Knowledge object modeling

Knowledge objects are an integration of the object-oriented paradigm with logic rules. The proper integration provides a flexible and powerful environment, as rule-based components provide facilities for deductive retrieval and pattern matching, and object-oriented components provide a clear intuitive structure for programs in the form of class hierarchies. Based on the knowledge object concept, this paper presents a factor-centered representation language, Factor++, which models logic rules into the object-oriented paradigm, and a scheduling system, Schedular, using the Factor++ framework. The construction of Schedular demonstrates that by using an object-oriented representation of knowledge objects, users can be given explicit control of the object hierarchy to customize the system to their particular needs, which includes letting users select among scheduling and other methods. In Schedular, rules are designed as derivation rules and constraint rules. The purpose of rules is either to restrict object structure and behavior, or to infer new data from the existing data. Rules are arranged in positions so that object methods are automatically firing up if environment changes are detected by these rules.