A RULE-BASED EXTENSION TO THE C++ LANGUAGE

In rule-based systems, sets of rules are applied to known information to generate new, consequential information, The majority of the large number of existing systems(1) has been produced with the objective of ease of use, enforcing an English-like syntax in the rules and hiding the control methods from the developer, The method adopted in the curr ent work aims to provide rule-based facilities while maintaining the f lexibility and implementation efficiency of a conventional language. T his is achieved by extending the features of C++ to permit the develop ment of rule-based systems whose control is decided by the developer. The design can be tailored to the application unrestricted by the norm al constraints of the rule-based system, and a framework is made avail able for the development of multiple expert systems for use in blackbo ard system applications, This paper describes the approach adopted in the current work, the operation of the system and describes two exampl e implementations. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.