Loading & Linking

Before running a story, you need to produce StoryData and link it into a Program.

Producing StoryData

There are two paths:

From .ink source (native compiler): compile_path returns a CompileOutput; its .data field is the StoryData.

#![allow(unused)]
fn main() {
extern crate brink_compiler;
fn demo() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
use std::path::Path;
let output = brink_compiler::compile_path(Path::new("story.ink"))?;
let story_data = output.data;
let _ = story_data;
Ok(())
}
}

From .inkb bytes (pre-compiled binary):

#![allow(unused)]
fn main() {
extern crate brink_format;
fn demo() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
let bytes = std::fs::read("story.inkb")?;
let story_data = brink_format::read_inkb(&bytes)?;
let _ = story_data;
Ok(())
}
}

Linking

#![allow(unused)]
fn main() {
extern crate brink_format;
extern crate brink_runtime;
use brink_format::StoryData;
fn demo(story_data: StoryData) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
let (program, line_tables) = brink_runtime::link(&story_data)?;
let _ = (program, line_tables);
Ok(())
}
}

The linker resolves all DefinitionId references to compact runtime indices, validates the container graph, and initializes global variable defaults. It returns the immutable Program together with the story’s line tables (Vec<Vec<LineEntry>>) — the localizable rendering data, kept separate so it can be swapped for a locale overlay or hot-reloaded without rebuilding the program.

Creating stories

#![allow(unused)]
fn main() {
extern crate brink_format;
extern crate brink_runtime;
use brink_format::{LineEntry, StoryData};
use brink_runtime::Program;
fn demo(program: Program, line_tables: Vec<Vec<LineEntry>>) {
use std::sync::Arc;
use brink_runtime::Story;

let mut story: Story = Story::new(Arc::new(program), line_tables);
let _ = &mut story;
}
}

Story holds an Arc<Program> and owns the line tables it renders with. Because the handle is refcounted rather than borrowed, a Story has no lifetime parameter and can be moved or stored freely. You can create multiple stories from the same program — clone the Arc — for parallel execution or replaying with different choices.

Error cases

• Decode — corrupt or incompatible .inkb file (wrong magic, bad checksum, truncated data)
• UnresolvedDefinition — a container references a DefinitionId that doesn’t exist in the story data
• NoRootContainer — the story has no entry point container