there a way to visualize the text and delete it at last?

2) When checking target actuators, I receive the following warning:
07(27,26) EndGame has no target.

Well, I think endgames won´t ever have a target. Anyway the editor won´t let me assign one.

3) I get the same kind of warning for Swapobject actuators. But it looks like the editor will oblige me to assign an effect to the SwapObject besides the swapping itself, even if I don´t want any effect.
They should have a "no effect" check (disabling any target).

4) Same remark for Pushbuttons and object holders: they should have a "disabled" or "no action" check.

5) About the DSA:
I still have doubts about some stacks operations:

5a) When you say Nth, do you count from the bottom or from the top?
5b) Is the bottom at the left or the right of the examples like "x y z 2"?
5c) First item is 0th or 1st?
5d) In an example like &ROLL (x y z 2), does the 2 count as an item?


I assumed first item=0th and counting from the top which is at the right, the N number not counting as an item because I can't interpret the PICK and ROLL examples another way:
&PICK (x y z 1 ... x y z y) ;Copy Nth item to top
The item copied is y, which is in 2nd position from the left, and 3rd position from the right. But it would be in 2nd position if the 1 doesn´t count as an item .
The copy appears on the right, so I guess this is the top.

&ROLL (x y z 2 ... y z x) ;Move Nth Item to top
The 2nd item from the right, not counting the 2, and starting with 0th, would be: x. So my interpretation seems valid for this case.

&-ROLL (x y z 2 ... z x y) ;Reverse of ROLL"
The 2nd item from the right, not counting the 2, and starting with 0th, would be: x.
So the example of -ROLL is wrong, except if by "Reverse of ROLL" you meant counting from the bottom.

5e) So here´s my actual state of confusion. PICK, ROLL and -ROLL examples doesn´t look consistent with the rules I guessed. That´s why I would like examples with more letters (v w x y z) so everything gets more obvious.


6) I will send you a dungeon by mail.

6a) Could you check the pushbuttons at 11(22,08)?
When I want to edit them, there are several errors: the list of "special object" is empty; I receive an error message if I click on the "only if last actuator" option; if I click on OK, it tells me "not implemented", etc.

6b) Could you check also the objectholder at 4(22,07)
If I edit it, I receive an error message.
"Illegal walltype index"
I get the same error message if I edit this level.
After struggling and testing a little, I discovered the error is caused by the "square alcove" graphic (in the level list). If I replace it by itself in the level list, everything works fine.

1) Answer deferred.

1a) Answer deferred.

2) Answer deferred.

3) and 4) A 'No Action' checkbox.
There is no place to record such a choice. The format of
the actuator was decided many years ago.
If you don't like the warning, put a counter somewhere
(perhaps at (0,0)) and point all your unused targets to it.

5) the stack is potentially infinite in depth. You cannot count
from the bottom. The top is on the right.

( x y z) really ought to be written as ( ... x y z) to indicate that
there may be deeper entries but that they can be ignored. I
commonly leave out the entries that are not used.
The 0th entry is the entry at the top (the right)

For the following examples:
Given a stack ( ... v w x y z) ; z is the zeroth entry.

Let us do a &PICK.
0 &PICK : picks the zeroth entry and yields (... v w x y z z)
1 &PICK : picks the oneth entry and yields (... v w x y z y)
2 &PICK : picks the twoth entry and yields (... v w x y z x)
3 &PICK : pick the threeth object and yields (... v w x y z w)
etc.

Let us do a &ROLL
0 &ROLL : Rolls the zeroth object and yields (... v w x y z)
1 &ROLL : Rolls the oneth object and yields (... v w x z y)
2 &ROLL : Rolls the twoth object and yields (... v w y z x)
3 &ROLL : Rolls the threeth entry and yields ( ... v x y z w)

So you see that the Nth entry is the entry BEFORE putting
the number 'N' itself on the stack. This is very old custom.
Otherwise, 0 &PICK would pick the number 0 itself!!!! That
would be a bit silly.
Anyway, that is how FORTH was written 30 years ago.

6) I got it. I'll check it over tomorrow.

Thank you for the basic course of FORTH. It is crystal clear now, and I can try again to understand the mechanics of the money changer.

1) What can I do when I receive the following warning after an objects check:
Text 2260-Valid indirect pointer is nowhere referenced.

1a) Is there a way to visualize the text and delete it at last?6b) Could you check also the objectholder at 4(22,07)

There is nothing you can do. I have always been afraid to
delete these things because I may have missed a pointer. Like
the text is on a scroll, the scroll is in a chest, the chest is
being carried by a monster. But I have added a 3x5 card to
the list and I will do something.
=========================================
2) When checking target actuators, I receive the following warning:
07(27,26) EndGame has no target.

Another 3x5 card.
==========================================
6a) Could you check the pushbuttons at 11(22,08)?

At least two problems. Two more cards.
==========================================
6b) Could you check also the objectholder at 4(22,07)
If I edit it, I receive an error message.
"Illegal walltype index"

I cannot cause any problems in the dungeon you sent me.
Perhaps you already fixed it.
===========================================
Total 4 cards added.

>>6b) Could you check also the objectholder at 4(22,07)
>>If I edit it, I receive an error message.
>>"Illegal walltype index"

>I cannot cause any problems in the dungeon you sent me.
>Perhaps you already fixed it.

I'll reproduce the error and send it to you again.