Input/output formats refer to the formats or languages for knowledge representation used in Pro/3 input and output.

Input/output modes refer to the different methods wherein input and output can be exchanged between the knowledge engineer and Pro/3.

Pro/3 offers a variety of knowledge input/output formats and input/output modes:

Input/Output Formats

The internal knowledge representation format (i.e. the format used in the knowledge base is referred to as the internal KB format or internal format (IF) for short. The internal format is the "lowest level" format. Higher level formats are used for knowledge input/output, although knowledge can be inputted and outputted directly in the internal format in the KB Record windows.

The PROLOG format (or PR-format) is essentially the same as the internal format, although a different notational technique is used, i.e. PR-format is "textual" while the internal format is "structural". The translation between the two formats are mechanical. PR-format is supported both as input and output format.

The natural language format (or NL-format) is the highest level and most import input/output format. The entire terminology part of the KB serves the one and only purpose of facilitating the translation between NL-format and lower level formats.

The following lowest fleet utilization is concluded sentence has the following representation in NL, PR and IF formats:

the lowest fleet utilization with utilization 70.0% and vehicle class CAR is concluded for scenario no 2!

pConc(eLowFlUtil(0.7,iCR),2)!

cmp("pConc",[cmp("eLowFlUtil",[fix(0.7),atom("iCR")]),int(2)]):-atom("true")

NL sub-formats

Sentences (facts) can be inputted and outputted in various NL sub-formats:
SUB-FORMAT INPUT OUTPUT FILE REPRESENTATION PRINT
NL text YES (via editor window) YES YES (text file) YES
tabular text NO YES (editor window) YES (text file) YES
delimited format YES YES YES (text file) (file can be printed)
table window NO YES NO YES
sentence window YES YES NO YES (via editor window)
spreadsheet YES (via DDE) YES (via DDE) YES (spreadsheet can be printed)

NL Text

NL text is inputted and outputted via a standard text editor window (from where it can be read or written to a text file and printed). Each sentence is terminated by !. Line breaks and line wrapping can be used as desired. Sentences of different types can be mixed freely. Examples:

the lowest fleet utilization with utilization 50.0% and vehicle class CAR is concluded for scenario no 1!
the lowest fleet utilization with utilization 70.0% and vehicle class CAR is concluded for scenario no 2!
the lowest fleet utilization with utilization 26.6% and vehicle class VAN is concluded for scenario no 1!
the lowest fleet utilization with utilization 40.0% and vehicle class VAN is concluded for scenario no 2!

Tabular Text

Sentences can be outputted as tabular text (in an editor window):

is concluded
lowest fleet utilization is concluded
utilization vehicle class scenario no

50.0% CAR 1
70.0% CAR 2
26.6% VAN 1
40.0% VAN 2

The header-portion of the outputted text is optional.

Delimited Text

Delimited text is used as a bulk file input/output format.

;
is concluded
lowest fleet utilization;;is concluded
utilization;vehicle class;scenario no

50.0%;CAR;1
70.0%;CAR;2
26.6%;VAN;1
40.0%;VAN;2

Input sub-format (A):

1. line: delimiter-character used (semicolon in this example).

2: line: predicate type

3. line: arguments

unary un-parameterized predicate type: entity type;

unary parameterized predicate type: entity type followed by n delimiter characters followed by predicate type (n is the entity type's number of data elements);

binary un-parameterized predicate type: 1st entity type followed by n delimiter characters followed by 2nd entity type;

binary parameterized predicate type: 1st entity type followed by n delimiter characters followed by 2nd entity type followed by m delimiter characters followed by predicate type (n is the 1st entity type's number of data elements; n is the 1st entity type's number of data elements).

4-Kth line: sentence data elements separated by the delimiter-character (the 4th line can optionally be preceded by a blank line).

There is also a sub-format where the header lines (1-3) are skipped.

Input sub-format (B):

1. line: delimiter-character

2. line: sentence type

unary predicate type: predicate type followed by the delimiter character followed by the entity type;

binary predicate type: predicate type followed by the delimiter character followed by 1st entity type followed by the delimiter characters followed by 2nd entity type.

Output sub-format (C):

Same as (A).

Output sub-format (D):

Same as (A), but without the header lines (1-3).

Sentence Window

Sentence windows are dynamically laid-out and can be used to browse sentences in the KB, update/delete sentences, and to input new sentences.

The Clear-button clears the window f.ex. for the purpose of inputting a new sentence. The Update-button updates the displayed sentence. The Delete-button deletes the displayed sentence. (The Update- and Delete-buttons are disabled if the displayed sentence is derived). The Save New-button stores a new sentence in the KB. The Previous- and Next-buttons are used to browse to sentences of the same type. The Print-icon will display the contents of the window in a textual format (in an editor window) which can be printed:

Derived sentence ~D90001 in c:\pro3-532\rac\rac-main.3kb
$DER/0/0 (09-SEP-1999 11:11:27

lowest fleet utilization is concluded

utilization : 70.0%
vehicle class: CAR
scenario no : 2

Table Windows

Table windows are dynamically laid-out and can be used to browse sets of sentences of the same type.

The Row-button (e.g. 2d) displays the corresponding sentence in a Sentence window. The New-button opens a sentence window for this sentence type. The Delete View-button deletes all sentences in view. The Delete Table deletes the sentences in the table (i.e. all sentences of this sentence type). The Editor-button displays the sentences in the table in an editor-window on a tabular- or form-format:

is concluded
lowest fleet utilization is concluded
utilization vehicle class scenario no

50.0% CAR 1
70.0% CAR 2
26.6% VAN 1
40.0% VAN 2

lowest fleet utilization is concluded

utilization : 50.0%
vehicle class: CAR
scenario no : 1

utilization : 70.0%

:

The Print-icon prints the sentences in the table on a tabular- or form-format (over). The Layout-button opens the Layout-window. The Layout-window is used to change the appearance of the Table-window through (i) row sorting; (ii) column widths and (iii) suppression of column display.

Spreadsheet Representation

Sentences can be inputted and outputted via DDE from/to spreadsheets. The following spreadsheet format is used:

XML

See Pro/3 and XML.