|
Module 1: Is this the right technology for your problem?
The e2gRuleEngine is a Java applet embedded in a Web page so that it runs in
the user's Web browser. The applet may be downloaded from a Web server by the user’s browser
or loaded and executed on a stand-alone PC. The applet loads a knowledge base from the server or local PC
and then runs entirely in the browser. Here is a quick look at what the developer and user of an
e2gRuleEngine based expert system would see implementing and running
an application that advises on graduate school admissions:
RULE [Acceptance] If [the undergraduate GPR should be considered] = true and [the applicant's GPR on last 60 undergraduate hours] > 2.99 and [the applicant] = "not the recipient of special honors" and [the applicant's GRE score] > 1099 and [the applicant's GRE verbal score] > 399 Then [the recommendation] = "admit with full status" and [the action] = "based on established policy" REM Prompts PROMPT [the applicant's UG status] MultChoice CF "This applicant is:" "receiving a bachelor's degree from a US institution" "not receiving a bachelor's degree from a US institution" PROMPT [the applicant's TOEFL score] Numeric "What is the applicant's TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language 0->300) score?" "0" "300" |
<html> <head><title>Graduate Admissions Example</title></head> <body> <center> <applet code="e2gRuleEngine.class" archive="e2gRuleEngine.jar" width=450 height=300> <param name="KBURL" value="admit.kb"> <param name="APPTITLE" value="Graduate Admissions Expert System"> <param name="TITLECOLOR" value="#0000ff"> <param name="APPSUBTITLE" value="an eXpertise2Go Demonstration"> <param name="BGCOLOR" value="#ffff00"> <param name="DEBUG" value="true"> </applet> </center> </body> </html> |
| 1. The application is defined by rules and prompts stored in a text file representing the knowledge base. The knowledge base may be constructed with a text editor or generated by the e2gRuleWriter decision table software. | 2. The application is embedded in a Web page with HTML applet tags that name the knowledge base and define how the application will be displayed. |
 |  |
| 3. When the Web page is loaded an opening screen identifies the application. | 4. The application accepts user input through different types of prompts including multiple-choice, drop-down lists and numeric. The developer may optionally allow a certainty level for the input to be specified. |
 |  |
| 5. At any point during the input process the user may use the "why ask" option to see why a given input has been requested. | 6. Conclusions are displayed with an option to request an explanation of how they were obtained. |
 |  |
| 7. A detailed explanation of how all of the conclusions or any specific conclusion was reached is available. | 8. During development, the application may be run in a "debug" mode that traces operation of the application and provides a detailed analysis of the knowledge base. |
 |  |
| 9. It is possible to embed a translation table in the knowledge base to facilitate delivery of expert systems in languages other than English... | including non-Roman character sets such as Chinese or Cyrillic. |
You may want to begin using e2gRuleEngine by running
some samples from the eXpertise2Go.com Web site.
The "end-user" mode displays only the applet
window and is the mode used to deliver expert systems
for public access.
In the "developer" (debug) mode, a debug window will open after the knowledge
base is loaded. This window displays error messages, traces the activities
performed during a consultation and offers optional diagnostic information
about the knowledge base. Details of debug mode facilities are introduced
in Module 4 and described in detail in the
Reference.
If, after running these demos, you'd like to learn more about about this
technology, you need to proceed to Module 2
to see how to obtain the
e2gRuleEngine and e2gRuleWriter software and demonstration knowledge bases and install these
components on your own computer or Web site.