Merc Release 2.1
Sunday 01 August 1993

Furey	mec@shell.portal.com
Hatchet	hatchet@uclink.berkeley.edu
Kahn	michael@uclink.berkeley.edu



=== Commands

The central organizing table for skills and spells is cmd_table, an array
of type 'struct cmd_type', and is defined in 'interp.c'.

The fields of cmd_table are:

    char *	name;

	The name of the command.  Command lookup is by partial matching on the
	name; the first match (which also meets level restrictions) is used.

    DO_FUN *	do_fun;

	The function for this command.  A 'do_fun' takes two arguments: the
	character who is issuing the command and the rest of the argument
	string after the command name.

    sh_int	position;

	The minimum position for using this command.

    sh_int	level;

	The minimum level for using this command.  This is usually used for
	restricting certain commands to immortals.

    sh_int	log;

	The type of logging to perform.  LOG_NORMAL commands are logged just
	when the player is logged.  LOG_ALWAYS commands are always logged.
	LOG_NEVER commands are never logged, even if the player is logged.



=== How to Add a Command

(1) Add a line for the command in 'cmd_table' in 'interp.c'.

(2) Add a 'DECLARE_DO_FUN' line for the command function to 'merc.h'.

(3) Write the function and put it into an appropriate 'act_*.c' file.

(4) Write a help section for the function.  See 'help.are' for the format of
    help entries.  We suggest you start your own file of customized help rather
    than adding into 'help.are'.  This will make it easier for you to upgrade
    to future releases of Merc (which will have upgraded 'help.are' files).
    Merc supports as many help files as you want.

That's ALL there is to it!



=== Social Commands

Social commands add to the atmosphere of the game.  The social commands are
contained in 'social_table' in 'interp.c'.  The fields of this table are:

    char *	name;

	The name of the social command.

    char *	char_no_arg;

	The message sent to the character when no argument is given.

    char *	others_no_arg;

	The message sent to others when no argument is given.

    char *	char_found;

	The message sent to the character when a victim is found.

    char *	others_found;

	The message sent to others when a victim is found.

    char *	vict_found;

	The message sent to the victim when a victim is found.

    char *	char_auto;

	The message sent to the character when the victim IS the character.

    char *	others_auto;

	The message sent to others when the victim IS the character.

All of these messages are 'act' messages and may use any '$' sequences (the
'act' function is documented in 'act.txt').  If the command is not found in the
regular command table, the function 'check_social' looks in 'social_table' for
a match.  This is the last stop before rejecting the command.

Socials without arguments, such as 'hop', may have NULL for the strings sent
when arguments are present.



=== How to Add a Social Command

(1) Write a new section into 'social_table' in 'interp.c' with the eight
    messages in it.  The sections need not be alphabetized.

That's ALL there is to it.
