[alicebot-developer] Alice and Macromedia Director

[Gary Dubuque]

Hi Ioannis,

On the ww.AIMLpad.com site there is a new download available.  Try the
AIMLocx.zip file.

This is just the Alice chat engine used by AIMLpad in an OCX.  You need to
build the database using AIMLpad and copy it into the db folder where you
set up the AIML.OCX ActiveX object. But the first step is to register the
ocx using regsrv32.exe so that other programs can embed it.

For a test I inserted the object on an Excel 2000 spreadsheet and then
created the following macro using the VBA editor:

Public Sub Chat()
  Dim ask As String
  Dim objAIML As New AIML

  ask = "Connect"
  Do
    ask = InputBox(objAIML.Talk(ask), "Alice Says:")
    If ask = "" Then Exit Do
  Loop

End Sub

>From this you can see that the AIML.OCX has a method called Talk() that
takes a string input parameter and returns a string reply.

To accomplish this feat I had to simplify the engine by removing any dialogs
or MS Agent functions it had.  This means the expert system and the text
editing functions of the notepad area are gone from the script processor.
About the only thing gone from the AIML interpreter is the
<system>clearscreen</system> command (although I don't know how you'd use
the <sec> tag since the Talk() method only replies once).  I also took out
the IRC and micro webserver.  But it still can connect to OpenCyc or
Answerbus or ConceptNet or other web sites like Pandorabot, etc.  Also the
scripting can't input or output, but basically it can only set values of
predicates or modify the AIML database.

I did not make an ActiveX automation method for learning the AIML in this
first version.  The code is there and just needs the wrapper method.  I
figured this was for running the chat which is why I only did the Talk()
method.

For the most part the structure of the supporting folders like "bot" and
"sub" and "ref" and "db" and "data"  and even "Dict" are the same as
AIMLpad.  The options.ini file in the same folder as AIML.OCX controls all
these locations and the rest of the run-time parameters.  I have it set in
the zip download to use graphmaster matching so the first answer it
generates is a bit slower than the rest.

I might improve it to do the exchange of inputs and outputs using the script
language.  I also might add the MS Agent back in later.

Have fun,
  Gary Dubuque, growing in the challenge of dialog management (again)

-----Original Message-----
From: alicebot-developer-admin@list.alicebot.org
[mailto:alicebot-developer-admin@list.alicebot.org]On Behalf Of Ioannis
Doumanis
Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2005 3:06 PM
To: alicebot-developer@list.alicebot.org
Subject: RE: [alicebot-developer] Alice and Macromedia Director


Hi Gary

<<The code of Program N is designed so that it can be rebuilt into a
stand-alone object.  I just have not done this yet.  Sounds like a day or
two project, so I guess I'll try to pull together a prototype for you.>>

I will be really grateful if you can do this for me. You will enhance my
project much further. I have managed to accomplish some basic keyword
matching with Lingo code but nothing like the abilities of AIML. Please let
me know whenever it is ready by email at:

Idoumanis@yahoo.gr
Or idoumanis@gmail.com

Of course, I will also find a way to share the control with all interested
developers and also post in the official Director Forum. I presume that
several director developers will want the ALICE active x.

Looking forward for the outcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Again many many thanks!!!!!!!!!!


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