Knowledge Explorer News
No. 5
February 3, 1999

Knowledge Explorer Version 3.03

1. Input Windows
These remarks apply to Windows 98/95/NT/3.x. I have not had access to UNIX
with X Windows to check out the UNIX version.

There are two input windows: "KE input menu" and "wke.bat". You can exit
from "KE input menu" by selecting File/Exit, and reactivate it by typing !menu in the
"wke.bat" window. If you close either window, the other window is also closed,
i.e., the execution of wke.bat is terminated.

I find it faster to navigate "KE input menu" using the keyboard rather than the mouse.
After pressing the ALT key, you can then select a menu item by typing the first letter of
its name, or by using the arrow keys.

2. Output Windows
I expect to implement a scrollable "wke.bat" window in the near future. In the meantime,
I have changed the default output format (in KEHOME/kb/newknit.ku) from charformat=line
to charformat = column to minimize the chances of output flowing off the edge of the window.
Line format looks like this
Dick has sex=male, email=rhm@cdepot.net
Column format looks like this
Dick has
sex=male,
email=rhm@cdepot.net

3. Program Changes
I have changed the internal data formats to support better error checking and faster execution.
You can see the new structure by running the knowledge syntax checker, ksc.exe or wksc.bat.
For example, if you type in
hfocus = person
Mary do walk to the store
the output is
SYMBOL(assignment|SYMBOL(nv|hfocus|=|person))
SYMBOL(statement|SYMBOL(svop|Mary|do|walk|SYMBOL(pp|to|the store)))
(nv means name-value, svop means subject-verb-object-prepositional phrase)

I have added a couple of new items to the html filter, e.g., space (&nbsp;) and quote (&quot;).

I have fixed all known bugs. If you find any new ones, please notify me.

I gave ke a "personality":
Hello. I am ke.
Please wait while I load the tabula_rasa knowledge base.
...
You may enter your knowledge base now.
...
Goodbye.

4. Knowledge Base Changes
I've been editing my web site pages (which are also included in the download).
I have recently focused on tabula rasa -- starting with axiomatic concepts, and
adding practical, every day concepts and a knowledge of Knowledge Explorer.

My current focus is on the hierarchy (or lattice) structure of internet directories.
Stay tuned for further results.

5. Availability
In January, I submitted KE to over 100 web sites that list shareware programs.
At the Iverson Software site, there is a separate category for my KR language.
CNET download.com continues to be the most productive site -- almost
4000 downloads.

I expect to supply a Macintosh version eventually. But I depend on the availability
of Icon on the Macintosh -- this is a volunteer effort with no definite schedule.

6. Just Interesting
One of the Webby Award nominations for technical excellence went to
AltaVista: Translations, which translates between English and French, German,
Italian, Portuguese, Spanish. It correctly translated a few "English-like"
sentences of KR. Of course, the translation was better when I used the
longer formats like
x is either y or z
instead of the shorter formats like
x ise y,z