^ 1 | Details — A single action in detail. About the action rulebooks

Standard actions which change the state of things
Locking it with , Unlocking it with , Switching on , Switching off , Opening , Closing , Wearing , Taking off

Unlocking something with something (past tense unlocked it with)

Unlocking undoes the effect of locking, and renders the noun openable again provided that the actor is carrying the right key (which must be the second noun).
Unlocking can be performed on any kind of thing which provides the either/or properties lockable, locked, openable and open. The 'can't unlock without a lock rule' tests to see if the noun both provides the lockable property, and if it is in fact lockable: it is then assumed that the other properties can safely be checked. In the Standard Rules, the container and door kinds both satisfy these requirements.
We can create a new kind on which opening, closing, locking and unlocking will work thus: 'A briefcase is a kind of thing. A briefcase can be openable. A briefcase can be open. A briefcase can be lockable. A briefcase can be locked. A briefcase is usually openable, lockable, open and unlocked.'
Inform checks whether the key fits using the 'can't unlock without the correct key rule'. To satisfy this, the actor must be directly holding the second noun, and it must be the current value of the 'matching key' property for the noun. (This property is seldom referred to directly because it is automatically set by assertions like 'The silver key unlocks the wicket gate.')
The Standard Rules provide locking and unlocking actions at a fairly basic level: they can be much enhanced using the extension Locksmith by Emily Short, which is included with all distributions of Inform.

Typed commands leading to this action

"open/unwrap/uncover [something] with [something preferably held]"

"unlock [something] with [something preferably held]"

Rules controlling this action

instead of doing something to the cables

check an actor unlocking something with can't unlock without a lock rule name unlist 1

A "[regarding the noun][Those] [don't] seem to be something [we] [can] unlock." name set

check an actor unlocking something with can't unlock what's already unlocked rule name unlist 1

A "[regarding the noun][They're] unlocked at the [if story tense is present tense]moment[otherwise]time[end if]." name set

check an actor unlocking something with can't unlock without the correct key rule name unlist 1

A "[regarding the second noun][Those] [don't] seem to fit the lock." name set

carry out an actor unlocking something with standard unlocking rule name unlist

report an actor unlocking something with standard report unlocking rule name unlist 2

A "[We] [unlock] [the noun]." name set
B "[The actor] [unlock] [the noun]." name set

Click on the speech-bubble icons to see the responses, or here to see all of them: 5