Patent ID: 6701516
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A computer readable medium having computer readable programming code means embodied therein for use on a computer system, said programming code means comprising:first computer readable programming code defining a set of predicate-style clauses where each clause is selected from the group consisting of a fact about given information, a rule about how a solution may relate to given facts, and a rule about how a solution may be inferred from given facts; second computer readable programming code defining a query as a set of clauses preceded by question mark followed by a dash, which causes an execution to satisfy each clause against an existing program; third computer readable programming code defining first and second structure types for arguments of clauses for both the first and second computer readable programming code; fourth computer readable programming code defining a third structure type as being selected from the group consisting of the first structure type, the second structure types, a list, and a compound term; fifth computer readable programming code defining a data term as in a form selected from the group consisting of an atom, a number, and a quoted string; sixth computer readable programming code defining one of the group consisting of a hierarchical structure and a hierarchical structure type as one in which the outmost structure is a third structure type; seventh computer readable programming code defining a variable which can be instantiated at runtime to a form selected from the group consisting of a data term and a hierarchical structure; eighth computer readable programming code defining a term in a form selected from the group consisting of a data term, a hierarchical structure, and a variable; ninth computer readable programming code defining a fourth structure type which is hierarchically defined so that each of its members is selected from the group consisting of a variable, a data term, and a hierarchical structure type, and wherein the fourth structure type is recursively processed; and, tenth computer readable programming code defining a fifth structure type which is recursively defined so that each of its members is selected from the group consisting of a term including a hierarchical structure of its own type and any hierarchical structure type including itself, wherein each structure in this structure type has a fixed length throughout inputting, storing, processing, and outputting, and wherein the fifth structure type is recursively processed.