P+;+; software

• US 6,701,516 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qifang Li
• Original Assignee: Qifang Li
• Inventors: Li, Qifang
• Primary Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US09/605,642
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 717/116, 717/117, 706/47, 706/55
• US Class Current: 717/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/313 Logic programming, e.g. PROLOG programming language

Abstract

P++ software that provides a Prolog language data storing and processing method, includes making a plurality of different application programs, introduces two structure types into arguments of clauses, implements these two structure types in predicate inputting, memory storing, processing through unification and back tracking, and outputting for each query. The first structure type is hierarchically defined and recursively processed. Its member can be a variable, a data term, or of any other structure type except itself. Its variable child member can be substituted by one of this structure type making a result in the same structure type with different length. The second structure type is recursively defined and processed. Its member can be a variable, a data term, or of any structure type including itself. It has fixed number of members. With these two structure types, addition and multiplication are extended to multi-dimensional space operations.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having computer readable programming code means embodied therein for use on a computer system, said programming code means comprising:

first computer readable programming code defining a set of predicate-style clauses where each clause is selected from the group consisting of a fact about given information, a rule about how a solution may relate to given facts, and a rule about how a solution may be inferred from given facts;

second computer readable programming code defining a query as a set of clauses preceded by question mark followed by a dash, which causes an execution to satisfy each clause against an existing program;

third computer readable programming code defining first and second structure types for arguments of clauses for both the first and second computer readable programming code;

fourth computer readable programming code defining a third structure type as being selected from the group consisting of the first structure type, the second structure types, a list, and a compound term;

fifth computer readable programming code defining a data term as in a form selected from the group consisting of an atom, a number, and a quoted string;

sixth computer readable programming code defining one of the group consisting of a hierarchical structure and a hierarchical structure type as one in which the outmost structure is a third structure type;

seventh computer readable programming code defining a variable which can be instantiated at runtime to a form selected from the group consisting of a data term and a hierarchical structure;

eighth computer readable programming code defining a term in a form selected from the group consisting of a data term, a hierarchical structure, and a variable;

ninth computer readable programming code defining a fourth structure type which is hierarchically defined so that each of its members is selected from the group consisting of a variable, a data term, and a hierarchical structure type, and wherein the fourth structure type is recursively processed; and

,

tenth computer readable programming code defining a fifth structure type which is recursively defined so that each of its members is selected from the group consisting of a term including a hierarchical structure of its own type and any hierarchical structure type including itself, wherein each structure in this structure type has a fixed length throughout inputting, storing, processing, and outputting, and wherein the fifth structure type is recursively processed.

2. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein each argument of a predicate-style clause is checked for structure types during predicate inputting, storing, data binding, and outputting, and if the predicate-style clause belongs to said fourth structure type or said fifth structure type, then the definition of the structure type is used and the argument is processed accordingly.

3. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein said fourth structure type is identified by a designated functor defined as two successive periods in quotes.

4. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein during predicate inputting and outputting, when the fifth structure is tuple-like and formed as a sequence of terms, the sequence is enclosed by parentheses.

5. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein said fifth structure type is identified by a designated functor defined as three successive periods in quotes.

6. The computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein said ninth computer readable programming code provides a means for reading a sequence of terms, wherein one space separates one term from another.

7. The computer useable medium according to claim 1, wherein said ninth computer readable programming code and said tenth computer programming code provide a means for carrying out algebraic operations to matrices including addition, subtraction, and multiplication.

8. A computer-implemented method for facilitating the execution of a set of instructions encoded from an implementation of Prolog programming code on a computer system having a processor, a memory, and registers, said method comprising the steps of:

providing first computer readable programming code defining a first structure type which is hierarchically defined so that each of its members is selected from the group consisting of a variable, a data term, and a hierarchical structure type, and wherein the first structure type is recursively processed;

providing second computer readable programming code defining a second structure type which is recursively defined so that each of its members can be a term including a hierarchical structure of its own type, wherein each structure in this structure type has a fixed length throughout inputting, storing, processing, and outputting, and wherein the second structure type is recursively processed; and

,

carrying out algebraic operations to matrices including addition, subtraction, and multiplication with said first computer readable programming code and said second computer readable programming code.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said first computer readable programming code provides a means for reading a sequence of terms, wherein one space separates one term from another.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said first computer programming code provides a functor defined as two successive periods in quotes.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said second computer readable programming code provides a means for causing said processor to read a sequence of terms separated by commas, wherein said sequence is enclosed by parentheses.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein said second computer readable programming code provides a means for causing said processor to read a fixed number of members.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein said second computer readable programming code provides a functor defined as three successive periods in quotes.

14. A computer system for processing enhanced Prolog programming code, wherein said computer system comprises:

a processor,

a memory coupled to said processor;

registers coupled to said processor;

a computer readable medium coupled to said memory, said computer readable medium storing a computer program having executable code for said processor, said computer program comprising;

first computer readable programming code defining a set of predicate-style clauses where each clause is selected from the group consisting of a fact about given information, a rule about how a solution may relate to given facts, and a rule about how a solution may be inferred from given facts;

second computer readable programming code defining a query as a set of clauses preceded by question mark followed by a dash, which causes an execution to satisfy each clause against an existing program;

third computer readable programming code defining first and second structure types for arguments of clauses for both the first and second computer readable programming code;

fourth computer readable programming code defining a third structure type as being selected from the group consisting of the first structure type, the second structure types, a list, and a compound term;

fifth computer readable programming code defining a data term in a form selected from the group consisting of an atom, a number, and a quoted string;

sixth computer readable programming code defining one of the group consisting of a hierarchical structure and a hierarchical structure type as one in which the outmost structure is a third structure type;

seventh computer readable programming code defining a variable which can be instantiated at runtime to a form selected from the group consisting of a data term and a hierarchical structure;

eighth computer readable programming code defining a term in a form selected from the group consisting of a data term, a hierarchical structure, and a variable;

ninth computer readable programming code defining a fourth structure type which is hierarchically defined so that each of its members is selected from the group consisting of a variable, a data term, and a hierarchical structure type, and wherein the fourth structure type is recursively processed; and

,

tenth computer readable programming code defining a fifth structure type which is recursively defined so that each of its members is selected from the group consisting of a hierarchical structure of its own type and hierarchical structure type including itself.

15. The computer system according to claim 14, wherein s computer readable programming code provides a means for causing said processor to read a sequence of terms, wherein one space separates one term from another.

16. The computer system according to claim 14, wherein said ninth computer readable programming code provides a functor defined as two successive periods in quotes.

17. The computer system according to claim 14, wherein said tenth computer readable programming code provides a means for causing said processor to read a sequence of terms separated by commas, wherein said sequence is enclosed by parentheses.

18. The computer system according to claim 14, wherein said tenth computer readable programming code provides a means for reading a fixed number of members.

19. The computer system according to claim 14, wherein said tenth computer readable programming code provides a functor defined as three successive periods in quotes.

20. The computer system according to claim 14, wherein said ninth computer readable programming code and said tenth computer readable programming code provide a means for causing said processor to carry out algebraic operations to matrices including addition, subtraction, and multiplication.