Dynamic Text

The second "hello" application

samples/basic/tutorial/hello_2

Now it's time to make hello smarter with a text object. Text objects have textual values that can have embedded goals in them. So, instead of a simple-valued fact for hello, this time we'll use a text object that has the embedded goal of putting your name in the message.

Set the goal hello & create the text object 'hello'

1. Create a new knowledgebase called hello_2.
2. Edit the knowledgebase object, main, to set the goal to hello, as in the hello_1 sample.
3. Create a new text object, called hello, using the Object/New menu.
4. In the field labeled text, enter "Hello %name%, welcome!", only this time without the "s. You don't need to enter the "s in fields that are known to only contain textual values, as opposed to numbers.

The %name% is the embedded goal. It means, don't actually provide a value for this text object until we've satisfied the goal name, and put that value in the text string.

Create the question 'name'

How do we find a value for the goal name? Well, let's ask the user. To do that we create a question object.

1. Create a new question object and name it name.
2. Pick the type, fill_in_the_blank. Notice the fields change.
3. Select an answer type of text, and a length of a good length.
4. Fill in the prompt field with: "What is your name?", without the "s.
5. Save & close the question object.
6. Save the knowledgebase.

Run it

1. Select run/run
2. Notice that you are immediately asked your name. Enter it.

We can look at more detail of the four panels presented here.

Upper Left - The current state of the system, including the unsolved goals (probably none, represented as [], at the end), and what is known.

Lower Left - A trace of the reasoning process. Note the interruption as the user is asked a question.

Upper Right - The goal.

Lower Right - The output values of the goal.