A single action in detail.<br><i>About the action rulebooks <ahref=inform:/doc178.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/help.png></a></i></p>
</td>
</tr></table>
<hr><b>Standard actions which change the state of things</b><br>Locking it with <ahref=16_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Unlocking it with <ahref=17_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Switching on <ahref=18_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, <b>Switching off</b> <ahref=19_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Opening <ahref=20_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Closing <ahref=21_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Wearing <ahref=22_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Taking off <ahref=23_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a><p><hr><p><b>Switching off <fontcolor="#000080">something</font></b><aname=SwitchOff></a> (<i>past tense</i> switched off)<br>
<p>The switching off and switching
on actions are for the simplest kind of machinery operation: they are for
objects representing machines (or more likely parts of machines), which are
considered to be either off or on at any given time.<br><br>The actions are intended to be used where the noun is a device, but in fact
they could work just as well with any kind which can be 'switched on' or
'switched off'.<p><hr><p><b>Typed commands leading to this action</b><p>
<pclass="hangingin2">"close/shut/cover off [something]"</p><pclass="hangingin2">"turn/rotate/twist/unscrew/screw [something] off"</p><pclass="hangingin2">"turn/rotate/twist/unscrew/screw off [something]"</p><pclass="hangingin2">"switch [something switched on]"</p><pclass="hangingin2">"switch [something] off"</p><pclass="hangingin2">"switch off [something]"</p><p><b>Rules controlling this action</b></p><p>
<pclass="hangingin2">instead of <i>doing something to the cables</i> <ahref="source:story.ni#line60"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Reveal.png></a></p>
<br><pclass="hangingin2">check <i>an actor switching off</i> <fontcolor="#800000">can't switch off unless switchable rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t switch off unless switchable rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The can[=0x0027=]t switch off unless switchable rule is not listed in the check switching off rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000181', 'plus1000181'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000181"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 1</p>
<divid="extra1000181"style="display: none;"><pclass="in2"> <spanstyle="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; background-color: #8080ff;"> A </span><spanstyle="color: #000066;">"[regarding the noun][They] [aren't] something [we] [can] switch."</span> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t switch off unless switchable rule response (A)')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t switch off unless switchable rule response (A) is [=0x0022=]New text.[=0x0022=].')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>set</i></div>
<pclass="hangingin2">check <i>an actor switching off</i> <fontcolor="#800000">can't switch off what's already off rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t switch off what[=0x0027=]s already off rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The can[=0x0027=]t switch off what[=0x0027=]s already off rule is not listed in the check switching off rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000182', 'plus1000182'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000182"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 1</p>
<divid="extra1000182"style="display: none;"><pclass="in2"> <spanstyle="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; background-color: #8080ff;"> A </span><spanstyle="color: #000066;">"[regarding the noun][They're] already off."</span> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t switch off what[=0x0027=]s already off rule response (A)')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t switch off what[=0x0027=]s already off rule response (A) is [=0x0022=]New text.[=0x0022=].')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>set</i></div>
<br><pclass="hangingin2">carry out <i>an actor switching off</i> <fontcolor="#800000">standard switching off rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('standard switching off rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The standard switching off rule is not listed in the carry out switching off rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i></p>
<br><pclass="hangingin2">report <i>an actor switching off</i> <fontcolor="#800000">standard report switching off rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('standard report switching off rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The standard report switching off rule is not listed in the report switching off rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000184', 'plus1000184'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000184"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 1</p>
<br>Click on the speech-bubble icons to see the responses, or here to see all of them: <ahref="#"onclick="showAllResp(); return false;"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 3</p>