Code Archaeology Slide: 1

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Workshop Examining ZORK I (1980) Source Code

By Dr. Daniel Cox

Media Archaeology + Critical Code Studies

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Slide 0.

You see the introduction.

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Code Archaeology Slide: 2

Media Archaeology proposes three things:�

• Present media is based on past media [See: Remediation by Bolter and Grusin (1999)]�
• Media are built of “strata” (distinct layers) [See: The Geology of Media by Parikka (2015)]�
• Media exist in “double articulation” where past and present meet [See: Media Archaeology by Huhtamo and Parikka (2011)]

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Code Archaeology Slide: 3

Critical Code Studies supplies:

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• Code is a social text with computer and human audiences [See: Critical Code Studies by Marino (2020)]�
• All software carry cultural values. [See: Software Takes Command by Manovich (2013)]�
• Software is rhetorical. [See: Persuasive Games by Bogost (2007) and Rhetorical Code Studies by Brock (2019)]

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Code Archaeology = Media Archaeology + Critical Code Studies:

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• Software is based on software. [See: The Art of Computer Programming: Volume 1 by Knuth (1968)]�
• Look beyond the “partial” code available in any one file [See: Marino (2020) and Cox (2023)]�
• Combine close reading with examination of “macro” patterns [See: Macroanalysis by Jockers (2013)]

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Code Archaeology Slide: 5

Performing Code Archaeology:

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• Gather historical material and information.
• What guides or commentary exists?
• How did people describe it at the time?

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• Run and interact with software (if possible).
• What input is needed?
• What output does it produce?�
• See code as developers do (if possible).
• What keywords exist?
• What structures occur across files?

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Gather historical material and information:

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• What is it?
• Who made it? (Developers, Company, and Publisher)
• When was it made?
• What language was the code written in?
• What role did the language play in its development?
• Were known tools, engines, or libraries used to create the project?

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Code Archaeology Slide: 7

Zork I (1980):

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Workshop Participants Answers:

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Who: Tim Anderson, Marc Blanc, Bruce Daniels and Dave Lebling

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When: 1980

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What: Game

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Publisher: Infocom

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Language: Muddle (MDL), based on Lisp. (ZIL)

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Code Archaeology Slide: 8

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Run and interact with software (if possible).

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Let’s play Zork I (1980) online.

(Alternatively, here.)

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Take note of the following:

• What input is needed?
• What output does it produce?

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Code Archaeology Slide: 9

Zork I (1980):

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Tried: “go where ever”

Tried: “open mailbox”

Tried: “read leaflet”

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Code Archaeology Slide: 10

See code as developers do (if possible):

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• Where can we find the code?

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Zork I (1980) can be found and downloaded from GitHub.

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(I recommend using Visual Studio Code to view!)

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Code Archaeology Slide: 11

See code as developers do (if possible):

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How do we see keywords and identify structures?

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Syntax highlighters are available for most programming languages. These provide visual colors for the “syntax,” special keywords and symbols of the language.

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In VS Code, these are Extensions.

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→

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The ZIL Extension will complain about the ZILF compiler not being installed. Close this message twice to get rid of future notifications for it.

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1. Open the downloaded code in Visual Studio Code (with the ZIL Extension installed).
2. Click on the “zork1.zil” file.

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Code Archaeology Slide: 15

See code as developers do (if possible):

• What keywords exist?
• What structures occur across files?

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In the open “zork1.zil” file, what keywords do we see?

(Hint: keywords will be in a different color!)

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What structures do we see?

(Hint: structures, like keywords, appear in different colors and usually use opening and closing symbols like parentheses, curly brackets, and square brackets.)

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Code Archaeology Slide: 16

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Question: “Is the story and game code separate?”

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Question: “Can we find ‘leaflet’ in the code?”

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Question: “What does OBJECT mean in this language?”

Code Archaeology Slide: 17

Looking for “macro” patterns:

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Critical Code Studies asks us to examine single files or selection of code. A single file often acts as synecdoche: part for the whole.

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Code Archaeology asks you to consider the whole in terms of metaphors: network, stack, etc.

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Code Archaeology Slide: 18

Summary:

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• Gather guides, comments, and commentary, if available.
• Play or otherwise interact with the software, if possible.
• Examine the code as developers do, if possible.

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