Re: Z-code Family Tree, portability, copyrights


1 Jul 1995 13:18:01 -0400

In article <dbk-2806951202100001@dbk.pr.mcs.net>,
Dan Keith <dbk@mcs.com> wrote:

}The following information is based upon a preliminary crude analysis (as viewed
}from a Macintosh perspective). I am hoping to elicit corrections from y'all in
}the IF-community. My goal is to develop a free (in the GNU sense of the word, as
}well as a financial sense) MagicCap implementation that derives from a
}well-supported, evolving Z-machine source. At this time, however, I am uncertain
}as to which source to derive from, ITF or ZIP.
}
}Background
}==========
}It appears that the following portable Z-Code interpreters have been source-code
}available for the last few years:
} ZIP - Mark Howell (howell_ma@movies.enet.dec.com)
} ITF - InfoTaskForce
}There are also several ports of the source code that have not been integrated
}into the main Zip and ITF distributions. Specifically:
} Zip/Mac 8/4/94 Matthew Russotto (russotto@his.com,
}russotto@eng.umd.edu)
} ITF/Mac 1/10/94 Matthew Russotto (russotto@his.com,
}russotto@eng.umd.edu)

BTW, russotto@end.umd.edu is no longer valid-- russotto@pond.com
replaces that. And there is another ITF port which is integrated.

} MaxZip 1995 Andrew Plotkin (erkyrath@cmu.edu or
}andrew.plotkin@cmu.edu)

}Conclusions
}===========
}I have a deep respect for Graham Nelson, Mark Howell and all the rest of the
}IF-community who have kept the infocom technology alive, evolving, and in the
}public domain. As such, the above Inform Manual's comment about Zip
}'taking over'
}carries a lot of weight. You gotta support standards and the public domain where
}you can.
}
}So, unless someone dissuades me or convinces me otherwise, I am going to
}base the
}MagicCap port on the latest Zip port that is unencumbered by copyright.

No dissuasion here-- that's the right move. It's also optimized for
programmer ease-- even starting with an existing ITF/Mac port, ITF was
harder to port than ZIP.