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<h1 align=center>
KAPICLIPS 1.0
</h1>

<h4 align=center>
Ernest Friedman-Hill<br>
agent@herzberg.ca.sandia.gov<br>
(C) 1995 Sandia National Laboratories
</h4>

<h4> <a href="ftp://ftp.cs.cmu.edu/user/ai/new/kclips.tar.gz">
DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE </a></h4>

A set of external commands for the CLIPS expert system shell
implementing the KQML API (KAPI).  KQML, the Knowledge Query and
Manipulation Language, and in particular the KAPI interface, are
together constitute a wonderful, open, and best of all portable agent
architecture. The Lockheed/Stanford C-language KAPI, on which this is
built, uses httpd's to provide an Agent Name Service (ANS); the agent
network is then very flat indeed.

<p>

This version of the CLIPS API to KQML skimps on some aspects of error
handling - those routines that return strings can't return errors
too. Also, memory leaks should be pretty bad, because I haven't
thought through how to reconcile the memory-management philosophies of
the two libraries I'm using. Oh well, maybe in the next version...

<p>

I wrote this for UNIX - after all, the C KAPI is written for UNIX. It
should be TOO hard to port the C KAPI and this code to PCs or Macs,
though, if you can get a sockets package.  Don't ask me about PC
ports, but I MIGHT help you with a Mac port - at least give a little
advice.

<p>

To learn to use this API, first read the documentation for the
Lockheed/Stanford C-language KAPI, then look at the source below to
see how the clips functions differ (slightly) fromm the KAPI
functions.  If any functions you need are missing, It should be easy
to add them! If you make any big changes or write a new version,
please send me a copy, OK?
  
To install this API, just use the function UserFunctions from
this file when linking CLIPS; the API functions will then be installed
at runtime. If you have compiled CLIPS into a library called
libclips.a containing everything but the UserFunctions function, you
can use my Makefile. You also need to link with libkapi.a from the
Stanford/ Lockheed KAPI (get this and build it first! - you can find
it by WWW browsing starting from http://retriever.cs.umbc.edu/kqml/
. This is the place to learn about KQML, too.

<p>

To use the sample CLIPS agent, build "kapiclips" as described above,
then run "kasey" in the background ("kasey &").  Then run the sample
agent "client" that comes with the C KAPI - you should be able to send
the "test", "time", "die" and "count" messages to kasey and get a
response.

<p>

I'm sorry this isn't more polished - I just wrote it for myself. If
anybody writes some improvements, I'll be glad to incorporate them
(with due credit) and re-release the package.
 

<p>

Disclaimer: don't shoot me, I'm just the piano player. This is
"FredWare" - If you don't like it, write a better one! Don't use this
code as a style guide for writing CLIPS external functions - I'm sure
you could do better. If you DO do better, please send me a copy!



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