Re: [PRD] Assert and separating syntax and semantics cleanly (Was: Re: [PRD] PRD Review By Example)

Gary Hallmark wrote:
> I'm having a bit of trouble following what you propose to change.  Can 
> you summarize using ebnf?

What I propose it to change, in the abstract syntax, the definition of Assert to:
"Assert: If φ is a positional atom, an atom with named arguments, or a frame in the RIF-PRD condition language, Assert(phi) is an atomic action. φ is called the target of the action;" (and replace "action formula" by "atomic action" in the other atomic actions, btw).

And revert back to the previous definition of "Action block":
"Definition (Action block). An action block, or action formula can have several forms and is defined as follows:

   1. Atomic: If a is an atomic action, it is also an action block;
   2. Sequence: If a1, ..., an, n ≥ 1, are action blocks, then so is Do(a1, ..., an), n ≥ 1. "

And to add something like:
"When there are more than one action in an action block, but they are all assertions, Do(Assert(phi1) ... Assert(phin)), the action block can be denoted by a conjunction of the Asserts' targets, And(phi1 ... phin), especially when the emphasis is on interoperability with RIF-BLD. IF the action block contains only one single assert, Do(Assert(phi)), the conjunction construct can be left out and the action block can be written as: phi."

Christian

> 
> Christian de Sainte Marie wrote:
> 
>> All,
>>
>> Gary Hallmark wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Surely you agree we must handle the initial fact p:A(0)
>>>
>>> [...]
>>>
>>> We need to align with the Core syntax.  I think you are right, they 
>>> can be handled in the semantics as rules that are always true.
>>>
>>> [...]
>>>
>>> Actually, I think it boils down to defining the syntax for the 
>>> initial facts.  As usual, I prefer maximum overlap with BLD/Core.
>>
>>
>> I believe that we agree on how the assertion of p:A(0) should be 
>> handled, but I wonder if there might not be some confusion between the 
>> semantics and the (concrete) syntax, especially considering the 
>> modifications Gary made in the definitions of an atomic action (sect. 
>> 3.1.1) and an action block (sect. 3.1.3).
>>
>> In PR languages, and, accordingly, in the semantics of PRD, an 
>> assertion is an action, no doubt about that; and, followingly, a 
>> sequence of assertions is, in PRD-ese, an action_block.
>>
>> Gary is right and the initial definition of the Assert action, in 
>> sect. 3.1.1, was confusing, since the asserted fact is not an atomic 
>> action: it is a fact.
>>
>> But I think that the correction that Gary proposes is confusing as 
>> well, because, even if we choose to use the syntax of the asserted 
>> fact itself to denote the assertion, the assertion is still, in the 
>> semantics of PRD, an atomic action; and a sequence of assertion is 
>> still an action block in the semantics of PRD, even if we choose to 
>> use to represent it with the same syntax as for the conjunction of the 
>> asserted facts.
>>
>> And so they should be defined, at the abstract syntax level.
>>
>> What I propose is:
>>
>> 1. to keep the same abstract syntax as before Gary's modification, 
>> that is, to have any single assertion, retraction etc be defined as 
>> atomic actions (or whatever other name that the group may prefer), and 
>> have any sequence of actions be defined as an action block, so that 
>> the semantics of atomic actions, and of action blocks, resp., can be 
>> specified uniformally;
>>
>> And:
>>
>> 2. to add wording to the effect that, based on the design principle 
>> that "same semantics <=> same syntax", the syntax for the assertion of 
>> a single fact and the syntax for an action block that contains only 
>> assertions will be the same as in Core and BLD, that is, respectively, 
>> that of the single fact itself and that of a conjunction of the 
>> asserted facts.
>>
>> NB: I did not include the new "Bind" action in this discussion, 
>> because I am not sure that I understand its semantic status yet. I 
>> have to sleep on Gary's proposal first, and allow it to percolate in 
>> my brain :-)
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Christian
>>
> 
>

Received on Tuesday, 28 October 2008 12:22:19 UTC