View source for The Inform Designer's Manual

The primary source of written information about [[Inform 6]] is '''''The Inform Designer's Manual''''' by [[Graham Nelson]]; the current fourth edition of this manual is often known as the '''DM4'''. (For a complementary manual aimed more directly at Inform novices, see ''[[The Inform Beginner's Guide]]''.)

Note that both books describe Release 6 of Inform; they do not cover [[Inform 7]], which pioneers a radically new approach to IF authorship based on natural language definitions.

==Contents==
The information is structured as eight major chapters, divided into some 50 subsections.
* The Inform Language: presents the statements, operators and directives supported by the Inform 6 compiler.
* Introduction to Designing: describes the structure of an Inform 6 ''source file'', and the role of the ''library files''; begins the "Ruins" example game.
* The Model World: introduces the library's capabilities for creating a semi-realistic model of real world behaviour; extends the "Ruins" example game.
* Describing  and Parsing: controlling how objects are referred to, both by the game and by those playing it.
* Natural Language: designing games in non-English languages.
* Using the Compiler: controlling how the source file is compiled into a ''story file''.
* The Z-Machine: understanding the capabilities of [[Infocom]]'s venerable ''virtual machine''.
* The Craft of Adventure: an essay on the principles behind good interactive fiction.

Scattered throughout the text are references to short demonstration programs &mdash; somewhat misleadingly called ''Exercises'' &mdash; showing how Inform can address common design problems; the model ''Answers'' are collected at the end of the manual. In addition, a series of appendices and tables summarise the features of the Inform language and library.

Known errors in the manual are listed [https://www.inform-fiction.org/patches/misprints.html here], and updates for changes to [[Inform 6]] since DM4 was written in an [https://www.inform-fiction.org/manual/I6-Addendum.html addendum].

==Availability==
The manual is available as a [http://www.inform-fiction.org/manual/download_dm4.html free PDF download], or can be [http://www.inform-fiction.org/manual/html/index.html browsed online] at its website or via [http://books.google.com/books?id=JV3vg0f8glkC Google Books]. It is also available for purchase from any good bookstore in paperback ({{ISBN|0971311900}}, [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0971311900 Amazon.com], [http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0971311900 Amazon.co.uk]) and hardback ({{ISBN|0971311935}}, [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0971311935 Amazon.com], [http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0971311935 Amazon.co.uk]).

The original publisher of the printed edition of the DM4, in July 2001, was [[David Cornelson]]. After a period when the manual was out of print, in March 2006 the role of publisher was taken over by [[Dan Sanderson]].

==Revision History==
* Edition 1: September 1994 (describes Inform 5?)
* Edition 2: October 1995 (describes Inform 5.5?)
* Edition 3/1: September 1996 (describes Inform release 6.05, using library release 6/2?)
* Edition 3/2: May 1997 (describes Inform release 6.13, using library release 6/5)
* Edition 4/1: May 2001 (describes Inform release 6.21, using library release 6/9)
* Edition 4/2: July 2001 (describes Inform release 6.21, using library release 6/9)

[[Category:Inform 6|Inform Designer's Manual]] [[Category:Publications|Inform Designer's Manual]]