TomeNET

(5.7a) Types of identification                                                  
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There are different stages and types of identification:
a) pseudo-indentification.
   This gives you one of the basic feelings like {good}, described above.
b) identification via ID (eg by scroll, staff or shop service (see (4.5a)) -
   or from trying to use the item, if your character is able to observe any
   result, in which case it might yield some experience even):
   This actually does two types of identification!
   1) It identifies the magical properties of an item, such as
      +hit, +damage, +ac, names of ego powers or artifact power.
      These values are then seen by any player who looks at the item after
      it has been identified.
   2) It identifies the flavour of an item (if it is a flavoured item) for
      the particular player who identifies it.
      Flavours are prefixes in the base item name, in particular:
      -potion colours
      -scroll titles
      -ring/amulet materials
      -magic device materials
      So if you identify a 'clear potion' you will get to know that it's a
      'clear potion of water'. However, this flavour is now only know to you.
      Other characters who have not yet identified a clear potion on their own
      will still not know that it's a 'clear potion of water'.
c) identification via *ID* (eg by scroll, staff or shop service (see (4.5a))):
   This is the same as ID but additionally reveals all details of all ego- or
   artifact powers the item has.
   This can lead to an increase in price if some of those powers were not
   considered obvious, in which case stores wouldn't pay for them when you sell
   the item. Non-obvious powers are those that are randomly occurring (those
   don't exist on true artifacts).

Note: There are certain effects that can make your character lose his knowledge
      of items, which corresponds to 'unindentification' of types a) and b)1)
      and also loses the additional knowledge gained from c) in the list above.
      The flavour knowledge as described in b)2) is always preserved though.