Abstract

We developed a software tool called EXPLAINER for helping programmers complete new tasks by exploring previously worked-out examples. The implementation is based on the principle of making examples accessible through multiple perspectives and, specifically, perspectives that emphasize the programming plans underlying an example. The initial version of EXPLAINER used a simple, semantic network to represent multiple perspectives. A framebased knowledge representation language called FrameTalk provides a more structured means of representing examples in EXPLAINER. Moreover, FrameTalk provides mechanisms that avoid deficiencies that arise when concept taxonomies must serve the dual purpose of representing specialization and composition of attributes.

Citations