Message-ID: <3B86917D.E308D400@csi.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 13:40:13 -0400
From: John Colagioia <JColagioia@csi.com>
Organization: No Conspiracy Here...
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Subject: Re: [inform] Simple ASK ABOUT TOPIC  question
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OKB -- not okblacke wrote:

>      It seems to me that <<Ask i noun>> is suspect because the default grammar
> for Ask does not take a noun (it takes a topic).  As far as I know, there is no
> way to get at this topic as a whole (you have to read it word by word).  Now,
> if you're using this kind of conversation mechanism, it's quite possible you've
> extended Ask to accept a noun (so you can use "topic objects"), but if you
> haven't, that could be the problem.

On the other hand, according to the Designer's Manual, "ask orc about the big
troll" sets noun to the orc and second to 'big' (the dictionary word).  Any future
parsing has yet to be done.  Presumably, then, the modified grammar rule sets noun
to 'big,' and second to nothing (with parsing still allowable/necessary by the
life() method), which lets the noun fill-in work.  If I understand the concept
correctly, at least...


