One way of creating a Blorb file

This is a list of the files in the same folder/directory (anywhere on the hard disc) for generating a Glulx Blorb file:
The entire contents of the Inform compiler and library download (inform_library611/zip):

  • inform.exe
  • English.h
  • Grammar.h
  • infix.h
  • linkpa.h
  • linklv.h
  • Parser.h
  • parsem.h
  • VerbLib.h
  • verblibm.h
The entire contents of L. Ross Raszewski's Blorb Resource Compiler and Packager download from the IF archive (iblorbb/zip):
  • blc.exe
  • bpal.exe
  • bres.exe
  • front.exe
John Cater's Glulx library header, recommended in the Inform 6.3 release notes, from Zarf's home pages ( http://www.eblong.com/zarf/glulx) or the IF archive. (You need to put a line in the source file to 'Include' this)
  • infgkl.h
Any resource folders - I've used m for maps, o for objects, p for main pictures, s for sounds and x for extra picture overlays. You can put the pictures and sounds directly into the main folder if you prefer. (In the source code, I've prefaced all the sound names with s_ to help avoid possible name clashes with other object names.)
 
The game resource file (with the same name as the source file) detailing the names of the source, sound and picture files to be included in the Blorb file (all pathnames relative):
  • Cave.res
The source code file for the game itself:
  • Cave.inf
Any library files you want to use. Here, there's just the help file (there's a line in the source file to 'Include' this as usual)
  • HelpCave.h
A batch file I've called:
  • blorbit.bat
(I use two of these, one for the debug version and one for the distribution version) containing something like:

front cave cave.inf cave.ulx -G -D | more
pause "at end of compilation"

 
A batch file to also generate a z5 or z8 game file. I've called it:

  • b_z5_it.bat
containing:

inform cave -~S | more
pause "at end of compilation"

 
These are both just text files with the .bat extension.

To compile a Blorb file, just double-click on the file blorbit.bat, which should then generate the files Cave.ulx and Cave.blb in the same folder. Double-click on b_z5_it.bat for the equivalent z5 game.

Both the Blorb and ULX game files created should now run on an interpreter (such as Glulxe).

Also created automatically inside the folder are the files cave.blc and cave.bli, which are internal resource lists used in the Blorbing process.
You need to have the line:

Include "cave.bli";

(or whatever your game is called) in the source file for everything to work. This is just a checked and packaged version of the Cave.res picture and sound list file.

When I compile, I always get 3 consecutive 'bad command or file name' errors listed in the DOS window, but the Blorb and ULX files produced seem to work fine (genuine errors and warnings are listed as usual if present).

This all seems to work with Windows XP; I can't vouch for other platforms. It all seems a bit fiddly, but once you set it all up it's easy to copy for other games. I find creating a whole new folder with everything included is the easiest for a new game.

I've also tried the Glulx blorb file generator Gblorb (with all the picture and sound resources in the same folder as the source file as it recommends), but can't get the Blorb file it prooduces to run with any sound (I know, probably my fault!).

William Stott, June 2004   (wstott@bigfoot.com)