A Purpose Driven Method for Language Comparison

F.M. Brazier, F.A.H. van Harmelen, R. Straatman, J. Treur, N.J.E. Wijngaards, M. Willems

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Abstract

Current efforts to compare knowledge engineering (KE) modelling languages have been limited to either rather shallow comparisons on a broad-set of languages, or to detailed comparisons with limited applicability to a narrow set of languages. In this paper we propose a novel way of organising language comparisons. This method is based on an alternating decomposition of the goals that a language tries to achieve and the linguistic methods it empIoys to achieve these goals. This new method for comparing languages allows a general comparison at high levels of abstraction, while not preventing more precise comparisons whenever possible. One result of our comparison method is an insight in the different assumptions that underly the languages to be compared. Two further consequences follow from the proposed comparison method, namely (i) a measure for the degree of similarity between languages, and (ii) a method for translating between languages. After describing our method, we apply it to a pair of KE modelling languages, and show how it yields insights in the assumptions underlying the languages and how it can be used to produce a translation procedure between the languages.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Knowledge Acquisition - 9th European Knowledge Acquisition Workshop, EKAW 1996, Proceedings
EditorsN. Shadbolt, K. O'Hara, A.Th. Schreiber
PublisherSpringer/Verlag
Pages66-81
Number of pages16
Volume1076
ISBN (Print)3540612734, 9783540612735
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1996
Event9th European Knowledge Acquisition Workshop, EKAW 1996 - Nottingham, United Kingdom
Duration: 14 May 199617 May 1996

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume1076
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Workshop

Workshop9th European Knowledge Acquisition Workshop, EKAW 1996
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityNottingham
Period14/05/9617/05/96

Bibliographical note

Brazier.ea:96*6

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