A Hypermedia Inference Language as an Alternative to Rule-based Expert Systems

This paper reports on the development of a hypermedia inference language designed to strengthen the ability of hypermedia systems to be used effectively in applications that might otherwise require cumbersome rule-based expert systems. The inference language grew out of a primitive query language which provided the mechanism for navigation in a hypertext system. As the language gained logical and computational capabilities it became increasingly embedded in the nodes and links. A new paradigm of intelligent hypermedia emerged, incorporating "smart" nodes and links that were dynamically computed by means of the inference language. The language itself provided an end-user programming facility that was English-like enough in appearance to be readily comprehensible to non-programmers. An application in the domain of academic advising was developed to compare the inferencing language approach to expert system alternatives. A Hypermedia Inference Language as an Alternative to Rule-based Expert Systems