changes to ontolingua (syntax, generic functions, etc.)

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Full-Name: Tom Gruber
Message-id: <2880138520-822828@KSL-Mac-69>
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 91  15:28:40 PDT
From: Tom Gruber <Gruber@sumex-aim.stanford.edu>
To: ontolingua@sumex-aim.stanford.edu
Subject: changes to ontolingua (syntax, generic functions, etc.)

I am about to embark on producing a new version of ontolingua.
Some of the redesign decisions involve syntax.  Before I make
incompatible changes, I need to know what feature are being used by
people "out there".  For instance, does anyone make use of the
distinction between definitions (:DEF or :PRIMITIVE-DEFINITION) and
constraints (:IMPLIES or :CONSTRAINTS)?  Does anyone besides the KSL
use the second order facility yet?  In what way?

We are moving toward an integration of the MCC generic-function  layer
and the ontolingua translation mechanism.  We (i.e., Fritz Mueller)
have already implemented a frame editor on top of an extension of the
MCC function set, adding more generic types of tells and asks.
I hope to use this functional interface as mechanism for KB
translation and interchange, as well as coupling between clients and
KBs.

Please let me know what use you make of ontolingua today, and what you
would like to use such a thing for.  I hope to send you documentation
and working code in the near future.

tom