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Oulipo
Below you may download an updated version of Zax, the Z-Code Application Executor, created back in 1997 by Matt Kimmel. This is a Java application, which you may use to run Z-Machine (Zork-Machine) interactive fiction files, like the original ones from Infocom — examples being Zork and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I am redistributing it under the spirit of the license included in the original distribution (and also included in the source package of this one), though not by its letter. The license specifically states that the source code may not be modified in any way without permission. I have tried to obtain such permission, but Mr. Kimmel seems to have disappeared off the face of the internet sometime back in 1999. It is in keeping with the spirit, however, in that the only parts I have modified are to remove deprecated API calls as well as make it compliant to compile and run under current day Java. Any changes are marked in the code by comments ending in “- JD”. The changes are not all that many, and do not affect any of its functionality. I have done a little bit of testing, running through the whole of the legendary IF piece, “A Change in the Weather,” by Andrew Plotkin (also downloadable, below), and I have briefly loaded Z-Code files of versions 3, 5, and 8. I did get a little bad behavior when running it with a work that used the OnyxRing library, but I am not inclined to try and debug this code to that depth. As with Mr. Kimmel’s original software, I supply this without any warrantee of any kind. Use it at your own risk. And enjoy.
Binary JAR file: (To run, use “java -jar zax.jar” or double-click.)
(Extract using “jar xvf zax-src.jar” or with a Zip application, like WinZip.)
(When Zax has started, select “Play Story...” from the “File” menu.)
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