OPTIONAL
SYNOPSIS
        int parse_command (string cmd, object  env, string fmt, mixed &var, ...)
        int parse_command (string cmd, object* arr, string fmt, mixed &var, ...)

DESCRIPTION
        parse_command() is basically a spiffed up sscanf operating
        on word basis and targeted at recognizing object descriptions from
        command strings.

        The efun takes the command string <cmd> and the object(s) <env>/<arr>
        and tries to match it against the format string <fmt>. Successfully
        matched elements are assigned to the variables <var>.... The result
        from the efun is 1 if the command could be fully matched, and 0
        otherwise.

        If the objects are given as a single object <env>, the efun matches
        against the given object and all objects contained therein. Otherwise,
        if the objects are given as an array <arr> of objects, the efun
        matches only against the given objects.

        The format string <fmt> consists of words, syntactic markers, and
        %-directives for the values to parse and return in the variables.
        A typical example is " 'get' / 'take' %i " or
        " 'spray' / 'paint' [paint] %i ". The elements in detail are:

           'word': obligatory text
           [word]: optional text
           /     : Alternative marker
           %o    : Single item, object
           %s    : Any text
           %w    : Any word
           %p    : One of a list of prepositions.
                   If the variable associated with %p is used to pass
                   a list of words to the efun, the matching will take
                   only against this list.
           %l    : non-compat: Living objects
                   compat: a single living object
           %i    : Any objects
           %d    : Number >= 0, or when given textual: 0-99.

        A <word> in this context is any sequence of characters not containing
        a space. 'living objects' are searched by calls to the (simul)efuns
        find_player() and find_living(): both functions have to accept a name
        as argument and return the object for this name, or 0 if there
        is none.

        The results assigned to the variables by the %-directives are:

           %o : returns an object
           %s : returns a string of words
           %w : returns a string of one word
           %p : if passed empty: a string
                if passed as array of words: var[0] is the matched word
           %i : returns an array with the following content:
                  [0]: int: the count/number recognized in the object spec
                            > 0: a count (e.g. 'three', '4')
                            < 0: an ordinal (e.g. 'second', 'third')
                            = 0: 'all' or a generic plural such as 'apples'
                  [1..]: object: all(!) objects matching the item description.
                                 In the <env> form this may be the whole
                                 recursive inventory of the <env> object.
                It is up to the caller to interpret the recognized numeral
                and to apply it on the list of matched objects.
           %l : non-compat: as %i, except that only living objects are
                            returned.
                compat: as %o, except that only a living object is returned.

        %i (and non-compat-%l) match descriptions like 'three red roses',
        'all nasty bugs' or 'second blue sword'.

        Note: Patterns of type: "%s %w %i" might not work as one would expect.
        %w will always succeed so the arg corresponding to %s will always be
        empty.

        To make the efun useful it must have a certain support from the
        mudlib: it calls a set of functions in objects to get the
        information it needs to parse a string.

          1. string *parse_command_id_list()
              Normal singular names of the object.

          2. string *parse_command_plural_id_list() - optional
              Plural forms of the names returned by 1.
              If this function doesn't exist, the parser tries to pluralize
              the names returned by 1.

          3. string *parse_command_adjectiv_id_list() -  optional
              All adjectives associated with this object.

        All names and adjectives may consist of several words separated
        by spaces.

        These functions should exist in all objects and are therefore best
        put into a mandatory inherit file (e.g. /std/object.c).

        In addition the master object may offer the same functions to provide
        reasonable defaults (like 'thing' as generic singular name):

             string *parse_command_id_list()
               - Would normally return: ({ "one", "thing" })

             string *parse_command_plural_id_list()
               - Would normally return: ({ "ones", "things", "them" })

             string *parse_command_adjectiv_id_list()
               - Would normally return ({ "iffish" })

        Two additional functions in the master object provide the default
        list of prepositions (needed for %p) and the single 'all' word:

             string *parse_command_prepos_list()
               - Would normally return: ({ "in", "on", "under", "behind",
                 "beside" })

             string parse_command_all_word()
               - Would normally return: "all"


        int parse_command(string, object|object*, string, destargs...)


EXAMPLE
        object *items;
        parse_command( "take apple",environment(this_player())
                     , " 'get' / 'take' %i ",items);

HISTORY
        LDMud 3.3.258 removed the compat-mode parse_command().

SEE ALSO
        sscanf(E)