root/releases/1.6/0p5/CHANGES-7

This is the most current changes file for the DuneSource version of
PennMUSH. Please look it over; each version contains new things which
might significantly affect the function of your server.

Unlike the older CHANGES files, these changes are reported in
reverse chronological order (most recent first)

==========================================================================

Version 1.50 patchlevel 10 Dune #2  February 5, 1995


Major changes:

  * The server can now dynamically determine what options have been
    added to a database, and will read in all future DuneSource dbs
    correctly, even if the same options aren't set, and write out dbs
    which identify the current compiled options (those which affect
    the db). For example, CHAT_SYSTEM need only be set to 0 or 3 now,
    as the server will autodetect whether the db has chat or not, and
    convert it, if necessary to add (or remove!) the chat field.
    (Ergo, minimal.chat.db.Z is no longer needed or distributed).
    This terrific idea is from Kalkin; however, the DuneSource system
    of db versions is *NOT* compatible with the Kalkin system. 

  * Flags now have separate permissions for setting and unsetting.
    For example, the DEBUG flag is wiz-settable, but unsettable by
    any player who controls the object. In addition, flags can now
    be made all-visible, owner-visible, admin-visible, or god-visible;
    SUSPECT is no longer a special case, just an admin-visible flag.
    This behavior used to be controlled by the FLAGS_DARK option, but
    is now a permanent change - the option has been removed.

  * Extensive warning system for things missing on objects, rooms, etc.
    @warnings command for players to set the level of warnings they want,
    @wcheck[/all] command for players to check an object (checks can also run
    at a God-configurable interval on the whole db), NOWARN flag for objects
    and players. Idea from Kalkin's adaptation of MUSE code, totally
    rewritten.
    

New options (dune.h):

  * GUEST_TEXTFILE option enables a textfile (guest.txt by default)
    to be shown to Guests who log in. Idea and source code from Kalkin.
  * PAGELOCK_NOT_USELOCK option causes @lock/use to fail for players,
    requiring them to type @lock/page. The lock itself has not changed,
    just the interface, to remind players of its function. By Ralph Melton.
  * More control over possessive gets with the POSSESSIVE_GET define
    and the POSSGET_ON_DISCONNECTED define. Possessive get can be
    disabled, enabled for all but disconnected players, or enabled
    at all times (the default PennMUSH behavior)

New functions:

  * lit() returns its input totally unparsed, and without spaces compressed.
  * t() returns the truthvalue of its input, guarranteed to be either
    1 or 0.
  * objmem() and playermem() functions, return the memory usage of
    an object or all of a player's objects. Requires search_all power.
  * grab(list,pattern[,delimiter]), returns the first element of list
    which patches the pattern. Patterns are of the match() type.
    From the TinyMUSH 2.2 code.

Minor Changes:

  * You must actually own an object (not just control it) or be a
    Wizard in order to set it chown_ok or dest_ok. By Ralph Melton.
  * You can use #$ in the actions in a switch() function
    or @switch/@select statement, and it will be replaced by the switch
    expression before executing or evaluating. This can improve
    efficiency and save space. For example:
    switch(complexfunc(%0),Bob,BobResult,#$)
    is equivalent to:
    switch(complexfunc(%0),Bob,BobResult,complexfunc(%0))
    but only requires a single evaluation of complexfunc(%0).
    Suggested by Kenric@DuneII.
  * "things" is a synonym for "objects" in @search now. By Ralph Melton
  * Blank lines are no longer squished out of help/news/events when they
    are displayed.

--- Fixes ---

  * #-2 is treated as a "0" (false, like #-1) in functions which need a
    logical value for it. Previously, it was treated as -2 (true).
  * @select is now considerably more efficient - it no longer will 
    evaluate anything after the matched action. The old behavior
    could well be a bug in the right conditions as well. 
  * atr_add now rejects null attribute names, so you probably can't set them
    any more. Suggested by Kalkin, the code's by Mike@StarWars.
  * Players can reset a DARK flag on themselves, but still can not
    set themselves DARK.
  * andflags(me,!Dc) used to return 1 if I am !dark and !connected,
    instead of !D and connected, as the help states. Fix by Ralph
    Melton.
  * Halting an object which is @wait'ing used to fail to decrement
    the owner's queue attrib. Fixed now. Patch by Ralph Melton.
  * set_flag uses strupper instead of upcasestr now, which should fix
    a bug on some systems wherein "cd" command would crash the MUSH and
    a similar bug wherein players connecting would crash the MUSH if
    the ON-VACATION flag was in use.
  * The old channel syntax (@channel foo=command) works again.
  * The RULES option now works.
  * The convtime() has been rewritten to work on NeXT's correctly.
    Previously, its malloc failed and it returned -1.
  * Systems which have getrlimit, but *don't* have RLIMIT_NOFILE,
    are now supported. Notably, Aix 2.x and 3.x.
  * The installation hints for Solaris 2 have been improved.
    WAIT_TYPE is defined as int, and if NBPC can't be found for
    getpagesize(), it'll try PAGESIZE instead. Thanks to Kalkin for these.
  * Installation for AIX has been improved. AIX required inclusion of
    sys/select.h in the IDENT stuff.
  * Various rewrites of tests against NOTHING to use the GoodObject()
    macro instead. Thanks to Ralph Melton for some of these.
  * Got rid of some warnings when compiling mkindx

 
Version 1.50 patchlevel 10 Dune #1  January 5, 1995

--- Features ---

Major changes:

  * When players attempt to log in to a Guest character that is already
    in use, the server tries to find one that isn't, and connects the
    player to that. If it can't, you get the old behavior (two connections
    to the single Guest).
  * Extended @mail system is available with many new mail commands.
  * Sending SIGHUP (kill -1) to the MUSH process can cause it
    to recache text files and reread mush.conf on the fly.
  * Dump warnings 5 minutes and 1 minute before non-forking
    dump, and optional announcement at completion of dump.
  * Guest players may not set attributes.
  * Options to add two new news.txt type files: rules.txt and index.txt.
  * Kill command can be disabled.
  * @aconnect/@adisconnect messages on individual rooms.

New options:

  * Many many new options. Read 'dune.h' for information and to choose
    which options you want. Pretty much all of the changes listed here
    can be turned on and off from dune.h, except some fixes. More are
    detailed in dune.h

Changes to commands:

  * CD command at connection screen allows Wizards to connect to the game
    DARKly.
  * @sitelock command for on-the-fly sitelocking by Wizards.
  * @dump/paranoid can try to fix the db in memory, too.
  * @decomp/db, produces decomp output using dbref of object instead
    of its name.
  * ex/mortal, shows examine output as if player were mortal.
  * Option to rename @destroy to @recycle, since @dest and @desc are
    easy to confuse.
  * @restart command. Combines an @halt with triggering @startup.
  * @hide now provides feedback when used.
  * @find may be restricted to royalty, the only ones for whom it might
    possibly be useful.
  * @function now lets you know when it updates an @function.
  * The old (pl8?) @channel <channel>=<function> syntax is back, along
    with @channel/<function> <channel>, for those who liked it.
  * @grep can be either case-sensitive or not (the default).
  * If you don't specify the destination attribute in @cpattr, it
    assumes you want the same attrib name as the source attrib.
  * @mvattr, like @cpattr, but removes old attribute.
  * ANSI players now see their @edit additions in bold.
  * Rooms and exits can @emit. Rooms @emit into themselves (like @remit),
    and exits @emit to their source room.
  * @squota can now be given quota levels as +<quota> or -<quota>, to
    increase or decrease a player's quota from its current level.

Changes to functions:

  * encrypt() and decrypt() functions.
  * hidden() function for checking if a player is hidden.
  * hastype() function for checking if a thing is a given type.
  * pemit() function sends pemits to a list of objects.
  * lparent() function, returns object's parent, grandparent, etc.
  * quota() function, returns a player's quota.
  * N-dimensional vector arithmetic functions: vadd(), vmul(), vsub(),
    vmag(), vdim(), vunit()
  * haspower() can be restricted to admin.
  * "Lower math" functions: shr(), shl(), inc(), dec()
  * beep() with no arguments produces a single beep.
  * pmatch() will now accept *player or #dbref arguments.
  * lsearchr() function does an lsearch *backwards* through the db.

Changes to flags/powers:

  * Flags can be defined as dark (invisible to all but God), 
    mdark (invisible to mortals), and odark (invisible to mortals who don't
    own the object) in flags.c.
  * @cemit can be granted as a power
  * The ability to set the DEBUG flags on objects the player controls
    can be granted as a power (idea by Kenric@DuneII)
  * Optional COLOR flag to control reception of ANSI color apart from
    ANSI hiliting.
  * OPAQUE flag on exits. OPAQUE exits in translucent rooms look
    like normal exits in non-translucent rooms.
  * FIXED flag prevents @tel and home.
  * DARK Wizards need not trigger @aenter.
  * The SUSPECT flag is now abbreviated 's'.
  * NO_LEAVE flag on objects prevents 'leave' command from working in them.
    Useful for flying vehicles and the like.
  * UNREGISTERED flag for use with on-line registration. UNREGISTERED 
    players can't have @powers set on them.

Minor changes:

  * &adestroy attribute triggered when object is dest'd.
  * &amail attribute triggered when admin player receives @mail.
  * Player/room/object names can appear automatically in bold.
  * Dark and Hidden players are distinguished on the admin WHO list
  * Dark and Hidden players are indicated on the admin DOING list
  * ESC characters can not be put in @doing's
  * Wizards who idle are set hidden, not DARK. Same for royalty.
  * DARK wizards enter and leave @chat channels silently.
  * Royalty can now see the Wizard @channel/list
  * The mortal @channel/list lists only public channels.
  * @idle/@haven/@away attribs which evaluate to nothing are not
    sent to the paging player.


--- Fixes ---

  * TRANSPARENT variable exits don't crash the MUSH when looked at.
  * @channel/delete and @channel/privs take the right number of arguments
  * @decomp now decompiles flags properly.
  * When logins are disabled, players may not create characters.
  * The controls() function is made safer. Defining SAFER_CONTROL prevents
    anyone but God from controlling God, any non-wizard from controlling
    anything with a wizbit, and any non-admin from controlling anything with
    a roybit.
  * Player names are made safer. Defining SAFER_PLAYER_NAMES prevents the
    use of [, ], %, and \ in player names.
  * The strupper() function is made safer.
  * Mortals can remove the DEBUG flag on objects they own.
  * The set functions now take delimiters like they should.
  * Revwords() takes a delimeter, like it should.
  * @config displays whether function side effects are available correctly.
    It used to get it backwards.
  * Some checks against NOTHING have been changed to use the GoodObject()
    macro in look.c and possibly other places.
  * It's more difficult for players to enter themselves.
  * PLAYER_NAME_SPACES works right now, use double-quotes around 
    multi-word names.
  * haspower() on unknown powers now returns #-1 NO SUCH POWER instead
    of a null string.
  * replace(|2|3|4,3,foo) now returns |2|foo|4, instead of |2|3|foo
    Patch by Ralph Melton
  * Players must be @elocked before being set ZONE, for security.
    Idea by Kenric@DuneII
  * The mail_init/load_mail stuff in game.c has been revised because
    Irix 5.2 at least does not return NULL when popen'ing uncompress on
    a non-existent file in some cases.