[alicebot-archcomm] [discuss] sets and lists in AIML

[Jon Baer]

Some other ideas (all of which currently work in my implementation, but likewise
they are just "there"):

<add name="foo">x,y,z</add> (comma deliminated, but I like <li> idea better)
<remove name="foo">x,y</remove> (* removes all but it's sloppy)
<get name="foo" conjunction="and"/> (would give you "x and y and z")
<random name="foo" alt="..."/>
<size name="foo"/> (shows 3)

They mainly follow the Vector class design, but obviously use the database.  The
one area of lists that Id like to throw into the mix is how to use when
<condition>ing.  For example - did the user select one of the items in the list?

<condition name="foo">...?...</condition>

Id also vote to doing more with the <random> than by adding something like
<less>, maybe we could add a "style" tag to <random> that can vary it up?  (only
once, repeat, etc).

Some example (uses <add><get><random>):

JON@LOCALHOST > Jane is one of my kids.
ALINA > I like kids.
JON@LOCALHOST > Bob is another one of my kids.
ALINA > I like kids.
JON@LOCALHOST > Who are my kids?
ALINA > Jane and Bob.
JON@LOCALHOST > Name one of my kids.
ALINA > Bob.

Here along with ur example, asking Name one of my kids will keep cycling through
the 2 values and you won't get a "You don't have any more my kids".

- Jon



"Dr. Richard S. Wallace" wrote:

> As a simple starting point to begin the discussion of sets and lists in
> AIML, consider the problem of random selection without replacement.  One
> common example is a shuffled deck of cards.  If you pick one card, such as
> the Four of Clubs, and remove it from the deck, then the same card cannot be
> selected again.  The next card picked must be one of the 51 remaining cards
> less the Four of Clubs.
>
> We can't do random selection without replacemente easily with existing AIML
> tags. If you created a category with random list of 52 cards in the
> template, and activated the pattern over and over again, the cards would
> sometimes repeat themselves:
>
> C: Pick a card.
> R: Three of clubs.
> C: Pick another card.
> R: Three of clubs.
>
> Here I have sketched a scenario whereby we can do random selection without
> replacement, by adding one simple tag, <less>, to AIML.
>
> The first category sets up the card trick by creating the set or list of
> cards.  <category> tags omitted for brevity.
>
> <pattern>CARD TRICK</pattern>
> <template>
> <think>
> <set name="cards"/>
> <li>Ace of Hearts</li>
> <li>Ace of Clubs</li>
> ....
> <li>King of Diamonds</li>
> <li>King of Spades</li>
> </set>
> </think>
> Okay.
> </template>
>
> One subtle semantic question I've never noticed before, is what happens when
> you do a <set name="X">L</set> where L is a list of items enclosed in
> <li>...</li>'s.  Should the <set> evaluate the expression L and perhaps
> replace <'s with &lt;'s, or shoud it preserve the <li>...</li> so we can
> write, for example, <random><get name="X"/></random> to apply <random> to
> the whole list X.  If we mean the latter, then the category:
>
> <pattern>PICK A CARD</pattern>
> <template>
> <set name="card">
> <random><get name="cards"/></random>
> </set>
> <think>
> <set name="cards"><less set="cards" item="card"/></set>
> </think>
> </template>
>
> implements random selection without replacement.  The first step randomly
> selects one of the cards and assigns it to the predicate "card".  The second
> step revises the set or list of cards by removing one item.  In Algol-Style,
> these two steps would be written:
>
> card := random(cards);
> cards := cards - {card};
>
> The second step requires something like the prospective tag <less>.
>
> <less> has two argument attributes, "set" and "item".  Both are AIML
> predicate names, but the first one is a <li>...</li> delimited list, and the
> second is a single item.
>
> If the item is not in the list, <less> does nothing.
>
> If the item is in the list, <less> returns a new list, exactly the same as
> the original, but with (the first occurance of) the item removed from the
> list.
>
> If the list is empty, <less> returns the default predicate value for the
> attribute "set".
>
> The conversation may now proceed:
>
> Client: Card trick.
> Robot: Okay
> Client: Pick a card
> Robot: Two of Hearts
> Client: Pick a card
> Robot: Seven of Spades
> Client: Pick a card
> Robot: Jack of Hearts
> ...
>
> And, if the default value of the predicate "cards" is "No more cards." then
> eventually after 52 "Pick a card" commands, the robot will say:
>
> C: Pick a card
> R: No more cards.
>
> The <less> tag can be used to modify the <li>..</li> separated list by
> removing one item.
>
> Okay friends, launch tomatoes.  Afterward, I will have a nice salad.
>
> Dr. Rich
>
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