Alter Aeon FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

FAQ Section 12 - [advanced] How do I write descriptions and use the editor?

Question 12.1  - What's a description? What's the editor?

A description is a paragraph describing something.  Examples would
be your personal character description (when you type "set desc"),
an object description (when you type "look" at an object) and even
a post on a message board.

The editor is what was used to make these descriptions.

Question 12.2  - How do I exit the editor if I get stuck?

You can exit the editor by typing the '@' (at sign) symbol and hitting 
enter. You may have to type it and hit enter twice, as there are 2 
different editor modes.

Question 12.3  - What are some ways I can use the editor without messing something up?

To start with, you can set how your character looks to other players 
by using the "set desc" command.  You can also set your personality and
history by typing "set history", or "set personality".  If you haven't 
used the editor before, you should read the next section about how to 
use it before you do this.

Question 12.4  - How do I use the first part of the editor? (enter mode)

When you first enter the editor, your prompt will turn into a ']'
(right bracket).  This is called "enter mode", where you can enter the 
raw text you want in your description.  Anything you enter here will
be what your description says, do not type any editing commands.  If
you need to use an edit command while you're still in enter mode, you can
simply add a '/' (forward slash) before the command.  As in the examples:

/format 72

Would tell the editor to format ALL of your post at 72 character width.

/show

Would show you what you've written so far, with line numbers before each
line.

You don't have to use the slash character to send commands while you're in
enter mode, you will automatically enter edit mode after you're finished
typing.  You can tell the mud you're done by typing the '@' (at sign) symbol. 
Your prompt will turn into "edit>", and you will move into the next section!

Question 12.5  - How do I use the second part of the editor? (edit mode)

This is the "edit mode", where you prompt has turned into "edit>".  This mode
is very important, and allows you to format things, change line numbers, and
fix typos if you made any.  It also allows you to delete lines and basically
manage your text.  There is a help page for the editor available if you type
"help 3.editor", but the basic commands are as follows:

show                  Show you what you've entered, with line numbers
                      on the side.

format                Format your entire post at the default width,
                      which is 76 characters.  Remember - the formatter will
                      put lines of text together in one paragraph, unless
                      they are separated by an extra (completely blank) line.

look                  Show you what you've entered without line numbers.

delete <line number>  Delete a specific line number.  You can also specify
                      two numbers to delete all of the lines in between them.

insert <line number>
append <line number>  These two commands will put you in enter mode before 
                      (as in insert) or after (as in append) a given line
                      number, so that you can enter more text.

change <line number>  Change a given line number to whatever you type after
                      the line number.  Example: "change 5 has dark hair."

quit                  Quit the editor, and tell the mud you're completely
                      finished with your description.

parse                 This command will bypass the editor entirely, and send
                      a command to the mud.  If you wanted to nod while
                      still in edit mode, you could type "parse nod".

All of these commands can be abbreviated.  Additionally, all of these commands
can be used from "enter mode" simply by prepending what you want with a '/'
(forward slash).

Question 12.6  - How do I delete a description?

Usually, you can delete a description by setting it to NULL.  An example
would be:

set history NULL

This command will delete your 'history' description.

Question 12.7  - How do I delete a board post I made?

You can delete a board post you wrote, or one written to you by typing:

remove <post number> <board name>

So for example, if you wanted to remove post number 25 from a board called
"board", it would be:

remove 25 board

Question 12.8  - How do I modify a description without re-doing it entirely?

Usually if you add the word "edit" after the setting command, the game will 
interpret your intent to enter edit mode on the description, rather than 
nuking it entirely to start over.  An example would be:

set history edit

or

alias = regen edit

Question 12.9  - How do I modify a board post?

You can't.  Modifying board posts would cause too much confusion, and
currently isn't supported. You can remove board posts you've written, but
not modify them after they've been posted.  If you made an error, your
best bet is to simply delete it and re-post it with the new edit.

Question 12.10 - Is there a limit to how big my description can be?

Yes, but it's very, very hard to hit.  As long as you're not typing a novel
into the description editor, you should be fine.  The editor can support
about a page and a half of text.