Table Of ContentIntelligent Help Systems for UNIX
Intelligent Help Systems for UNIX
Edited by:
Stephen J. Hegner, Paul Mc Kevitt,
Peter Norvig and Robert Wilensky
Reprinted from Artificial Intelligence Review
Volume 14, Nos. 1-5,2000
Springer-Science+Business Media, B.V.
A C.I.P. catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-94-010-3790-7 ISBN 978-94-010-0874-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-010-0874-7
Ali Rights Reserved
© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2000
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 2000
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
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retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.
INTELLIGENT HELP SYSTEMS FOR UNIX
Guest Editors:
Stephen 1. Hegner, Paul Mc Kevitt,
Peter Norvig and Robert Wilensky
Part I: Computational Models and Systems
Table of Contents
About the Authors vu-xu
Preface: Intelligent Help Systems for UNIX 1-6
Editorial Part I: Intelligent Help Systems for UNIX: Computa-
tional Models and Systems 7-10
JENNIFER JERRAMS-SMITH / An Intelligent Human-
Computer Interface for Provision of On-Line Help 11-28
MARIA VIRVOU, JOHN JONES and MARK MILLINGTON /
Virtues and Problems of an Active Help System for UNIX 29-48
ROBERT WILENSKY, DAVID N. CHIN, MARC LURIA,
JAMES MARTIN, JAMES MAYFIELD and DEKAI WU /
The Berkeley UNIX Consultant Project 49-94
PAUL MC KEVITT / The OSCON Operating System Consultant 95-125
MANTON MATTHEWS, WALTER PHARR, GAUTAM
BISWAS and HARISH NEELAKANDAN / USCSH: An
Active Intelligent Assistance System 127-147
Part II: Planning and Knowledge Representation
Editorial Part II: Intelligent Help Systems for UNIX: Planning and
Knowledge Representation 149-152
MATTHIAS HECKING / The SINIX Consultant - Towards a
Theoretical Treatment of Plan Recognition 153-180
STEPHEN J. HEGNER / Plan Realization for Complex Command
Interaction in the UNIX Help Domain 181-228
JOHN JONES, MARK MILLINGTON and MARIA VIRVOU /
An Assumption-based Truth Maintenance System in Active
Aid for UNIX Users 229-252
CHRISTEL KEMKE / What Do You Know about Mail? Know-
ledge Representation in the SINIX Consultant 253-275
Part III: Natural Language Dialogue
Editorial Part III: Intelligent Help Systems for UNIX: Natural
Language Dialogue 277-281
DAVID N. CHIN / Planning Intelligent Responses in a Natural
Language System 283-331
DAVID N. CHIN / Strategies for Expressing Concise, Helpful
Answers 333-350
JAMES MAYFIELD / Evaluating Plan Recognition Systems:
Three Properties of a Good Explanation 351-376
JAMES H. MARTIN / Representing UNIX Domain Metaphors 377-401
ALEX QUILICI/Using Justification Patterns to Advise Novice
UNIX Users 403-420
Artificial Intelligence Review 14: vii-xii, 2000.
Stephen 1. Hegner et al. (eds.), Intelligent Help Systems for UNIX. vii
About the Authors
Gautam Biswas is an Associate Pro tems. Dr. Biswas has published in a
fessor of Computer Science, Computer number of journals and contributed book
Engineering, and Management of Tech chapters. He is an associate editor of
nology at Vanderbilt University. He the International Journal of Approx
received a B.Tech. degree in Electrical imate Reasoning and the Journal of
Engineering from the Indian Institute Applied Intelligence, and has served on
of Technology, Bombay, India, in 1977, the Program Committee of a number
and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer of conferences. He was co-chair of the
Science from Michigan State University, 1996 Principles of Diagnosis Work
East Lansing, in 1979 and 1983, respec shop, and a senior program committee
tively. Dr. Biswas conducts research in member for AAAI 97 and 98. He is a
Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Based Senior member of the IEEE Computer
Systems, and Cognitive Modeling, and Society, ACM, AAAI, and the Sigma Xi
their applications to the development, Research Society.
analysis, and evaluation of Intelligent
Systems. He has primary interests in David N. Chin is an Associate Professor
hybrid modeling and analysis, and their of Information and Computer Sciences
applications to analysis, control, dia at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
gnosis, and design of complex embedded He received his B.S. in Physics and B.S.
systems. He has applied hybrid modeling in Computer ScienceiEngineering from
and combined qualitative-quantitative M.I.T. in 1980 and his Ph.D. in Com
reasoning techniques to design fault puter Science from the University of
monitoring and isolation systems for fast California at Berkeley in 1987. While at
breeder reactors and automobile engine Berkeley, he lead the design and imple
systems. Another area of interest is the mentation of UC, the UNIX Consultant,
design and implementation of Intelli a natural language consultation program
gent Learning Environments. Working for the UNIX operating system. His
as part of a Cognition and Techno doctoral dissertation concerned treating
logy group at the Learning Technology UC as an intelligent agent which has
Center in Vanderbilt University, he has its own goals, plans, and model of the
developed multi-media systems and user. By detecting the right goals in
simulation-based intelligent learning appropriate situations, UC can take the
environments for middle school math initiative in its dialog with the user in
and science education. In ONR-funded order to volunteer information, correct
projects he has developed methods for user misconceptions, and reject uneth
assessing expertise in troubleshooting ical requests. UC's user model, KNOME
of Alternating Current circuits and sys- (KNOwledge Model of Expertise), ana-
viii ABOUT THE AUTHORS
lyzed user queries and inferred the user's algorithmic aspects of knowledge rep
level of UNIX expertise based on what resentation and inference in database and
kinds of facts the user does or does not knowledge-base systems.
know. Dr. Chin has served on the edit
orial board of the international journal Jenny Jerrams-Smith is a Principal
User Modeling and User-Adapted Inter Lecturer in Information Systems at the
action since its inception and has twice University of Portsmouth, UK, and dir
chaired the International Conference ector of the Advanced Interface research
on User Modeling. Professor Chin's centre. She was formerly a Principal
current interests include cognitive sci Researcher in Artificial Intelligence at
ence, software engineering, geographic Philips Research Laboratories, UK. She
information systems, and artificial intel completed her PhD in Computer Science
ligence, particularly intelligent agents, in 1986 at the University of Birmingham
natural language processing, user mod and her Master's degree in Computer
eling, and intelligent interfaces. Science in 1982. She has a Post Graduate
Certificate in Education (1968) and a
Matthias Hecking received his Master's Bachelor's degree in Zoology (1967),
degree in computer science (Dipl. both from the University of London. Her
Inform.) at the University of Hamburg in primary research interest is in intelli
1984. During and after the studies Mat gent/adaptive user interfaces, in which
thias developed commercial software for she has many refereed publications. She
different software houses. From 1985 to has recently completed funded research
1988 he worked at the SINIX Consultant projects on an adaptive interface for a
(SC) at the chair of Prof. Wahlster at telecare system and on adaptive naviga
the University of the Saarland. Matthias tional guidance for the WWW.
joined the German Research Center for
Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). From John Jones was born in 1956 in England
1988 to 1993 he worked on the PHI and died in 1994. He achieved a BSc
project. He received his Ph.D. in com First Class degree in Mathematics from
puter science at the University of the the University of Nottingham in 1980.
Saarland in 1993. Then Matthias became He completed his Ph.D. in Mathematical
a house husband. During this time he Logic at the Department of Mathematics,
worked on the Jesko and Jascha pro University of Nottingham. He was a
jects. Since 1996 Matthias works as Research Fellow in Artificial Intelli
a free-lancer software engineer in the gence at the University of Edinburgh
Microsoft world. from October 1983 until September
1986. He joined the Department of Com
Stephen J. Hegner (Editor) received puter Science at the University of Hull as
the Ph.D. degree in Computer and a Lecturer in October 1986 and remained
Information Science from the Univer there until he died.
sity of Massachusetts at Amherst in
1977. Currently, he is a senior lecturer Christel Kemke received her Master's
in the Department of Computing Sci Degree in Computer Science from the
ence at Umea University, Sweden. His University of Dortmund, Germany, with
areas of professional interest focus on a thesis on Finite State Machines and
ABOUT THE AUTHORS ix
Neural Network Modeling, and a Ph.D. He earned his B.S. degree in Com
from the Technical Faculty at the Uni puter Science from Columbia University
versity of Bielefeld, Germany, with a in New York in 1981. His current
thesis on Neural Network Models for research interests are in Natural Lan
Natural Language Processing. She also guage Processing, Information Retrieval
completed a B.Sc. honours degree in and Machine Learning.
Psychology at the Open University,
Milton Keynes, England. From 1984 to Manton Matthews is Associate Pro
1988 she has been working on the SINIX fessor and Director of Graduate Studies
Consultant Project at the University of in the Department of Computer Science
Saarbruecken, Germany. Then, she con at the University of South Carolina.
ducted research in the ASL project at He received his Ph.D. in Mathematics
the DFKI in Saarbruecken on the applic (graph theory) while simultaneously
ation of Neural Networks for Speech obtaining a MS in Computer Science
and Language Processing which she in 1980. He has served as program
continued during a 6 months stay at the chairman for the 1990 International
International Computer Science Institute Conference on Industrial and Engin
in Berkeley, CA, USA. She worked as a eering Applications of AI and Expert
Research Computer Scientist at the Uni Systems in 1990 and then again as
versity College Dublin, Ireland, in the co-chairman in 1997. He has served
EU funded QUALIT Project on Know on the editorial board of the Journal
ledge Engineering and Representation. of Applied Intelligence. His research
She has conducted several university interests include intelligent user inter
seminars and conference tutorials on faces, natural language processing
Neural Network Modeling, Natural (NLP), user-modelling, graph theory,
Language Processing, and Knowledge and forensic computing.
Representation, in Germany and Ireland,
and has supervised 12 Master's Degree James Mayfield is a Senior Computer
students. She was elected Co-Chair of Scientist at the Johns Hopkins Univer
the German Interest Group on Neural sity Applied Physics Laboratory. Prior
Networks and is member of the German to joining Johns Hopkins, he was an
Computer Science Society and the Cog associate professor of computer science
nitive Science Society. Currently, she is at the University of Maryland, Baltimore
visiting professor of the Computer Sci County. Dr. Mayfield received an A.B.
ence Department at New Mexico State in 1979 from Harvard College, and a
University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Ph.D. in 1989 from the University of
USA. California at Berkeley. Since the time
of the reported plan recognition work,
James H. Martin is an Associate Pro he has carried out research in hyper
fessor in the Department of Computer text, information extraction, distributed
Science and the Institute of Cognitive inference, and agent communication
Science at the University of Colorado languages. His current projects include
at Boulder. He received his Ph.D. in work in information retrieval, computer
Computer Science from the Univer forensics, and simulation.
sity of California at Berkeley in 1988.
x ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Paul Me Kevitt (Editor) is from Dun Na finance and telecommunications applic
nGall (Donegal), Ireland. He is Chair ations, working in the Chicago area.
in Digital MultiMedia at the School He completed his Ph.D. in Computer
of Computing & Electronics, Faculty Science in 1985 at the University of
of Informatics, University of Ulster Edinburgh, Scotland, and his Bachelor's
(Magee College), Derry (Londonderry), degree in Computer Science and Mathe
Northern Ireland. Previously, he was matics in 1980 at the University of
Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) Essex, England.
in the School of Computer Science
at The Queen's University of Belfast, Harish Neelakandan completed his
Northern Ireland. He has been Visit Master's degree in Computer Science
ing Professor of Intelligent MultiMedia from the University of South Carolina in
Computing in the Institute of Electronic 1987 and worked at Cognitive Systems
Systems at Aalborg University, Denmark in New Haven, Connecticut, from 1988
and a British EPSRC (Engineering and to 1992. While at Cognitive, which was
Physical Sciences Research Council) founded by Roger Schank, then at Yale,
Advanced Fellow in the Department to commercialize his group's Natural
of Computer Science at the University Language research, Harish worked on
of Sheffield, England. The Fellowship, the development of a Natural Language
commenced in 1994, and released him system for processing financial funds
from his Associate Professorship (ten transfer telex messages. This system was
ured Lecturership) for 5 years to conduct deployed at some of the major money
full-time research on the integration of center banks in the USA and Europe.
natural language, speech and vision pro Subsequently, he worked on a Finan
cessing. He completed a Master's degree cial Portfolio Evaluation system for use
in Education (M.Ed.) at the University by Portfolio Managers and then on a
of Sheffield in 1999. He completed Case-Based Reasoning system to detect
his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the suspicious trading activity at a major
University of Exeter, England in 1991. North American stock exchange. He
His Master's degree in Computer Sci left Cognitive in 1992 to get a graduate
ence (M.S.) was obtained from New degree in Management at MIT's Sloan
Mexico State University, New Mexico, School of Management in Boston, and
USA in 1988 and his Bachelor's degree upon graduation from Sloan in 1994,
in Computer Science (B.Sc., Hons.) joined Merrill Lynch in New York where
from University College Dublin (UCD), he is currently a Foreign Exchange
Ireland in 1985. His primary research Options trader.
interests are in Natural Language Pro
cessing (NLP) including the processing Peter Norvig (Editor) received a B.S.
of pragmatics, beliefs and intentions in in Applied Mathematics from Brown
dialogue. He is also interested in Philo University and a Ph.D. in Computer Sci
sophy, MultiMedia and the general area ence from the University of California
of Artificial Intelligence. at Berkeley. He has been a Professor at
the University of Southern California
Mark Millington is from Chester, Eng and a Research Faculty Member at
land. He is a consultant specialising in Berkeley. He has over forty publications
ABOUT THE AUTHORS Xl
in various areas of Computer Science, Maria Virvou is from Athens, Greece.
concentrating on Artificial Intelligence, She has been a lecturer in the Depart
Natural Language Processing and Soft ment of Computer Science at the Uni
ware Engineering. He has also served versity of Piraeus, Greece since 1994.
as a Senior or Chief Scientist at Sun She completed her Ph.D. in Artificial
Microsystems Labs, Harlequin Inc. and Intelligence and Computer Science at
Junglee Corp., and is currently Chief of the University of Sussex, England in
the Computational Sciences Division at 1992. She received her M.Sc. degree
NASA Ames Research Center. in Computer Science from University
College London in 1987. Her first degree
Walter Pharr is an Assistant Professor in Mathematics was obtained from the
of Computer Science at the College of University of Athens, Greece in 1986.
Charleston, in Charleston, South Caro Her current research interests are in user
lina, USA. He is currently completing modelling, Artificial Intelligence in Edu
his Doctoral degree at the Univer cation, distance learning and adaptive
sity of South Carolina. His primary user interfaces.
research interests are natural language
processing, formal semantics for natural Robert Wilensky (Editor) received his
and artificial languages, and functional B.A. and his Ph.D. from Yale Univer
programming. sity. In 1978, he joined the faculty of
the University of California at Berkeley,
Alex Quilici is an Associate Professor where he is now Professor in the Divi
in the Department of Electrical Engin sion of Computer Science, and in the
eering at the University of Hawaii at School of Information Management and
Manoa. He is also the co-founder and Systems. He has served as Chair of the
CEO of Quack.com, a voice-portal com Computer Science Division, the dir
pany recently acquired by America ector of BAIR, the Berkeley Artificial
Online. He completed his Ph.D. in Intelligence Research Project, and the
Computer Science at the University of director of Berkeley Cognitive Science
California, Los Angeles in 1991. His Program. Professor Wilensky has pub
research interests lie at the intersec lished numerous articles and books in
tion of AI and Software Engineering, the area of artificial intelligence, plan
including the areas of intelligent user ning, knowledge representation, natural
interfaces and automated and assisted language processing, and digital inform
software understanding. Recently, he ation systems. He is currently Principal
was the chairman of the 1998 conference Investigator of UC Berkeley's Digital
on Automated Software Engineering and Library Project.
the chairman of the 1998 Working Con
ference on Reverse Engineering. He's Dekai Wu is an Associate Professor of
also a co-author of the Kluwer research Computer Science at the Hong Kong
monograph "Constraint-Based Design University of Science and Technology
Recovery for Software Reengineering: (HKUST). He received his PhD in
Theory and Experiments". Computer Science from the University
of California at Berkeley, and was a
postdoctoral fellow at the University
