By default, Inform 7 comes with a whole lot of verbs built in. And sometimes you don’t want all of those! When this happens, what is a poor author to do?
The Parser Parer tool is one way of handling this. Another is to simply remove the section of the Standard Rules that defines all the verbs!
If you’re working with Inform 10, for example, take this code:
Part - Replacement Grammar (in place of Part Six - Grammar in Standard Rules by Graham Nelson)
Understand "take [things]" as taking.
Understand "take off [something]" as taking off.
Understand "take [something] off" as taking off.
Understand "take [things inside] from [something]" as removing it from.
Understand "take [things inside] off [something]" as removing it from.
Understand "take inventory" as taking inventory.
Understand the commands "carry" and "hold" as "take".
Understand "get in/on" as entering.
Understand "get out/off/down/up" as exiting.
Understand "get [things]" as taking.
Understand "get in/into/on/onto [something]" as entering.
Understand "get off/down [something]" as getting off.
Understand "get [things inside] from [something]" as removing it from.
Understand "pick up [things]" or "pick [things] up" as taking.
Understand "stand" or "stand up" as exiting.
Understand "stand on [something]" as entering.
Understand "remove [something preferably held]" as taking off.
Understand "remove [things inside] from [something]" as removing it from.
Understand "shed [something preferably held]" as taking off.
Understand the commands "doff" and "disrobe" as "shed".
Understand "wear [something preferably held]" as wearing.
Understand the command "don" as "wear".
Understand "put [other things] in/inside/into [something]" as inserting it into.
Understand "put [other things] on/onto [something]" as putting it on.
Understand "put on [something preferably held]" as wearing.
Understand "put [something preferably held] on" as wearing.
Understand "put down [things preferably held]" or "put [things preferably held] down" as dropping.
Understand "insert [other things] in/into [something]" as inserting it into.
Understand "drop [things preferably held]" as dropping.
Understand "drop [other things] in/into/down [something]" as inserting it into.
Understand "drop [other things] on/onto [something]" as putting it on.
Understand "drop [something preferably held] at/against [something]" as throwing it at.
Understand the commands "throw" and "discard" as "drop".
Understand "give [something preferably held] to [someone]" as giving it to.
Understand "give [someone] [something preferably held]" as giving it to (with nouns reversed).
Understand the commands "pay" and "offer" and "feed" as "give".
Understand "show [someone] [something preferably held]" as showing it to (with nouns reversed).
Understand "show [something preferably held] to [someone]" as showing it to.
Understand the commands "present" and "display" as "show".
Understand "go" as going.
Understand "go [direction]" as going.
Understand "go [something]" as entering.
Understand "go into/in/inside/through [something]" as entering.
Understand the commands "walk" and "run" as "go".
Understand "inventory" as taking inventory.
Understand the commands "i" and "inv" as "inventory".
Understand "look" as looking.
Understand "look at [something]" as examining.
Understand "look [something]" as examining.
Understand "look inside/in/into/through [something]" as searching.
Understand "look under [something]" as looking under.
Understand "look up [text] in [something]" as consulting it about (with nouns reversed).
Understand the command "l" as "look".
Understand "consult [something] on/about [text]" as consulting it about.
Understand "open [something]" as opening.
Understand "open [something] with [something preferably held]" as unlocking it with.
Understand the commands "unwrap", "uncover" as "open".
Understand "close [something]" as closing.
Understand "close up [something]" as closing.
Understand "close off [something]" as switching off.
Understand the commands "shut" and "cover" as "close".
Understand "enter" as entering.
Understand "enter [something]" as entering.
Understand the command "cross" as "enter".
Understand "sit on top of [something]" as entering.
Understand "sit on/in/inside [something]" as entering.
Understand "exit" as exiting.
Understand the commands "leave" and "out" as "exit".
Understand "examine [something]" as examining.
Understand the commands "x", "watch", "describe" and "check" as "examine".
Understand "read [something]" as examining.
Understand "read about [text] in [something]" as consulting it about (with nouns reversed).
Understand "read [text] in [something]" as consulting it about (with nouns reversed).
Understand "yes" as saying yes.
Understand the command "y" as "yes".
Understand "no" as saying no.
Understand "sorry" as saying sorry.
Understand "search [something]" as searching.
Understand "wave" as waving hands.
Understand "wave [something]" as waving.
Understand "set [something] to [text]" as setting it to.
Understand the command "adjust" as "set".
Understand "pull [something]" as pulling.
Understand the command "drag" as "pull".
Understand "push [something]" as pushing.
Understand "push [something] [direction]" or "push [something] to [direction]" as pushing it to.
Understand the commands "move", "shift", "clear" and "press" as "push".
Understand "turn [something]" as turning.
Understand "turn [something] on" or "turn on [something]" as switching on.
Understand "turn [something] off" or "turn off [something]" as switching off.
Understand the commands "rotate", "twist", "unscrew" and "screw" as "turn".
Understand "switch [something switched on]" as switching off.
Understand "switch [something]" or "switch on [something]" or "switch [something] on" as
switching on.
Understand "switch [something] off" or "switch off [something]" as switching off.
Understand "lock [something] with [something preferably held]" as locking it with.
Understand "unlock [something] with [something preferably held]" as unlocking it with.
Understand "attack [something]" as attacking.
Understand the commands "break", "smash", "hit", "fight", "torture", "wreck", "crack", "destroy",
"murder", "kill", "punch" and "thump" as "attack".
Understand "wait" as waiting.
Understand the command "z" as "wait".
Understand "answer [text] to [someone]" as answering it that (with nouns reversed).
Understand the commands "say", "shout" and "speak" as "answer".
Understand "tell [someone] about [text]" as telling it about.
Understand "ask [someone] about [text]" as asking it about.
Understand "ask [someone] for [something]" as asking it for.
Understand "eat [something preferably held]" as eating.
Understand "sleep" as sleeping.
Understand the command "nap" as "sleep".
Understand "climb [something]" or "climb up/over [something]" as climbing.
Understand the command "scale" as "climb".
Understand "buy [something]" as buying.
Understand the command "purchase" as "buy".
Understand "squeeze [something]" as squeezing.
Understand the command "squash" as "squeeze".
Understand "swing [something]" or "swing on [something]" as swinging.
Understand "wake" or "wake up" as waking up.
Understand "wake [someone]" or "wake [someone] up" or "wake up [someone]" as waking.
Understand the commands "awake" and "awaken" as "wake".
Understand "kiss [someone]" as kissing.
Understand the commands "embrace" and "hug" as "kiss".
Understand "think" as thinking.
Understand "smell" as smelling.
Understand "smell [something]" as smelling.
Understand the command "sniff" as "smell".
Understand "listen" as listening to.
Understand "hear [something]" as listening to.
Understand "listen to [something]" as listening to.
Understand "taste [something]" as tasting.
Understand "touch [something]" as touching.
Understand the command "feel" as "touch".
Understand "rub [something]" as rubbing.
Understand the commands "shine", "polish", "sweep", "clean", "dust", "wipe" and "scrub" as "rub".
Understand "tie [something] to [something]" as tying it to.
Understand the commands "attach" and "fasten" as "tie".
Understand "burn [something]" as burning.
Understand the command "light" as "burn".
Understand "drink [something]" as drinking.
Understand the commands "swallow" and "sip" as "drink".
Understand "cut [something]" as cutting.
Understand the commands "slice", "prune" and "chop" as "cut".
Understand "jump" as jumping.
Understand the commands "skip" and "hop" as "jump".
Understand "score" as requesting the score.
Understand "quit" or "q" as quitting the game.
Understand "save" as saving the game.
Understand "restart" as restarting the game.
Understand "restore" as restoring the game.
Understand "verify" as verifying the story file.
Understand "version" as requesting the story file version.
Understand "script" or "script on" or "transcript" or "transcript on" as switching the story
transcript on.
Understand "script off" or "transcript off" as switching the story transcript off.
Understand "superbrief" or "short" as preferring abbreviated room descriptions.
Understand "verbose" or "long" as preferring unabbreviated room descriptions.
Understand "brief" or "normal" as preferring sometimes abbreviated room descriptions.
Understand "nouns" or "pronouns" as requesting the pronoun meanings.
Understand "notify" or "notify on" as switching score notification on.
Understand "notify off" as switching score notification off.
The understand token a time period translates into Inter as "RELATIVE_TIME_TOKEN".
Throw it into your source, and comment out whichever lines you don’t want. (Or comment out the whole thing, and uncomment the lines you do want.) The actions themselves will still exist, so you won’t get weird compiler errors when an extension refers to one of them, but nothing the player types will be able to trigger them.
This post brought to you by figuring out the fastest way to cut out a bunch of unused actions for Petit Mort.
. But your approach of replacing the entire section looks more intuitive, because then you only specify what you need, instead of removing everything you do NOT need…