Requirements are discussed for an information retrieval language that enables users to employ natural language sentences in interaction with computer-stored files. Anticipated modes of operation of the system are outlined. These are: the search mode, the dictionary mode, the tables mode, and the statistical mode. Analysis of sample sentences…

Presents a justification of the belief that science and art can be successfully combined. The computer's merits are viewed as a potential modelbuilder for the formalization of aesthetic concepts. The rest of the paper details recent and current research on such uses of the machine. (VT)

EASY ENGLISH IS A NATURAL COMMAND LANGUAGE DESIGNED TO SIMPLIFY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MAN AND MACHINE THROUGH A REMOTE TYPEWRITER CONSOLE. IT IS MADE UP OF READILY RECONIZED SENTENCES OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, SENTENCES WHICH ANY LAYMAN MIGHT BE EXPECTED TO USE IN EVERYDAY REQUESTS FOR SERVICES OR ARTICLES FROM A FAMILIAR SOURCE. EASY ENGLISH WAS…

The phrase "student computer dialogs" refers to interactive sessions between the student and the computer. Rather than using programing languages specifically designed for computer assisted instruction (CAI), existing general purpose languages should be emphasized in the future development of student computer dialogs, as the power and…

The currently operational version of the INGRES data base management system gives a relational view of data, supports two high level, non-procedural data sublanguages, and runs as a collection of user processes on top of a UNIX operating system. The authors stress the design decisions and tradeoffs in relation to (1) structuring the system into…

Past problems encountered in the use of computers are discussed. They include: (1) computing and data storage costs; (2) machine speed and capacity limitations; and (3) the limited number of languages and Input/Output devices available to facilitate man/machine communication. The improvements in all of these areas are explained. The problems which…

The need for and development of computer programs using natural or native tongue languages are discussed. Two programs which attempt to use English Script Applier Mechanism (SAM) and Semantic Information Retrieval (SIR) are described. (MK)

This work contains over 5,350 terms which have special or unique definition when applied in a cybernetic context. Corrections and improvements to the first edition of the dictionary have been made in this second edition. Entries are made for terms encountered in the Soviet cybernetic literature, without any attempt to define the field or to…

The potentialities of specialized languages, in comparison to those of other types of specialized systems, are discussed. The point is made that these languages have been invented by information processing professionals in order to assist the problem-solving activities of computer users by providing them with appropriate interfaces to the…

Research on man-machine communication was examined to gain insight into techniques for improving interactive programs through the enhancement of communicative style. The human-computer interaction is compared to a conversation, and specific recommendations for improving this interaction are enumerated. The suggestions are general in nature and are…

A minimum of 30 minutes is required to learn even the rudiments of the command language (Symbolic Language). Although written instructions are helpful, practice is essential. The programmed instruction routines, which took approximately 20 minutes, were mostly of the 'yes-no' variety. Expanded routines, which would require other replies and would…

In contrast to conventional information storage and retrieval systems in which a body of knowledge is thought of as an indexed codex of documents to which access is obtained by an appropriately indexed query, this interdisciplinary study aims at an understanding of what is "knowledge" as distinct from a "data file," how this knowledge is acquired,…

This two volume report presents descriptions of LOGO-S, an interactive programming language expressly designed for education, and the portable LOGO system, a computer software development. The modular structure of LOGO, along with its simple but powerful extension features, is naturally suited to problem solving in many problem domains with…

BALLOTS (Bibliographic Automation of Large Library Operations using a Time-sharing System) is an on-line interactive library automation system that supports the acquisition and cataloging functions of the Stanford University Libraries' technical processing operations. The BALLOTS system is being implemented in a series of 11 modules. This paper…

Three outstanding features of the Rapidly Extensible Language (REL) System are discussed. REL itself is an integrated software system designed to facilitate conversational interaction with the computer, especially by those working with dynamic, highly interrelated data. The system's main parts are: 1) the operating system, which manages the…