[I6] Setting up and modifying textual name of object

Authoring Inform 6
1

Hello!

I would like to ask is there any way to set up or modify textual name of object without using of short_name property. I need to set up a name for dynamycally created objects of certain class, but in Russian Inform 6 library for Glulx (RInform) that I use short_name property has not word declension rules (as I know) so I need to find a way to set up a textual name. Any variants? Maybe some kind of opcode/glk magic?

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2

The Glulx Inform Technical Reference says:

The object structure:

This structure is generated by the compiler, and used by the veneer and library.

byte: 70 (type identifier for objects)
byte[7]: attributes
long: next object in the overall linked list
long: hardware name string
long: property table address
long: parent object
long: sibling object
long: child object

So, if I’m reading that correctly, storing the string address word (4 bytes) at memory position object+12 (which is obj-->3 under Glulx) should modify the equivalent value.

Constant Story "Glulx textual name modification";
Constant Headline "^(textual name = hardware string)^";

Include "Parser";
Include "VerbLib";
Include "Grammar";

Class Room
    has light;

Room Start "Starting Point"
    with    description
                "An uninteresting room.";

Object test_obj "original name" Start;

Global new_name = "modified name";


[ Initialise ;

    location = Start;

    print "The original name is: ", (name) test_obj, ".^";
    test_obj-->3 = new_name;
    print "The modified name is: ", (name) test_obj, ".^";
    "... and it looks like that works!";

];

If that’s not what you meant, perhaps you can use a routine-based short_name property to implement your own declension rules?

[ DetermineDeclension obj;
    ! This routine determines the declension case for an object
    ...
];

Object x
    with    case1_name "case 1",
            case2_name "case 2",
            short_name [;
                switch (DetermineDeclension(self)) {
                    1:  print (string) self.case1_name;
                    2:  print (string) self.case2_name;
                    default: print "[declension error]";
                }
            ],
            ...
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3

The first variant has completely fitted. Thank you very much, otistdog! It was very helpful.

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