Semantic Novel

SemanticNovel is markup format for TypeNovel to write novel with plenty of semantic context informations.

Supported Application

TypeNovelReader

Preface

Every semantic value that is '?' is not validated by TypeNovel compiler and treated as undefined value in reader app.

@scene({
  time: '?' // time is ambigous and secret to reader app.
}){
  // time is not annotated in body field, but it's not an error.
}

Every semantic value starts with '?' is validated by TypeNovel compiler but treated as undefined value in reader app.

@scene({
  time: '?23:30' // time is 23:30, but keep it secret to reader app.
}){
  // Time constraint must be annotated in body field, otherwise it's an error.
  $time("The night") has come.
}

This is usefull when you want to annotate some constraint, but keep the value ambigous to readers or ui of reader app.

Note that constraint value '?' in TypeNovel is not validation target of annotation, but constraint value that starts with '?'(like ?23:00) is validation target of annotation.

Markup

You can see all markup definition in DefaultTnConfig in settings.ts.

@scene

@scens(<constraints>){ <scene-body> }

Markup to write some scene with some constraints.

@scene({
  place: "Japan",
  season: "summer"
}){
  @scene({
    date: "8/1"
  }){
    @scene({
      time: "9:00"
    }){
       $time("good morning!")
    }
    @scene({
      time: "12:00"
    }){
       $time("lunch time!")
    }
    @scene({
      time: "22:00"
    }){
       $time("good night!")
    }
  } // date:"8/1"
} // place:"Japan", season:"summer"

constraints

time

value: '00:00' - 23:00

@scene({time:"09:00"}){ $time() }

season

value: spring | summer | autumn | winter

@scene({season:"summer"}){ $time() }

date

value: 01/01 - 12/31

@speak

@speak(<character-key>){ <speech-text-body> }

Markup for writing speech text.

character-key must be defined in data.json(See External Data Scheme section).

@speak('Michael Jackson'){ This is it! }

In TypeNovelReader, this is displayed like this.

@sb-start, @sb-end

@sb-start(<character-key>, <image-key>){ <speech-text-body> }

Markup for writing speech text with speech-bubble and avatar image.

character-key and image-key must be defined in data.json(See External Data Scheme section).

@sb-start is displayed by [avatar, speech-bubble] order.

@sb-end is displayed by [speech-bubble, avatar] order.

@sb-start('Michael', 'excited'){ FOOooOOOoo!! }
@sb-end('Jackson', 'crazy'){ Poooooooo!! }

In TypeNovelReader, this is displayed like this.

@tip

Markup to write some tip content.

@tip("IMO"){ Abbreviation of 'In My Opinion' }, it's correct.

@notes

Markup to write some notes(footnote) content.

This game is inspired by "街" @notes(){ 1998 Chunsoft.inc }

$ruby

Inline markup to write ruby in CJK text.

$ruby("漢字", "かんじ")

$tcy

Inline markup to write tate-chu-yoko in vertical writing-mode.

あのソフトは$tcy("UI")が素晴らしい。

External Data Schema

External data is stored as data.json.

Usually, this data is used by reader app of TypeNovel.

example

{
  "title": "Sample Novel",
  "author": "foo bar",
  "email": "foo@bar.com",
  "homepage": "https://foo.bar.com",
  "writingMode": "vertical-rl",
  "displayTypeNovelError": true,
  "enableSemanticUI": true,
  "speechAvatarSize": 50,
  "characters": {
    "john": {
      "names": ["John", "Adams"],
      "images": {
        "normal": "images/avatar2.svg"
      },
      "description": "Desription of John Adams"
    },
    "taro": {
      "names": ["山田", "太郎"],
      "images": {
        "normal": "images/avatar1.svg"
      },
      "description": "山田太郎の詳細をここに書く"
    }
  }
}

title

Title of the novel.

auhor

Author of the novel.

email

Email address of author.

homepage

Homepage address of author(or novel).

writingMode

Writing mode of novel. vertical-rl or horizontal-tb is supported.

displayTypeNovelError

Whether reader app displays the error of TypeNovel.

enableSemanticUI

Whether reader app enables semantic info on reader UI.

speechAvatarSize

Avatar size of @sb-start or @sb-end tag.

characters

Characters of novel.

  "characters": {
    "john": {
      "names": ["John", "Adams"],
      "images": {
        "normal": "images/avatar2.svg"
      },
      "description": "Desription of John Adams"
    },
    "taro": {
      "names": ["山田", "太郎"],
      "images": {
        "normal": "images/avatar1.svg"
      },
      "description": "山田太郎の詳細をここに書く"
    }
  }

Schema of each character

names

first name, family name array.

Order is not specified (both [family name, first name] and [first name, family name] are OK).

description

Description of character.

images

Images of character. Each images is referenced by imageKey.

For example, image path(images/avatar1.svg) is referenced by imageKey(normal) in taro.images.

tategakibunko / SemanticNovel