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>
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<hr><b>Standard actions concerning the actor's vision</b><br>Looking <ahref=11_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Examining <ahref=12_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Looking under <ahref=13_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, <b>Searching</b> <ahref=14_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Consulting it about <ahref=15_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a><p><hr><p><b>Searching <fontcolor="#000080">something</font></b><aname=Search></a> (requires light) (<i>past tense</i> searched)<br>
<p>Searching looks at the contents
of an open or transparent container, or at the items on top of a supporter.
These are often mentioned in room descriptions already, and then the action
is unnecessary, but that wouldn't be true for something like a kitchen
cupboard which is scenery - mentioned in passing in a room description, but
not made a fuss of. Searching such a cupboard would then, by listing its
contents, give the player more information than the ordinary room description
shows.<br><br>The usual check rules restrict searching to containers and supporters: so
the Standard Rules do not allow the searching of people, for instance. But
it is easy to add instead rules ('Instead of searching Dr Watson: ...') or
even a new carry out rule ('Check searching someone (called the suspect): ...')
to extend the way searching normally works.<p><hr><p><b>Typed commands leading to this action</b><p>
<pclass="hangingin2">"look/l inside/in/into/through [something]"</p><pclass="hangingin2">"search [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#line56"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Reveal.png></a></p>
<br><pclass="hangingin2">check <i>an actor searching</i> <fontcolor="#800000">can't search unless container or supporter rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t search unless container or supporter rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The can[=0x0027=]t search unless container or supporter rule is not listed in the check searching rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000160', 'plus1000160'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000160"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 1</p>
<divid="extra1000160"style="display: none;"><pclass="in2"> <spanstyle="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; background-color: #8080ff;"> A </span><spanstyle="color: #000066;">"[We] [find] nothing of interest."</span> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t search unless container or supporter rule response (A)')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t search unless container or supporter 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 searching</i> <fontcolor="#800000">can't search closed opaque containers rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t search closed opaque containers rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The can[=0x0027=]t search closed opaque containers rule is not listed in the check searching rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000161', 'plus1000161'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000161"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 1</p>
<br><pclass="hangingin2">report <i>searching a container</i> <fontcolor="#800000">standard search containers rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('standard search containers rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The standard search containers rule is not listed in the report searching rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000162', 'plus1000162'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000162"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 2</p>
<pclass="hangingin2">report <i>searching a supporter</i> <fontcolor="#800000">standard search supporters rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('standard search supporters rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The standard search supporters rule is not listed in the report searching rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000163', 'plus1000163'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000163"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 2</p>
<pclass="hangingin2">report <i>an actor searching</i> <fontcolor="#800000">report other people searching rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('report other people searching rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The report other people searching rule is not listed in the report searching rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000164', 'plus1000164'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000164"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 1</p>
<divid="extra1000164"style="display: none;"><pclass="in2"> <spanstyle="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; background-color: #8080ff;"> A </span><spanstyle="color: #000066;">"[The actor] [search] [the noun]."</span> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('report other people searching rule response (A)')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('report other people searching rule response (A) is [=0x0022=]New text.[=0x0022=].')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>set</i></div>
<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> 7</p>