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- ____________________________
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- | LOGIC-LINE SERIES 1 |
- | |
- | OPERATING MANUAL |
- | |
- | SHORTENED VERSION |
- | FOR MAXELL |
- | GIFT OF INTELLIGENCE |
- | |
- |____________________________|
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- Copyright (c) 1985, 1986
-
- Expansion Programs International, Inc.
- Post Office Box 839
- Chesterland, Ohio 44026 USA
- (216) 449-6104
- and Arnold Kochman
-
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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- è COPYRIGHT NOTICE
- Copyright(c) 1985, 1986 by Expansion Programs
- International, Inc. and Arnold Kochman. All
- Rights Reserved Worldwide. This publication
- has been provided pursuant to an agreement
- containing restrictions on its use. The pub-
- lication also is protected by federal copy-
- right law. No part of this publication may
- be copied or distributed, transmitted, trans-
- cribed, stored in a retrieval system, or
- translated into any human or computer
- language, in any form or by any means, elec-
- tronic, mechanical, magnetic, manual, or
- otherwise, or disclosed to third parties
- without the express written permission of
- Expansion Programs International, Inc., PO Box
- 839, Chesterland, Ohio 44026 U.S.A. LEXSET
- was customized for the Thunderstone LOGIC-LINE
- SERIES 1 program by Arnold Kochman.
-
- TRADEMARKS
- Thunderstone, Comprehension, Assimilation,
- Accelerated Information Training System
- (AITS), Basic Data Assimilation Training
- Course (BDATC), Logic-Line, and the Logic-Line
- Series are registered trademarks of Expansion
- Programs International, Inc. IBM PC is a
- trademark of IBM. NEC APC III and NEC APC are
- trademarks of NEC Information Systems, Inc.
- MS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
-
- DISCLAIMER
- Expansion Programs International, Inc/Thunder-
- stone makes no representation or warranties
- with respect to the contents hereof and
- specifically disclaims any implied warranties
- or merchantability or fitness for any particu-
- lar purpose. Further, Expansion Programs Int'l,
- Inc./Thunderstone reserves the right to revise
- this publication and to make changes from time
- to time in the content hereof without obliga-
- tion of Expansion Programs Int'l, Inc./
- Thunderstone to notify any person or organiza-
- tion of such revision or changes.
-
- WARNING
- Please make sure you read the LOGIC-LINE oper-
- ating manual and use it in conjunction with the
- LOGIC-LINE program. Do not expect the search-
- ing mechanisms to operate properly without
- reference to the instructions and correct pro-
- cedures. This is a whole new generation of
- technology and the user interface must be
- learned.
- è
-
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
-
-
- I. INSTALLATION TIPS AND GETTING SET-UP
- II. TRYING OUT LOGIC-LINE 1 FOR THE FIRST TIME
- III. LOGIC-LINE BACKGROUND, THEORY AND PURPOSE
- IV. HITS AND MISSES
- V. TYPES OF SEARCHES AND THEIR BASIC OPERATION
- VI. LOGIC-LINE 1 COMMAND SUMMARY
- VII. USING THE LEXNOTE PROGRAM
- VIII. USING THE OPERATING SYSTEM INTERFACE PROGRAM
- IX. BASIC PROCEDURES
- X. NOTES ON CROSSFILES
- XI. NOTES ON HASHFILES
- XII. WANT TO KNOW MORE?
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- è I. INSTALLATION TIPS AND GETTING SET-UP
-
- In the process of operating Logic-Line various operational
- files are created, which will be explained. There is insufficient
- space on the floppy disk you have received in your Maxell box
- for this to occur. Thus we suggest that you copy the appropriate
- files onto either a separate floppy, or into your hard disk before
- trying to operate the program. Only the LEXSET.EXE file must
- be copied, and the --.doc, --.x, and --.hsh files if you want to
- use them. This will be explained further on.
-
- If for any reason you should have trouble getting the program to
- run on your system, or the program seems to run somewhat but the
- screen is also showing a lot of extraneous symbols or other
- "garbage", do the following:
-
- 1. Boot up your operating system disk.
-
- 2. Type in the command:
-
- TYPE ANSI.SYS [Rtn]
-
- If your screen message is "no file found"
- you need to obtain a copy of that file from
- an MS-DOS or PC-DOS operating system and
- put it into your system.
-
- 3. Type in the command:
-
- TYPE CONFIG.SYS [Rtn]
-
- If such a file exists as part of your
- operating system, the contents of that
- file will be displayed on the screen.
-
- 4. Check to see if the line "DEVICE=ANSI.SYS"
- is somewhere in the file. If it is not
- (or the file doesn't exist at all), this
- is probably the source of your difficulty.
-
- 5. If no CONFIG.SYS file exists you must
- create one, and insert the line
- DEVICE=ANSI.SYS. If there is a CONFIG.SYS
- file without the line DEVICE=ANSI.SYS you
- must add that line to the existing file.
-
- Use any word processor which enters the
- characters in flat ASCII format. Most any
- word processor (in non-document mode) will
- serve, or you can use EDLIN to do this,
- which is usually available as part of your
- operating system.
-
-
- è 6. Once you have fixed up the CONFIG.SYS
- file, you must re-boot the system before
- trying the program out again. Take the
- disk out, turn your system off and back on
- again, re-boot the system disk, and then
- try the program again. It should now
- work.
-
-
- USING EDLIN TO MAKE A CONFIG.SYS FILE
-
- EDLIN is not the most friendly word processor around, though
- many programmers feel it suits their needs. However, if you
- have no other word processor available that enters flat ASCII
- format files, EDLIN is fine to use, and should be available on
- your MS-DOS or PC-DOS operating system.
-
- The whole idea is to use a word processor or editor to create a
- file named "CONFIG.SYS" which contains the line "DEVICE=ANSI.SYS"
- inside it.
-
- If you aren't used to using EDLIN, don't try to use it to edit an
- existing CONFIG.SYS file; it will be easier simply to erase the
- existing CONFIG.SYS file and start over. (Just make sure to re-enter
- whatever was in the file before, as it may be set up a particular way
- for other reasons affecting your system.)
-
- If you need to use EDLIN to create a CONFIG.SYS file, just follow
- the instructions below exactly, and it will work fine.
-
-
- INSTRUCTIONS:
-
- 1. With your operating system disk in,once
- you have an operating system prompt, type
- in the command:
-
- EDLIN CONFIG.SYS [Rtn].
-
-
- 2. Type in 'i' (then Return) for insert mode
- when the screen looks as follows:
-
- New file
- *i [Rtn]
-
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- 3. Type in 'DEVICE=ANSI.SYS' (then Return)
- when the screen looks as follows:
-
- New file
- *i
- 1:*DEVICE=ANSI.SYS [Rtn]
-
- è 4. Type in 'Z' while holding down the Ctrl
- (Control) key (then Return) when the
- screen looks as follows:
- New file
- *i
- 1:*DEVICE=ANSI.SYS
- 2:*^Z [Rtn]
-
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- 5. Type in 'e' (then Return) to exit the
- EDLIN program, when the screen looks as
- follows. This will return you to the
- operating system.
-
- New file
- *i
- 1:*DEVICE=ANSI.SYS
- 2:*^Z
- *e [Rtn]
-
- A>
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- 6. Your CONFIG.SYS file is ready for use.
- Re-boot your system disk, and that file
- will be employed.
-
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- GETTING STARTED:
-
- LOGIC-LINE SERIES 1 operates with MS-DOS versions 2.0 and greater.
- If you are running earlier versions of MS-DOS (i.e., less than 2.0)
- you may possibly have no difficulty, but we cannot guarantee it.
- MS-DOS versions below 2.0 may be okay, but we suggest you update
- your system to something more current to be sure. LOGIC-LINE 1
- also operates with PC-DOS 2.0 and greater.
-
-
- DISK CONTENT:
-
- The files on your Maxell disk which pertain to LOGIC-LINE SERIES 1
- are the following:
-
- 1) LL1READ.ME
- 2) LEXSET.EXE
- 3) LIBERTY.DOC
- 4) LIBERTY.HSH
- 5) FREEDOM.X
- 6) FREEDOM.HSH
- 7) ORDERFRM.LL
-
-
-
- èThe LL1READ.ME file (as you have discovered) explains the most basic
- ground-rules of how to use the Logic-Line 1 program. For a more
- full explanation including screen by screen model searches, filtering
- remedies that tie all the processes together, information on using
- Logic-Line as a tool to assist in creating expert systems, technical
- background on how the program works with bibliography and lots more,
- for $25 (+ shipping) you can order the full manual and documentation
- from:
-
- Thunderstone
- PO Box 839
- Chesterland, OH 44026
- (216) 449-6104
-
- Ordering the full manual and documenation will register you as a
- Logic-Line user, and entitles you to program updates, defective disk
- replacement, phone hotline service, and periodic info letters on our
- latest technical developments.
-
- Also available for $20 (+ shipping) is a supplementary on-disk
- tutorial which we call the Logic-Line User's Supplement. This was
- written by an outside author to cut down the learning curve on
- learning to use the Logic-Line program (whether Series 1, 2, or 3);
- we also provide you with some supplementary data files and drills
- to assist you in learning how to do the searches.
-
- If you wish to expand the program searching scope to encompass
- numerical and symbolic information, hypenations, and such into your
- correlations, Logic-Line 2 is available (including full manual and
- documentation) for $125. Logic-Line 3, for $150, allows you to
- customize the Logic-Line 2 searching tool to search datafiles in
- other phonetic languages such as French, Spanish, Italian, and so
- forth. Logic-Line 3 is a package of Logic-Line 2 and Logic-Line 3
- together, so you do not need to order both of them.
-
- See the ORDERFRM.LL file for more information on products available
- from Thunderstone/EPI, Inc. You can print out this file by simply
- engaging your printer (sometimes with Ctrl/P) and using the DOS
- TYPE command [TYPE ORDERFRM.LL (Rtn)], or whatever command you
- usually use to print files. Fill out the form and send it in
- with your order for the products offered on that list.
-
- LEXSET.EXE is the execute file. It is not copy protected. You can
- install it in your harddisk by simply copying that file into the
- sub-directory (or main directory) you want it in. It is small
- enough that you can put it in several places if you wish.
- Logic-Line 1 will search and correlate any text file in ASCII
- format as long as these files are lined up in the same path with the
- LEXSET.EXE file.
-
- LIBERTY.DOC is a practice data file containing Patrick Henry's speech
- "Give me liberty or give me death" given to you for practice purposes.
- LIBERTY.HSH is the corresponding hashfile, to be explained later.
-
- èFREEDOM.X is a crossfile provided for practice (this will be
- explained later). FREEDOM.HSH is the corresponding hashfile.
-
- You must have COMMAND.COM and EDLIN.COM lined up in the same
- path with the LEXSET.EXE file for for general use. You get
- these files from your DOS operating system.
-
- For the system interface to work correctly, a copy of the
- command processor (COMMAND.COM) must be available in the current
- path. This will usually be the case; however, if not, you will
- have to check your MS-DOS manual for information on the "COMSPEC="
- entry, on "COMMAND.COM", and on the path command.
-
- For a one diskette only system this means as a practical matter,
- that the "LEXSET.EXE" file, must be installed on your system disk.
- This can be done using the "COPY" command.
-
- For LOGIC-LINE 1 to run efficiently, you should provide for 10
- files to be open concurrently. Depending upon your system's
- defaults you may wish to specify: FILES=10 and BUFFERS=10 in
- your "CONFIG.SYS" file.
-
- As mentioned before, you must be sure to include the line
- "DEVICE=ANSI.SYS" in your "CONFIG.SYS" file. This omission can
- prevent the program from running properly, or may seem to run
- the program, but with additional "garbage" on the screen.
-
- Also as mentioned before, make sure that you have a copy of
- ANSI.SYS on your operating system. If it isn't there, then
- the CONFIG.SYS instruction to use it will be to no avail.
- While in most cases this file will be part of your operating
- system, it does happen occasionally that it isn't included.
- If so, get a copy from your dealer, or from wherever you
- got your operating system, and copy it onto your operating
- system disk or onto your hard disk.
-
- Do not write-protect the software program, as this will
- prevent the searching algorithm from functioning properly.
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- è II. TRYING OUT LOGIC-LINE 1 FOR THE FIRST TIME
-
- If you just got your disk, you will want to know what kind of
- program this is and how it works, but you won't be wanting to
- read all about it. So try this, just to get a general idea of
- the way Logic-Line handles datafiles; then read the rest of
- these LL1READ.ME instructions so you understand how to get the
- program to do what you want it to do.
-
- 1. Type in "LEXSET", and the Logic-Line 1
- front screen will appear.
-
- 2. Type in 'f' for filename; you will be
- asked for the name of a file. (You can
- enter 10-12 files at a time, but just
- do this for now.) Enter the name
- LIBERTY.DOC (lower or upper case is
- okay), followed by the Return key.
- The filename will appear at the top of
- the menu.
-
- 3. Type in 'w' for word to look for; you
- will be asked for a word to add. (You
- can enter 10-12 words at a time, but
- just do this for now.) Enter the word
- BIND (lower or upper case is okay),
- followed by the Return key. This word
- will appear at the top of the menu.
-
- 4. Type in 'g' for go. This will execute
- a simple 'g' search. The program will
- look for aggregates from the textfile
- containing the word "bind" and will
- present these to you on the screen.
-
- 5. If you are in manual mode (the default
- if you didn't choose one) a menu
- appears on the screen after each
- aggregate is presented. You can
- say 'y' for yes, to save that aggregate
- and dump it to a savefile automatically
- being created; or you can 's' skip it
- and it won't be saved. You can also
- select 'L' for "Lexnote" (see later
- on for explanation) which among
- other things lets you see the
- context around that aggregate. (A 750
- byte window is opened around the text
- so you can see it, by selecting 'v'
- for "view" under the Lexnote subroutine.)
- 'Y' or 'S' continues the search, while
- 'A' aborts the search and allows you to
- go on and do something else.
-
- è 6. When this search is complete, if you want
- to get a quick idea of how the program
- makes correlations, then continue and
- do the following. It's important that
- you just did the above search, so that
- certain results will have been dumped
- into what we call the "LOOK.AT" file.
-
- 7. Type '@' to "set associations".
-
- 8. Type '=' for "REPLACE" associative
- elements from file.
-
- 9. When asked to enter filename for
- addition of associative elements,
- type in "FREEDOM.X" as the crossfile
- name.
-
- 10. Type 'r' to return to main menu.
-
- 11. Type '*' for "use results".
-
- 12. Type 'c' to execute a cross-search.
-
- 13. Let the search run its course. The interaction
- and output will be similar to that of a 'g'
- search, but as you will see, you will get
- aggregates located from the textfile which
- are associated, but not on a literal basis.
- There's lots more to learn about how to
- locate possible associations; but this
- should give you a general idea of how the
- program operates and interacts with you,
- and where you can learn to take it.
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- è III. LOGIC-LINE BACKGROUND, THEORY AND PURPOSE
-
- The purpose of LOGIC-LINE SERIES 1 is to serve as an intelligent
- aid to persons who wish to access and study as well as retrieve
- data from a larger body of information or from textual material
- on a frequent basis. Its multiple use from retrieval to content
- analysis serves both the traditional and AI communities as well.
-
- At a first level, LL1 is a tool to search, study, and retrieve
- information independent of how it has been input or what state
- of order it is in. This is by itself a valuable facility.
-
- At the next level LOGIC-LINE 1 can be used to help pervade a
- database and find what one needs through the intelligent cross-
- association algorithms within the programs.
-
- Essentially, Logic-Line connects text references to search
- requests by first discarding certain noise words (fuzzy set)
- contained in each (the unimportant bridge words like "what",
- "do", "is", "and", etc.) and then looking for patterns among
- the key words or specifics in the search request and the key
- words in the text files. The key words or specifics are defined
- by those words remaining after the noise words are tossed out.
-
- During a search, Logic-Line performs a mathematical computation
- regarding the content of the text, not a symbolic one. This is a
- form of content analysis which bypasses the requirement of the
- machine having to actually understand the meaning of words and
- grammar structures; it is only aware of pattern, and in this way
- the Logic-Line system is a model for machine thinking in a world
- of binary numbers.
-
- LOGIC-LINE 1 is built around a number of techniques which permit
- the searching of textual files much more rapidly than can be done
- by conventional methods. Units of information rather than being
- manipulated as pre-planned and pre-arranged groups of data and
- records as in many database management systems commercially
- available, are instead moved about by words, symbols, and
- sentences. Thus you can pinpoint and retrieve data, information
- and concept structures within a given textual configuration much
- more accurately, rapidly, and elegantly.
-
- You can use words, symbols, keywords, groups of words, and groups
- of keywords, to search a file, data base, or groups of files
- or databases. You can search a file or database of just about
- any size.
-
- Complex or simple file searches can be done on your micro computer
- which previously could be done only on larger scale equipment,
- and with a great speed advantage.
-
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- èThe rationale behind this is related to our design of possibilistic
- software which parallels the sub-cognitive thought processes in an
- assistive manner, rather than concentrating on development of
- probabilistic and deterministic solutions presented without
- necessity for the user's final decision point.
-
- While machines themselves may or may not evolve to a point where
- they can demonstrate real judgment and thinking capability across a
- spectrum of subjects as an everyday affair, a human using
- information made available by the computer clearly has that
- capability already. Thus, by using the computer as a service
- facility for the human mind, the user can adjudicate when an
- item of information occasionally does not fit his data request,
- while taking advantage of the greatly increased speed that can
- be obtained when a computer is only expected to be "artificially"
- intelligent, rather than actually intelligent, by human definition.
-
- Artificial Intelligence is a subject currently receiving
- considerable discussion and is an emerging science. Whether a
- piece of hardware or software is actually intelligent is
- purely speculative at this time; but what is important now is
- whether the hardware or software can perform a valuable function.
-
- This approach creates a new view to the man/machine relationship,
- at least in the field of decision support science. The machine
- is a tool to support decisions that the man using it will make;
- but we keep in mind that the man is the one making those
- final decisions, while the computer is simply supporting him in
- that decision-making activity.
-
- You will find that the ability to cross-correlate information
- will significantly increase your information assimilation
- abilities in general, and may enhance the development of your
- own human cognitive functions.
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- è IV. HITS AND MISSES
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- When you use Logic-Line 1 to execute a search, your target
- is a cluster or aggregate of information which is relevant to
- what you are looking for, and accurately responding to the search
- question. When you find something like this we call it a "hit".
-
- You will occasionally get a retrieved excerption of information
- which is not what you are looking for; when this happens we
- call it a "miss".
-
- This program design provides for increased speed in retrieving
- information due to its not having to filter out all the misses
- before retrieving an aggregate of information. This design
- also keeps the memory requirement (size) of the program very
- small, which means you can use it on a micro computer leaving
- most of your disk space free for your data files, not for the
- searching facility.
-
- The search program locates and recognizes a numerical pattern,
- rather than a conceptual meaning as a human would do. Thus
- sometimes more than one word will sometimes have the same
- numerical pattern, or "meaning" to the computer program,
- which you the human will recognize as a "miss".
-
- By design, the program explores a lot of pathways, some of
- them blind alleys. The person sitting at the keyboard is the
- ultimate decision point on whether something is a blind alley
- or not; the computer's job is to discover as many pathways as
- it possibly can as fast as it can. We give up a bit of accuracy
- in favor of speed.
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- è V. TYPES OF SEARCHES AND THEIR BASIC OPERATION
-
- In Logic-Line 1 you have available to you 3 types, or levels,
- of searches:
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- 1) Straight search for words or symbols.
-
- 2) A priori cross search from a given set of
- words or symbols.
-
- 3) Associative element cross-correlative cross
- search.
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- The element of recursion, which uses the results of the previous
- search or searches, does not come into play until the 3rd level of
- associative search. It is this level of search which brings the
- data retrieval activity into the realm of Artificial Intelligence.
-
- The above types of searches can be used separately or in combination.
- Where they are used in combination the most intelligent and effective
- searches can be done. In order to properly weave an intelligent
- search which uses all 3 search types, one must first understand
- how to use each separately.
-
- Get the full manual for a complete explanation of all these, and
- some training in how to put them all together.
-
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- INTRODUCTION TO COMMANDS:
-
- The 3 types of searches are invoked most basically in connection
- with these commands:
-
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- 1) The straight search 'w'/'g':
- A literal search which looks for words,
- whether lower or upper case, as they appear
- in the specified file or files. To do this
- you use the 'w' command to enter the word
- or words, and you use the 'g' command (for
- "go") to execute the straight search for
- the word or words you entered.
-
- 2) 'c':
- The a priori cross search uses a set of
- words or symbols, as separated by spaces
- and ended with a period, in a "crossfile"
- to search a specifed file or files. This
- should be differentiated from searching
- with a single word or words (one at a time,
- as with the 'w'/'g' function).
-
- è To do this you use the 'c' command alone, to
- implement a crossfile name which you specify.
-
- This is not really a literal search for the
- words in the crossfile, although at times
- it will not differ from a 'g' search which
- searches for a series of words in a
- specified file (or files). You are looking
- for patterns in the textfile which have
- possible similarity to patterns in the
- crossfile.
-
- 3) '*' 'c':
- In the associative element cross-correla
- tive cross search, you are still searching
- a specified file or files by means of a
- specified crossfile (constructed from one
- or many separate words and/or symbols).
- What we call for short a "star-c" search,
- invokes recursion by use of the asterisk
- '*' (or "star") prior to the 'c' command.
-
- You could say that the a priori 'c' search
- is a 2-way direct association; i.e.,
- crossfile to textfile. The difference in
- the star-c search is that you are not just
- directly searching the textfile with the
- contents of the crossfile; you are adding a
- third associative element with the addition
- of a third file, called the "LOOK.AT" file.
- You could say that the crossfile must first
- "look at" this second file before it
- searches the contents of the specified
- textfile (or files).
-
- Thus you are creating a 3-way (rather than
- 2-way: crossfile to textfile) matrix of
- association: that is, crossfile to look.at
- file, to textfile. This is, of course,
- actually a mathematical process.
-
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- FURTHER EXPLANATION OF FUNCTIONS:
-
- For each of the 3 types of searches covered above, the searching
- process actually goes on in specially encoded files called hashfiles.
- Each file, whether textfile, crossfile, or look.at file, has a
- corresponding hashfile which is a fraction of the size of the
- textfile. (See a computer language dictionary for further data
- and description of hashing technology.)
-
- A hashfile is automatically created for a textfile when you search it.
-
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- èWhen you use a crossfile to search a textfile you must hash the
- crossfile first, and you do this with the 'h' (hash/rehash) facility.
-
- In each of the 3 search types you are looking for some sort
- of a match. The first type is in mathematical terms a
- straight match; the second type is still looking for a match,
- although a more complicated match of pattern.
-
- In the third type, you are in essence looking for associations
- of patterns of meaning via the following components: the
- contents of the crossfile, the contents of the look.at file,
- and the contents of the textfile.
-
- As this process is done in the hashfiles rather than the
- textfiles, the process is entirely mathematical rather
- than related to meaning as a human would understand it.
-
- A search algorithm looks for potentially similar patterns
- between what you are searching with (the contents of the crossfile
- and the look.at file) and what you are searching for (selected
- contents in the textfile). An association matrix deep inside
- the program determines whether a match is or is not possible
- between the two patterns, based on whether it is within certain
- adjudicated mathematical limits.
-
- If it is a possible match, then that mathematical location
- is transposed back to the textfile and marked with a file
- pointer. The program then parses out a chunk surrounding that
- location and presents it for viewing as a pattern of inference.
-
- The user supplies the missing factor of meaning, and makes the
- final human decision as to whether the parsed aggregate of text
- is or is not relevant to what he was looking for.
-
-
- OUTPUT AND ITS RELATION TO SEARCHING:
-
- Regardless of what type of search you are using, once a point of
- match or association is found in the file, it is dealt with in
- the same manner.
-
- Within certain limits, the program will try to go back to the
- last period and forward to the next, ignoring exclamation points
- and question marks.
-
- This parsed out aggregate of information is presented in full
- on the screen. The user (if in 'm' manual mode) then has a
- choice of whether to keep it by selecting 'Y' for "Yes, this is
- relevant," or to reject it by select ing 'S' for "Skip it."
-
-
-
-
-
- èThose aggregates which the user decides to keep are extracted and
- dumped into a separate file along with all the other extracted
- aggregates of information. This file is called the "LOOK.AT" file,
- the same file referenced above. This file will accumulate all the
- results of your searches until you clear it and start over.
-
- While each of the 3 search types dumps extracted information
- into the look.at file, it is only the third type which uses
- those search results to accomplish its search.
-
- Thus a 'g' search and a 'c' search can be done independently of
- each other and independently of the content in the look.at file.
- However, by invoking the '*' (which means "use results") before
- the 'c' for a "star-c" search, the contents of the look.at file be
- come an integral part of the parameters of your next search.
-
- Additionally, if there is no content in the look.at file, then
- you can't begin a star-c search because there is no third associative
- element to complete the association matrix.
-
- Thus you will see that the first step in a star-c search must
- always be an action to put something specific into the look.at
- file. A 'g' search is the best to use as you can most tightly
- control the results you are put ting into the look.at file.
-
- In other words, by:
-
- (1) Selectively locating an extract from a
- textfile which represents a concept you
- are trying to draw inference from (with a
- 'g' search) and dumping it into the
- look.at file, and then:
-
- (2) Creating a separate crossfile which
- contains a concept you wish to cross-
- correlate against the contents in the
- look.at file; you can then
-
- (3) Execute a star-c search which uses both
- those points as reference and draws
- patterns of inference between the
- crossfile, the look.at file, and the
- textfile.
-
- This whole process comprises the associative element search,
- and is the search which approximates intelligence, even though
- it is the user who supplies the final meaning.
-
- If you wish to create a new matrix of association, you can use
- another and another and another crossfile, to pit against the
- look.at file and to search the textfile. Your look.at file is
- building as you do this, which means the search process is
- "learning" as it goes.
-
- èEventually, you will wish to start an entirely new search;
- to do this you will have to remove the contents of the look.at
- file. As this is a cumulatively built file, you will have to
- first extract the content that is in there, before you put
- new content in. To do this you use the command 'b'
- for "begin extract".
-
- It may be that in the course of a search you wish to segment
- off the results of part of the search from another part of
- the search. In this case, even though the look.at file is
- being built up cumulatively, you can selectively name separate
- files and archive the selective search results into these
- separately named files (as well as into the look.at file).
-
- These savefiles, as they are called, are created with the 'n', for
- "name", and 'r', for "archive result" functions of the program.
-
- All these files, that is, the look.at file and any savefiles
- you name along the way, are noted on your directory, are in
- standard ASCII format, and are directly accessible to you on
- your directory. They will respond to a word processor and
- can be edited and printed for report generating purposes.
- They can also be hashed and selectively used as crossfiles
- for subseqeunt searches. Or they can be organized and used
- in the generation of expert systems.
-
-
- THE LEXNOTE SUBROUTINE:
-
- Regardless of which type of search you are using, your target
- is an aggregate of information which is presented as a possible
- match to what you are looking for, as covered previously.
-
- As information is retrieved, you have the option of further
- inspecting that aggregate of data by use of the LEXNOTE
- subroutine. This sub-program allows you to inspect and tabulate
- the aggregate in detail, as well as to look at it in context
- of the database by opening windows around it. LEXNOTE can be
- used on any hit which is presented by any type of search.
-
- If you are unsure of the relevance of a certain aggregate,
- use the 'v' function in LEXNOTE to "view" the surrounding
- area and establish by context if this is or is not what you
- are looking for. Very often context will reveal an extremely
- intelligent association which was not clear when only the
- parsed aggregate was viewed. You can use 'd' to "display"
- the line (aggregate) again, and 'c' to "continue" the search.
-
- Another less obvious use of LEXNOTE is to use 't' to "tabulate"
- the results, or in other words, to inspect the distribution of
- what the program is considering to be "noise words" and what
- the program is considering to be "specifics".
-
-
- èThose words the program is considering to be noise words (such as
- "a", "an", "the", "but", "and", etc.) are filtered out from the
- coding in the hashfile. Only the specifics are used for the search.
-
- The LOGIC-LINE program you are using is programmed for modern
- English. If you are searching texts of Old English or of
- some other language, the basic mathematical algorithm will still
- work, but the noise word files would have to be edited.
-
- LOGIC-LINE 3 allows you to edit these noise word files and
- customize LOGIC-LINE for use with just about any phonetic-based
- language. (For more information please contact Thunderstone.)
-
-
- STRAIGHT WORD SEARCH:
-
- The straight word search and data retrieval process consists of
- specifying files to search, and words you wish to search them
- with. The selected words will retrieve textual material in the
- specified file or files, and present it to you exactly as it
- appears in those files. All references in the file or files
- which contain your selected search words will be given to you,
- one at a time, in the sequence retrieved by the program.
-
- LOGIC-LINE 1 offers a way to accomplish this literal search
- of the text stream; you can look for words as words, which
- disregards upper and lower case ('w'/'g').
-
- Use this straight search option to dump specific entries into
- your look.at file before you go into an associative element
- search. You will see in the later procedures that a 'g'
- search is required as the first step before a star-c search
- is executed with a crossfile.
-
- Sometimes, as in the Filtering Processes outlined in
- Appendix A (contained in the full Logic-Line 1 manual),
- you will want to set up the parameters of a star-c search
- before you do anything else. Still, you must actually execute
- a 'g' search to dump information into the look.at file, before
- you actually execute the star-c search.
-
-
- A PRIORI CROSS-SEARCH
-
- The a priori (or given word set) cross-search is designed to
- permit a user to configure a natural language query, or sentence,
- or list of keywords, to operate as a unit request upon a data base.
-
- Having this facility tends to bypass some of the complexity inherent
- in figuring out what the parameters of an associative element
- cross-search could be. It is a good place to start searching for
- what you want to know, by simply listing out the spectrum of
- keywords around which you want to search, or formulating a query
- to "ask" the data base.
- èOf course as there is no thinking person inside the computer,
- you will not get a "thought out" answer to your query. But you
- will get a curiously accurate pattern of response, which is
- a "match" to the pattern created by the string of words in your
- list or your query.
-
- You can often get startlingly intelligent responses using this
- type of search mechanism. Usually it will dig out some concept
- of what is in the database so that you can then further interrogate
- the data base with other methods of search, such as an associative
- element star-c search.
-
- You must keep in mind one characteristic of this kind of search.
- If you formulate several queries, such as "What do you think
- about __________?" with the only difference being in the
- "__________", your search response will probably bring up
- aggregates which are the same for much of the search.
-
- Realize that the search is first responding to the "What do
- you think about" portion of the query, so the line of logic
- followed will begin the same with each such query. Be patient
- though, and you will usually find that even with similar
- queries such as these that there will be a few different
- aggregates brought up at the end of each search.
-
- For creative optimization of this searching method, we suggest
- that you practice varying your formats and query styles so as to
- elicit varied patterns of response from the data base.
-
- This is a skill which professionals in different walks of life
- naturally learn in order to elicit varied responses from people,
- and is not an unnatural way of obtaining data, whether from a
- person or from a machine.
-
-
-
-
- ASSOCIATIVE ELEMENT SEARCH:
-
- The associative element star-c search is used in conjunction
- with a sub-menu called up with the '@' command, which we refer
- to as the "set associations" menu. This offers 3 kinds of
- associations, which we will herein explain.
-
- Each of these associative element search methods automatically
- locate possibilities of logical unions of information and
- inference inside a larger universe of textual data. When
- humans do this, the activity is called sub-cognition,
- associative logic, or concept building. In order for a
- human to do this with a body of information, he must read all
- or much of the data before he can string his own associations
- and inferences.
-
-
- èThe action of making contact with all the information is what
- takes the most time for a person. The associative element
- search acts as a tool to the person by searching through
- the database for that selected information the person wants,
- and stringing associative links through the material in a
- manner consistent with the user's comfort level and personal
- thought patterns.
-
- The final deductions, conclusions, and decisions about the
- information retrieved are left up to the searcher.
-
- When you make the decision to do a star-c ('*' 'c') search,
- you are electing to use recursion by instructing the search
- algorithm to "use the results" of what it has already found
- as it executes the cross search.
-
- The way in which it uses these results is modified by the set
- associations menu, which provides 3 options, as covered below.
- When we view these options we are talking about the way in which
- the associative links are set up inside the program.
-
-
- THE SET-ASSOCIATIONS OPTIONS:
-
- When you set the parameters of a star-c search, you must:
-
-
- 1) First choose the type of associative link
- you want to use (+), (=), or (a),
-
- 2) Enter the crossfile you will be associat
- ing (a crossfile name), and
-
- 3) Instruct the program to use the results
- (*) of the foregoing search as contained
- in the look.at file, and then
-
- 4) Execute the cross (c) search.
-
- It is possible to execute 'g' or 'c' searches to dump
- things into the look.at file both before step 1 and/or after
- step 2. Decisions as to sequence will come with experience,
- and as you learn the basic procedures and those in Appendix A.
-
- Nevertheless, the important thing to understand is that the
- above 4 steps are required at some point, and you must understand
- the 3 associative link options in order to decide which to use when.
-
- There are 3 methods of setting the associative links: '+'
- ("accumulate" associative elements from the file), '='
- ("replace associative elements from the file), or 'a'
- ("allow" any and all associations).
-
-
- èTo understand how these options relate, it is easiest to
- first understand the difference between the '+' and the '='
- association options.
-
-
-
- CONVERGING (+) VS. DIVERGING (=):
-
- The '+' option is cumulative in that it expands the avenues
- of association in accordance with the additional crossfile
- elements introduced; i.e., the crossfile you enter with
- the '+' command will be associatively linked up with
- everything that has gone into the search up to this point.
- This could be viewed as a convergent search, as it associates
- this plus this plus this, and so on, along a discrete path
- converging on a basic theme.
-
- The '=' option is substitutive in that it redirects the channels of
- association in accordance with the additional crossfile elements
- introduced; i.e., the crossfile you enter with '=' will replace the
- associative links you had in place up to this point with the
- associative links you now set. This could be viewed as a divergent
- search, as it associates this or that or that, and so on, along a path
- branching outward, while maintaining a basic logical line.
-
- To be more precise, in an accumulative (+), or convergent
- association, the accumulation is referring to the crossfiles you
- enter. It does not refer to the textfile or to the look.at
- file. When you select '+', you are adding the crossfile you
- are about to enter to whatever associations are already in place.
-
- In a substitutive, or replacive (=) or divergent association,
- the substitution is referring to the crossfiles you enter. It
- does not refer to the textfile or to the look.at file. When
- you select '=', you are replacing all past assocations that
- were in place with ONLY the crossfile you are about to enter.
-
- Thus if you select an '=' association with a certain crossfile
- and execute a star-c search, the search will be done with
- associative links between the contents of the look.at file,
- the contents of the crossfile entered, and the contents of the
- textfile. If you then wish to expand the avenues of association
- to include associations with the crossfile you just entered,
- then select '+' before entering the next crossfile. If you
- wish to replace the next association rather than add to the
- last one, then select '=' before entering the next crossfile.
-
- For example, let us say you are searching a textfile called "FORESTS".
- You do a 'g' search and extract a sentence concerning "planting
- seed-bearing trees", dumping it into the LOOK.AT file. You then do a
- cross-search against the textfile and the look.at file with the
- concept "moisture" as represented by a file containing the word
- "water". You execute the search and come up with various hits.
-
- èNow you want to expand the avenues of that association, to include
- the "water" crossfile, so you select '+' and enter a new crossfile
- containing the word "storms". As long as you select '+' before a
- new crossfile, you will include each new crossfile in the association.
-
- Now if you want to replace those crossfiles with a new concept,
- then select '=', and then enter your new crossfile containing,
- say, "fire". Your association links will be replaced by this
- crossfile alone, as cross-correlated against the contents of
- the LOOK.AT file and the textfile "FORESTS".
-
-
-
- ALL-ASSOCIATIVE:
-
- Essentially "all associations" (a) means, literally, that the
- search facility will try to search out all associations of the
- nature requested.
-
- When you select 'a', you are really selecting an expressed
- default association.
-
- When you select '=' or '+', you are setting up a converging or
- diverging associative link in connection with a crossfile you
- are about to enter. If you select 'a', there is no instruction
- to enter a crossfile, as, by definition, "Allow any and all
- associations" means that the association would not be limited
- by an entered crossfile.
-
- The type of associative link which is in place for a routine
- 'g' or 'c' search is in fact any and all associations, in a
- 2-way, rather than a 3-way association matrix.
-
- In an all-associative element star-c search, you are making any and
- all associations between the content of the look.at file and the
- entire content of the textfile (excluding noise words). As the
- possibilities are quite extensive, this creates a very broad search.
-
- If you could not find what you wanted on either a '+' or '=' element
- search, then the all-associative search will pick up any and all
- possibilities which were left.
-
- This type of search can be used as a facility for viewing much of
- the text in easy to experience chunks along the line of a particular
- text stream or point of view.
-
- The all-associative search is the most exhaustive process. It will
- literally give you almost all the content to view, but in a sequence
- which will be more likely to have what you're looking for closer to
- the beginning than toward the end, with a diminishing percentage of
- possible association.
-
-
-
- èWHERE TO START:
-
- There is a peculiarity to the interaction of the various associative
- linkings that must be understood so as to make an overall search do
- what you want it to do.
-
- The default association for any type of search, including 'g'
- searches and 'c' searches, is all-associative, or "allow any and all
- associations". This means that when you use a 'g' or 'c' to
- dump information into the LOOK.AT file, you have in place an
- all-associative pattern as the default.
-
- Now, when you go the next step into a star-c search, if you select
- '+' as your first type of associative link, realize that you are
- ADDING the crossfile you are about to enter to whatever associations
- have already been made. Therefore, you have a fairly unlimited
- association to start with, as the crossfile is only expanding
- upon the all-association which has been made thus far.
-
- For this reason, if you select '+' for your first search, it
- could happen that you get into a seemingly long or nonsensical
- loop, which will eventually complete itself, but then again
- if the file is very long, it could seem to be rather endless.
-
- All that has occurred, is that by starting the star-c '@'
- parameters with a cumulative (+) associative link, you have
- linked the entered crossfile to the last associative links, which
- in this case most recently was "all-associative". The remedy is
- to REPLACE (=) the most recent all-associative links with your
- next crossfile by selecting a (=) divergent search before you
- select a (+) convergent search.
-
- Thus as a firm rule, when you set the first parameters for your
- star-c search, always select '=' before entering the first
- crossfile. Then you can follow up with '+', '=', or 'a', as
- you deem appropriate, to accomplish the goals of your search.
-
-
- ADVICE:
-
- The mechanics of human intelligence is generally understood to be
- a rather complicated affair. Thus any attempt to approximate
- this quality in a machine is bound to have its complexities.
-
- This section has attempted to lay out the basic workings of the
- LOGIC-LINE program design, and explain the different levels of
- search operations and their relation to each other as well as
- their relation to the goal the human has in using it. The full
- manual (available from Thunderstone) contains model searches as
- well as appendices which tie together the various searches.
- We recommend this for a full optimization of the LL1 program.
-
-
-
- è VI. LOGIC-LINE 1 COMMAND SUMMARY
-
- Following are explanations for each of the basic commands
- available on the "LEXSET" main menu.
-
- w = WORD:
-
- Enter a word, or add a word to the list of
- words to be searched for. As many as 10-12
- words may be entered, although just a few is
- much more likely. They may be upper or lower
- case; it makes no difference.
-
-
- f = FILE:
-
- Enter a file name, or add a file name to the
- list of files to be searched. As many as 10
- to 12 files may be entered, depending upon
- size of file.
-
-
- g = GO:
-
- Execute a search based upon parameters
- established by way of the 'w', 'f', 'm', or
- 'a', and 'n' commands. This will generally be
- your starting point. This command will
- accomplish a simple, linear, and literal
- search of the file, files, or data base.
-
-
- m = MANUAL:
-
- Select manual mode for search ('g' or 'c'
- command). Manual mode allows the user to view
- each data cluster as it is retrieved. Each
- time an aggregate appears on the screen it
- stops for you to view it as different from
- automatic, where the aggregates are presented
- very quickly, automatically, and at the speed
- that the search is accomplished by the program
- without regard to the user. In manual mode,
- the user has 3 options after each data aggre
- gate is presented for viewing. These options
- are presented on the screen as follows:
-
- respond:
- Y to include or S to skip or A to abort or L enter LEXNOTE
-
- Y: means YES, you want to include that
- aggregate in the data acquisition file
- being created by the search.
-
- è S: means you want to SKIP that aggregate and
- continue with the search. You would
- usually choose this when the aggregate
- being shown is a repeat of one already
- retrieved, or when an aggregate is
- retrieved which is incorrectly included in
- this search, as a false indication. This
- will be frequent toward the end of most
- all-associative searches.
-
- A: means you want to ABORT that particular
- search before it is complete, and continue
- back on the LEXSET program.
-
- L: See section on Using the LEXNOTE program.
-
-
- a = AUTO MODE:
-
- Select automatic mode for search ('g' or 'c'
- command). Automatic mode automatically retrieves
- data clusters and puts them into a separate file
- for later study. This mode can be used for a fast
- viewing facility, to be studied later. The automatic
- mode does not permit any user interaction once it
- gets going. It's probably best used for large gross
- searches. It is a data retrieval milling machine,
- and the file it creates can be edited at a later time.
-
-
- n = NAMES:
-
- Select names for a SAVEFILE and NOTEFILE.
- This facility permits you to set up special
- files which generally correspond to an area of
- inquiry, and allows you to pursue several
- lines of research and retrieval without
- getting the results confused with each other.
-
- To understand this more clearly, here are
- definitions for 3 kinds of files:
-
-
- LOOKFILE:
-
- File used to save sentences or data clusters
- extracted during a search operation until the
- next search operation is done. The contents
- of this file are preserved when LEXSET is
- exited, so the material can be accessed with
- an editor or most word processors for whatever
- you want to do with it. This file appears on
- the directory as "LOOK.AT".
-
- è This file has technical significance and use
- to the searching facility and the inner
- workings of the LEXSET program, and makes
- possible associative searches. It is better
- to use the SAVEFILE facility on the LEXSET
- menu for the purposes of tabulating and
- recording information searched.
-
-
-
- SAVEFILE:
-
- This file works the same as the LOOKFILE
- except that the results of a search do not
- go into the savefile unless you specifically
- name (n) the file before executing the search,
- and archive the results into it (r) after the
- search.
-
- The SAVEFILE appears at the top of the LOGIC-
- LINE main menu, as: $AVE-1T.TMP. This name
- remains until you use the 'n' command to
- rename this file. The name you give the file
- will appear at the top of the screen in place
- of $AVE-1T.TMP. (See section on "Naming Files"
- for information on allowed names.)
-
-
-
- NOTEFILE:
-
- The NOTEFILE contains references to the mater
- ial in the form of pointers, but does not
- contain the actual retrieved information. The
- LEXNOTE subroutine interacts with the
- NOTEFILE.
-
- The NOTEFILE appears at the top of the LEXSET
- main menu, as: $AVE-1T.---. This name remains
- until you use the 'n' command to rename this
- file. The name you give the file will appear at
- the top of the screen in place of $AVE-1T.---.
- (See section on "Naming Files" for information
- on allowed names.)
-
- If you have no need to save a specific
- notefile, choose not to name it by typing the
- 'Rtn' key when asked for a notefile name
- (after you give a name to the savefile).
-
-
-
-
-
- è USING THE 'n' COMMAND:
-
- You use the 'n' command when setting up the
- parameters of the search, before using the
- 'g', 'c', or '*' 'c' commands to execute the
- search. As above, simply designate a name for
- the SAVEFILE, and if you wish, for the NOTE
- FILE, before starting the search. Then when
- the search is complete, use 'r' to archive the
- result, and the information retrieved during
- the search will be put into a permanent file
- with the names designated.
-
-
-
- * = USE RESULTS:
-
- Sets up the routine to use results from a
- previous search while doing the next search.
- This is required to do any associative element
- search. The search facility will be drawing
- on data it has compiled in the LOOKFILE (that
- is, the "look.at" file).
-
- By using this command, you are selecting
- recursion in the data processing by using the
- results of the previous search ('g' or 'c')
- for this search ('c' or 'g').
-
- The fact of "using results" is perhaps of more
- interest technically than practically. What
- is important to remember about this command
- (*) is that it is used majorly for the
- following 2 situations:
-
-
- 1. If you have just completed a search,
- having created a temporary file which
- holds those results but you have not yet
- archived them to a permanent file, you
- can search or cross search those results
- by pressing '*' then 'g'.
-
- In doing so you will notice that
- "LOOK.AT" will appear under the "Files
- to Look In" Section on the LEXSET main
- menu. This is because you are now
- searching over the results of the last
- search (i.e., the data clusters
- retrieved in that search, only) rather
- than the whole of the files you first
- searched.
-
-
- è This type of '*' 'g' search can find
- intersections of sets of information
- from large data bases quickly, and can
- be assistive in locating literal common
- denominators in small or large bodies of
- information.
-
- It could be especially useful in
- conjunction with automatic mode, if you
- had little time available but wanted to
- do a precise search for later review.
-
- 2. When you want to do a convergent (+) or
- divergent (=) associative element cross
- search, in order to properly activate
- this facility you must press '*' and
- then 'c'. If you neglect to press the
- '*' before pressing 'c', even if you are
- searching with a crossfile, you will
- activate an all-associative search, but
- not a recursive convergent or divergent
- search.
-
-
- c = CROSS SEARCH:
-
- Execute a crossfile search. This is the
- couterpart of the 'g' command. Where 'g'
- executes a literal search based on whatever
- search parameters you have set, 'c' executes
- an associative search.
-
- This generally would follow the '*' command,
- for an associative element search. However, a
- 'c' search can also be done without the '*',
- as in an a priori 'c' search. In either case,
- the 'c' command operates in conjunction with a
- pre-configured word list which will be built
- by you in a separate file. This file is
- called a crossfile.
-
- In this separate cross word file, or cross
- search file, words must be separated by blank
- spaces, and ended with a period. These
- crossfile, cross-referencing word lists or
- sentences are built by accessing the operating
- system commands (see Section on Operating
- System Interface.) The 'c' command is the
- signal to start searching, using that
- crossfile.
-
- In relation to this, you will notice 2
- categories on the main menu screen:
-
- è CROSSFILE WAS:
- This shows you while searching what the most
- current crossfile is or was which was used to
- do a search.
-
- ASSOCIATIONS:
- This shows you which kind of associative link
- is (or just was) in use. (See next section
- "Set Associations" for more information.)
- @ = SET ASSOCIATIONS:
-
- This '@' accesses a menu which permits you to
- select the type of associative linkages you
- want to use in the forthcoming star-c search;
- that is, one of the following choices:
-
- + - ACCUMULATE associative elements
- from file (this is the convergent
- association search; associates
- this plus this plus this along a
- discrete path converging on a
- basic theme).
-
- = - REPLACE associative elements from
- file (this is the divergent asso
- ciation search; associates this
- and/or that, along a branching
- outward path while maintaining a
- logical line).
-
- a - ALLOW any and all associations
- (this is the all-associative
- search)
-
- r - RETURN to LEXSET (after setting
- association links)
-
- Further instructions when using '+' or '=':
-
- To understand the relationship of these types
- of linkages please read the section: Types of
- Searches and Basic Operation, which covers the
- subject fully.
-
-
- r = ARCHIVE RESULT:
-
- This 'r' copies the results of the last search
- from a temporary file (LOOKFILE) to a
- SAVEFILE. This can only be accurately done if
- you used the 'n' command before the search
- began, and assigned a name to the SAVEFILE.
- (See 'n' command information in this section.)
-
- è s = START OVER:
-
- This 's' allows you to clear the workstation
- in terms of files searched and words used to
- search, without having to exit the LEXSET
- program first. When you use this 's' command,
- you simply START OVER with empty word and file
- lists. You would also use this if you made an
- error in using the 'f' (file) or 'w' (word)
- commands.
-
-
-
- q = QUIT THE PROGRAM:
-
- This 'q' closes all existing files and returns
- you to the operating system.
-
-
-
- $ = OPERATING SYSTEM:
-
- This '$' presents a secondary menu from which
- you can select an option via the operating
- system interface. This is the menu that puts
- you into the DOS EDLIN program so you can
- create cross word files to search with, where
- you need them for associative element
- searches. The menu looks like this:
-
- 1 - CREATE a new text file
- 2 - EDIT an existing text file
- 3 - DELETE a text file
- 4 - DIRECTORY display
- 5 - RETURN to LEXSET
-
- These options are covered more fully in the
- Operating System Interface Program section.
-
-
-
- L = EXECUTE LEXNOTE PROGRAM:
-
- 'L' accesses a natural language breakdown
- program, allowing you to study a retrieved
- cluster of information linguistically. The
- command relates to lines of text "remembered"
- from previous searches, accessed via a
- NOTEFILE, the name of which can be set by the
- 'n' command from the main menu.
-
-
-
-
- è The program has the most application where you
- are customizing LOGIC-LINE to run in a lan
- guage base other than Modern English, which is
- the domain of LOGIC-LINE 3. The use of the
- LEXNOTE program for routine LOGIC-LINE use is
- covered in the next chapter, Using the LEXNOTE
- Program.
-
-
-
- b = BEGIN EXTRACT:
-
- Extracts (clears) the content from the LOOK.AT
- and those recursive files that are involved in
- an associative element search. 'b' begins the
- extract, and the message "done" appears when
- the action is complete. This can be done from
- inside the LEXSET program; thus there is no
- need to exit with 'q' to begin a new search
- from scratch. Execute this function when you
- are beginning an entirely new search and you
- don't want anything left from the last
- search(es) to influence your next search.
-
-
-
- h = HASH/REHASH:
-
- Use 'h' to hash (create a hashfile) a file
- automatically. Use it also to rehash a file
- which has been edited or tampered with.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- è VII. USING THE LEXNOTE PROGRAM
-
- The 'L' command accesses a natural language breakdown
- program, called the LEXNOTE program. It allows you to study
- a retrieved cluster of information from a linguistic viewpoint.
-
- The command relates to lines of text "remembered" from previous
- searches. This data is accessed via a NOTEFILE, the name of
- which is set by the 'n' command from the main menu.
-
- When the LEXNOTE program is accessed, it starts with the first
- data cluster previously retrieved and recorded in the NOTEFILE,
- and gives you a menu of various options with which to address
- that aggregate of acquired information. As you will see, you
- can exercise an option to tabulate, view, or re-display the
- retrieved aggregate; or you can choose to continue on to the
- next aggregate recorded in the NOTEFILE and exercise those
- same options; or you can return to the LEXSET main menu.
-
- To maintain the option to use LEXNOTE on the results of specific
- past searches, be sure to use the 'n' (name) function before you
- do the search, to give a permanent name to the NOTEFILE.
-
- As covered in the LOGIC-LINE Command Summary, the NOTEFILE will
- be shown at the top of the LEXSET main menu as $AVE-1T.---,
- until you give it another name with 'n'.
-
- When you press 'L' from the LEXSET main menu, the data cluster
- you are currently viewing in manual mode, or the first data
- cluster from the NOTEFILE most closely connected to the files
- you are searching or last searched, will appear on the screen.
-
- Below this will be a menu which contains this information:
-
- T - tabulate word groups
- V - view surrounding text
- C - to continue
- D - to display the line
- R - to return to main menu
-
- These LEXNOTE commands are explained in detail as follows:
-
- T = TABULATE WORD GROUPS:
-
- Pressing 'T' will tabulate the cluster into
- word groups.
-
- This creates a schematic representation of the
- retrieved information (best used with a color
- monitor), which with a little practice will
- become quite useful for scanning extracted
- material when you're not sure exactly what you
- are looking for.
-
- è It will be found that viewing the data cluster
- through the viewpoint of this LEXNOTE facility
- permits new possibilities of inference to be
- drawn. It filters out the "noise words", and
- provides a list of keywords delineated as
- "specifics" which can be used to search the
- data base from different angles. It is also
- through this facility that you can fine-tune
- noise word files when dealing with something
- other than Modern English. (Refer LL3.)
-
-
-
- V = VIEW SURROUNDING TEXT:
-
- This displays an expanded window around the
- retrieved text. This window extends for 750
- bytes up and down.
-
- This facility allows you to put the retrieved
- data cluster back into the context it came
- from, to expand your understanding of the
- information without cluttering up your
- retrieved information file with too much
- information.
-
-
-
- C = CONTINUE:
-
- This allows you to continue, or move from one
- retrieved data cluster to the next, while in
- the LEXNOTE program, in the sequence in which
- they were retrieved, and in which they are
- listed by pointers in the NOTEFILE.
-
-
-
- D = DISPLAY THE LINE:
-
- This 'D' allows you to reDisplay, or put back
- the retrieved data cluster you have been
- studying on the screen for viewing.
-
- If it is used following 'T', the tabulation is
- cleared from the screen, and the original data
- cluster put back. If it is used following
- 'V', the window on the screen is closed, and
- the original retrieved data cluster is put
- back.
-
-
-
-
- è R = RETURN TO MAIN MENU:
-
- Pressing 'R' takes you out of the LEXNOTE
- program and puts you back into LEXSET, at the
- LEXSET main menu.
-
-
-
- THE NOTEFILE:
-
- When you do a search, as explained earlier, a file pointer
- appears prior to the textual aggregate. Where the textual
- aggregates are dumped into the look.at file and into any
- savefiles you name, the hexidecimal file pointers are separately
- dumped into a default notefile, and into any notefiles you
- specifically name.
-
- The name of the default notefile is: "$AVE-1T.---" and this
- is the file that appears at the top of the LOGIC-LINE menu.
- If you give a notefile a specific name, that name will replace
- the default name.
-
- If you are not paying particular attention to the notefile,
- then you may not notice that the default notefile is a
- continuing record of all the file pointers you have encountered
- in all your searches; in other words, it is cumulative, and the
- contents of the notefile are not extracted when you use 'b' to
- extract the content of the look.at file.
-
- This means that the size of that default file gets larger and
- larger the more you use the LOGIC-LINE program. Thus, you may
- want to erase it from time to time if it gets too large, or if
- you want to be sure to save it, conceivably you might want to
- copy it onto another disk. Of course it is more likely that
- if you are concerned with saving the notefile results permanently
- that you would be naming that file with the 'n' function;
- nevertheless, this is mentioned by way of explanation of
- program mechanics.
-
-
-
- MAKING USE OF THE NOTEFILE:
-
- Among other things, the notefile is a way of storing information
- in a compact way. Let's say that you were doing a search of the
- subject of biology, so as you were searching you named the
- notefile "biology", and named different savefiles as you went to
- keep track of the text. The "biology" notefile will contain a
- record of all the file pointers from your whole search of biology.
-
- If later you want to review the search results from the notefile,
- then you could do the following:
-
-
- è 1. Enter the LEXSET program.
-
- 2. Type 'n' and change the default notefile
- name to "biology".
-
- 3. Type 'L' for LEXNOTE.
-
- 4. The first textual aggregate connected with
- the first file pointer contained in that
- notefile will appear, with the LEXNOTE menu.
-
- 5. If you wish to just run through all the
- text, then select 'c' for continue from
- the LEXNOTE menu and it will take you from
- aggregate to aggregate, providing a review
- of the entire run of searches which you
- archived into this notefile ("biology").
-
- Similarly if you want to review the results in the default
- notefile, simply enter LEXSET, type 'L', and you will be
- into the $AVE-1T.--- file, as it is just that, the default
- notefile.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- è VIII. USING THE OPERATING SYSTEM INTERFACE PROGRAM
-
- When using LOGIC-LINE, there will be times you need to use
- certain operating system functions before you are ready to
- exit the LEXSET search program.
-
- When you use 'q' to exit LEXSET, you immediately exit back
- to the operating system; it also closes the existing search files.
-
- There are many times that you need operating system functions,
- but you aren't ready to close off your current search.
-
- Any time you need certain operating functions but don't wish
- to exit the LEXSET routine, you can use the specially designed
- LEXSET operating system subroutine. This is the operating system
- interface program, and is accessed on the LEXSET main menu by
- pressing '$'.
-
- We have given you a facility which permits you to use a specially
- designed subroutine to interact with the operating system and its
- editing subroutine EDLIN, to create and edit various kinds of files.
- The most common use of this subroutine will be to build cross-search
- files for associative element convergent or divergent searches.
-
- When you want to access the menu of functions in this operating
- system subroutine, press '$'. The following menu will appear:
-
-
- 1 - CREATE a new text file
- 2 - EDIT an existing text file
- 3 - DELETE a text file
- 4 - DIRECTORY display
- R - RETURN to LEXSET
-
-
- To make use of '1' and '2', you must know or learn how to use the
- EDLIN program. Instructions for this should be located in your DOS
- operating manual.
-
- The '3', '4', and 'R' functions are self-explanatory.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- è IX. BASIC PROCEDURES
-
-
- PREPARING THE FILES TO SEARCH:
-
- There is no particular organizational or systematic procedure
- required to prepare the files or data base you wish to search.
- LOGIC-LINE goes straight to the information in the files, using
- natural language to process it.
-
- Any information you have available which is in standard data base
- form, which was entered in non-document mode, is ready to search
- immediately.
-
- Where you wish to search files which have been entered in a
- specific document mode, such as belonging to some word processing
- programs, you may run into difficulty as you are trying to search
- through an encryption which was entered with the data as it was
- word processed.
-
- In this case you will have to strip off that encryption so that the
- files can be read by this (or any) searching program. There are
- programs which do this, as a technical procedure, and they can
- usually be obtained from the company who sells the word processing
- program.
-
- The above, it should be noted, is purely a technical procedure,
- and does not require a person who is trained in the content of
- the database to reorganize it or re-comprehend it. In other words,
- if you are working in a law office and need to ready the files,
- you can probably get a computer technician to handle it rather than
- a legal assistant.
-
- If there is any difficulty with this and you do not know what to do to
- get going, please call the hotline number on your software registration
- card, and we will assist you or advise you as best we can.
-
- When files are entered where it is known that these are files which
- will be searched by exterior programs, it is generally understood
- that they must be entered in non-document mode.
-
- You are likely to encounter difficulty only when searching files
- which weren't originally intended for searching. The beauty
- of the LOGIC-LINE program however, is that you can still search
- these files without first preparing or systemizing them, as soon
- as you have stripped off whatever encryption was inadvertently
- entered with the information.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- èSEARCHING IN-HOUSE RECORDS
-
- Interesting and useful applications for LOGIC-LINE 1 are to use
- it to search your in-house records, whether these be patient reports
- in a doctor's office, legal depositions or testimonies in a law
- office, all the data dumps you got from a larger data base over the
- last year, articles or stories you have written, or your letters
- out from the last 6 months.
-
- LOGIC-LINE 2 lets you additionally search your spreadsheets,
- tax records, codes and formulae, real estate descriptions and
- measurements, and whatever else you might have around. The list
- of what would be useful to search is limited only by your
- imagination.
-
- When you undertake this, the first thing to consider is what form
- the information was entered in. If it is available on disk, in
- regular ASCII form, it can most likely be searched by this program.
- It may be, however, that the first thing you have to do is to
- strip off any special coding or encryptions which prevent the
- information from being searched. This is often the case as a
- matter of simple security in many companies. As mentioned above,
- this is a technical matter which those people who constructed the
- information will know about.
-
- Presuming that you have now got information which was entered
- in non-document mode ready to search, or that you had your
- files stripped so that they can now be searched, you are ready
- to go.
-
- Decide what kind of search you want to do and use these basic
- procedures to get going. Start with one file and work on that
- until you understand the procedure.
-
- Very often, as in the case of many different patient records, or
- letters, or depositions, you are confronted with a very large
- data base, but which is composed of many, many separate short
- 1-3 page files.
-
- Once you have gotten the procedures down so that you can better
- concentrate on the information you are searching for, you will
- probably find it unwieldy to continue to handle all these short
- files separately, within the framework of the LOGIC-LINE main
- menu.
-
- In this case, find out from the word processing manual that
- goes with your word processor, what procedures allow you to put
- several short files into a long file. It is usually very easy
- to do this.
-
-
-
-
-
- èOnce you have figured out how to do this, and what you want to
- compile, then make a long file called, for example, "LETTERS",
- or "DEPOS.84" or "PATIENT.RPT", or whatever you like, composed of
- all the short files. (See the chapter Notes on Hashfiles under
- the section Naming Files for rules on allowed names.) This will
- assist you in keeping a minimum of attention on the procedure,
- while being able to concentrate on the information you are trying
- to analyze, what you are trying to find out, and accomplishing the
- goal of your search.
-
- The following procedures begin once you have typed in "LEXSET"
- followed by the "Return" key, have entered the program, and
- are looking at the LOGIC-LINE main menu.
-
-
- STRAIGHT 'g' SEARCH: DIRECT KEY WORD/FILE SEARCH
- (SIMPLE WORD SEARCH)
-
-
- PROCEDURE:
-
- 1. Select 'm' for manual mode or 'a' for
- automatic mode.
-
- NOTE: The default setting is 'm' for
- manual, if no selection is made when the
- LEXSET program is first entered. This is
- important to note when doing a cross-
- search you wish to interact with, as if
- you start the search on automatic you will
- have to wait til the search completely
- runs its course, which in some instances
- can take quite awhile. That is why the
- default is manual mode, to prevent this
- from occurring.
-
-
- 2. Optional: If you wish to name the files
- you will be searching, then type 'n' to
- name savefile and notefile.
-
-
- 3. Type 'f' to input the first file you want
- to search. An 'f' will appear on the
- screen followed by an instruction to enter
- the file name. Enter the name, followed
- by 'Return', and that file name will
- appear at the top of the screen under the
- heading "FILES TO LOOK IN". Repeat that
- procedure, typing 'f' first, the filename
- and then 'Return' for each file you want
- to search.
-
-
- è 4. Type 'w' to input the first word or
- keyword you want to search the file or
- files with. A 'w' will appear on the
- screen followed by an instruction to enter
- "word to add". Enter the word or keyword,
- followed by 'Return', and that word will
- appear at the top of the screen under the
- heading "WORDS TO LOOK FOR". Repeat that
- procedure, typing 'w' first, the word, and
- then 'Return' for each word you want to
- search for.
-
- NOTE: It does not matter which sequence
- you use to enter words and files. The
- words can be entered before the files if
- you like.
-
-
- 5. Once you have the file or files selected
- and key words chosen, then type 'g' for
- "Go" and your straight search will begin.
- The cursor will flash on the screen from
- time to time while the program is
- searching; don't interrupt this action
- until the search is complete (as in auto
- matic mode) or until the first entry has
- come on the screen (in manual mode). You
- will know the search is complete when the
- LEXSET main menu reappears on the screen.
- The word that was searched for will also
- now be in capital letters if it was in
- small letters before.
-
- NOTE: Although you can enter words and
- files in lower or upper case letters, you
- may wish to use lower case as a general
- operating rule. This way you will have an
- additional memory cueing device to follow
- along your searches by noting if a word
- has changed from lower to upper case. If
- the word is now in upper case letters,
- then the search has been completed.
-
-
- 6. If you were searching in manual mode, the
- program will stop when the first data
- aggregate is presented, and a menu will be
- presented to you. Select one of these
- choices: Y for Yes, S for Skip, A for Abort,
- or L for Lexnote, to continue the search.
-
-
-
-
- è 7. If you want to save the results of the
- search, then type in 'r' (for "Result") to
- archive the results of the search. If you
- gave a name to the savefile and notefile
- before the search began, the results of
- the search will transfer to a file under
- the names you designated, and will now
- appear on the directory. These files are
- ready for looking at, editing, or
- printing, as you wish, and handle just
- like any other ASCII file.
-
- This step is optional, and you can
- continue with other searches without it.
-
-
-
- ASSOCIATIVE ELEMENT 'c' CROSS-SEARCH
-
- PROCEDURE:
-
- 1. Follow Steps 1-5 for a straight 'g'
- search, or direct key word/file search,
- and build a "LOOK.AT" file of a few data
- aggregates which constitute the basic
- concept or idea you wish to align your
- entire forthcoming associative search
- around. It is best to keep this search
- rather small; 1 short or long aggregate,
- or 2-3 short aggregates is best to keep
- the search precise.
-
- NOTE: You may have to experiment with a
- few 'g' searches first using no more than
- 1 word or so, to define as you want it the
- concept the search will be building from.
- If so, use the 's' command to clear the
- screen and start over until you get the
- point you want to start from just right
- (i.e., the 'g' search results that go into
- the "LOOK.AT" file).
-
- Once you know exactly what search
- parameters you want to use (in terms of
- words and files for a 'g' search), you may
- need to make sure nothing else from the
- previous (trial & error) searches is in
- the retrieved "LOOK.AT" file as a starting
- point. In this case, simply type 'b' to
- "begin extract", and the LOOK.AT file is
- automatically cleared. The message "done"
- appears when the action is complete.
-
-
- è Then repeat straight search steps 1-5 outlined
- above with your selected search parameters.
-
- 2. Type '@' to access the associative element
- menu and set the type of association that
- will be used in the search.
-
- 3. Choose '+', '=' or 'a', as covered earlier
- under Types of Searches (provided you
- choose '=' for the first associative
- element search you execute).
-
- 4. Select associative file. Enter the cross-
- file name that will be being used to
- search with. At this point in the proce-
- dure you cannot create new files, so you
- must use a crossfile that has already been
- created and put into hash form.
-
- 5. Type 'R', "Return to LEXSET", to return to
- the Logic-Line main menu.
-
- 6. Type '*' for "use results". This directs
- the searching mechanism to use the
- contents of the "LOOK.AT" file you set up
- in the first straight 'g' search.
-
- 7. Type 'c' for cross-search, and your search
- and retrieve process will be underway,
- using the crossfile already designated to
- search and retrieve information from the
- designated files.
-
- 8. You will know the search is complete in
- the same manner as is covered in the
- straight 'g' search, under Step 5. When
- the search is complete for a cross-search,
- the file will appear at the top of the
- screen under that category (Crossfile
- was:). The previous straight search Step
- 6 regarding the manual mode menu, and Step
- 7 regarding use of 'r' for "archive
- results", apply the same in a 'c' cross-
- search as in a straight 'g' search.
-
- NOTE: The '*' command when used with (just
- before) the 'c' command, is a powerful tool.
- Successive applications of *c ("star-c")
- commands, i.e., the same search over and over
- accumulating a larger and larger LOOK.AT file
- as you go, permits logical combinations to be
- discovered, and can be very helpful when
- studying a large data base.
-
- èA PRIORI 'c' CROSS-SEARCH
-
- PROCEDURE:
-
- 1. Do Steps 1-3 of the straight 'g' search;
- that is, selecting 'a' or 'm' mode, naming
- files if desired, and entering files you
- wish to search.
-
- 2. Type 'c' for cross-search. The letter 'c'
- will appear on the screen, followed by
- "enter cross-file name".
-
- 3. Enter the crossfile name you wish to
- search with (that is, WITHOUT entering '*'
- for use results first), and as soon as you
- type in return to enter the crossfile
- name, the search will be underway.
-
- 4. Step 8 under Associative Element 'c'
- Search applies the same for an A Priori
- 'c' search.
-
- NOTE: This a priori type of 'c' search
- differs from an associative 'c' search in that
- it is searching the file for those elements
- that respond directly to the pattern of
- meanings in the crossfile; rather than the
- more complicated associative element searches
- which are wider in scope, entertaining more
- possibilities of inference.
-
- Experience and familiarity with the system and
- the different types of searches is ultimately
- the best guarantee for successful and accurate
- data retrieval. Databases and writing styles
- vary from author to author and different
- search types lend themselves to different data
- bases. Experience will give you judgment as
- to when to do what and how.
-
-
-
- CLEARING THE LOOK.AT FILE
-
- As you search, information is put into various files which
- you can see on your directory. Textual and file pointer
- information (which marks where in the file the references
- were found) goes into various files such as the LOOK.AT file,
- the LOOK.LAS file, the $AVE-1T.TMP file, the $AVE-1T.--- file,
- and such.
-
-
-
- èYou can check the content of these files from time to time if
- you are interested by using the 'TYPE' command from your operating
- system when outside the LEXSET program. (See your operating
- system manual for more information on this.) For example, you can
- enter the command: "TYPE LOOK.AT [Ret]" and you will see what's
- in it. If you didn't use the 'n' ("name files") function from the
- main menu to name your files before a search, you can still
- capture the results in this way.
-
- What's most important about these files is that they are used in
- recursive 'c' searches by the program itself as it searches.
- In other words, the searching program learns as it goes, using
- what it has learned as it seeks out each new aggregate of information.
-
- This is the way in which it knows (most of the time) when it has
- found an aggregate of information that it already presented, which
- shows on the screen as "KNOWN". Often you will get a string of
- "KNOWNS" as the program looks carefully as hard as it can for any
- new entry. Occasionally it will show the same aggregate more than
- once, and if you are in manual mode you can simply "Skip" it with
- the 'S' command, which prevents it from being saved in the savefile.
-
- There will be times when you want to begin a search fresh, with no
- arbitrary information to direct the current parameters. In this
- case, you will want to clear these files before setting the search
- parameters of the new search.
-
- The 'b' key will clear out the content of those files which affect
- subsequent recursive searches; i.e. those associative element
- searches which make use of the look.at file to accomplish the search.
-
- As this is an internalized function in Logic-Line, the procedure
- is simple and doesn't require exiting the LEXSET routine.
-
- 1. Type 'b' for "begin extract".
-
- 2. You'll know the action is complete when
- the message "DONE" appears on the screen.
-
-
- SETTING UP A CROSSFILE
-
- PROCEDURE:
-
- You must have a crossfile ready to use
- before you hit '@', '*', or 'c'. (See Chapter
- 7: LEXSET Command Summary for more informa
- tion on those commands.) The best way to
- create a short crossfile to search with is:
-
-
- 1. Type '$' to access the operating system
- interface.
-
- è 2. Follow the instructions in Chapter 9 for
- how to make use of the EDLIN program to
- create a file.
-
-
- 3. Prepare the crossfile for use in the
- search by hashing it. To do this, simply
- type 'h' for "hash/rehash". If you edited
- an old crossfile, you can also use 'h',
- which will delete the old hasfile and
- rehash it.
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- è X. NOTES ON CROSSFILES
-
- Where a 'g' search searches for the pattern created by one word, a
- 'c' search searches for the pattern created by a whole file, in
- relation to the whole text. Thus the content of the crossfile you
- use to do your search makes quite a bit of difference to the results
- of the search.
-
- As an associative element 'c' search is a different process from
- an a priori 'c' search, the ideal crossfile for each differs somewhat.
- We have found that the following information and rules are helpful in
- creating and naming crossfiles.
-
-
- ASSOCIATIVE ELEMENT CROSSFILES
-
- The crossfiles used for an associative element search are best
- configured as one word, or at most 1-3 word files. The idea
- here is to crystalize a concept that is being used for the
- cross-search. The facility really works best when only one word
- is put into the file, or similar words that really get across the
- same thing.
-
- As this is the case, we have found it convenient (though it isn't
- technically required for you to do it this way) to give a name to
- these cross word files which is a direct mental cue to what you
- are trying to do. Thus we generally give all such files a name
- which begins with the actual word (or concept) in the file with
- the extension [---.x].
-
- For example, if you want to do an intelligent associative element
- cross-search on the concept "good", you would make a file with the
- total contents of [good.], and name the file "GOOD.X".
-
- If you wanted to do such a search for the concept of "children",
- you might make a file with the total contents of [children.], or
- even containing [children son daughter.], and you would name the
- file "CHILDREN.X".
-
- It is a good idea to prepare several such [---.x] files ahead of
- time, before you begin addressing a large data base which you want
- to dig into. Then you have your tools all ready to mix and match
- with during the search; the object being to find out whatever it
- is you want to know.
-
- A search should first be done locating 1 or 2 key aggregates
- which will make up your LOOK.AT file. The concepts in the LOOK.AT
- file constitute the foundation of meaning which becomes the basis
- which the program runs the [---.x] files against.
-
- You can set up [---.x] files which are dichotomous in meaning when
- compared to the contents of the LOOK.AT file, or which are parallel
- to the contents of the LOOK.AT file and modify and expand upon it.
-
- èThe process of the associative element search is somewhat analogous
- to the process of multiplication. You start by retrieving 1 or 2
- aggregates of data using a key word. Then by setting up another
- file (the associative element [---.x] crossfile), you are multiplying
- the overall meaning-content pattern of the LOOK.AT file by the
- overall meaning-content pattern of the [---.x] file, producing
- various aggregates of information. In doing this you will be able
- to find inference strings or lines of logical reference which will
- possibly relate. You then select those that do relate, discarding
- those that don't relate.
-
- Experience in doing various associative element type searches will
- teach you what to expect as a rule. See the Model Searches Chapter
- in the full LOGIC-LINE 1 manual for reference to actual searches
- done using associative element crossfiles, and as an example
- of what actually occurs.
-
-
- A PRIORI CROSSFILES
-
- When you do a search in this manner, you are making use of a rapid
- cross-search facility which can be used to process natural language
- queries, as well as single 1-3 word associative element files, on
- up to using one text file to search another text file (though this
- would result in an all associative search more so than anything else).
-
- The most usual crossfile you would use would be a rather simple one
- line sentence, or question, directed as an interrogation to the
- database. For this reason, and to differentiate this type of
- crossfile from the [---.x] files described in the foregoing
- section, we give these types of files names with query numbers,
- like QUERY1, QUERY2, QUERY3, etc.
-
- For example, supposing you want to ask the following preliminary
- questions of a file:
-
- "What do you think about war?"
-
- "Give me the statistics on divorce."
-
- "How does the system operate?"
-
- You might want to use these questions as a straight a priori
- 'c' search before getting into more precise search parameters.
-
- Create a crossfile for each of the above. The content of the
- first example above would be: [What do you think about war.],
- and you can name it "QUERY1". The content of the second example
- above would be: [Give me the statistics on divorce.], and you
- can name it "QUERY2". And so on.
-
- Then you would of course put each QUERY-- file into hash form with
- the 'h' ("hash/rehash") command so that they are ready to be used
- in a straight a priori 'c' search.
- èThe above is the most common example of this type of crossfile and
- how to name it.
-
- Another use might be to search for a list of things, like a file
- whose content is: [red orange yellow green blue indigo violet.]
- Such a file you might name for its content, giving the name "RAINBOW".
- As this still differs in approach to a [---.x] file we would
- recommend keeping the name "RAINBOW", rather than "RAINBOW.X".
-
- How you name your crossfiles has more to do with your own mental
- cueing patterns than with the actual operation of the program.
- But we have found that an orderly system of creating and naming
- your crossfiles, such as is given here by way of example, is
- assistive in making the most of this searching program as a tool
- for decision support.
-
-
- SETTING UP CROSSFILES FOR USE
-
- The basic rule is that any crossfile before it can be used for a
- search must be hashed. If for any reason you edit or make any
- changes at all in a file, including changing the name of the file,
- you must:
-
- 1. Delete the old hashfile.
- 2. Re-hash the crossfile.
-
- Both of these functions (1) and (2) above are taken care of by the
- 'h' key, for "hash/rehash". However, you must remember to execute
- that function when needed.
-
- It's easy to forget this as you are heavy into a train of thought on
- a search; but if you find the program isn't doing what it ought to,
- suspect that a text file was tampered with or edited without
- re-hashing the corresponding hashfile, and re-hash it with 'h'.
-
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- è XI. NOTES ON HASHFILES
-
- A HASHFILE is a specially encoded shorthand representation of the
- contents of a regular textual input data file on your disk. It is
- a hidden file in the sense that the user is not expected to ever
- access this file directly under any circumstances.
-
- In order for the LEXSET searching facility to work, the first step
- is to create a HASHFILE from the regular textual file.
-
- When this action has been done you will know it, because it will
- appear on your directory with the extension [.HSH]. For example,
- let's say you are working with a file called FORESTS.DOC, or simply
- FORESTS. When a HASHFILE has been created for this file, or when
- that file has been "hashed", the HASHFILE for FORESTS.DOC will
- appear on the directory as FORESTS.HSH.
-
- If you are working with many different files you'll find your
- directory getting quite long because for every file, which still
- exists in its original textual form on the disk, there is a
- counterpart [.HSH] file.
-
- The way you create a HASHFILE is by typing 'h' for "hash/rehash".
- The message "DONE" will appear when the action is complete.
-
- You don't always have to execute the 'h' hashing function to create
- a hashfile. Hashing is automatically the first step of a straight
- 'g' search. So where you are executing a straight search on a file
- for the first time, simply execute the search, and the hashfile
- will be created.
-
- At the same time, while it may appear that you can hash a file by
- using the 'c' command, it will not be correctly done and will cause
- errors in the search. So if a textfile has not yet been hashed,
- and your first search will be an a priori 'c' search, then hash
- the textfile first with 'h', then do the search.
-
- The first time a file is searched it will take some time, because
- this hashing action is being done. A relatively short file only
- takes a minute or so; but a reasonably large database or very long
- file (e.g., 100+ k) can take 5 minutes, perhaps longer.
-
- The second time a file is searched, only the search need be done;
- not the hashing plus the search. Thus, after the initial hashing,
- a search can be completed extremely quickly.
-
-
-
- RE-HASHING FILES:
-
- It is very important not to tamper in any way with the HASHFILE,
- as it will result in an incorrect search and may adversely affect
- the LEXSET search facility.
-
- èIt is not uncommon that data bases and files get added to, edited,
- or otherwise revised. However, realize that any time you make
- any change at all, however slight it might be in the original
- textual file, it will make the old .HSH file invalid.
-
- Thus keep as a rule that any time a textfile is edited in any way,
- the corresponding HASH file [.HSH] is erased and re-hashed before
- the LEXSET program is used again in conjunction in any way with
- that datafile. Use the 'h' "hash/rehash" facility to do this.
-
- Note that this rule applies to the short 1 to 3 word cross search
- files that you use with the 'c' command to execute an associative
- search, and the perhaps longer a priori crossfiles, as well as to
- the textfiles; if edited, you must remember to use the 'h' key
- to rehash that crossfile before it is again used for searching.
-
-
-
- NAMING FILES
-
- Generally speaking, when you assign a name to a file, you simply
- use the same rules that apply to naming ASCII files. See your
- operating system manual for more detailed information on this.
-
- In addition to the above, there are a few rules that apply
- specifically to use with the LEXSET program, and this is
- chiefly in regards to the 3 digit extension on the name.
- This is because every file in use has a corresponding hashfile,
- which has the same first 1-8 letter name, but differs only in
- the extension, which becomes ---.hsh, as covered earlier.
-
- Thus, you cannot create 2 files whose names differ only in the
- 3 digit extension (.---), as the search program will map into
- the same hashfiles and get stuck. Filenames must differ from
- each other somewhere within the 1-8 digit specification.
-
- There are also some special names that must not be used when
- naming files. They are:
-
- ----.HSH
- LOOK.AT
- LOOK.LAS
-
- Also, the SAVEFILE must have a different name from the NOTEFILE.
-
- The program will not prevent the user from doing any of these
- things, but it is a very bad idea, as the search mechanism will
- become confused and won't work properly after that.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- èINTERRUPTING A SEARCH
-
- It's unwise to interrupt an automatic mode search facility by
- taking the disk out or otherwise preventing the search facility
- from completing what it started. While it can be done, it has
- the potential liability of affecting the search mechanism.
-
- It is best to let the search complete itself if in auto mode.
-
- In manual mode simply wait for the next data aggregate to come
- on the screen, which will be followed by an option to abort if
- necessary. Using the abort facility in manual mode is perfectly
- fine, and was designed so that the user would have control over
- the direction of the search most of the time.
-
- Use auto mode when you know you have time to let the search
- complete. On a large file this can sometimes take 5 minutes or
- more, the first time the file is searched.
-
- Use manual mode when you want to be involved in the search as it
- is being done, and want to control, steer, and change direction as
- you're doing it. In manual mode you can abort any time you like.
-
- If you do have to interrupt an automatic search, the remedy so that
- that disk can be used again is as follows:
-
- 1. Clear the LOOK.AT file with 'b'.
-
- 2. Use 'h' to rehash all the text files that
- were in any way connected with the search
- you just interrupted.
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- è XII. WANT TO KNOW MORE?
-
-
- Do you still have questions?
- Want to know more?
- Curious about the background technology?
- Want to see a bibliography?
- Would some drills be helpful?
- How about screen by screen model searches to learn each search type?
- Want to know how to use Logic-Line to assist in building expert systems?
- Curious what other products Thunderstone has to offer?
-
- Take a look at the file called ORDERFRM.LL (that stands for
- "Order Form Logic-Line", as different from the FORM.ESI file
- for "Order Form ESIE"), and you'll see what additional support aids
- and products are available from Thunderstone, for how much, and
- where to get them.
-
- Print out the ORDERFRM.LL and an order form is all set for you
- to send in to us, and tell us how we can help you.
-