Component "Clichés"

In defining the component semantics for actions, it's clear that
  1. the semantics of many actions differ only in a small number of axioms or slots
  2. the differences are often the same for classes of actions
  3. building components from scratch for all combinations of differing features seems inefficient

The obvious thing to do, given the philosophy of this group, is to isolate the differences and make them components themselves. Since the differences are patterns of slots and/or axioms, and these patterns recur frequently, clichés might be an appropriate term for them. New actions can then be built as compositions of existing actions with clichés. See also Pete and Bruce's working note on building action descriptions from components.

Here are some clichés.

Agentive 
required-slot: agent
Reflexive 
required-slot: agent, object
agent = object
Into 
required-slot: location-to = Place inside local:the-enclosure
primary-slot:  location-from = Place outside local:the-enclosure
               location-through = Portal of local:the-enclosure
Out-Of 
required-slot: location-from = Place inside local:the-enclosure
primary-slot:  location-to = Place outside local:the-enclosure
               location-through = Portal of local:the-enclosure
Toward 
required-slot: location-toward = local:the-location
Locative-Agent 
required-slot: agent
local:the-location = location of agent
Enclosure-Agent 
required-slot: agent
local:the-enclosure = agent
......

Given a definition for the Move action, we can build the following action components through composition:

Here's how Attract works:

Move
  isa: Action
  required-slot: object
  primary-slot:  agent
  agent:         causes object to change location
  object:        changes location
Toward
  required-slot:   location-toward
  location-toward: = local:the-location
Locative-Agent
  required-slot: agent
  local:the-location = location of agent
Attract
  isa:             Move
  required-slot:   object, location-toward, agent
  agent:           causes object to change location
  object:          changes location
  location-toward: location of agent

So where do these clichés go? They could be Things in the inheritance hierarchy (like Slot and Value). They could be separate from the inheritance hierachy but available through a composition operator. They could be shoe-horned into the hierarchy as Actions (Agentive-Action, Reflexive-Action) allowing composition through multiple inheritance. They could be merely a guide to component writers who would do the composition manually.

 

Last modified: August 23, 2000