PowerLoom Web Browser Introduction

About this Browser

This PowerLoom® browser consists of three window panels as shown below. This document also contains hints for new users. For a quick start, begin by selecting module AIRCRAFT-KB, entering AIRCRAFT in the type in box and selecting "Find". (Or select this link: AIRCRAFT).

Toolbar

Reference
window

Content
window

The Toolbar consists of buttons to perform various operations described below. The Reference and Content windows are designed to display contents of ontology. Links in both windows display their contents in the content window. This facilitates exploring various links associated with a word or concept in the reference window without the need to continuously go back and forth.

Toolbar

Depending on the user's access permissions and the existence of an edit lock, not all of the buttons may be visible.

Module: Allows you to select a PowerLoom Module for interpreting the name in the input field.

Show: Displays an overview of the selected module. This will include a section on undefined concepts and relations as well as a list of top level concepts in the module. This page is displayed in the reference window. DOESN'T WORK YET.

HoldWindow: Moves the contents of the content (right) window into the reference (left) window.

concept, relation, or instance. Selects the type of object entered in the type-in box.

Type in Box: Input for entering the name of an object for browsing.

Find: Displays the object specified by the type menu and the type in box. This page is displayed in the reference window.

Match Allows the choice of matching style. The available styles are "Exactly", "Case Insensitive", "Substring" and in the future "Wildcard" and "Regular Expression".

To begin exploring select an appropriate module, then select one of concept, relation, or instance. Finally enter a symbol in the input area of the toolbar and press Find to initiate a request to the server.

Meaning of Icons

Icon	Meaning	Active?
or	Edit the object.	Active
or	Save the object to a file. If the second icon is shown, then the browser believes that the object does not need saving.	Active
	Clone (copy) the object into a new object.	Active
	Delete the object. A confirmation dialog will appear.	Active
	Clear the values in the object. A confirmation dialog will appear.	Active
	Create a new object of the specified type.	Active
	Bring up a query form for finding instances.	Active
	Bring up a dialog box with a menu for entering instances.	Active
	Copy the selected value above into the type-in box to the left.	Active
	Information about the given topic or page section.	Active
	Print this message.	Active
	Bring up the PowerLoom Reference Manual.	Active
	Show the PowerLoom home page.	Active
	Mark a single-valued relation.	Information
	Mark a multiple-valued relation.	Information
,	Marks read-only single and multiple-valued relations.	Information
	Marks a direct instance of a concept.	Information
	Marks an indirect instance of a concept.	Information
?	Marks an undefined concept or relation.	Information

Other Browser Conventions

All symbols are quoted (preceded by a '). Types and role fillers in roman (normal) typeface are asserted by the user. Types and role fillers in italics are derived (inferred) by PowerLoom. Types in bold face cannot be retracted. "Direct Types" are the most specific PowerLoom types for an instance. "Asserted Types" are the result of user assertions. "Base Type" is a type specified as the base type when the instance was created. It cannot be retracted.

Hints

Make sure the "Match" control is set to "Substring" so that you don't need an exact match of names. You can find the top level concepts in a particular module by selecting that module and pushing the "Show" button. You can also start a search from the top of the hierarchy by choosing "PL-KERNEL-KB" and looking for the concept THING.

Enjoy.: Tom Russ

This PowerLoom Web Browser was created at the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute. It is implemented using Netscape2 extensions to HTML2.0, namely, Frames and JavaScript. The Common Lisp version uses a Lisp-based HTTP server. Implementations exist for either CL-HTTP developed at the MIT AI Laboratory or AllegroServe [Portable AllegroServe] by John Foderaro of Franz Inc. The Java version uses the Acme Server, and an implementation for the Tomcat Server is planned.

Please send comments and suggestions to Tom Russ.

Last modified $Date: 2006/12/06 02:13:40 $