FEATURE: UTF-8 encoding is now supported for source, solution and transcript files. This extends support for non-English languages. The new compiler option -encoding will make the compiler assume that the source code is encoded with UTF-8. In addition, import files that have a UTF-8 BOM marker will always be read using UTF-8 encoding, irrespective of any options. The interpreter switch -u will indicate that input and output in the terminal, command logs, transcript files and solution files, is performed using UTF-8 encoding (which is the default on Linux and becoming more common). See Appendix C in The Alan Language Manual for details.
FEATURE (language): Block comments. See chapter 4, Lexical Definitions in the Alan Language Manual
FEATURE (interpreters): Make it possible to generate transcript and command logs simultaneously from a single game run
FEATURE (misc): Ensure Alan complies with the Babel Treaty (a convention to make it possible to identify and catalog *all* works of Interactive Fiction)
FEATURE (interpreter): Add separate option for not paging output ("<More>")
WARNING: warn for actors in containers as the behaviour is not completely well-defined
BUGFIX: When an item is located in a container the limits now considers content in possibly contained items recursively. Furthermore, if the container in itself is inside a container with limits those limits are also checked. This might change behaviour of existing games, please check by running your tests.
BUGFIX: Large games with many string or set manipulations could sometimes exhibit significant slowdowns over time
BUGFIX: Transcript was always empty when started from code using "Transcript On."
BUGFIX: Random spacing issues fixed
BUGFIX: Dynamic variable $v gave wrong output if used in Exits
BUGFIX: Dynamic variable $o crashed the interpreter if used in an Exit
BUGFIX: Option section did not allow you to use 'no' before a boolean option
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What they say
"Another thing I'm sure of, the game will again be in Alan."
Eric Mayer
"Man, I just finished programming a little game with Alan, and let me tell you ALAN RULES!! It's so simple, *I* can program with it."
Rob Anderson
"I think its most attractive quality is simplicity, a quality that no other adventure creation language possesses."
Walt Sandsquish
"I think it's the best IF language I've ever seen - and I *am* a programmer."
Andrew Heale
"I-F languages are like vehicles ... using Alan is like driving a zippy, easy-handling little electric town car -- it's often all you need to take you where you want to go."
