raingod >> resources >> Java >> Software >> Groan  

Groan

Last updated: 08.05.2002

The Groan system is based on a very simple recursive transition network (RTN) engine written in Java. The Groan engine reads in simple context-free grammars, and generates text by randomly traversing the network defined by the grammar.

Documentation and Sources

Groan: not just an applet, more like a way of life.

Example pages

The Groan
Headlines from a tabloid newspaper.

Lords of the New Bane
Plot summaries for a series of gripping new sword and sorcery novels.

The War of the Worlds
Variations on the opening paragraph of H.G. Wells' famous novel. For maximum enjoyment, imagine this being read aloud by Richard Burton.

History

The original Groan was written in Fortran for the EMAS operating system by Chris Boyd. This implementation borrows the name and a few concepts (including the idea of a 'fantasy' grammar) but no actual source code or algorithms. It's derived from a Perl implementation which in turn evolved out of my first attempt to mimic Chris's program in C.

Notes

If your browser reports a security exception and refuses to load the grammar, see my notes on security exceptions, which explain why this happens and what you can do about it.