kessler@cons.utah.edu (Robert R. Kessler) (04/15/89)
This is to announce the availability of a Common Lisp package, FROBS, which is a system merging Frames and Objects into a single paradigm. As an object system, FROBS offers multiple inheritance, methods, generic function calling syntax, private methods, generic slots, and something we call context-based inheritance. From the object-oriented standpoint, it has many of the features of CLOS (and could probably be implemented on CLOS if we had someone to do it). From the Frames side, FROBS provides the kinds of operations that you would expect of a frame system, class instances, daemons, access to slot values via inheritance, etc. There is also a forward-chaining rule system which permits rule-based programming using FROBS as the data structure. The rule system is very efficient, as each rule translates into a piece of Lisp code, which can then be compiled by your CL compiler. The merging of the two paradigms is particularily nice from the object-oriented standpoint, as an application may be developed ignoring the frames aspects, and later add rule-based parts at the implementors discretion. FROBS has been in use at Utah and other sites for about 1.5 years and was originally developed as an MS thesis by Eric Muehle, now of Martin Marietta. It has been tested in at least three different dialects of Common Lisp (HPCL, Lucid, KCL -- there may be more, that is all that I know about). It has been used in strict object-oriented applictions, like VLSI design, a graphical programming system, and others. It has also been used as an expert system shell to teach an expert systems class, and in a couple of expert systems theses (one to determine meshes for a finite element package and another for determining tools and tool paths for a CAD to NC milling machine package). FROBS is available without warranty in source code form by anonymous FTP from cs.utah.edu under the pub directory as a compressed tar file: frobs.tar.Z. It includes an 80 page manual in LaTeX format. FROBS may be freely distributed as long as no commercial gain comes from its use, or systems developed from it. Commercial licenses can be negotiated with Utah. If you pick up a copy, please send mail to frobs-request@cs.utah.edu and we will add you to the frobs mailing list (frobs@cs.utah.edu) for reports of features, bugs, etc. Enjoy. B.
riemann@unido.uucp (Claus Riemann) (04/18/89)
In article <4604@uklirb.UUCP>, kessler@cons.utah.edu (Robert R. Kessler) writes: > This is to announce the availability of a Common Lisp package, FROBS, > which is a system merging Frames and Objects into a single paradigm. > <text deleted> > FROBS is available without warranty in source code form by anonymous > FTP from cs.utah.edu under the pub directory as a compressed tar file: > frobs.tar.Z. It includes an 80 page manual in LaTeX format. FROBS > may be freely distributed as long as no commercial gain comes from its > use, or systems developed from it. Commercial licenses can be > negotiated with Utah. > <rest deleted> Is there someone, who would be so kind to send me the source code and the doc? There is no possibility for me to use ftp! Thanx in advance, Cla *************************************************************************** These opinions are mine and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the German National Research Center for Computer Science or anyone else. Claus Riemann (F3.MMK) [riemann@gmdzi.UUCP] {...!uunet!unido!gmdzi!riemann} German National Research Center for Computer Science (GMD) Box 1240 Schloss Birlinghoven D-5205 Sankt Augustin 1 Federal Republic of Germany