KQML and FLBC: Contrasting agent communication languages

Communication languages for agents are designed to minimize message size an d function more as data-passing protocols. Flexibility and transparency hav e not been emphasized. The author analyzes the formal semantics of KQML as an exemplar of agent communication languages. For each KQML performative he specifies an FLBC message with more or less equivalent effects. The purpos e is to compare a standard agent-based language (KQML) with one that more d irectly represents the meaning of the message. The results indicate that th e latter type of language makes message composition more powerful, message decomposition Feasible, and defines many more useful messages without addin g message types or increasing vocabulary size.