Internal Strings - Revision history

RT-55J: Text windows

2025-12-26T17:40:13Z

Text windows

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-A list of internal string messages displayed on the bottom of the screen, along with their durations and whether or not they are set to only appear once.
+ZZT has a number of internal strings that it displays for several purposes.
 Note that the duration variable here is scaled according to the [[game speed]].
@@ Line 55: / Line 59: @@
 Note that the Game Over message (a) has a leading space character, and (b) is not displayed if a message is currently displayed onscreen.
-=== Colors ===
+=== ZZT-OOP Errors ===
 The list of valid ZZT-OOP colors:
@@ Line 84: / Line 106: @@
 Messages are limited to 58 characters in length. Thus, the messages that use this string end up being truncated. Also, due to an off-by-one error, collecting/using a black key will visually overwrite one tile of the sidebar with a black tile.
-=== ZZT-OOP Errors ===
+== Text Windows ==
-Errors thrown is an invalid command is encountered:
+<pre>$DOS Error:
-{| class="wikitable"
+This may be caused by missing
-|Bad Direction
+ZZT files or a bad disk.  If
-|-
+you are trying to save a game
-|Bad object kind
+your disk may be full -- try
-|-
+using a blank, formatted disk
-|Bad #BECOME
+for saving the game!</pre>

Asie at 15:51, 24 December 2025

2025-12-24T15:51:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:51, 24 December 2025
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	A list of internal string messages displayed on the bottom of the screen, along with their durations and whether or not they are set to only appear once.		A list of internal string messages displayed on the bottom of the screen, along with their durations and whether or not they are set to only appear once.

	Note that the duration variable here is scaled according to the game speed~~, with the formula being <code>Time/TickTimeDuration</code>~~.		Note that the duration variable here is scaled according to the [[game speed]].

	{\| class="wikitable sortable"		{\| class="wikitable sortable"
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	(The clubs and diamonds and such are the length parameters for the other color strings.)		(The clubs and diamonds and such are the length parameters for the other color strings.)

	Messages limited to 58 characters in length. Thus, the messages that use this string end up being truncated. Also, due to an off-by-one error, collecting/using a black key will visually overwrite one tile of the sidebar with a black tile.		Messages are limited to 58 characters in length. Thus, the messages that use this string end up being truncated. Also, due to an off-by-one error, collecting/using a black key will visually overwrite one tile of the sidebar with a black tile.

	=== ZZT-OOP Errors ===		=== ZZT-OOP Errors ===

RT-55J: Created page with "A list of internal string messages displayed on the bottom of the screen, along with their durations and whether or not they are set to only appear once. Note that the durati..."

2021-02-14T01:09:20Z

Created page with "A list of internal string messages displayed on the bottom of the screen, along with their durations and whether or not they are set to only appear once. Note that the durati..."

New page

A list of internal string messages displayed on the bottom of the screen, along with their durations and whether or not they are set to only appear once.

Note that the duration variable here is scaled according to the game speed, with the formula being <code>Time/TickTimeDuration</code>.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Message !! Duration !! Show Once
|-
|Bomb activated! || 200 || No
|-
|Energizer - You are invincible || 200 || Yes
|-
|Gems give you Health! || 200 || Yes
|-
|Ammunition - 5 shots per container. || 200 || Yes
|-
|Can't shoot in this place! || 200 || Yes
|-
|You don't have any ammo! || 200 || Yes
|-
|You now have the [color] key. || 200 || No
|-
|You already have a [color] key! || 200 || No
|-
|The [color] door is now open. || 200 || No
|-
|The [color] door is locked! || 200 || No
|-
|Torch - used for lighting in the underground. || 200 || Yes
|-
|Don't need torch - room is not dark! || 200 || Yes
|-
|Room is dark - you need to light a torch! || 200 || Yes
|-
|You don't have any torches! || 200 || Yes
|-
|You are blocked by an invisible wall. || 100 || No
|-
|A path is cleared through the forest. || 200 || Yes
|-
|A fake wall - secret passage! || 150 || Yes
|-
|Your way is blocked by water. || 100 || No
|-
|Running out of time! || 200 || No
|-
|Ouch! || 100 || No
|-
| Game over - Press ESCAPE || 32000 || No
|-
|ERR: [error] || 200 || No
|-
|[object/scroll messages] || 200 || No
|}

Note that the Game Over message (a) has a leading space character, and (b) is not displayed if a message is currently displayed onscreen.

=== Colors ===

The list of valid ZZT-OOP colors:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Blue
|-
|Green
|-
|Cyan
|-
|Red
|-
|Purple
|-
|Yellow
|-
|White
|}

The color black is technically the color 0, which is out of bounds of the color name array. ZZT attempts to read a string that starts 8 characters before the first one, and it's length end up being 46 (corresponding to the character {{CharSwatch|46}} in an unrelated string). The full string for the color black is as follows:

<pre>.-♣....\♦Blue ♣Green ♦Cyan ♥Red ♠P</pre>

(The clubs and diamonds and such are the length parameters for the other color strings.)

Messages limited to 58 characters in length. Thus, the messages that use this string end up being truncated. Also, due to an off-by-one error, collecting/using a black key will visually overwrite one tile of the sidebar with a black tile.

=== ZZT-OOP Errors ===

Errors thrown is an invalid command is encountered:

{| class="wikitable"
|Bad Direction
|-
|Bad object kind
|-
|Bad #BECOME
|-
|Bad #PUT
|-
|Bad #CHANGE
|-
|Bad command [command]
|}