About Inform 6.3   What's new?   Compiler bugs   Library bugs   Enhancement ideas

Inform 6.3 and further development In the four or so years since Graham announced the current release of Inform (Compiler 6.21, Library 6/10), a number of problems have been discovered -- no surprise there, given the scope and complexity of the software. Graham is presently occupied with other matters, but gave his blessing for a small taskforce to create a maintenance release, initially comprising Compiler 6.30 and Library 6/11, intended to address those problems. The project goals were: To merge Andrew Plotkin's Glulx system into the main Inform development stream, such that a single compiler and set of library files are sufficient to generate code for the Z-machine (by default) or for the Glulx Virtual Machine (by using the -G switch). To enhance the current Glulx compiler to process all of the Inform language constructs: at the moment, there is no support for the style statement, escape characters like @'e for "é", and Unicode characters like @{E9}. To review the Compiler and Library problems on the Patch List, and to incorporate all fixes which are felt to be desirable and relatively risk-free. To review the enhancement ideas on the Suggestions List, and to incorporate any which are felt to be desirable and without impact on existing games. Ideally, to create a Macintosh compilation tool which runs under native OS X and removes the need to create ICL files. The Z-machine/Glulx merge will hopefully be beneficial to authors currently struggling with the older VM's limitations; just as nowadays you need simply use a -v8 compiler switch when you hit the top of Version 5, so in future a -G switch will be the only change needed when Version 8 proves inadequate (unless you've used Z-machine assembler codes, which are different from those of Glulx). Candidate versions of new compilers and libraries will be announced on rec.arts.int-fiction, and downloadable from this page, enabling brave and trusting Informers to test them prior to the official release. 10 Dec 2003 Beta version of Inform 6.3 available 16 Jan 2004 Second Beta version available 27 Feb 2004 Inform 6.3 (i.e. compiler 6.30 and library 6/11) released Please download the compiler and library using the links below and test them with your existing .inf files. It is unlikely that authors will notice many differences from the previous version, but please do read the release notes. Please continue to report bugs via the Patch List; feature requests should go to the Suggestion List (see sidebar links). Builds or updates of the compiler for platforms not mentioned below, and translations of the library, are particularly welcome. Release notes     Download   Final release notes for Inform compiler 6.30 and library 6/11. PDF format. Inform library 6/11 (zipped)     Download   The nine library files as a ZIP file (*nix line endings) Inform compiler 6.30 (Windows, zipped)     Download (347KB)  Inform 6.30 for MS Windows 95-XP Inform compiler 6.30 source (zipped)     Download (244KB)  The compiler's 22 ANSI C files as a ZIP archive Inform compiler and library (tarball)    Glenn Hutchings, updated Download (1308KB)  All-in-one source package for Linux with library, designer's manual in HTML format and example games and tutorials Inform compiler 6.30 (RPM)    Keith Fieldhouse Download (1870KB)  Red Hat/Fedora Linux package of Inform 6.30 Inform compiler 6.30 Linux binary     Download (157KB)  Inform 6.30 binary for Linux (ELF, GZipped) Inform compiler 6.30 for BeOS    Sophie Fruehling Download (188KB)  Inform 6.30 for BeOS on x86 Inform compiler 6.30 for Mac OS X    Nick Montfort Download (173KB)  Inform 6.30 for OS X Inform compiler 6.30 for Mac OS 9    Robert A. Pelak Download (1070KB)  Inform 6.30 for 68K or PPC Macintosh (MacOS 7.0 and Color QuickDraw required), Mac interface version 3.62 Inform compiler 6.30 for AROS    Kalle Räisänen Download (273KB)  Inform 6.30 for Amiga Research OS (aros.sf.net) on i386+. Inform compiler 6.30 beta1 (Mac OS 9)    Andrew Hunter Download (419KB)  Inform 6.30 beta1 for OS 7-9 built with Mac Programmer's Workshop. Inform 6 Executables     Link   The home folder at the IF-Archive for versions of the Inform 6 compiler

Last updated 26 November 2004. This site is no longer supported; information may be out of date.
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