Inform 7 is now open source

Inform is a design system for interactive fiction based on natural language, and consists of a core compiler, together with extensions, kits and other resources, a number of outlying tools, and documentation, along with applications presenting the system in a friendly way on MacOS, Windows and Linux. This software had been used extensively since 28 April 2006, but by 2016 its source code was in considerable need of modernisation. In part that was wear-and-tear, but it was also the effect of years of experiment in which the code was often built without a full understanding of the concepts it was groping towards. In early 2016, then, a substantial work of renovation began. That work is now essentially complete, and the first results can be seen. The git repository “GitHub – ganelson/inform: The core software distribution for the Inform 7 programming language.” became public today, presenting the complete source and extensive technical documentation. And with that, the whole system was placed under the highly permissive Artistic License 2.0. This is an open-source licence recognised as such by, for example, the Free Software Foundation. –Graham Nelson, intfiction.org

2 thoughts on “Inform 7 is now open source

  1. Hi Dennis,

    I watched the video “Inform 7: Coding a journalism-themed setting, props, and NPCs” ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xDa2QlGpAs )

    The code file URL for this game is not in the description as suggested near 48 min 40 seconds.. Where would I find the source for the example journalism game?

    I am taking a game production class at IU School of Informatics in Indianapolis, looking at how games can be used in training people about complex topics.

    The Inform 7 approach would a viable system to test out such games.

    Thanks again for the Inform 7 videos, they have very helpful.
    John Blue
    johblue@iu.edu

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