    # KEHOME/doc/MKRintro.html
    # Aug/13/2003

# MKR introduction
version 6.1

    An MKR proposition has the format
    	at context { sentence };
    where context is
    	space=s, time=t, view=v
    and sentence is
    	subject verb object prepositionphrase;
    View names the context, which is a list of
    propositions.  A context is normally stored in
    an entity-characteristic-proposition hierarchy.

    The details of sentence structure depend on
    the six types of sentence
    	statement
    	question
    	command
    	assignment
    	conditional
    	iteration
    and the nine types of verb
    	definition	isa, iss, isu	(uses preposition "with" and/or "of")
    	identity	is
    	hierarchy	isa,iss,isu, ismem,isalt
    	n-ary relation	isin
    	binary relation	rel
    	part		haspart
    	attribute	has
    	action		do, do*		(uses terminator "done")
    	interaction	causes
    There are many other MKR relations, not shown here.

    The basic nine statements are
    	subject isa object with essential characteristics;
    	subject is object;
    	subject isa object;
    	subject isin relation = value;
    	subject rel brelation = value;
    	subject brelation value;	# alternate syntax
    	subject haspart part = value;
    	subject has attribute = value;
    	subject do action = event
    		with action characteristics
    		out action products
    		od action direct objects
    		from action initial characteristics
    		to action final characteristics
    		done;
    	subject causes object;

    The question format is the same as a statement, with one
    or more elements replaced by a question mark.  For example
    	subject has ?;
    	subject do ? done;

    The command format is the same as an action statement,
    with the subject omitted.  For example
    	do classify od unknown to view done;

    The assignment format is the same as an attribute statement,
    with the subject omitted, and "has" replaced by "set" or "unset".
    For example
    	set charformat = column;
    	unset debug;

    The conditional format is
    	if propositionlist:1
    	then propositionlist:2
    	else propositionlist:3
    	fi;
    The iteration format is
    	every variable isa concept {
    		propositionlist
    	};

    There are special definition formats for
    	method
    	relation (n-ary)
    	hierarchy
    which are not shown here.  These formats are very user-friendly.
    For example, the hierarchy format is an indented outline, similar
    to the table of contents of a book.

    The comment format begins with "#" and extends to end of line.
    For example
    	MKRintro.html has                  # this document
    	  author="Richard H. McCullough",  # dc:creator
    	  date="March 5, 2003";            # creation date

    For more details see
    	KEHOME/doc/MKRgrammar.html
    	KEHOME/doc/MKRtoken.html
    	KEHOME/src/symbol.icn
    	KEHOME/src/token.icn
    	KEHOME/doc/MKEtutorial.html

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