Re: [NTLK] Newt Prolog (was Re: Newton Resource)

From: Hemant Kamat (hemantkamat_at_eth.net)
Date: Mon Aug 23 2004 - 11:17:15 PDT


NewtProlog -- A Prolog Interpreter for your Newton
--------------------------------------------------

What is it?
-----------

To quote directly from the official NewtProlog FAQ:

Q. : What is NewtProlog ?

A. : NewtProlog is a Prolog Interpreter for the Newton (Apple MessagePad).
     NewtProlog will comply with Edinburg syntax (soon) and run on N/OS 2.x
     (upgraded MP120,MP130, MP2000, MP2100, and the eMate 300).

Q. : What is Prolog ?

A. : Prolog (an acronym for PROgramming in LOGic) is a programming
     language that is unlike most others. Most programming languages are
     "procedural." That is, a program is a set of steps that the machine is
     supposed to perform -- in the order they are to be performed. In
     contrast, Prolog is a "declarative" language based on predicate logic.
     In Prolog you assert facts and create rules (relationships between
     facts). Collectively, all facts and rules associated with a particular
     topic are referred to as a 'database.' After the database of facts and
     rules has been created, you submit questions to the database. Prolog
has
     a built-in feature called the 'inference engine' that it uses to solve
     your question in terms of the facts and rules in the database.

     Today, the most common uses of Prolog are in expert systems, natural
     language processing and artificial intelligence applications. It is
     suited to the programming of systems that require the comparison of
many
     discrete facts and rules before making a decision.

     Because there is no need to program all of the discrete steps necessary
     to solve a problem, Prolog databases are usually quite a bit shorter
     than comparable systems programmed in a procedural language.
     Additionally, some cognitive scientists hypothesize that Prolog
databases
     and the inference engine in Prolog are models of the human memory and
     problem-solving systems.

So where's the file?
--------------------

At the moment, NewtProlog is still in beta, and new versions are being
released at an extremely fast pace -- one every few days or so. This
situation makes it impractical to add these files to the Archives; they
would be out-of-date almost as quickly as they were made available.

Instead, you should probably go straight to the Handled Brain Web site for
the latest beta version of NewtProlog:

http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/~jlv/

Once things settle down, and a final release becomes available, we will add
this program to the Archives permanently.

Thank you,

The staff of the Roundtable Newton Archives

-- 
This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries
Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/
WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/


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