I would like to turn off the input bar so that it is unavailable to the player. I've searched the forum but found nothing step-by-step that would help a newbie such as myself. Thanks in advance.

There's no listed script command for it in the GUI's script menu, but you can do it by adding a UI request to the code. Access code view for the section of script where you'd like to put it and add it like so:

request (Hide, "Command")

//If you'd like to show the input bar, or command bar, again later, you can call it this way

request (Show, "Command")

When you return to the gui view, a script will appear for it. The UI request functions are listed in the wiki over here.

EDIT: Here's a visual for all that.

Step one, open code view:


Step two, write in code for User Interface Request:


Step three, return to GUI view, and the script has been added:

But why do you want to remove the bar? It's not recommended at all.

@ TriangleGames
Thank you for posting those instructions, although I am a bit , um, lost. How do you get to that first screen you posted? Thank you for your patience -- I literally just started yesterday with Quest.

@ sonic102
Hopefully I'll get to show why.

that Code View button for the individual scripts is for the (beta) version 5.4, it's not implemented in version 5.3, so for v5.3, you simply click on the Code View button at the top (near the very top) of the screen, the bar that goes across, it is between the play and ? (help) buttons.

this button, which looks like a notepaper, is a toggle button for switching between the GUI~editor mode and the Code View mode.

you can also access the game code, by simply opening the game (or library) file with notepad++, notepad, or wordpad.

if you need help with doing stuff in code, let me know, I'd be glad to help you out, if I can, lol

@ HegemonKhan
Thanks, HegemonKhan! I am indeed using 5.3, but then upgraded to 5.4 (beta). However, I noticed with 5.4 (beta), some hyperlinks do not show up properly (usually an error message results from clicking, or code appears in the description during play for objects), when they work fine in 5.3. (I've been using Tutorial Game.aslx and tearing it apart to figure out how it works.)

A little off topic, but...is it at all advisable to use 5.4 (beta)? Will 5.3 games remain forever compatible with future versions of the Quest player, or will 5.3 games need eventual conversion -- which may be not entirely painless -- to 5.4 status? I'm leaning toward sticking with 5.3 (I really need my hyperlinks to work), but have concerns regarding future compatibility.

Back to the code...Just as an example, where would I specifically insert

request (Hide, "Command")

in the Code View of Tutorial Game.aslx, amongst the code that is already there? (Just to clarify, I wish to make the 'input bar/command prompt' completely unavailable to the player right from the start.)

Oh, if you want it gone from the start, there should be a check-box to turn it on or off under the "Display" tab of the game object. It should actually be at the very bottom of the options there as "Show command bar."
It is worth mentioning, however, that the "Continue..." link which displays in game while using the "Wait" script command will not appear unless you turn the command bar back on temporarily.
So the "request" should anywhere in the code that you want the bar to reappear/disappear. Say if you needed to use it during an intro sequence or similar event, you could turn it on just before the wait command and then back off again as the first action inside the wait. I'd make a little tutorial game, but I should actually be rushing out of the house at the moment, lol.

TG, is that your QuestComp entry? Because you are hiding the name, objects and stuff.

LB, if you don't know what QuestComp is, it's a competition for Quest.

Thank you again, TriangleGames. I did a bit of stumbling about there. I'm working with 5.4 (beta) now, and it has what I need, although some hyperlinks (code I copied-and-pasted straight from the QuestWiki) aren't working in 5.4 (when they worked before in 5.3). But I'll submit another post for that...

For the hyperlinks, have you tried making the code yourself? I.e instead of copy pasting, try making the objects yourself.

Object links come up no problem. It's the other links...

It's the code from http://quest5.net/wiki/Hyperlinks:

Here is some text with an <a href="http://www.textadventures.co.uk/forum/index.php">anchor link</a>,
a link for <object verbs="Look at/Examine">me</object>
and a link for a <command input="wait">command</command>.

Under the ROOM tab, DESCRIPTION = RUN SCRIPT, PRINT = MESSAGE, and in the field I paste the above-mentioned code. In 5.3, these links operate as expected. In 5.4, only the href link works. The second and third link show up as text, but not highlighted/clickable.

Instead of message, try expression.

Okay, I think I got it... I'm getting my wires crossed with pre-5.4 information. These command links are different for 5.4: http://quest5.net/wiki/Text_processor There's even helpful buttons for this beside the ROOM tab's DESCRIPTION field. Not sure how I initially missed that...

And in 5.4, there's no <objects verbs="...">...</object> anymore; you have to add verbs to the object's VERB tab itself, which will make the new verb appear in the object's drop-down menu.

Thank you sonic102, HegemonKhan, and TriangleGames. You guys dove right in to help -- it's appreciated.