Resets and repops

[claw at null.net]

On 27/03/97 at 06:58 AM, cg at ami-cg.GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA (Chris
Gray) said: >Very similar to handling the use of words like 'it':

>    Drop the book into the incinerator then read it.

>[I've been thinking about supporting 'it'].

I support it purely by retaining the last referenced named object. 
This has some obvious grammatical precedent weaknesses, but it works
often enough I find it useful.  

>Currently I have a server function 'It()' that returns the object in
>the current command, but is reset between commands. The above is
>actually two commands, so I need to save the value. Not clearing the
>variable is no good because it points to a now-deleted object.
>Pointing to it prevents the total deletion of the objection, but
>incinerating it will have removed all of its properties, so its
>effectively gone. ...

Similarly here.  The IT value is an Object ID for an object that no
longer exists.  Its not a counted reference, so there's no GC based
trying to keep anything in memory or existance (ie the book does get
deleted).  It's purely an ID.  The result is that the user gets back
something like:

  > Drop the bood into the incinerator and then read it
  The book burns merrily!
  That no longer exists.  

Not as pretty as it could be, but workable.

--
J C Lawrence                               Internet: claw at null.net
----------(*)                              Internet: coder at ibm.net
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...