Z-code

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** [https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/frotz/id287653015?mt=8 iPhone version]
 
** [https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/frotz/id287653015?mt=8 iPhone version]
 
* Gargoyle (cross-platform, open source, [http://ccxvii.net/gargoyle/ website]): can interpret multiple IF formats, including Z-code
 
* Gargoyle (cross-platform, open source, [http://ccxvii.net/gargoyle/ website]): can interpret multiple IF formats, including Z-code
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* Parchment (web, open source, [https://code.google.com/p/parchment/ website]): browser-based Z-code interpreter.
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* Parchment (web, open source, [https://github.com/curiousdannii/parchment website]): browser-based Z-code interpreter.
 
* Spatterlight (Mac OS X, open source, [http://ccxvii.net/spatterlight/ website]): can interpret multiple IF formats, including Z-code
 
* Spatterlight (Mac OS X, open source, [http://ccxvii.net/spatterlight/ website]): can interpret multiple IF formats, including Z-code
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* Twisty (Android, open source, [https://code.google.com/p/twisty/ website], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.code.twisty Google Play])
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* Twisty (Android, open source, [https://bitbucket.org/sussman/twisty website], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.code.twisty Google Play])
 
* Zoom (Mac OS X and Unix-like, open source, [http://www.logicalshift.co.uk/unix/zoom/ website]) can interpret multiple IF formats, including Z-code.
 
* Zoom (Mac OS X and Unix-like, open source, [http://www.logicalshift.co.uk/unix/zoom/ website]) can interpret multiple IF formats, including Z-code.
  

Revision as of 23:27, 8 April 2015

File Format
Name Z-code
Ontology
Extension(s) .z1 .z2 .z3 .z4 .z5 .z6 .z7 .z8 .dat .zip

Z-code is an Interactive Fiction (IF) file format. A Z-code file contains a series of instructions for the Z-machine, a virtual machine designed by Infocom. A Z-code file typically contains an IF game which can be played using a Z-code interpreter. It is sometimes referred to as Infocom format. There are eight versions of Z-code. The first six were created by Infocom, while versions 7 and 8 were created by Graham Nelson, the author of Inform. Version 6 supports sound and images.

Z-code files can be packaged in Blorb container files along with other resources needed for the game, such as images and sounds.

Contents

Extensions

  • .z1 - .z8 (current convention, depending on what Z-code version the file is)
  • .DAT (used by Infocom for most of their commercial releases)
  • .ZIP (rarely seen, conflicts with the common extension used for ZIP compression)

Interpreters

A z-code game can be played on any platform that has an appropriate interpreter. Most interpreters can handle any Z-code version, although version 6 is not as widely supported as the other versions.

  • Frotz (cross-platform, open source, website)
  • Gargoyle (cross-platform, open source, website): can interpret multiple IF formats, including Z-code
  • Parchment (web, open source, website): browser-based Z-code interpreter.
  • Spatterlight (Mac OS X, open source, website): can interpret multiple IF formats, including Z-code
  • Twisty (Android, open source, website, Google Play)
  • Zoom (Mac OS X and Unix-like, open source, website) can interpret multiple IF formats, including Z-code.

The IF Archive contains many other interpreters:

Other Tools

Sample Files

  • Advent.z5: Adventure aka Colossal Cave, the original 350 points version ported to Inform by Graham Nelson
  • SoFar.z8: So Far, by Andrew Plotkin
  • zdungeon.z5: Zork, by Infocom

Information

Retrieved from "http://fileformats.archiveteam.org/index.php?title=Z-code&oldid=21474"
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