Extra documentation for AGTEDIT.
  

11.2.1999

  This file is done with a hurry, so please forgive me my spelling errors.

  So - You want to know how I really made this program for your use?
  OK.
  Between 1996-1997 I started making AGTE V.0.5 with Qbasic and I was lousy
  in programming back then and didn't know much about anything. So I left the
  whole project freeze for a while.
  As I said the first version 0.5 was quite a failure, cause' it was 18 times
  slower than this version of AGTE. So I decided to start from a scratch
  again. This time I changed a bit the desktop and generated whole new system
  for file parsing. Now AGTE doesn't have to start a new file. AGTE can read
  the old .DAT files almost directly and much faster. This is because:
 
   1. When you start the program, AGTE will create a directory called BINARY.

   2. AGTE will create single files from all of the rooms, creatures, nouns,
      descriptions, helps, texts, etc in the BINARY directory.  

      For instance, if your .DAT file contains these values:

        ROOM 141
        End of road
        NORTH 6
        EAST 3
        SOUTH 4
        WEST 2
        ENTER 3
        END_ROOM

        ROOM_DESCR 141
        You are standing at the end of a road before a small brick building.  Around
        you is a forest.  A small stream flows out of the building and down a gully to
        the south.
        END_ROOM_DESCR

        ROOM 2
        Hill by road
        NORTH 5
        EAST 141
        SOUTH 4
        SOUTHEAST 141
        END_ROOM

      end.

      There will be 3 temporary files created: One called ROOM141.ROM, one
      called RDES141.DES and ROOM2.ROM and they all contain values of their
      own, like ROOM2.ROM:

        Hill by road
        NORTH 5
        EAST 141
        SOUTH 4
        SOUTHEAST 141

      The ROOM n, and END_ROOM will not be added, cause' they just would
      take disk space. They will be added to the .DAT file when you compile.

      Temporary files are listed as follows:

        ROOM???.ROM    (Data file for room ???)
        RDES???.DES    (Description of room ???)
        HELP???.HLP    (Help for room ???)
        NOUN???.NN     (Data file for noun ???)
        NDES???.DES    (Description of noun ???)
        TEXT???.TEX    (Text file for noun ???)
        CRTR???.CRE
        CDES???.DES
        PUSH???.DES
        PULL???.DES
        PLAY???.DES
        TURN???.DES
        SPEC???.DES
        INTRO.INT
        VERBS.VRB
        SYNONYMS.SNM



   3. When you quit, save or compile your game, the editor creates from the
      temporatory files a single .DAT file back again.

   4. If you like, you could check this by using DOS-shell during the editor.

   5. When you quit the program, you may see much "File not found" messages
      on the screen. This is because at the end, the editor will delete
      all temporary files, which it created.



 I changed the compiling engine, so that AGTE doesn't have to check if the
 files exist.



       HISTORY


13.2.1999 :

   
   I planned to write this thing to the end for this VERSION 1.0 BETA!!!!!!
   But I got LITTLE problems with my compiler and my nerves and time sinked
   to the sewer... :) 

14.2.1999 :

   I fixed the problem!! YES! Now I can go and add this program to our site!

 I don't have time to make this to end... Sorry, I'll finish this to the next
 version 1.1 BETA! Ok?


19.2.1999 :

   I hate school. It takes all my time! :)
   Well, I've started making V.1.1 now, and now trying to end first those
   documentation files (Like this one). And make that EXAMPLE.DAT game to end.