Compare two variables against a table?

Authoring Inform 7
1

Is it possible to compare if a variable is listed in a table, and at the same time if a corresponding entry in the table is equal to another variable?

I’m trying to check if an entry exists in a table that matches two variables (from outside of the table), and if it DOESN’T exist, write it.

I want to say something along the lines of:

If there is no item entry of [item] with a corresponding timestamp entry of [current time], choose that row; now the item entry is [item]; now the timestamp entry is [current time]; now the holder entry is the holder of the item;

But for the life of me I just can’t figure out a way of doing this? I feel like this is going to be one of these things where the answer is really simple and I’ve just spent a whole day butting my head against it without success.

Any help is appreciated.

2

I’m not sitting behind Inform at the moment, so this might not compile, but the basic logic should work:

To add (item - a thing) to stuff: let m be 0; repeat through the Table of Stuff: if item entry is item and timestamp entry is current time: now m is 1; if m is 0: choose a blank row in the Table of Stuff; now item entry is item; now timestamp entry is current time; now holder entry is the holder of item.

3

Thank you so much!

Can’t tell you how many hours I’ve been trying to figure that out.