On Thu, Apr 08, 2004 at 08:57:36PM -0500, Eric Dittman wrote:
> > I'm working with a tool that decompiles Z-Machine binaries (think "Zork")
> > into Inform source code....
>
> Are you starting with one of the pre-existing decompilers?
I've been working with "reform"... I have a data file that reconstructs
nearly all the functions and globals with reasonable names for "Starcross"
and "Planetfall" (I think I don't have 'good' names for 3 functions).
Many of the variable names are right out of Infocom source, so it's fairly
easy to read. Due to differences between how Inform and ZILCH (Infocom's
compiler) generate tables and grammar entries, it's not possible (yet) to
compile the generated Inform back into a running binary, but you _can_ see
how the game and the parser work.
There is (still) a movement afoot to recreate a ZIL compiler. Given how
advanced Inform is, it would be a curiosity, but I think it would be
interesting (but then again, I've spent so much time poring over the MDL
Zork sources that I can _read_ ZIL).
-ethan
--
Ethan Dicks, A-130-S Current South Pole Weather at 09-Apr-2004 03:32 Z
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Received on Thu Apr 08 2004 - 22:41:54 BST