Glulx

Glulx
DesignerAndrew Plotkin
Bits32
Introduced1999
Version3.1.3 (2022)
DesignCISC
EndiannessBig
OpenYes

Glulx is a 32-bit portable virtual machine intended for writing and playing interactive fiction. It was designed by Andrew Plotkin to relieve some of the restrictions in the venerable Z-machine format. For example, because the Z-machine uses 16-bit integers its RAM is limited to 64KB, while Glulx natively supports 32-bit integers and has a 32-bit address space, allowing gigabytes of memory. Glulx programs typically use the Glk API for input and output. In recent years Glulx has overtaken the Z-machine in terms of published works in each format.

Compilers and interpreters

The Inform compiler, starting with version 6.30, can produce either Z-machine or Glulx story files. A Spanish interactive fiction development system called Superglús also uses Glulx.

The reference interpreter is Andrew Plotkin's Glulxe,[1] but the Git interpreter is often used as it is somewhat faster.[2] There is also a JavaScript interpreter called Quixe.[3]

File and MIME types

The MIME type for Glulx is "application/x-glulx". Glulx files have the file extension .ulx, but they are commonly archived in Blorb packages. For Blorb packages containing a Glulx work, accepted file extensions are .gblorb, .glb, .blorb and .blb. The former two extensions are intended to make it easy for interpreters to figure out which type of game is inside the Blorb file.

Works published in Glulx

References

  1. ^ "Glulxe: The Glulx VM interpreter". GitHub. 25 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Git: Fast Glulx interpreter, originally written by Iain Merrick". GitHub. 1 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Quixe: A Glulx VM interpreter written in JavaScript". GitHub. 1 June 2024.
  4. ^ Emily Short (2012). Counterfeit Monkey. Credits.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)