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Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
From: an471336@anon.penet.fi
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Reply-To: an471336@anon.penet.fi
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 1995 20:05:49 UTC
Subject: inform designer's manual problems
Lines: 286


1.  "Exercise" #1 is completely unfair, because the reader
    presumably at that point has no idea of the concept of the
    "general" attribute. 

2.  The reader is told to 'insert' code without being told
    anything at all up to that point as to the general structure
    of object definitions; so  how does s/he know where/how to
    insert?

3.  "Exercise" #4 unfair! Reader has seen no examples of
    Fake_action, and only the briefest of mentions has been made
    of it, yet this example expects the reader to now create
    code using it.

    The "Exercise" seems like it should be an example instead.
    And it is not even adequate as an example, as it is not very
    well explained. The reader is told in the "Exercise" to
    "declare a fake action", but nowhere has the reader ever
    been told how to make such declarations. The execution of
    the "OpenUp" mentioned at the end is given no example
    either, leaving the novice at this point completely gasping
    for air (having forgotten to breath while trying to
    understand this new concept that has not been at all
    explained and yet seems it is expected to be self evident).

4.  Not only is there no overview of the Object definition
    structure and the reader is told to insert code, without
    being told where or how to insert it, but there is no
    overview of the story file structure, and suddenly the
    reader is told to insert various "includes", but not told
    where.

5.  Example of the Dart Board (pg 27) suddenly uses an "ELSE"
    structure. Conditional branches have not up to this point
    been explained at all.
    
6.  "Exercise" #5 INCOMPREHENSIBLE explanation.

7.  "Exercise" #7, the Mayan compass is a lesson, yet it's
    called an Exercise, as if the student is to complete it on
    their own.
    
8.  "Exercise" #8 UNFAIR -- the reader knows nothing of the
    "swapdirs" function and is told to devise a way to swap
    directions.
    
9.  "Exercise" #9. After reading it over and over and over it is
    just not understandable (at least at this point). I don't
    get it. No comments. Unfair.
    
10. Chapter 6 (i will call it chapter six although the manual is
    divided by some other bizarre structure labeling chapters
    into large groups and yet the sections i'd call chapters
    progress sequentially though them) says directions have
    "number" property which is "useful for mazes" and then
    absolutely no hint is given as to how this is the case? Is
    it self evident? Not to me. Give a clue!
    
11. One page 36 and noticing the very strange "(the)" construct
    (function??) in an example. It has been used before several
    times as well and no explanation as to the nature of method
    of doing things, or how it works, has been given. It is
    somewhat obvious that it's somehow sticking the definite
    article for the object, however one (a beginner especially)
    even intuiting this is left completely puzzled as to the
    nature of this device, and is left hanging with no official
    explanations, only their own best guesses.
    
12. I might mention some of the quotations at the beginning of
    chapters up to this point. The second quote at the beginning
    of chapter four which begins "...a language obsessed with
    action". The quote is chopped so the reader has no idea what
    the original context was. A pilfered description, but feels
    about right-- something half explained. But then on chapter
    eight the quote mentions a lock being wrapped in a dozen six
    inch thick chains, and i'm wondering if that quote isn't put
    there to demonstrate how illogical and frustratingly
    unprogressive and unbelievable (in how it foists "Exercises"
    on the student which the student then must look up the
    answer to find that they have been hoodwinked for they
    didn't have the knowledge or tools to complete the
    assignment in the first place and are lucky if they can even
    understand the "answer" at all when showed to them-- usually
    without explanation) the manual has been in places up to
    this point. A dozen six inch thick chains when added up
    equals six feet thick worth of chains! that's one big lock
    they are wrapped around i'd say!

13. Chapter 11: an example utilizes some sort of variable called
    "wn" which was never explained or mentioned and the novice
    has no idea whatsoever what it signifies. The whole example
    is utterly confusing, exceedingly complicated, and not
    explained. The "jump" command is not explained.
    
14. "Exercise" #21 might make a good example, but not an
    EXERCISE. One has no idea what the explanation of a "grammar"
    routine is until one tries to decipher the "answer" given to
    the question posed them.
    
15. "Exercise" #22 uses something called "scope_stage". What the
    bloody hell is that!! It's not yet been mentioned in the
    entire manual up to this point, and now it's tossed in
    casually with no explanation.
    
16. Growing weary of writing out these instances of INJUSTICE in
    the manual i have lazily slipped over some parts I would
    have liked to complain about if i had the energy and wasn't
    so depressed from reading "answers" to "exercises" and often
    only being able to understand enough to know that they
    utilize concepts not yet presented to the reader. I thought
    I would give up altogether on this indictment as it seemed
    so overwhelming. The details of the "Exersise" regarding
    switching the player's persona completely stumped me...
    completely... (the "orders" routine... what is an "orders"
    routine?! No one ever mentioned an "orders" routine yet!)...
    and other things... using 'untypable' dictionary words... i
    think i get it.. i think so... but not really... and all
    this above utter confusion in my mind is like clear crystal
    beside the absolutely impenetrable (to me, at least)
    "Exercise" of "list_together" of coins and the I Ching. But
    i shoulder the discouraging burden of conscious ignorance
    and move on feeling it's hopeless... and i make it to the
    "how nouns are parsed" chapter and lo and behold, a
    miracle!! Finally a few things are being explained to me.
    Finally i'm given a few clues that make some of the previous
    incomprehensible gobbledy-gook at least semi-comprehensible.
    For example, i finally now learn what the "parse_name"
    property is for the first time, in spite of it having been
    used (to the effect of utter bewilderment) without
    explanation in many examples up to this point. I had NO CLUE
    what parse_name was for wile trying to desperately
    understand what going on in the EXTENSIVE use of parse_name
    in "Exercises" 55 and 56. Now, at this late date, i am
    finally treated with an explanation as to why those words
    were unparsable in the "unparsable" words mentioned
    previously. **NOW** FINALLY it is said explicitly that the
    'wn' variable is "word number". Thank you! Couldn't it have
    been mentioned before many chapters ago when it was USED? It
    is TOO LATE!! I had to figure out that "wn" meant word
    number all on my own by guess work and thousands of
    re-readings of the code to agonizingly intuit it's purpose
    with no explanation or mention. With sweat and strain i had
    to figure the mystery of "wn" out on my own dozens of pages
    ago! ANd now here, when it is totally redundant information,
    and my head is splitting from figuring things out that
    haven't been explained, i'm informed that it simply means
    "word number". Too late! The frustration of this is almost
    boundless.
    
    With my new found knowledge of parse_name, i actually decide
    to go back and take a look at some of the previously
    completely enigmatic "exercises" to see if they now can be
    deciphered. I go back to the coin example and yet again am
    repulsed by stabbing ignorance. No clue whatsoever as to the
    meaning of "##TheSame". Baffled by functions returning
    negative values... no comments. No hints. Helpless still...
    
17. I have to laugh bitterly at the Shakespearean quotation at
    the start of chapter 15; life being a tale told by an idiot,
    signifying nothing... sigh. Thanks for the encouragement, as
    if i'm not having a hard enough time and am not depressed
    enough i have to be confronted with that. I'm an idiot! And
    I can't understand this manual! And besides, thanks for
    reminding me Shakespeare, anything i do will signify nothing
    anyhow so why am i torturing myself with this stuff?!
    
18. Trying to decipher "Exercise" #63 and notice it sets
    parser_action. What in god's name is parser_action, i ask. I
    realize now that i've seen it used previously in the manual,
    but i have no clue what it is. Did i miss something? I look
    it up in the index to see where it was mentioned before and
    thanks to the index i find that parser_action WILL be
    explained on the NEXT page AFTER the page that i'm on. Is
    this not backwards?? Shouldn't these things be explained
    BEFORE sending the hapless reader into the exercise?? So i
    abandon my mortal struggle with "Exercise" #63 and move on
    hoping things will make more sense at some later date.
    Perhaps AFTEr things have been explained.
    
19. Wow. "Exercise" #64. I find myself completely
    disproportionately impressed by this fact: the exercise
    actually takes the time to WARN the reader that to
    understand it might require knowledge of the NEXT two
    chapters. Why bother with this warning now? It's never been
    given before and i've now recounted so many instances where
    the so-called "exercises" contain things not yet explained.
    But lets not dwell on the past, i'm still very very happy to
    have at least been warned. I think i'll skip this example
    and save myself the pain-- come back to it after i've read
    the next couple of chapters. And thank my lucky stars that
    in schools i went to they didn't have the final exams at the
    beginning of semesters and then teach you what was on the
    exam after... 
    
20. !!!!FINALLY!!!! Finally some light is shed!!!!! I'm
    completely over reacting because it's such a shock to
    understand something! My joy is so intense i can barely
    articulate. I already announced my thrill in the last
    chapter of finally having the enigmatic parse_name
    explained, but in this chapter (21) there is a GOOD
    explanation, and not only that i finally find out what that
    damned ##TheSame notation was all about! it's about time! I
    finally think i have the bare essentials to POSSIBLY
    understand that long gone by, twice already looked at,
    "Exercise"! I'm finally being treated to the truth of the
    matter! I cry, indeed, "the truth shall set you free"! (and
    i don't feel bad about taking this quote of jesus out of
    context because i've had a lot of examples of completely out
    of context quotes so far in the manual). 

21. And here is the truth! It's so obvious now. The author of
    the manual is a Tralfalmadorian! Incapable of linear
    thought! Progression, as we humble, backwards eartlings know
    it, means nothing to a Tralfalmadorian. This explains
    everything! (-;
    
22. Page 84 says it's going to extend "press" but then extends
    "push"... synonyms, but an inaccuracy.
    
23. "Exercise" 68.... NextWordStopped()??? STOPPED??? Have not
    seen that one before. wn*2-3???? what on earth is that for!
    Not explained. -1:Return?? is this a typo??! I'm confused.
    
24. page 89. __[routine]__ returns 1 twice in the chart? Typo?
    is the top value supposed to be -1?
    
25. Three pages AFTER the fact I'm not informed what
    "NextWordStopped()" means, but at this point i'm too
    mentally exhausted to backtrack and try and decipher a little
    more of that already mentioned "Exercise" 68 again.

26. There is no 26.

27. "Exercise" #70. ... look at that! The much used "switch"
    function (which has nowhere been explained) has a "default:"
    usage.... how nice to know these things. (just looked up
    "switch" in the index and can take cold comfort from knowing
    that in just 36 more pages it will be officially explained
    to me... i can hardly wait. No matter how redundant the
    explanation will be by then.
    
28. I find my brain uncontrollably screaming: For God's sake put
    some comments, or explanations in the "exercise"
    "answers"!!! It's the least that could be done!! And for
    God's sake move the scope chapter to somewhere before the
    completely mind numbing parser detail in the "tokens of
    grammar" chapter lest poor folks collapse under its weight
    and don't make it out the other side! Help! i'm being
    crushed!
    
29. Lighter note: "Exercise" #74. It's a "slider", but you can't
    "slide" it. (-:  Does that make sense? I only thank god I
    haven't seen an I-F yet with 500 sliders in it as this
    "exercise" suggests might be a good use for the technique
    being shown... and i hope i never will! 
    
30. "Exercise" 76. Imagine trying to learn a programming
    language and being told for an Exercise to go and design and
    program your own compiler out of the language you are trying
    to learn.... uh...
    
31. "Ex" #80. "++scope_count"?!?! what on earth??

32. "Ex" #83. Reader is told what INP1 and INP2 do only after the
    "Exercise" that just used them and while still in the
    exercise "answer". Is that fair?
    
33. page 98 typo. "relatively simply" should be "relatively
    simple".

34. Page 105. typo "ofthese" (no space between words)

35. page 107. typo? "This turns on (flag=1) or off (flag=1)
    word-breaking" (i assume the "off" value should be 0?)
    
36. Once again i'm with good old Shakespeare again at the
    beginning of chapter 24 when he says "Wherefore are these
    things hid?" Exactly my feelings, shakespeare, old buddy!! I
    couldn't have said it better... WHEREFORE ARE THESE THINGS
    HID!
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