REUSE, CORBA, AND KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEMS

By applying recent advances in the standards for distributed computing , we have developed an architecture for a CORBA implementation of a li brary of platform-independent, sharable problem-solving methods and kn owledge bases. The aim of this library is to allow developers to reuse these components across different tasks and domains. Reuse should be cost-effective; therefore, the library will include standard problem-s olving methods whose semantics are well understood and are described w ith a language for stating the requirements and capabilities of a comp onent. In addition, when a developer needs to adapt a component to a n ew task, the adaptation costs should be minimal. Thus, we advocate the use of separate mediating components that isolate these adaptations f rom the original component. We demonstrate our approach with an exampl e: an implementation of a problem-solving method, a knowledge-base ser ver, and mediating components that adapt the method to different knowl edge bases and tasks. (C) 1998 Academic Press.