bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A survey of resource allocation methods in optimizing microcode compilers
Authors: Mueller Robert A. , Duda Michael R. , O'Haire Stephen M.
Published: January 2007

This paper surveys results reported on resource allocation in optimizing microcode compilers.
Resource allocation
is the phase of microcode generation that binds variables and operators of program text to machine registers and functional units. The first substantial results on resource allocation in optimizing microcode compilers were reported by DeWitt, and subsequent results were reported by Kim and Tan and by Ma and Lewis. We examine each of these methods, focusing on the assumptions they make, how realistic those assumptions are, the algorithms employed and their foundational basis, the perceived difficulty of implementing the algorithms, their effectiveness, and their computational complexity. We conclude by summarizing the results and pointing out important areas for future research, particularly in the context of
flow graph microcode generation
.
APL87
Authors: Iverson Kenneth E.
Published: January 2007

I first began developing a formal language for use in teaching in the graduate program in
Automatic Data Processing
established by Professor Howard Aiken at Harvard in 1955. This language, now known as APL, has since passed through several phases, the main ones being documented in three publications [1-3]; my book
A Programming Language
in 1962, the APL\360 manual in 1968, and the APLSV manual in 1975. The last two were co-authored with A.D. Falkoff.

The specifications of the language provided by these publications were later supplemented by more philosophical studies that discussed the design principles followed, and the major design choices made. These include
The Design of APL
[4], and the
Evolution of APL
[5], by me and Falkoff, and
The Story of o
, by E.E. McDonnell [6].

Because of implementations produced by various manufacturers, and because of attempts to inject aspects of other languages (as in APLGOL), many diverse lines of development have been pursued. These have been largely reported in manuals, in the proceedings of APL conferences, and in journals such as
APL Quote-Quad
(Association for Computing Machinery), and
Vector
(British Computing Society).

In 1978 I began a line of development which has been reported largely in documents internal to IBM Corp. [7] and to I.P. Sharp Associates [8-10], but also in APL conferences [11-13]. This work has culminated in
A Dictionary of APL
, scheduled to appear in an early issue of APL Quote-Quad [14]; in what follows it will be referred to as “the dictionary”.

The present paper is a companion study in the manner of [4-6]. A preview of it was presented in November of last year at an internal IBM conference that commemorated the 20th anniversary of the initiation of the APL timesharing service within IBM.

The major points to be discussed here include terminology, the APL alphabet, word formation, parsing rules, mixed functions, operators, and localization. In discussing decisions made in the early days by me and colleagues in the APL group in the T.J. Watson Research Center, (notably A.D. Falkoff and L.M. Breed), I will use the term we; this usage is not meant to imply their agreement with the current thinking of myself and present colleagues at I.P. Sharp Associates as presented in the dictionary.

Although there is no current implementation of the entire dictionary, several implementations embody significant parts of it, such as the application of operators to derived and user-defined functions, and the production of “mixed” arrays by expressions such as 3 4 5, '
ABCD
'. Two implementations [13, 15] are particularly close to the dictionary; the latter was used in all executed examples in this paper.
Application screen management: an APL2 approach
Authors: Deerhake Stephen
Published: January 2007

This paper describes a comprehensive full screen management system written in APL2. It provides an application I/O interface that may be adapted to a variety of screen management specific subsystems in both interactive and background environments. Besides the usual character and numeric field support, additional field types and attributes are supported by the system described here.

This system differs from past efforts in several respects. It is written in APL2, and takes full advantage of APL2's extended data structures and vector notation for its implementation and application code interfaces. Additionally, it was designed as a generalized application-user I/O interface, and as such, provides a great deal of isolation between the application and the specific screen management subsystem employed by the screen functions. It is also easily extended to support new features, such as additional field types, as well as new screen management subsystem specific facilities as they become available. To date, such extensions have been made without impacting the existing application base. In actual application usage, these functions have been found to be easy to use, and have in most instances resulted in simpler application code than would have been possible otherwise.
Techniques for extracting statistical data from free-form text using APL
Authors: Hill L. Owen , Zein David A.
Published: January 2007

A family of methods has been developed for processing free-form text files using APL. We assume that a file has an arbitrary structure and has regions of statistical and numerical data embedded in it. The data in the file are processed to extract the following information: 1. the embedded statistical and numeric regions, 2. titles, keys (legends), and tic-mark identifiers, associated with each region, and 3. dates and other pertinent information. Once these data are extracted, bar, line, pie charts or a combination of those are plotted. An APL program which is automatically loaded and invoked performs these tasks. The program has been tested on hundreds of files with different structures. Some of these files have multiple statistical regions.
Managing APL public code for an in-house APL system (before and after LOGOS)
Authors: Stoneburner D. F.
Published: January 2007

This paper will present APL Public Library management concepts used in a large in-house APL system development environment and describe a number of tools developed for this purpose. Public libraries, workspaces, functions and variables are discussed as well as documentation, reporting of changes, audit records, backup versions, and test versions. User tools discussed include functions for describing APL public files, libraries, workspaces, functions and variables, locating these objects, keyword searches, and a glossary of terms. Other user facilities include a NEWS system and an online system for submitting problem reports and requests for enhancements. Further maintenance tools include automatic generation of WSDOC listings when changes are made and automatically generated reports providing a variety of information such as libraries or workspaces lacking descriptions, lists of APL public workspaces and files with their status, function source verification, and exception reporting of workspace changes.

A discussion of LOGOS, a programming environment for APL offered by IP Sharp Associates, is also presented and how it enhances the capabilities previously described.
A survival strategy for APL
Authors: Bowman Dick
Published: January 2007

Echoing the concerns of the conference Call for Papers, APL no longer holds the market niche which it once had - over the past few years new developments in the world of computing have overtaken many of the areas which were once our exclusive province.

Given that the computing industry is one which focuses hard on 'winners', we have to ask ourselves whether or not there is a long-term place for APL, what that place might be and how we can attain it.

The contention of this paper is that an honorable future for APL can be found and that we can reach this position more easily if we work toward it together the exact path to be outlined here is not necessarily the 'correct' one but at the present stage of the game our most urgent need is to consider as many of the facts as we can muster.
Information security issues in an APL application
Authors: Hillman Bill
Published: January 2007

This paper will describe various methods to secure an APL database application. Primary foci will be in the areas of “physical” protection, and in cryptographic techniques. To that end, distinctions will be made between “data,” and “information.” Because of those differences, specific methods will be offered which are appropriate for each modality of security. A brief set of examples will be included for the use of IBM's
1
RACF
2
(Resource Access Control Facility). Also, a description of a Public Key Cryptographic function, implemented in APL, will be offered. Finally, these will be combined into a database scenario, applicable to products like APLDI2
3
(APL Data Interface).
APL curvilinear regression and associated problems
Authors: Racite M. P. , Dickstein S. R.
Published: January 2007

This paper describes an APL program package for fitting data to a useful set of precoded nonlinear curves. The user need not understand the details of the internal algorithms. Graduated help levels are provided by the interactive programs. Regression methods, and treatment of the related nonlinear normal equations, APL DOMAIN errors, and matrix singularity problems are discussed. For modified forms of exponential or power expressions, where the resulting normal equations are nonlinear, a novel iterative-search and least-squares combination solution method is presented.
Using APL to understand bit-slice microprocessors
Authors: Welford J.
Published: January 2007

This paper describes strategies used for the rapid construction of a microprogram assembler and simulator written in APL. Although the motivation for the work was learning and teaching, and although both designs are simple and superficially ad-hoc, the approach is easily applicable in a routine way to other systems and requires little more effort than that involved in writing the definition files for general purpose simulators and assemblers, the work of the latter being mainly done by the APL interpreter.
Problem solving with APL using micro-computers
Authors: Crossley A D , Ward H J
Published: January 2007

This paper discusses the criteria used in deciding whether or not an APL based micro-computer solution to a business problem would be a viable alternative to the traditional use of an APL time-sharing service. The micro environment is placed in perspective in considering the limitations of APL micros, special facilities which seek to counteract their deficiencies, the problems of data storage and operational aspects of using micros. Some conclusions are drawn from past experience of implementing quite large systems on a micro-computer.
FITTEN - an APL workspace for nonlinear regression
Authors: Edler Lutz , Berger Jutta
Published: January 2007

Based on the problems experimentally working scientists have if they want to fit theoretical curves or models (e.g. Bateman curves of compartment models in pharmacokinetics) to data which are nonlinear and can not be treated by usual regression techniques, we developed an interactive APL program called FITTEN in order to carry out nonlinear regressions. Emphasis has been placed on easy practicability, also for users with minor computing experience. Batch processing for high and interactive processing for low amounts of CPU was combined by the usage of several APL libraries. The mode of operation of FITTEN, the possibility to control the search and the output is demonstrated by an example.
Semicolon-bracket notation
Authors: Falkoff A. D.
Published: January 2007

The semicolon-bracket (SB) notation for indexing an array in APL has often been regarded unfavorably because of its anomalous character relative to other APL functions: the function symbol is a pair of brackets rather than a single character; the bracket pair is bound to the associated array at a higher precedence than any other function; and the requisite number of semicolons must appear literally within the brackets, so that the construct within the brackets when one or more semicolons are present is not an APL object, and therefore cannot be substituted for by another APL expression without semicolons. Nevertheless, this notation provides a simple way to index arrays of any rank, and has proven to be very convenient in practice.

In this paper, it will be shown that the SB notation can (a) easily be extended to defined functions, and that it can also be used (b) to allow a multiplicity of names to be used unambiguously to the left of assignment, (c) to allow multiple statements on a line in a manner similar to that provided by the diamond separator in some APL systems, and (d) to extend and generalize the use of bracketed expressions as an axis operator.
Adapting numerical algorithms to APL
Authors: Helzer Garry
Published: January 2007

Methods of efficiently coding numerical algorithms in APL are discussed. Examples discussed are root finding (bisection), two point boundary value problems (shooting method) and an eigenvalue routine (QR algorithm). Parallel coding using nested arrays is illustrated.
Management of a large block-diagonal macro-economic model in APL
Authors: Kaski Eeva-Liisa
Published: January 2007

KESSU-model is a large medium-term input-output-based macroeconomic model. Its APL-based on-line design consists of model estimation, structural management of the model, model simulation and analysis of simulation results. The structural management is based on the concept of the list of model variables and the list of model blocks. In the compilation phase, model blocks are input as character matrices and transformed with processor functions to variable sublists and coefficient matrices, using the list of model variables as a control data. Variable sublists and reduced form coefficient matrices together with the variable list and list of model blocks are input to an iterative model solution procedure, which is performed with a FORTRAN compiled program for cost reasons. The model solution is coupled with the APL system by means of an interface designed to transfer the model structure and input data for simulation, and results back to APL workspace for further processing and reporting. There are some encouraging test results showing that a pure APL solution is competitive in cost terms, if satisfactory starting values for iteration are given.
NUMETH a user oriented programming system for interactive application of numerical methods
Authors: Kilberth Klaus
Published: January 2007

NUMETH is a self-explanatory dialog system, based on APL, which was developed at the Zentralinstitut für Angewandte Mathematik of the Kernforschungsanlage Jülich.

The purpose of this system is to provide an easy access to numerical methods for the handling of experimental data even to users less experienced in mathematics or in programming.

Concept and several components of NUMETH are presented.
An APL simulation of feedback systems
Authors: LePage Wilbur R. , McFee Richard
Published: January 2007

Practical feedback systems involve interacting linear and nonlinear components. Modern techniques of design are based on representing a feedback system by a set of first order nonlinear differential equations and using a digital computer to obtain experimental solutions. In this paper, APL notation is used in a concise development of the mathematical basis of a computing algorithm, and in the realization of an actual system which is effective from the standpoints of ease of use, complexity of feedback systems that can be modeled, and computing efficiency. Ease of use is important because a feedback systems engineer is not necessarily skilled in computing and, when using a computer simulation, should be permitted to think in terms of the customary concepts of feedback systems.
Extending Halstead's software science for a more precise measure of APL
Authors: Mauri Ross A. , Williams A. Harry
Published: January 2007

Software engineering is a growing part of computer science. Software engineering attempts to put measurements and metrics into the area of software programming. One of these metrics, Halstead's software science [1], measures a program's difficulty, a language level, and in turn, a programmer's productivity. Software science uses an extensive measure as opposed to the intensive measure of most other software engineering techniques. This is accomplished by counting functions and operands, and applying several formulae modified from thermodynamics. Even though software science attempts to place an objective measurement on these parameters, it is not meant to be a definitive decision tool, but rather a general guideline. This paper will explore the possible extension of Halstead's theory to include operators, as defined in APL, in the counting methodology and software science formulae.
A technique for producing graphical presentations with instances of a unit symbol
Authors: Niehoff Walter H.
Published: January 2007

A class of graphical presentations—including common ones like bar charts, column charts, and symbol charts—is characterized by a model of its production as a set of affinely transformed instances of a unit symbol. This paper discusses an APL technique for producing that class of presentations by functionally controlling the instance-producing transformations. Illustrations are given and the principal advantages of the technique are outlined.
Indexing infinite arrays
Authors: Taylor R. W.W.
Published: January 2007

Standard arrays in APL are indexed by the index sets @@@@
N
. Generalization to arbitrary index sets allows discussion of non-finite objects such as the set of real numbers and provides a suitable notation for mathematical exposition in analysis.
A parser as a user-interface, driven by an enclosed array.
Authors: Zippel Michael
Published: January 2007

Complex interactive systems require a user-interface, which formalizes the interaction between user and program, handles error-checking of user-input, supports the inexperienced user with menu-lists and explanations, and also allows for easy change or extension of the interactive part of the system. It may also be advantageous that this user-interface be capable of switching from one natural language to another. This paper describes one such user-interface which is based on techniques used in compiler-construction. It is driven by a general array which is generated from a BNF-like description of the language to be handled.
Correspondence
Authors: Hybl Albert
Published: January 2007

The purpose of the Fortran X3.9 standard "is to promote portability of FORTRAN programs for use on a variety of data processing systems." Let me refer to this objective as horizontal portability. Unfortunately, each new implementation contains several performance differences; that is, there always seem to be different ways to interpret the language specifications. Without some mechanism to adjudicate interpretational differences horizontal portability will never be truly realized.
Fortran 8X abridgement
Authors: Miyawaki S.
Published: January 2007

Shortly after the acceptance of ANSI X3. 9-1978 (FORTRAN 77) on April 3, 1978, a project proposal for the next Fortran standard was prepared and in 1979 the development cycle for Fortran 8x began. ANSI X3J3 Technical Committee, Fortran (X3J3) is responsible for producing an American standard Fortran language and the International Standards Organization, Working Group 5 (WG5) is responsible for producing an international standard. Since X3J3 had been involved with the technical development, WG5 became a review and advisory board. WG5, therefore, has the duty to ensure that the document is internationally acceptable.
A comparison of three computer algebra systems for the solution of a problem in hydrodynamic lubrication
Authors: Corless R. M. , Jeffrey D. J.
Published: January 2007

With the plethora of computer algebra languages and systems available today, it is useful to compare some of these languages when a research problem highlights differences between them. The problem that we have been studying arises in the field of hydrodynamic lubrication theory, and provides a moderate-to-severe test of the capabilities of a computer algebra system. The problem was solved in part by Jeffrey & Onishi [1984] using CAMAL (Fitch, 1983) on an IBM 3081 at Cambridge University. Further calculations were needed, however, and CAMAL was no longer available, so since muMATH (Stoutemeyer & Rich, 1983) running on various IBM PC compatibles and later Maple (Char
et al
, 1985) running on a VAX 8550 under VMS version 4.5 were available, it was natural to try these out on the problem. The authors are of course aware of the difficulty in comparing languages running on machines with very widely differing speeds and memory, and the reader is asked to keep this firmly in mind when seeing any run times quoted. What follows is a brief description of the problem, here taken out of its original context and used as a test problem. For a discussion of the problem concentrating on the fluid mechanical theory see Corless & Jeffrey (1988a). For a brief description of the complete solution obtained with Maple, see Corless & Jeffrey (1988b).
Computational algebra with APL
Authors: Hohti Aarno
Published: January 2007

The main purpose of this paper is to present the abstract algebra package CLASSLIB of Charles C. Sims to a wider audience. The library consists of more than 200 procedures covering the most of basic algebra as taught at universities, and enables the user to do exact and symbolic algebraic computations, frequently in a way comparable to that of MACSYMA, REDUCE and other programs for symbolic manipulation.
More on Fortran 8X pointer proposals
Authors: Meissner Loren
Published: January 2007

Here is a program that I wrote to test the proposals of Burch, Schonfelder, et al for adding pointers to Fortran 8X. I read a comment by Steven O. Siegfried of Saint Paul MN that "it's tough to build a binary tree with implicit [de]referencing", and I wanted to see what the problems were.
On improving channel routability
Authors: Tamassia Roberto , Tollis Ioannis G.
Published: January 2007

The interaction between placement and routing in circuit layout has received considerable attention in the literature. We present a survey of algorithms for improving the routability of a channel by laterally shifting the modules on shores.
DOMINIE: A DOMAIN INDEPENDENT INSTRUCTIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR COMPUTER-BASED PROCEDURAL SKILLS (ESPRIT Project 1613)
Authors: Byerley P. , Brooks P. , Mhende M. , Elsom-Cook M. , Spensley F. , Federici M. , Scaroni C.
Published: January 2007

There are many logistical and tutorial reasons for developing Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs). The increasing presence of inherently complex, evolving systems requires cost-effective methods of producing tutorial material. Furthermore, it is generally accepted that training opportunity problems can be resolved by flexible tutorial mechanisms and that artifical intelligence technology can enable knowledge representation for complex procedures. Other advantages include the ability to explicity represent the expertise of the human teacher and achieving individualised, non-threatening tuition.In response to Alcatel's major training need for complex computer-based procedures, the Engineering Support Centre developed a micro based prototype ITS shell. Issues considered during ITS development included: selecting an appropriate formal requirements specification technique which ensures precision, communicability, implementability and assistance with reasoning for design; and simulation of the target system to enable the student to gain on-line experience. The formal specification technique currently being evaluated is Modal Action Logic, and the ITS shell employs facsimile simulation without the necessity of the presence of the target software package during tuition.Within the ESPRIT project the prototype ITS has been used as a test-bed for the development of a pre-product, field tested domain independent instructional environment (Dominie). Field trials have been performed in the application areas of office automation package tailoring (in Italian) and telephone exchange maintenance (in English). The results have assisted re-specifying the prototype, primarily in terms of its control stucture, knowledge representation method, tutorial and assessment strategies and student modelling technique.Future work within year one of the ESPRIT project will involve the first implementation of Dominie and the specification and implementation of a trainer interface. Year two will include further field trials and will involve a greater number of application areas. These trials will enable evaluating Dominie's tutorial effectiveness and organisational impact prior to refining the system.
ALCOSY:A DESKTOP-STYLE USER INTERFACE FOR PROCESS CONTROL
Authors: Heinecke Andreas M.
Published: January 2007

Process control systems available on the market are usually equipped with two or more raster scan colour display units (semi- or full-graphics) and alphanumeric keyboards with functions keys. The user interface is based on the
command concept.
There are hierarchies of alarms and pictorial displays. Standard displays are rather abstract, the construction of user-defined displays is rather difficult.
THE USE OF BIOFEEDBACK TO REDUCE STRAIN AT VISUAL DISPLAY UNIT SYSTEMS
Authors: Landau Kurt , Leonhardt Claudia
Published: January 2007

An increasing number of Visual Display Unit-Systems are being installed even in smaller companies all over the country. The popularity of Visual Display Unit-Systems has not been increasing simultaneously. Many workers report strain on their eyes and pain in the muscles of the neck and the back as a result of the working conditions. The goal of this pilot study was to shape a working-posture at the computer terminal with EMG-Biofeedback which would allow for optimal relaxation of the upper trapezius muscles. Furthermore, EMG-Biofeedback is applied while the subject is working to detect and reduce unconscious tension of the muscles during phases of informational and emotional stress.
GRAPHICAL SUPPORT FOR ACCESSING A KNOWLEDGE BASE
Authors: Melchert Rainer
Published: January 2007

For a given Entity-Relationship knowledge base management system, a graphical interface, the 'PASTA' system, has been developed. The contents of the knowledge base are displayed to the user, and the interaction with the system is entirely mouse-based.
Modes survey
Authors: Johnson Jeff , Engelbeck George
Published: January 2007

A survey of the literature, informal discussions with colleagues, and a pilot version of this survey distributed among immediate colleagues suggests that though researchers and designers may give similar definitions for the concept of "modes" in interactive systems, they don't agree much on whether or not particular systems are moded. This survey is intended to determine the extent to which this is true.
Interact '87
Authors: Nielsen Jakob
Published: January 2007

INTERACT'87 was the second major European conference in the computer-human interaction field. The first was INTERACT'84 in London.
A simple expert system
Authors: Blum B. I.
Published: January 2007

Expert systems are one field of artificial intelligence (AI) that has received considerable recent attention. These systems generally are written in Lisp or Prolog -- languages that are interpretive, have flexible data accessing mechanisms, and use powerful string manipulation tools. This raises two questions: what are expert systems, and can they be implemented using MUMPS? Some answers are presented in this paper.
Book review: Parallel Execution of Logic Programs by John S. Conery (Kluwer Academic Publiishers 1987)
Authors: Choi Ben , Lee Dik
Published: January 2007

This book covers a range of applications of logic to AI, from resolution to reflection. Some of the chapters cover current "hot" topics such as nonmonotonic reasoning and epistemic logic for which textbook summaries have not been available. Each chapter ends with a brief bibliographic essay covering work through 1987. For those who haven't kept up with the literature in each of the half-dozen current research areas covered, this book will serve as an admirable vade mecum. It is well-designed as a text for a theoretical course in artificial intelligence as well, provided one finds the logical point of view congenial.
Book review: Prolog: A Relational Language and Its Applications by John Malpas (Prentice-Hall,Inc., 1987)
Authors: Koschmann T.
Published: January 2007

Just a few years ago most programmers and AI researchers in the U.S. were first learning of logic programming. This created a demand for introductory texts on logic programming that sent out many CS book editors scrambling to find new authors. This year we are seeing the fruits of these editors' recruiting efforts, a fresh crop of textbooks, tutorials, primers and programmer's guides for Prolog. One of the best of these new book is Prolog: A Relational Language and Its Applications by John Malpas.
Book review: The Elements of Artificial Intelligence An Introduction Using LISP by Steven L. Tanimoto (Computer Science Press)
Authors: Lee Kenneth R.
Published: January 2007

The Elements of Artificial Intelligence: an Introduction using LISP
is intended (as stated in the preface) for use as the text for an introductory course in artificial intelligence. The author's approach to the subject is stated on the dust jacket (and in the preface, although not as concisely).
Book review: LISP LORE: A Guide to Programming the LISP Machine, (2nd Edition) by Hank Bromley and Richard Lamson (Kluwer Academic Publishers)
Authors: Price Keith
Published: January 2007

Machine Learning: A Guide to Current Research
provides a collection of current research papers mostly collected form participants at the Third International Machine Learning Workshop held in 1985. These 77 separate papers were collected and reformatted at Rutgers to produce a consistent format and a common bibliography. The range of learning topics include (taken from the preface): analogy, conceptual clustering, explanation-based generalization, incremental learning, inductive inference, learning apprentice systems, machine discovery, theoretical models, and applications. All of these topics, except incremental and apprentice systems are included as heading in the index. Other useful index headings include research institution (a few are missing, primarily those where the several authors are from more than one place) and program name. The papers are short; the average length of five pages per paper, based on the number of papers and the length of the book, overstates their length because of blank pages due to formatting considerations. In the short space for each paper it is not possible to explain in detail how anything is done. There is space only to say what is being done by the system. Thus, the bibliographic references become important for a deeper understanding of individual techniques.
Book review: MACHINE LEARNING: A Guide to Current Research by T. M. Mitchell, J. G. Carbonell, R. S. Michalski (Kluwer Academic Publishers)
Authors: Price Keith
Published: January 2007

Considering my reaction to the first edition of
LISP LORE: A Guide to Programming the LISP Machine
(see Sigart #100, I generally liked it, but the operating system changed), I was pleased to see a second. This new edition is based on the first with substantial additions and rewriting (by Richard Lamson of Symbolics) to account for the changes made by Symbolics between version 6.1 and 7.0 of their system. The book is somewhat expanded and rearranged (flavors are no longer the first topic that is introduced) with new example programs (as before, source is also available on tape).
Book review: Natural Language and Voice Processing by Terri C. Walker and Richard K. Miller (SEAI Technical Publications)
Authors: Firschein Oscar
Published: January 2007

This 250 page looseleaf book is an assessment of the technology and the applications of natural language and voice processing. Although there is no indication of the goal of the book, it seems designed for manager-level people who are interested in acquiring natural language and voice processing technology. The book contains the following chapters:
On the consistency assumption, monotone criterion and the monotone restriction
Authors: Kwa James B. H.
Published: January 2007

Hitherto, the consistency assumption has been deemed to be strong and it suffices for the purposes of proving certain important properties of the A* algorithm to use either of two weaker versions, viz. monotone criterion and monotone restriction. Here, we show that the opposite is true -- the consistency assumption is not only weaker, but sufficient. Moreover, it implies admissibility.
Word games and search spaces
Authors: Creak G. Alan
Published: January 2007

When teaching artificial intelligence, it is not always easy to find convincing illustrations. I have sometimes found it quite hard to provide illuminating examples of fundamental topics which I wish to introduce early in the course - such as learning, heuristics, search spaces, and the like.
The class kernel-models in DEVS-scheme: a hypercube architecture example
Authors: Kim Tag Gon , Zeigler Bernard P.
Published: January 2007

DEVS-Scheme is a realization of DEVS (Discrete Event System Specification) formalism in a LISP-based, object-oriented environment, which supports hierarchical, modular specification of discrete event models. We describe the taxonomical organization of classes in DEVS-Scheme in which the hypercube-models class is described in detail. As an example, we illustrate specification of a hypercube model of a computer architecture. DEVS-Scheme represents a significant step toward implementing system-theoretic based formalisms and operations.
Knowledge-based simulation at RAND
Authors: Rothenberg Jeff
Published: January 2007

The current object-oriented simulation paradigm is a powerful discrete-state modeling technique that allows modelers to encapsulate the definitions of objects while allowing users to view models at meaningful levels. Yet object-oriented simulation has many limitations, notably its inability to answer questions that go beyond the
"What if...?"
analysis that is the traditional domain of simulation. The following describes ongoing research by the Knowledge-Based Simulation project (KBSim) at RAND to extend object-oriented simulation in fundamental ways.
Medical informatics: clinical decision making and beyond
Authors: Duncan D. K.
Published: January 2007

Does Medical Informatics encompass all aspects of computing in health care, or is it limited to information processing in clinical medicine? A panel discussion will present several points of view. This paper advocates a unified view of Medical Informatics. It argues that in the future it will not be possible to separate purely clinical information systems from other aspects of computing in health care, and all health care systems should be a part of Medical Informatics.
Achieving speedups for APL on an SSIMD parallel computer
Authors: Greenlaw Ray , Snyder Larry
Published: January 2007

This paper contains a summary of the results presented in [GS87]. In [GS87] the potential for speeding up APL by using an idealized non-shared memory parallel computer was investigated. APL's dyadic, reduction, and subscript operators were simulated on a 4-connected mesh SIMD parallel computer. The findings support the thesis that parallelism can speedup a majority of "typical" APL programs and not just those programs that are especially suited to parallelization. APL requires no sophisticated compilation techniques like Paraphase and PFC, because the operators in APL are inherently parallel.
Is the unified keyboard better?
Authors: Eisenberg Murray
Published: January 2007

This article reports the results of a small-scale study of novice APL programmers' preferences for the "unified" APL keyboard layout as opposed to the standard APL layout.
Book review: BUILDING EXPERT SYSTEMS: COGNITIVE EMULATION by Philip E. Slatter (Ellis Horwood Limited)
Authors: Westphal Chris
Published: January 2007

Building Expert Systems: Cognitive Emulation
provides a good thorough overview of cognitive emulation and its relation to knowledge engineering techniques. Cognitive emulation as defined by Slatter refers to
the strategy of expert system design that attempts to emulate human thinking.
Although cognitive emulation appears to be inherent in knowledge engineering, it provides expert system practitioners with additional mechanisms to acquire and integrate the representation of knowledge constructs with the reasoning strategies employed by domain experts to effectively achieve a reliable system. The book assumes no prior exposure to cognitive psychology and therefore is not overloaded with jargon.
Book review: Automated Reasoning: 33 Basic Research Problems by Larry Wos (Prentice Hall 1988)
Authors: Preston Anthony
Published: January 2007

This book covers a basic overview of the automatin of reasoning, test problems and as the title says 33 basic problems relating to research in automated reasoning. It gave clear examples of problems and obstacles. The intended audience of the book is the new researcher, someone looking for a direction as to how to proceed in the area of automation of reasoning.
THE HUMAN INTERFACE IN A MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION TERMINAL
Authors: Kamata Hajime , Obata Akihiko , Adachi Motomitsu
Published: January 2007

New multimedia communication networks such as ISDN and office Automation communication systems are being rapidly introduced into existing communication networks. Easy-to-use human interfaces are important to bring out the full potential of these advanced networks. This paper describes the human interface in a multimedia communication terminal, the Image Station.
Integration Discontinuity
Authors: Wulfman Clifford E. , Isaacs Ellen A. , Webber Bonnie Lynn , Fagan Lawrence M.
Published: January 2007

In this paper we discuss a phenomenon we call integration discontinuity . Bringing together two components of a computer system seldom produces a seamless joint. Tacking on a "front end" to a finished application often produce spoor user interfaces. Developing a functioning application from a finished user interface may compromise system design or imply functionality the system cannot supply . If a new modality is introduced into a developed use r interface, the behavior it allows may overlap the existing behavior of the interface in unfavorable ways, and it may change the user's model of system behavior. We discuss integration discontinuity as it occurs between system components, interface modalities, and user's models a system before and after a new interface mechanism is introduced.
The UNIX Consultant as an Intelligent Agent
Authors: Chin David
Published: January 2007

An Intelligent interface cannot just respond passively to its user's commands and queries. It must be able to take the initiative in order to volunteer information, correct user misconceptions, or reject unethical user requests. To do these things, a system must be an intelligent agent. UCEgo is the intelligent agent component of UC (UNIX) Consultant), a natural language system that helps the user solve problems in using the UNIX operating system. UCEgo provides UC with its own goals and plans. By adopting different goals in different situations, UCEgo creates and executes different plans, enabling it to interact intelligently with the user. UCEgo creates and executes different plans, enabling it to interact intelligently with the user. UCEgo adopts goals from its themes, adopts sub-goals during planning, and adopts meta-goals for dealing with goal interactions. It also adopts goals when it notices that the user either lacks necessary knowledge, or has incorrect beliefs. In these cases, UCEgo plans to volunteer information or correct the user's misconception as appropriate.
Procedures for Obtaining and Testing User-Selected Terminologies
Authors: Bloom Charles P.
Published: January 2007

The Minimal Manual was designed to address difficulties people have with state-of-the-art self-instruction manuals in learning to use powerful computing devices. It is briefer; it helps learners to better coordinate their attention between the system and the manual; it specifically trains error recognition and recovery; it better supports reference use after training. In two experiments, the Minimal Manual was shown to afford more efficient learning progress than an otherwise comparable commercially-developed self-instruction manual-and was superior in the specific areas predicted by its design.
ABSTRACTS OF INTEREST
Authors: Humphrey Susanne M. , Shneiderman Ben
Published: January 2007

The following abstracts were selected from a computer search, using the BRS Information Technologies retrieva l services, of the Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) database produced by University Microfilms International.Unless otherwise specified, paper or microform copies of dissertations may be ordered, using the UM order number, from University Microfilms International, Dissertation Copies, Post Office Box 1764, Ann Arbor, MI 48106; telephone for U.S. (except Michigan, Hawaii or Alaska): 800/521-3042, for Canada: 800/268-6090. Price lists, ordering and shipping information are in the introduction to the published DAI. An alternative source for copies is sometimes provided at the end of the abstract.The dissertation titles and abstracts contained here are published with permission of University Microfilms International, publishers of Dissertation Abstracts International (copyright 1985 by University Microfilms International), and may not be reproduced without their prior permission.
THE STANDARDS FACTOR
Authors: Meads Jon
Published: January 2007

The Status of the HFS HCI Standards Committee is reported on in a separate article by Paul Reed of AT&T Bell Laboratories, the vice-chair of that committee. It describes the background, status and approach being followed by that committee in its attempt to develop meaningful standards for user interfaces and the development of user interfaces. We appreciate the effort Paul has made to keep the CHI community informed and look forward to additional status reports.
THE HCI SITUATION IN EUROPE
Authors: Nielsen Jakob
Published: January 2007

The
SIGCHI Bulletin
would like its readers to be better informed about events in the CHI field in Europe. It is my job as European editor to try to see this done. We start in this issue with an article about the large HUFIT research project sponsored by the European Community as part of the ESPRIT
1
program.
TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR NAIVE CORPORATE USERS
Authors: Coovert Michael D.
Published: January 2007

In maintenance support systems for airplanes or other complex equipment, there are two major computer human interface problems. How should we present large amounts of maintenance data in a display of limited size and how should the user access these maintenance data. In several portable maintenance systems we are building, we have developed a task oriented approach toward solving these two problems.
A USER NEEDS APPROACH TO CONTEXT SENSITIVE HELP
Authors: Grimm Sigrid , Malicki Jolanta , Obermeyer Susan
Published: January 2007

Help facilities can only alleviate the problems experienced by new or casual users by providing the desired information when and where it is needed. Context-sensitive help focuses on providing information relevant to the user's current context. This ensures that information is timely, but if the type and scope of this help is not tuned to the user's needs, it will not be helpful.
EXPLORATORY EVALUATIONS OF TWO VERSIONS OF A FOOT-OPERATED CURSOR-POSITIONING DEVICE IN A TARGET-SELECTION TASK
Authors: Pearson Glenn , Weiser Mark
Published: January 2007

An investigation is on-going concerning the use of feet instead of hands to perform workstation cursor-positioning and related functions. In the exploratory studies reported here, two versions of a particular foot-operated device, the swing mole, were assessed against a mouse in a base-line target-selection task. This task had some of the elements involved in text editing, but did not directly include keyboard entry. The study showed that novices can learn to select fairly small targets using a mole, while revealing shortcomings in the current mole design and suggesting directions for redesign.
A TASK-ORIENTED PROTOTYPING TOOL
Authors: Rossi Carol A. , Tullis Thomas S.
Published: January 2007

Researchers and developers generally agree that user interface problems are more easily solved at the beginning of the design process than toward the end. It is much less costly to make changes to the user interface before significant effort has been put into the development of software. One way to evaluate a user interface is to ask representative users to perform specific tasks using a prototype and provide feedback on the system's ease of use. A prototype can mimic a system's functionality without containing any knowledge of the specific application.
The politics of human factors
Authors: Flick Jey
Published: January 2007

This panel was held on April 9 at the CHI + GI '87 conference. It focused on human factors in software development. Human factors professionals need to dovetail their work into that of programmers, marketers, and managers, but how? How can they make sure that user interface design is part of the product development life cycle and that usability concerns in general are taken seriously?
`Diagonal' layout methodology
Authors: Dai W.-M.
Published: January 2007

In 1988 MCNC International Workshop on Placement and Routing, I am glad to see the workshop includes a section in title "Combined Placement and Global Routing". Although placement and routing are interdependent, due to computational complexity, they have been historically approached separately. From our experience based on the Berkeley Building-Block Layout System (BBL) [Che83], even with very sophisticated placement and routing techniques, the system will not guarantee an appropriate layout if the placement and global routing solutions are mismatched [Dai87d]. In general, without global routing, predicting routability is difficult if not impossible. One alternative is to deliberately overestimate the routing area and try to reclaim the empty space after the routing [Ish85]. Another alternative is to ignore the violations of design rules during the routing and rely on a sophisticated chip spacer to resolve the design rule violations, at the same time, to minimize the chip area [Che88]. Not to mention the complexity and inefficiency of the final chip spacing, the errors due to the mismatch between placement and routing propagate channel by channel (if channel routers are used) or net by net (if area routers used). Another approach is to iterate global routing with placement [Ada82], but it is hard to converge since a new placement may result in a new global routing, and they may represent a new mismatch. In other systems, the only way to modify the placement during routing is adjusting two blocks relatively when routing the channel in between [Lau85] [Cai85]. This implies that the topology of placement must keep the same with the only exception as shown in Fig. 1.
'How to' manual on forms design
Authors: Jarrett Caroline
Published: January 2007

The paper presents some of the conflicting advice offered to designers on one particular topic in accessibility: the choice of font size for visually impaired people. This creates practical difficulties for designers when trying to apply the advice.
VDM@ECML/PKDD2001
Authors: Simoff Simeon J.
Published: January 2007

This brief report presents an overview of the International Workshop on Visual Data Mining, conducted on 4 September 2001 in conjunction with the 12th European Conference on Machine Learning (ECML'01) and 5th European Conference on Principles and Practice of Knowledge Discovery in Databases (PKDD'01). It includes summary of the presentations and discussions, and provides pointers to relevant resources in the area.