From the NannyMUD documentation

LAST CHANGE

2001-01-06

FUNCTION

NAME
        short - return a brief description of an object


LOCATION
	All objects except invisible ones.

SYNTAX
	string short();

DESCRIPTION
	In room objects, this is the string seen by a player when he or
	she is in 'brief' mode.  In other objects, this is the string
	seen when the player is looking around, but not particularly examining
	the object in question.  


RETURN VALUES
	The string briefly describing the object.


NOTE
	The string ".\n" will automatically be appended when necessary.  Do
	not end your string with either of these characters.

	***All*** short descriptions (except maybe monsters with capitalized
	names) should begin with lower-case letters.  When needed, the mudlib
	will handle the capitalizing.  Never return capitalized strings like
	"A sword" or "The Sword of Might" (should be "a sword" and 
	"the Sword of Might").


EXAMPLE
	"Earendil's castle is north of you"
	"a knife"
	"the yew-wood staff of the Mage's guild"
	"an all-purpose wizard tool (v 4.3a)"
	"an angry orc"


SEE ALSO
        long in lfun/basic/long


SEE ALSO
        query_name in lfun/basic/query_name
        query_name in lfun/living/living_functions
        query_name in obj/quest_obj


SEE ALSO
        set_short in lfun/basic/set_short
        set_short in obj/quest_obj
        set_short in std/basic/basic