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|
--- a/doc/html/CLIPSCount.html
+++ b/doc/html/CLIPSCount.html
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@
<H1><TABLE WIDTH="807" HEIGHT="297" BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="2" CELLPADDING=
"0">
<TR>
-<TD WIDTH="31%" HEIGHT="292"><ADDRESS> <IMG SRC="clips.gif" ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="232" HEIGHT="259"
-NATURALSIZEFLAG="0"></ADDRESS>
+<TD WIDTH="31%" HEIGHT="292">
</TD>
<TD WIDTH="69%"><P> </P>
@@ -31,9 +30,8 @@
<H1>A Tool for Building Expert Systems</H1>
-<ADDRESS><IMG SRC="blueline.gif" ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="550" HEIGHT="4" NATURALSIZEFLAG="3"><BR>
-Last Update February 3, 2005 <A HREF="SupportServices.html">Gary Riley</A><div style="padding:5px; font:9px Verdana;"><a href="http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/counter/"><img src="http://count.digitalpoint.com/?c=00AA00&u=1" alt="Website Counter" style="border:0px; width:88px; height:19px;"></a><br /><a href="http://www.auction-registration.com/">eBay</a></div>
-</ADDRESS>
+<ADDRESS><BR>
+Last Update February 3, 2005 <A HREF="SupportServices.html">Gary Riley</A></ADDRESS>
</BODY>
</HTML>
--- a/doc/html/CLIPSJNIBeta.html
+++ b/doc/html/CLIPSJNIBeta.html
@@ -1 +1 @@
-<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>CLIPSJNI Version 0.2 Beta</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<H1><IMG SRC="http://clipsrules.sourceforge.net/CLIPSIcon.gif" ALIGN="CENTER" WIDTH="96" HEIGHT="96" NATURALSIZEFLAG=
"3">CLIPSJNI Version 0.2 Beta</H1>
<P>A beta version of CLIPSJNI, a Java Native Interface for CLIPS, is available for download
on the <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=215471&package_id=260062">SourceForge CLIPS Download Page</A>.</P>
<P>Version 0.1 demonstrates basic techniques for integrating CLIPS with a GUI
and comes with three examples of CLIPS programs integrated with a Swing front end.</P>
<P>Version 0.2 adds an additional example and demonstrates how to build a GUI using languages
other than English. Example software generated translations are provided for Spanish, Japanese, Russian, and Arabic.</P>
<P><A HREF="index.html">Back to CLIPS Home Page.</A></P>
<IMG SRC="http://clipsrules.sourceforge.net/blueline.gif" ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="550" HEIGHT="4" NATURALSIZEFLAG="3"><BR>
<TABLE WIDTH="700" BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="0">
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="40%"><ADDRESS><a href="http://sourceforge.net">
<img src="http://sflogo.sourceforge.net/sflogo.php?group_id=215471&type=2" width="125" height="37" border="0" alt="SourceForge.net Logo" /></a></ADDRESS>
</TD>
<TD WIDTH="60%"><ADDRESS>Last Update February 7, 2008 <A HREF="SupportServices.html">Gary Riley</A></ADDRESS></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
</BODY>
</HTML>
\ No newline at end of file
+<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>CLIPSJNI Version 0.2 Beta</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<H1>CLIPSJNI Version 0.2 Beta</H1>
<P>A beta version of CLIPSJNI, a Java Native Interface for CLIPS, is available for download
on the <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=215471&package_id=260062">SourceForge CLIPS Download Page</A>.</P>
<P>Version 0.1 demonstrates basic techniques for integrating CLIPS with a GUI
and comes with three examples of CLIPS programs integrated with a Swing front end.</P>
<P>Version 0.2 adds an additional example and demonstrates how to build a GUI using languages
other than English. Example software generated translations are provided for Spanish, Japanese, Russian, and Arabic.</P>
<P><A HREF="index.html">Back to CLIPS Home Page.</A></P>
<IMG SRC="http://clipsrules.sourceforge.net/blueline.gif" ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="550" HEIGHT="4" NATURALSIZEFLAG="3"><BR>
<TABLE WIDTH="700" BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="0">
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="40%"><ADDRESS><a href="http://sourceforge.net">
<img src="http://sflogo.sourceforge.net/sflogo.php?group_id=215471&type=2" width="125" height="37" border="0" alt="SourceForge.net Logo" /></a></ADDRESS>
</TD>
<TD WIDTH="60%"><ADDRESS>Last Update February 7, 2008 <A HREF="SupportServices.html">Gary Riley</A></ADDRESS></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
</BODY>
</HTML>
--- a/doc/html/Consulting.html
+++ b/doc/html/Consulting.html
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
</HEAD>
<BODY>
-<H1><IMG SRC="http://clipsrules.sourceforge.net/CLIPSIcon.gif" ALIGN="CENTER" WIDTH="96" HEIGHT="96" NATURALSIZEFLAG=
-"3"> Consulting/Training/Employment</H1>
+<H1>Consulting/Training/Employment</H1>
<P>I'm currently searching for employment opportunities (preferably in the Houston area or telecommuting).</P>
@@ -17,8 +16,7 @@
<P><A HREF="index.html">Back to CLIPS Home Page.</A></P>
-<ADDRESS><IMG SRC="http://clipsrules.sourceforge.net/blueline.gif" ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="550" HEIGHT="4" NATURALSIZEFLAG=
-"3"><BR>
+<ADDRESS><BR>
Last Update March 5, 2008 <A HREF="SupportServices.html">Gary Riley</A></ADDRESS>
</BODY>
</HTML>
--- a/doc/html/Download.html
+++ b/doc/html/Download.html
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@
</HEAD>
<BODY>
-<H1><IMG SRC="CLIPSIcon.gif" ALIGN="CENTER" WIDTH="96" HEIGHT="96" NATURALSIZEFLAG=
-"3"> CLIPS Download Area</H1>
+<H1>CLIPS Download Area</H1>
<P>This is the primary site for obtaining the latest release of CLIPS. The current
release is <A HREF="Version62.html">CLIPS 6.2</A> and is available in the
@@ -79,6 +78,5 @@
<ADDRESS><IMG SRC="blueline.gif" ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="550" HEIGHT="4" NATURALSIZEFLAG=
"3"><BR>
Last Update May 22, 2004 <A HREF="SupportServices.html">Gary Riley</A></ADDRESS>
-<div style="padding:5px; font:9px Verdana; text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/counter/"><img src="http://count.digitalpoint.com/?c=00AA00&u=1" alt="Free Hit Counter" style="border:0px; width:88px; height:19px;"></a><br /><a href="http://www.auction-registration.com/">eBay</a></div>
</BODY>
</HTML>
--- a/doc/html/FAQ.html
+++ b/doc/html/FAQ.html
@@ -1 +1 @@
-<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Frequently Asked Questions</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<H1><IMG SRC="http://clipsrules.sourceforge.net/CLIPSIcon.gif" ALIGN="CENTER" WIDTH="96" HEIGHT="96" NATURALSIZEFLAG=
"3"> Frequently Asked Questions</H1>
<OL>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q1">What is CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q2">Where Can I Get a Copy of CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q3">What's New in Version 6.2 of CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q4">Can CLIPS Be Redistributed? Are There Any Licensing Fees?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q5">What Forums Are Available For Answering Questions About CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q6">Are There Any Sources Describing Applications Built Using CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q7">Are There Any Textbooks Using CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q8">Are There Any Special Versions of CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q9">Can CLIPS be Integrated with C++ Code?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q10">Is a Dynamic Link Library Available for CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q11">What are the Origins of CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q12">Are There Any Languages Similar to CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q13">What are the Future Plans for CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q14">Can CLIPS be Used for Real Time Applications?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q15">Are There Any Examples of User Defined Functions Other
Than the Ones in the Advanced Programming Guide?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q16">Does a Run-Time Program Generated Using the
Constructs-To-C Command Run any Faster Than a
Program Loaded Using the Load or Bload Commands?</A>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q17">Is the CLIPS 6.X Architecture Manual Available?</A>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q18">Are Consulting/Training Services Available for CLIPS?</A></LI>
</OL>
<OL>
<LI><a name="Q1">What is CLIPS?</a>
<P>CLIPS is a productive development and delivery expert system tool which
provides a complete environment for the construction of rule and/or
object based expert systems. Created in 1985, CLIPS is now widely used
throughout the government, industry, and academia. Its key features are:</P>
<UL>
<LI><P>Knowledge Representation: CLIPS provides a cohesive tool for handling a
wide variety of knowledge with support for three different programming
paradigms: rule-based, object-oriented and procedural. Rule-based programming
allows knowledge to be represented as heuristics, or "rules of thumb,"
which specify a set of actions to be performed for a given situation.
Object-oriented programming allows complex systems to be modeled as modular
components (which can be easily reused to model other systems or to create new
components). The procedural programming capabilities provided by CLIPS are
similar to capabilities found in languages such as C, Java, Ada, and LISP.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Portability: CLIPS is written in C for portability and speed and has
been installed on many different operating systems without code changes.
Operating systems on which CLIPS has been tested include Windows XP,
MacOS X, and Unix. CLIPS can be ported to any system which has an ANSI
compliant C or C++ compiler. CLIPS comes with all source code which can
be modified or tailored to meet a user's specific needs.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Integration/Extensibility: CLIPS can be embedded within procedural
code, called as a subroutine, and integrated with languages such as C, Java,
FORTRAN and ADA. CLIPS can be easily extended by a user through the use
of several well-defined protocols.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Interactive Development: The standard version of CLIPS provides an
interactive, text oriented development environment, including debugging
aids, on-line help, and an integrated editor. Interfaces providing features
such as pulldown menus, integrated editors, and multiple windows have been
developed for the Mac OS X, Windows XP, and X Window environments.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Verification/Validation: CLIPS includes a number of features to support
the verification and validation of expert systems including support for
modular design and partitioning of a knowledge base, static and dynamic
constraint checking of slot values and function arguments, and semantic
analysis of rule patterns to determine if inconsistencies could prevent
a rule from firing or generate an error.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Fully Documented: CLIPS comes with extensive documentation including
a Reference Manual and a User's Guide.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Low Cost: CLIPS is maintained as public domain software.</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q2">Where Can I Get a Copy of CLIPS?</A>
<P>CLIPS executables, documentation, source code, and examples can be downloaded
from the <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=215471&package_id=260062">Download Page</A>
of the <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/projects/clipsrules/">CLIPS Project</A> on
<A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/">SourceForge</A>.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q3">What's New in Version 6.2 of CLIPS?</A></LI>
<UL>
<LI><P>CLIPS now provides a mechanism which allows an embedded application to
create multiple environments into which programs can be loaded.</P></LI>
<LI><P>An improved Windows XP CLIPS interface is now available and the Macintosh
CLIPS interface has been enhanced to support Mac OS X.</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q4">Can CLIPS Be Redistributed? Are There Any Licensing Fees?</A>
<P>Copies of CLIPS executables, documentation, and source code downloaded from
the <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/projects/clipsrules/">CLIPS Project</A> on
<A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/">SourceForge</A> are subject to the following
license agreement:</P>
<P>Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, and/or sell copies of the
Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so.</P>
<P>THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, OR ANY SPECIAL
INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM
LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE
OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR
PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q5">What Forums Are Available For Answering Questions About CLIPS?</A>
<UL>
<LI><P>The <A HREF="http://groups.google.com/group/CLIPSESG/">CLIPS Expert System Group</A>
is a forum for the discussion of CLIPS related topics.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Questions regarding CLIPS can be sent via electronic mail to clipsYYYY@swbell.net
where YYYY is the current year (for example, 2008). Include the words 'CLIPS USER'
in the subject line.</P></LI>
<LI><P>The <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/projects/clipsrules/">CLIPS Project</A> on
<A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/">SourceForge</A> also has a
<A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/forum/?group_id=215471">Forums Page</A>.</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q6">Are There Any Sources Describing Applications Built Using CLIPS?</A>
<P>There are a number of sources describing applications built using CLIPS:</P>
<UL>
<LI><P>A bibliography list of CLIPS related books, papers, and articles is contained
in Appendix J of the CLIPS Basic Programming Guide.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Proceedings of the Third CLIPS Conference, held in 1994, are available in PDF.</P></LI>
<LI><P>The Proceedings of the First, Fourth, and Fifth
<A HREF="http://www.aaai.org/Conferences/IAAI/iaai.php">Innovative Applications of
Artificial Intelligence</A> also contain descriptions of applications built using
CLIPS ("An Intelligent Training System for Space Shuttle Flight Controllers"
and "Space Shuttle Telemetry Monitoring" in the First, "HUB SIAASHING: A
Knowledge-Based System for Severe, Temporary Airline Schedule Reduction"
in the Fourth, and "PI-in-a-Box: A Knowledge-based System for Space Science
Experimentation" and "The DRAIR Advisor: A Knowledge-Based System for Materiel
Deficiency Analysis" in the Fifth).</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q7">Are There Any Textbooks Using CLIPS?</A>
<P><A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0534384471/ref=lpr_g_1/002-8157855-8752009?v=glance&s=bo">
<cite>Expert Systems: Principles and Programming</cite></A>, 4th Edition, by Giarratano and Riley
(ISBN 0-534-38447-1), comes with a CD-ROM containing CLIPS 6.22 executables, source
code, and documentation. The first half of the book is theory oriented and the
second half covers rule-based, procedural, and object-oriented programming using
CLIPS. For more information, contact <A HREF="http://www.course.com/">Course Technology</A>.</P>
<P><A HREF="http://members.aol.com/jacksonpe/music1/introduc.htm"><cite>Introduction To Expert Systems</cite></A>,
3rd Edition, by Jackson (ISBN 0-201-87686-8),
contains numerous CLIPS examples and exercises throughout the book. For more
information, contact <A HREF="http://www.awl.com/">Addison Wesley</A>.</P>
<P><A HREF="http://www.prenhall.com/books/esm_0132769409.html"><cite>The Engineering of Knowledge-based
Systems: Theory and Practice</cite></A>, by Gonzalez and
Dankel (ISBN 0132 769 409), comes with an MS-DOS executable of version 5.1 of CLIPS.
The use of CLIPS isn't integrated throughout the book, but there is a 25 page appendix
that describes the fundamentals of using the CLIPS executable bundled with the book.
For more information, contact <A HREF="http://www.prenhall.com/">Prentice Hall</A>.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q8">Are There Any Special Versions of CLIPS?</A>
<UL>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.telepath.com/~dennison/Ted/AdaClips/AdaClips.html">AdaClips</A>
is a semi-thick Ada (95) binding to CLIPS.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.openchannelfoundation.org/projects/CLIPS-ADA">CLIPS/Ada</A> version
4.4, available from the <A HREF="http://www.openchannelfoundation.org/">Open Channel Foundation</A>,
is a version of CLIPS developed entirely in Ada and containing
a subset of the features found in the C version of CLIPS. CLIPS/Ada version 4.4 contains
all of the features found in CLIPS/C version 4.3, and with the exception of the CLIPS
Object-Oriented Language, all of the features found in CLIPS/C version 5.0. There are no
plans to update CLIPS/Ada to a more recent version of CLIPS/C.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://cape.sourceforge.net/">CAPE</A> is a programming environment
that combines the CLIPS rule-based system with the Perl procedural programming
language.</P></LI>
<LI><P>The <A HREF="http://clipsmm.sourceforge.net/">clipsmm</A> library is a C++ interface to CLIPS.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.mommosoft.com/Default.aspx?item=Solutions">ClipsNet</A> integrates
CLIPS projects into the .Net framework by making the CLIPS environment available through
both managed and unmanaged code.</P></LI>
<LI><P>The <A HREF="http://www.proai.net/clips.htm">Clips .NET Lib</A> integrates .NET and CLIPS.
This library is distributed with source code.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.ortech-engr.com/fuzzy/fzyclips.html">FuzzyCLIPS 1.5</A> is an
extension of CLIPS incorporating fuzzy logic. FuzzyCLIPS includes all CLIPS 5.1
capabilities and adds the fuzzy logic processing capability.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://ai.iit.nrc.ca/IR_public/fuzzy/fuzzyClips/fuzzyCLIPSIndex.html">FuzzyCLIPS 6.04</A>
is an extended version of CLIPS 6.04 for representing and manipulating fuzzy facts and rules. In
addition to the CLIPS functionality, FuzzyCLIPS can deal with exact, fuzzy (or inexact), and
combined reasoning, allowing fuzzy and normal terms to be freely mixed
in the rules and facts of an expert system. The system uses two basic
inexact concepts, fuzziness and uncertainty. It was developed by the
Knowledge Systems Laboratory of the National Research Council of Canada
(and is a different tool than the previously mentioned FuzzyCLIPS 1.5
developed by Togai InfraLogic).</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.cs.umbc.edu/kqml/software/kapiclips.shtml">KAPICLIPS</A> is A KQML
(Knowledge Query & Manipulation Language) API for CLIPS, developed by Ernest Friedman-Hill.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.mikekreuzer.com/luaClips.htm">LuaCLIPS</A> combines Lua, an open source
scripting language, with CLIPS in a Lua accessible Windows DLL.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.objectiveclips.com/">ObjectiveCLIPS</A>, a framework that lets you build
Mac GUIs on top of CLIPS deftemplates which are derived from persistent Core Data objects.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.discomsys.com/~mps/dnld">PerlCLIPS</A> is an integration between Perl and CLIPS.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://phlips.sourceforge.net">PHLIPS</A> is a PHP extension that provides a basic
interface to the CLIPS environment.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://pyclips.sourceforge.net/web/">PyCLIPS</A> is a Python module
that integrates CLIPS into Python.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://wiki.tcl.tk/3510">TclCLIPS</A> provides a Tcl interface to CLIPS</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.anthemion.co.uk/wxclips/">wxCLIPS</A>, developed by Julian Smart,
provides a simple graphical front end to CLIPS 5.1/6.0, and in addition contains a suite
of extra functions for creating GUI applications in CLIPS.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.zope.org/Members/raystream/zZCLIPS0.1">ZClips</A> allows Zope to interact with CLIPS.</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q9">Can CLIPS be Integrated with C++ Code?</A>
<P>Yes. Version 6.1 and later can be compiled with either an ANSI C or C++ compiler.
However, the CLIPS source code only uses features that are available in both the
ANSI C and C++ standards. Since the object extensions of C++ are not part of the
ANSI C standard, they are not utilized in the CLIPS source code. CLIPS 6.3 comes
with starter projects which demonstrate how to build a C++ library.</P>
<P>The <A HREF="http://clipsmm.sourceforge.net/">clipsmm</A> library is a C++ interface to CLIPS.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q10">Is a Dynamic Link Library Available for CLIPS?</A>
<P>There are several DLLs available for use with CLIPS:</P>
<UL>
<LI><P>The <A HREF="http://www.proai.net/clips.htm">Clips .NET Lib</A> integrates .NET and CLIPS.
This library is distributed with source code.</P></LI>
<LI><P>CLIPS 6.3 comes with starter projects that demonstrate how to build a DLL.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.mommosoft.com/Default.aspx?item=Solutions">ClipsNet</A> integrates
CLIPS projects into the .Net framework by making the CLIPS environment available through
both managed and unmanaged code.</P></LI>
<LI><P>A DLL, ActiveX Control, and other items of interest for CLIPS 6.2 are available
<A HREF="http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/marktoml/clipstuf.htm">here</A>.</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q11">What are the Origins of CLIPS?</A>
<P>The origins of CLIPS date back to 1984 at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
At this time, the Artificial Intelligence Section had developed over a
dozen prototype expert systems applications using state-of-the-art
hardware and software. However, despite extensive demonstrations of the
potential of expert systems, few of these applications were put into
regular use. This failure to provide expert systems technology within
NASA's operational computing constraints could largely be traced to the
use of LISP as the base language for nearly all expert system software
tools at that time.</P>
<P>The Artificial Intelligence Section felt that the use of a conventional
language, such as C, would eliminate most of these problems. Although a
number of tool vendors started converting their tools to run in C, the
cost of each tool was still very high, most were restricted to a small
variety of computers, and the projected availability times were
discouraging. To meet all of its needs in a timely and cost effective
manner, it became evident that the Artificial Intelligence Section would
have to develop its own C based expert system tool.</P>
<P>The prototype version of CLIPS was developed in 1985. Particular
attention was given to making the tool compatible with expert systems
under development at that time. Thus, the syntax of CLIPS was made to
very closely resemble the syntax of a subset of the ART expert system
tool developed by Inference Corporation. Although originally modelled
from ART, CLIPS was developed entirely without assistance from
Inference or access to the ART source code.</P>
<P>The original intent for CLIPS was to gain useful insight and knowledge
about the construction of expert system tools and to lay the groundwork
for the construction of a replacement tool for the commercial tools
currently being used. Version 1.0 demonstrated the feasibility of the
project concept. After additional development, it became apparent that
CLIPS would be a low cost expert system tool ideal for the purposes of
training. Another year of development and internal use went into CLIPS
improving its portability, performance, functionality, and supporting
documentation. Version 3.0 of CLIPS was made available to groups outside
of NASA in the summer of 1986.</P>
<P>Further enhancements transformed CLIPS from a training tool into a tool
useful for the development and delivery of expert systems as well.
Versions 4.0 and 4.1 of CLIPS, released respectively in the summer and
fall of 1987, featured greatly improved performance, external language
integration, and delivery capabilities. Version 4.2 of CLIPS, released
in the summer of 1988, was a complete rewrite of CLIPS for code modularity.
Also included with this release were an architecture manual providing a
detailed description of the CLIPS software architecture and a utility
program for aiding in the verification and validation of rule-based
programs. Version 4.3 of CLIPS, released in the summer of 1989, added
still more functionality.</P>
<P>Originally, the primary representation methodology in CLIPS was a forward
chaining rule language based on the Rete algorithm (hence the Production
System part of the CLIPS acronym). Version 5.0 of CLIPS, released in the
spring of 1991, introduced two new programming paradigms: procedural
programming (as found in languages such as C and Ada;) and object-oriented
programming (as found in languages such as the Common Lisp Object System
and Smalltalk). The object-oriented programming language provided within
CLIPS is called the CLIPS Object-Oriented Language (COOL). Version 5.1 of
CLIPS, released in the fall of 1991, was primarily a software maintenance
upgrade required to support the newly developed and/or enhanced X Window,
MS-DOS, and Macintosh interfaces. Version 6.0, released in the Spring of
1993, added fully integrated object/rule pattern matching and support
features for rule-based software engineering.</P>
<P>In the mid 1990s the focus of the Artifical Intelligence Section (now the
Software Technology Branch) shifted away from expert system technology.
The principle developers subsequently left NASA. CLIPS is now maintained
independently from NASA as public domain software by one of the original
program authors. The first public domain release of CLIPS, version 6.1
in 1998, removed support for older non-ANSI C Compilers and added support
for C++ compilers. Commands to profile the time spent in constructs and
user-defined functions were also added. Version 6.2, released in the
Spring of 2002, added support for multiple environments into which programs
can be loaded and improved Windows XP and MacOS development interfaces.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q12">Are There Any Languages Similar to CLIPS?</A>
<P>CLIPS is an interesting example of technology transfer between the
government and private sectors. Syntactically, CLIPS traces its origins
to Inference's ART which traced the origins of its rule-based language
to OPS5. Later, CLIPS was used by Inference to develop ART-IM (which
later became <A HREF="http://www.mindbox.com/Products/ARTEnterprise.aspx">ARTEnterprise</A>, by
The Haley Enterprise to develop Eclipse (which later became
<A HREF="http://www.haley.com/products/HaleyRules.html">HaleyRules</A>),
and by Production Systems
Technology to develop <A HREF="http://www.pst.com/clips_r2.htm">CLIPS/R2</A>. Other languages, such as
<A HREF="http://www.jessrules.com/">Jess</A>, adopted
syntax similar to ART and CLIPS. This has created a family of tools
that share the same basic syntax for the definition of rules. While the
features and capabilities of these tools has diverged sufficiently that
porting an application taking full advantage of a tool's complete
feature set is non-trivial, it's still possible if one uses a restricted
subset of features to write portable programs that will run with few if
any simple changes.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q13">What are the Future Plans for CLIPS?</A>
<P>Version 6.3 will target rule performance, improved integration with other languages
(such as C++, .NET, and Java), and examples for common use cases. Version 6.4 will
target unicode support.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q14">Can CLIPS be Used for Real Time Applications?</A>
<P>Yes and no. It depends on what you mean by a real time application. </P>
<P>If you want guaranteed response time, then the answer is no. Generally speaking,
the more robust the pattern matching capabilities of a tool, the more
difficult it is to guarantee real time response.</P>
<P>If you need built-in functionality that allows you reason about events
as they occur over time, then the answer is no. Many tools designed
for real time applications provide features that allow you (among other
things) to schedule rules to be checked at a particular time or on a
particular time interval, specify how long data is valid, determine
trends in data (such as whether it's increasing or decreasing), and
synchronize the execution of tasks. In addition, some tools provide
extensive facilities for the "non AI" related aspects of
developing a real time application such as the graphical interface,
simulation, and data acquisition. It's possible to use CLIPS to reason
about events as they occur over time--It's just not a built-in feature.
You can, for example, add an additional slot to facts which stores their
creation time and then use rules which reason based on the contents of
this slot.</P>
<P>If by real time you mean that the application is able to keep up with
the data as it is received, then the answer is maybe. Almost all
expert system tools can keep up with a real time system that only
requires decisions to be made in minutes/hours/days. Response time
tends to become an issue only when large amounts of data are being
processed or decisions are required in seconds or fractions of a
second.</P>
<P>CLIPS is based on the Rete pattern matching algorithm. The efficiency
of this algorithm is based on the assumption that data changes slowly
over time (e.g. a single rule firing affects < 5% of all facts). This
assumption would appear to fail miserably for monitoring applications
(as well as other applications where rapid data change can occur). If,
for example, you have 100 facts representing various sensor values and
the sensor values change every second, you have very rapid data changes
(assuming you don't have thousands and thousands of facts of other
types). It's often possible to comply with the Rete assumption by
preprocessing data. For example, if a sensor value changes from 10 to
10.1 and this change is not significant, then it's not necessary to
retract the old fact and assert a new fact with the changed sensor
value. Another preprocessing approach would be to convert numeric
values to symbolic values such as low, nominal, and high and then to
retract the old fact and assert a new one only if the symbolic value
changed. The major drawback to this approach is that you generally have
to write C code to preprocess the data and keep track of pointers to
facts so that facts can later be retracted by the preprocessor--Of
course if you're dealing with real-time data, you're probably writing
some C code anyway.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q15">Are There Any Examples of User Defined Functions Other
Than the Ones in the Advanced Programming Guide?</A>
<P>Virtually all of the system defined functions that come ready to use
with CLIPS utilize the same programming interface that you have to
use to define your own functions. Look through files in the CLIPS
source code such as bmathfun.c, iofun.c, miscfun.c, prdctfun.c,
emathfun.c, filecom.c, and multifun.c for examples.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q16">Does a Run-Time Program Generated Using the
Constructs-To-C Command Run any Faster Than a
Program Loaded Using the Load or Bload Commands?</A>
<P>A run-time program will not run any faster than a program loaded using
the load or bload commands. The constructs-to-c command used to generate
a run-time program creates files containing the C data structures that
would dynamically be allocated if the load or bload command was used.
With the exception of some initialization routines, the constructs-to-c
command does not generate any executable code. The primary benefits of
creating a run-time program are: applications can be delivered as a
single executable file; loading constructs as part of an executable is
faster than loading them from an text or binary file; the CLIPS portion
of the run-time program is smaller because the code needed to parse
constructs can be discarded; and less memory is required to represent
your program's constructs since memory for them is statically rather
than dynamically allocated.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q17">Is the CLIPS 6.X Architecture Manual Available?</A>
<P>There are no plans to write a 6.X Architecture Manual. Copies
of the CLIPS 5.1 Architecture Manual are still bundled with the
CLIPS documentation.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q18">Are Consulting/Training Services Available for CLIPS?</A>
<P>Inquiries about consulting, training, or other employment opportunities
can be sent to gdrworkYYYY@swbell.net or clipsYYYY@swbell.net where YYYY
is the current year (for example, 2008).</P>
</LI>
</OL>
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<TD WIDTH="60%"><ADDRESS>Last Update January 25, 2008 <A HREF="SupportServices.html">Gary Riley</A></ADDRESS></TD>
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<TITLE>Frequently Asked Questions</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<H1>Frequently Asked Questions</H1>
<OL>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q1">What is CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q2">Where Can I Get a Copy of CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q3">What's New in Version 6.2 of CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q4">Can CLIPS Be Redistributed? Are There Any Licensing Fees?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q5">What Forums Are Available For Answering Questions About CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q6">Are There Any Sources Describing Applications Built Using CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q7">Are There Any Textbooks Using CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q8">Are There Any Special Versions of CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q9">Can CLIPS be Integrated with C++ Code?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q10">Is a Dynamic Link Library Available for CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q11">What are the Origins of CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q12">Are There Any Languages Similar to CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q13">What are the Future Plans for CLIPS?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q14">Can CLIPS be Used for Real Time Applications?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q15">Are There Any Examples of User Defined Functions Other
Than the Ones in the Advanced Programming Guide?</A></LI>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q16">Does a Run-Time Program Generated Using the
Constructs-To-C Command Run any Faster Than a
Program Loaded Using the Load or Bload Commands?</A>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q17">Is the CLIPS 6.X Architecture Manual Available?</A>
<LI><A HREF="FAQ.html#Q18">Are Consulting/Training Services Available for CLIPS?</A></LI>
</OL>
<OL>
<LI><a name="Q1">What is CLIPS?</a>
<P>CLIPS is a productive development and delivery expert system tool which
provides a complete environment for the construction of rule and/or
object based expert systems. Created in 1985, CLIPS is now widely used
throughout the government, industry, and academia. Its key features are:</P>
<UL>
<LI><P>Knowledge Representation: CLIPS provides a cohesive tool for handling a
wide variety of knowledge with support for three different programming
paradigms: rule-based, object-oriented and procedural. Rule-based programming
allows knowledge to be represented as heuristics, or "rules of thumb,"
which specify a set of actions to be performed for a given situation.
Object-oriented programming allows complex systems to be modeled as modular
components (which can be easily reused to model other systems or to create new
components). The procedural programming capabilities provided by CLIPS are
similar to capabilities found in languages such as C, Java, Ada, and LISP.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Portability: CLIPS is written in C for portability and speed and has
been installed on many different operating systems without code changes.
Operating systems on which CLIPS has been tested include Windows XP,
MacOS X, and Unix. CLIPS can be ported to any system which has an ANSI
compliant C or C++ compiler. CLIPS comes with all source code which can
be modified or tailored to meet a user's specific needs.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Integration/Extensibility: CLIPS can be embedded within procedural
code, called as a subroutine, and integrated with languages such as C, Java,
FORTRAN and ADA. CLIPS can be easily extended by a user through the use
of several well-defined protocols.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Interactive Development: The standard version of CLIPS provides an
interactive, text oriented development environment, including debugging
aids, on-line help, and an integrated editor. Interfaces providing features
such as pulldown menus, integrated editors, and multiple windows have been
developed for the Mac OS X, Windows XP, and X Window environments.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Verification/Validation: CLIPS includes a number of features to support
the verification and validation of expert systems including support for
modular design and partitioning of a knowledge base, static and dynamic
constraint checking of slot values and function arguments, and semantic
analysis of rule patterns to determine if inconsistencies could prevent
a rule from firing or generate an error.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Fully Documented: CLIPS comes with extensive documentation including
a Reference Manual and a User's Guide.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Low Cost: CLIPS is maintained as public domain software.</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q2">Where Can I Get a Copy of CLIPS?</A>
<P>CLIPS executables, documentation, source code, and examples can be downloaded
from the <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=215471&package_id=260062">Download Page</A>
of the <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/projects/clipsrules/">CLIPS Project</A> on
<A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/">SourceForge</A>.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q3">What's New in Version 6.2 of CLIPS?</A></LI>
<UL>
<LI><P>CLIPS now provides a mechanism which allows an embedded application to
create multiple environments into which programs can be loaded.</P></LI>
<LI><P>An improved Windows XP CLIPS interface is now available and the Macintosh
CLIPS interface has been enhanced to support Mac OS X.</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q4">Can CLIPS Be Redistributed? Are There Any Licensing Fees?</A>
<P>Copies of CLIPS executables, documentation, and source code downloaded from
the <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/projects/clipsrules/">CLIPS Project</A> on
<A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/">SourceForge</A> are subject to the following
license agreement:</P>
<P>Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, and/or sell copies of the
Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so.</P>
<P>THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, OR ANY SPECIAL
INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM
LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE
OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR
PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q5">What Forums Are Available For Answering Questions About CLIPS?</A>
<UL>
<LI><P>The <A HREF="http://groups.google.com/group/CLIPSESG/">CLIPS Expert System Group</A>
is a forum for the discussion of CLIPS related topics.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Questions regarding CLIPS can be sent via electronic mail to clipsYYYY@swbell.net
where YYYY is the current year (for example, 2008). Include the words 'CLIPS USER'
in the subject line.</P></LI>
<LI><P>The <A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/projects/clipsrules/">CLIPS Project</A> on
<A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/">SourceForge</A> also has a
<A HREF="http://sourceforge.net/forum/?group_id=215471">Forums Page</A>.</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q6">Are There Any Sources Describing Applications Built Using CLIPS?</A>
<P>There are a number of sources describing applications built using CLIPS:</P>
<UL>
<LI><P>A bibliography list of CLIPS related books, papers, and articles is contained
in Appendix J of the CLIPS Basic Programming Guide.</P></LI>
<LI><P>Proceedings of the Third CLIPS Conference, held in 1994, are available in PDF.</P></LI>
<LI><P>The Proceedings of the First, Fourth, and Fifth
<A HREF="http://www.aaai.org/Conferences/IAAI/iaai.php">Innovative Applications of
Artificial Intelligence</A> also contain descriptions of applications built using
CLIPS ("An Intelligent Training System for Space Shuttle Flight Controllers"
and "Space Shuttle Telemetry Monitoring" in the First, "HUB SIAASHING: A
Knowledge-Based System for Severe, Temporary Airline Schedule Reduction"
in the Fourth, and "PI-in-a-Box: A Knowledge-based System for Space Science
Experimentation" and "The DRAIR Advisor: A Knowledge-Based System for Materiel
Deficiency Analysis" in the Fifth).</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q7">Are There Any Textbooks Using CLIPS?</A>
<P><A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0534384471/ref=lpr_g_1/002-8157855-8752009?v=glance&s=bo">
<cite>Expert Systems: Principles and Programming</cite></A>, 4th Edition, by Giarratano and Riley
(ISBN 0-534-38447-1), comes with a CD-ROM containing CLIPS 6.22 executables, source
code, and documentation. The first half of the book is theory oriented and the
second half covers rule-based, procedural, and object-oriented programming using
CLIPS. For more information, contact <A HREF="http://www.course.com/">Course Technology</A>.</P>
<P><A HREF="http://members.aol.com/jacksonpe/music1/introduc.htm"><cite>Introduction To Expert Systems</cite></A>,
3rd Edition, by Jackson (ISBN 0-201-87686-8),
contains numerous CLIPS examples and exercises throughout the book. For more
information, contact <A HREF="http://www.awl.com/">Addison Wesley</A>.</P>
<P><A HREF="http://www.prenhall.com/books/esm_0132769409.html"><cite>The Engineering of Knowledge-based
Systems: Theory and Practice</cite></A>, by Gonzalez and
Dankel (ISBN 0132 769 409), comes with an MS-DOS executable of version 5.1 of CLIPS.
The use of CLIPS isn't integrated throughout the book, but there is a 25 page appendix
that describes the fundamentals of using the CLIPS executable bundled with the book.
For more information, contact <A HREF="http://www.prenhall.com/">Prentice Hall</A>.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q8">Are There Any Special Versions of CLIPS?</A>
<UL>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.telepath.com/~dennison/Ted/AdaClips/AdaClips.html">AdaClips</A>
is a semi-thick Ada (95) binding to CLIPS.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.openchannelfoundation.org/projects/CLIPS-ADA">CLIPS/Ada</A> version
4.4, available from the <A HREF="http://www.openchannelfoundation.org/">Open Channel Foundation</A>,
is a version of CLIPS developed entirely in Ada and containing
a subset of the features found in the C version of CLIPS. CLIPS/Ada version 4.4 contains
all of the features found in CLIPS/C version 4.3, and with the exception of the CLIPS
Object-Oriented Language, all of the features found in CLIPS/C version 5.0. There are no
plans to update CLIPS/Ada to a more recent version of CLIPS/C.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://cape.sourceforge.net/">CAPE</A> is a programming environment
that combines the CLIPS rule-based system with the Perl procedural programming
language.</P></LI>
<LI><P>The <A HREF="http://clipsmm.sourceforge.net/">clipsmm</A> library is a C++ interface to CLIPS.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.mommosoft.com/Default.aspx?item=Solutions">ClipsNet</A> integrates
CLIPS projects into the .Net framework by making the CLIPS environment available through
both managed and unmanaged code.</P></LI>
<LI><P>The <A HREF="http://www.proai.net/clips.htm">Clips .NET Lib</A> integrates .NET and CLIPS.
This library is distributed with source code.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.ortech-engr.com/fuzzy/fzyclips.html">FuzzyCLIPS 1.5</A> is an
extension of CLIPS incorporating fuzzy logic. FuzzyCLIPS includes all CLIPS 5.1
capabilities and adds the fuzzy logic processing capability.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://ai.iit.nrc.ca/IR_public/fuzzy/fuzzyClips/fuzzyCLIPSIndex.html">FuzzyCLIPS 6.04</A>
is an extended version of CLIPS 6.04 for representing and manipulating fuzzy facts and rules. In
addition to the CLIPS functionality, FuzzyCLIPS can deal with exact, fuzzy (or inexact), and
combined reasoning, allowing fuzzy and normal terms to be freely mixed
in the rules and facts of an expert system. The system uses two basic
inexact concepts, fuzziness and uncertainty. It was developed by the
Knowledge Systems Laboratory of the National Research Council of Canada
(and is a different tool than the previously mentioned FuzzyCLIPS 1.5
developed by Togai InfraLogic).</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.cs.umbc.edu/kqml/software/kapiclips.shtml">KAPICLIPS</A> is A KQML
(Knowledge Query & Manipulation Language) API for CLIPS, developed by Ernest Friedman-Hill.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.mikekreuzer.com/luaClips.htm">LuaCLIPS</A> combines Lua, an open source
scripting language, with CLIPS in a Lua accessible Windows DLL.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.objectiveclips.com/">ObjectiveCLIPS</A>, a framework that lets you build
Mac GUIs on top of CLIPS deftemplates which are derived from persistent Core Data objects.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.discomsys.com/~mps/dnld">PerlCLIPS</A> is an integration between Perl and CLIPS.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://phlips.sourceforge.net">PHLIPS</A> is a PHP extension that provides a basic
interface to the CLIPS environment.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://pyclips.sourceforge.net/web/">PyCLIPS</A> is a Python module
that integrates CLIPS into Python.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://wiki.tcl.tk/3510">TclCLIPS</A> provides a Tcl interface to CLIPS</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.anthemion.co.uk/wxclips/">wxCLIPS</A>, developed by Julian Smart,
provides a simple graphical front end to CLIPS 5.1/6.0, and in addition contains a suite
of extra functions for creating GUI applications in CLIPS.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.zope.org/Members/raystream/zZCLIPS0.1">ZClips</A> allows Zope to interact with CLIPS.</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q9">Can CLIPS be Integrated with C++ Code?</A>
<P>Yes. Version 6.1 and later can be compiled with either an ANSI C or C++ compiler.
However, the CLIPS source code only uses features that are available in both the
ANSI C and C++ standards. Since the object extensions of C++ are not part of the
ANSI C standard, they are not utilized in the CLIPS source code. CLIPS 6.3 comes
with starter projects which demonstrate how to build a C++ library.</P>
<P>The <A HREF="http://clipsmm.sourceforge.net/">clipsmm</A> library is a C++ interface to CLIPS.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q10">Is a Dynamic Link Library Available for CLIPS?</A>
<P>There are several DLLs available for use with CLIPS:</P>
<UL>
<LI><P>The <A HREF="http://www.proai.net/clips.htm">Clips .NET Lib</A> integrates .NET and CLIPS.
This library is distributed with source code.</P></LI>
<LI><P>CLIPS 6.3 comes with starter projects that demonstrate how to build a DLL.</P></LI>
<LI><P><A HREF="http://www.mommosoft.com/Default.aspx?item=Solutions">ClipsNet</A> integrates
CLIPS projects into the .Net framework by making the CLIPS environment available through
both managed and unmanaged code.</P></LI>
<LI><P>A DLL, ActiveX Control, and other items of interest for CLIPS 6.2 are available
<A HREF="http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/marktoml/clipstuf.htm">here</A>.</P></LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q11">What are the Origins of CLIPS?</A>
<P>The origins of CLIPS date back to 1984 at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
At this time, the Artificial Intelligence Section had developed over a
dozen prototype expert systems applications using state-of-the-art
hardware and software. However, despite extensive demonstrations of the
potential of expert systems, few of these applications were put into
regular use. This failure to provide expert systems technology within
NASA's operational computing constraints could largely be traced to the
use of LISP as the base language for nearly all expert system software
tools at that time.</P>
<P>The Artificial Intelligence Section felt that the use of a conventional
language, such as C, would eliminate most of these problems. Although a
number of tool vendors started converting their tools to run in C, the
cost of each tool was still very high, most were restricted to a small
variety of computers, and the projected availability times were
discouraging. To meet all of its needs in a timely and cost effective
manner, it became evident that the Artificial Intelligence Section would
have to develop its own C based expert system tool.</P>
<P>The prototype version of CLIPS was developed in 1985. Particular
attention was given to making the tool compatible with expert systems
under development at that time. Thus, the syntax of CLIPS was made to
very closely resemble the syntax of a subset of the ART expert system
tool developed by Inference Corporation. Although originally modelled
from ART, CLIPS was developed entirely without assistance from
Inference or access to the ART source code.</P>
<P>The original intent for CLIPS was to gain useful insight and knowledge
about the construction of expert system tools and to lay the groundwork
for the construction of a replacement tool for the commercial tools
currently being used. Version 1.0 demonstrated the feasibility of the
project concept. After additional development, it became apparent that
CLIPS would be a low cost expert system tool ideal for the purposes of
training. Another year of development and internal use went into CLIPS
improving its portability, performance, functionality, and supporting
documentation. Version 3.0 of CLIPS was made available to groups outside
of NASA in the summer of 1986.</P>
<P>Further enhancements transformed CLIPS from a training tool into a tool
useful for the development and delivery of expert systems as well.
Versions 4.0 and 4.1 of CLIPS, released respectively in the summer and
fall of 1987, featured greatly improved performance, external language
integration, and delivery capabilities. Version 4.2 of CLIPS, released
in the summer of 1988, was a complete rewrite of CLIPS for code modularity.
Also included with this release were an architecture manual providing a
detailed description of the CLIPS software architecture and a utility
program for aiding in the verification and validation of rule-based
programs. Version 4.3 of CLIPS, released in the summer of 1989, added
still more functionality.</P>
<P>Originally, the primary representation methodology in CLIPS was a forward
chaining rule language based on the Rete algorithm (hence the Production
System part of the CLIPS acronym). Version 5.0 of CLIPS, released in the
spring of 1991, introduced two new programming paradigms: procedural
programming (as found in languages such as C and Ada;) and object-oriented
programming (as found in languages such as the Common Lisp Object System
and Smalltalk). The object-oriented programming language provided within
CLIPS is called the CLIPS Object-Oriented Language (COOL). Version 5.1 of
CLIPS, released in the fall of 1991, was primarily a software maintenance
upgrade required to support the newly developed and/or enhanced X Window,
MS-DOS, and Macintosh interfaces. Version 6.0, released in the Spring of
1993, added fully integrated object/rule pattern matching and support
features for rule-based software engineering.</P>
<P>In the mid 1990s the focus of the Artifical Intelligence Section (now the
Software Technology Branch) shifted away from expert system technology.
The principle developers subsequently left NASA. CLIPS is now maintained
independently from NASA as public domain software by one of the original
program authors. The first public domain release of CLIPS, version 6.1
in 1998, removed support for older non-ANSI C Compilers and added support
for C++ compilers. Commands to profile the time spent in constructs and
user-defined functions were also added. Version 6.2, released in the
Spring of 2002, added support for multiple environments into which programs
can be loaded and improved Windows XP and MacOS development interfaces.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q12">Are There Any Languages Similar to CLIPS?</A>
<P>CLIPS is an interesting example of technology transfer between the
government and private sectors. Syntactically, CLIPS traces its origins
to Inference's ART which traced the origins of its rule-based language
to OPS5. Later, CLIPS was used by Inference to develop ART-IM (which
later became <A HREF="http://www.mindbox.com/Products/ARTEnterprise.aspx">ARTEnterprise</A>, by
The Haley Enterprise to develop Eclipse (which later became
<A HREF="http://www.haley.com/products/HaleyRules.html">HaleyRules</A>),
and by Production Systems
Technology to develop <A HREF="http://www.pst.com/clips_r2.htm">CLIPS/R2</A>. Other languages, such as
<A HREF="http://www.jessrules.com/">Jess</A>, adopted
syntax similar to ART and CLIPS. This has created a family of tools
that share the same basic syntax for the definition of rules. While the
features and capabilities of these tools has diverged sufficiently that
porting an application taking full advantage of a tool's complete
feature set is non-trivial, it's still possible if one uses a restricted
subset of features to write portable programs that will run with few if
any simple changes.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q13">What are the Future Plans for CLIPS?</A>
<P>Version 6.3 will target rule performance, improved integration with other languages
(such as C++, .NET, and Java), and examples for common use cases. Version 6.4 will
target unicode support.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q14">Can CLIPS be Used for Real Time Applications?</A>
<P>Yes and no. It depends on what you mean by a real time application. </P>
<P>If you want guaranteed response time, then the answer is no. Generally speaking,
the more robust the pattern matching capabilities of a tool, the more
difficult it is to guarantee real time response.</P>
<P>If you need built-in functionality that allows you reason about events
as they occur over time, then the answer is no. Many tools designed
for real time applications provide features that allow you (among other
things) to schedule rules to be checked at a particular time or on a
particular time interval, specify how long data is valid, determine
trends in data (such as whether it's increasing or decreasing), and
synchronize the execution of tasks. In addition, some tools provide
extensive facilities for the "non AI" related aspects of
developing a real time application such as the graphical interface,
simulation, and data acquisition. It's possible to use CLIPS to reason
about events as they occur over time--It's just not a built-in feature.
You can, for example, add an additional slot to facts which stores their
creation time and then use rules which reason based on the contents of
this slot.</P>
<P>If by real time you mean that the application is able to keep up with
the data as it is received, then the answer is maybe. Almost all
expert system tools can keep up with a real time system that only
requires decisions to be made in minutes/hours/days. Response time
tends to become an issue only when large amounts of data are being
processed or decisions are required in seconds or fractions of a
second.</P>
<P>CLIPS is based on the Rete pattern matching algorithm. The efficiency
of this algorithm is based on the assumption that data changes slowly
over time (e.g. a single rule firing affects < 5% of all facts). This
assumption would appear to fail miserably for monitoring applications
(as well as other applications where rapid data change can occur). If,
for example, you have 100 facts representing various sensor values and
the sensor values change every second, you have very rapid data changes
(assuming you don't have thousands and thousands of facts of other
types). It's often possible to comply with the Rete assumption by
preprocessing data. For example, if a sensor value changes from 10 to
10.1 and this change is not significant, then it's not necessary to
retract the old fact and assert a new fact with the changed sensor
value. Another preprocessing approach would be to convert numeric
values to symbolic values such as low, nominal, and high and then to
retract the old fact and assert a new one only if the symbolic value
changed. The major drawback to this approach is that you generally have
to write C code to preprocess the data and keep track of pointers to
facts so that facts can later be retracted by the preprocessor--Of
course if you're dealing with real-time data, you're probably writing
some C code anyway.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q15">Are There Any Examples of User Defined Functions Other
Than the Ones in the Advanced Programming Guide?</A>
<P>Virtually all of the system defined functions that come ready to use
with CLIPS utilize the same programming interface that you have to
use to define your own functions. Look through files in the CLIPS
source code such as bmathfun.c, iofun.c, miscfun.c, prdctfun.c,
emathfun.c, filecom.c, and multifun.c for examples.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q16">Does a Run-Time Program Generated Using the
Constructs-To-C Command Run any Faster Than a
Program Loaded Using the Load or Bload Commands?</A>
<P>A run-time program will not run any faster than a program loaded using
the load or bload commands. The constructs-to-c command used to generate
a run-time program creates files containing the C data structures that
would dynamically be allocated if the load or bload command was used.
With the exception of some initialization routines, the constructs-to-c
command does not generate any executable code. The primary benefits of
creating a run-time program are: applications can be delivered as a
single executable file; loading constructs as part of an executable is
faster than loading them from an text or binary file; the CLIPS portion
of the run-time program is smaller because the code needed to parse
constructs can be discarded; and less memory is required to represent
your program's constructs since memory for them is statically rather
than dynamically allocated.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q17">Is the CLIPS 6.X Architecture Manual Available?</A>
<P>There are no plans to write a 6.X Architecture Manual. Copies
of the CLIPS 5.1 Architecture Manual are still bundled with the
CLIPS documentation.</P>
</LI>
<LI><A name="Q18">Are Consulting/Training Services Available for CLIPS?</A>
<P>Inquiries about consulting, training, or other employment opportunities
can be sent to gdrworkYYYY@swbell.net or clipsYYYY@swbell.net where YYYY
is the current year (for example, 2008).</P>
</LI>
</OL>
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