Looking for things without descriptions [Initial appearance vs Description]

Authoring Inform 7
1

It appears that this:

When play begins (this is the run property checks at the start of play rule):
    repeat with item running through things:
        if description of the item is "":
            say "[item] has no description."

Only works if you use syntax like “The description of the shovel is “an ordinary shovel”” but not if you simply put the description at the end of the creation of the object like this:

The Shovel is an object. It is in the Smokehouse. “A rusty shovel is here. It looks like it would only work in sand.”

Are there any advantages to spelling out “The description is” instead of just placing the description on the end of the line? Does doing so eliminate my need to do "Instead of examining, say “It’s a rusty shovel.” or anything?

Greg

2

This is an initial appearance, which should disappear after the thing is picked up.

“the description of [something]” is permanent.

WI 3. Things (zedlopez.github.io)

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3

To be clear, it’s in the initial appearance property, not the description property.

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4

As said in previous answers, the text after the declaration of a thing goes into the initial appearance property but I’d like to add that the text after the declaration of a room goes into the description property.

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5

Thanks all. Sorry for the newbie question!

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6

It’s not a newbie question, automatic initial appearance vs. description is not very intuitive.

And more importantly, even if it was a newbie question, please do not apologize, that’s what this forum is for.

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7

Thanks!

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8

For clarity, you can have both:

A rusty shovel is in Smokehouse. "Someone has left a rusty shovel leaning against the wall here." The description is "It's a rusty shovel. It looks like it would only work in sand."

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