Inform7: Can actions be made to default to the player if no noun is provided?

Question

I have a heal [someone] action that restores an hp value I have given all people in my story. When I enter the command heal on it's own it defaults to healing anyone else in the same room before it does the player.

Is there a way I can make that action default to the player if no noun is specified?

Answer 1

You can create another action ("healing oneself" in this example), understand the phrase "heal" as that action, and convert the action to the healing action applied to the player in a Check rule:

A person has a number called current hit points.
A person has a number called maximum hit points.

Healing is an action applying to one thing.
Healing oneself is an action applying to nothing.

Understand "heal [someone]" as healing.
Understand "heal" as healing oneself.
To appear is a verb.
To feel is a verb.

Check healing oneself:
    convert to the healing action on the player.

Carry out healing:
    now the current hit points of the noun is the maximum hit points of the noun.

Report healing:
    if the noun is the player:
        say "[We] [feel] completely healed!";
    otherwise:
        say "[The noun] [appear] completely healed!".

Answer 2

Does the player mean healing the player: it is likely.

§17.19. Does the player mean...