Intro to Jess

The Java Expert System Shell

By Jason Morris Morris Technical Solutions

Quotable Quotes
Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems. - Rene Descartes

Quotable Quotes
As a rule we disbelieve all the facts and theories for which we have no use. - William James

Quotable Quotes
Hell, there are no rules here -we're trying to accomplish something. - Thomas A. Edison

Quotable Quotes
Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. - Mark Twain

Quotable Quotes
If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts.

Albert Einstein

Quotable Quotes
There are two rules for success: 1) Never tell everything you know. - Roger H. Lincoln

Quotable Quotes
Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored. - Aldous Huxley

Agenda
What are expert systems? What are rule-based expert systems? Introduction to Jess The Jess Language
5 minute break

Agenda
Scripting & The Jess API Demo 1 : Design Pattern Expert Demo 2 : Catalog Servlet References and Further Study Q&A

Expert Systems
Are a branch of artificial intelligence. Simulate human reasoning in some domain. Reason by heuristic or approximate methods. Explain and justify solutions in user-friendly terms.

Types Of Expert Systems

Neural Networks Blackboard Systems Belief (Bayesian) Networks
Case-Based Reasoning Rule-Based Systems

Rule-Based Expert Systems

Originated from AI research in the 70s and 80s. Problem data stored as facts. Reason using IFTHENELSE rules. Can reason deductively (forwardchaining) or inductively (backward-chaining).

When to Use Rule-Based Systems

Problem Domain = narrow, wellunderstood domain theory Knowledge Representation = facts and rules Output = recommendation Explanation = rule firing trace Learning Ability = generally no (but)

Inference Process
1. Rules and facts compared using pattern matcher. 2. Matched rules activated into a conflict set. 3. Conflict set resolved into agenda (process called conflict resolution). 4. Rule engine fires on agenda. 5. Engine cycles until all rules are satisfied.

The Java Expert System Shell

Developed at Sandia National Laboratories in late 1990s. Created by Dr. Ernest J. FriedmanHill. Inspired by the AI production rule language CLIPS. Fully developed Java API for creating rule-based expert systems.

Rule-Based Expert System Architecture

Rule Base (knowledge base) Working Memory (fact base) Inference Engine (rule engine)

Inference (Rule) Engines

Pattern Matcher decides what rules to fire and when. Agenda schedules the order in which activated rules will fire. Execution Engine responsible for firing rules and executing other code.

Inference Process

Match the facts against the rules. Choose which rules to fire. Execute the actions associated with the rules.

How Does Jess Work?

Jess matches facts in the fact base to rules in the rule base. The rules contain function calls that manipulate the fact base and/or other Java code. Jess uses the Rete (ree-tee) algorithm to match patterns. Rete network = an interconnected collection of nodes = working memory.

Jess Architecture Diagram

WORKING MEMORY

INFERENCE ENGINE
PATTERN MATCHER

EXECUTION ENGINE

RULE BASE

AGENDA

Procedural Programming
Traditional programming (BASIC, C, FORTRAN, Pascal, etc.). Largely based on functions. Programmer controls logic. Sequential and deterministic. Object-oriented programming is procedural within object methods.

Declarative Programming
New programming paradigm rules. Programmer does not really control code logic. Rule engine finds most efficient path of code execution. Replaces hard to maintain nested IFTHENELSE coding.

Wait a minute!
What? II cant control my code??

Wellyes and nobut dont worry, Calvin!

Thought Experiment
Imagine writing a procedural/OOP algorithm to solve a jigsaw puzzle. 500+ pieces, different shapes and colors. Polymorphism runs amok!
Yet we manage to solve the puzzle

Intuition and Rules

Dump the puzzle pieces on a card table in no particular order. Your brain instinctively begins to apply rules to solve the puzzle!
What might this look like in code?

Intuitive Inferencing
(corner_found (piece_is_corner) => (assert corner-found) (save_piece)) (edge_found (piece_is_edge) => (assert edge-found) (save_piece)) Your brain knows what to do with a corner piece

and an edge piece.

Whats Going On
Your brain recalls rules or heuristics to solve the problem. Your brain pattern-matches, prioritizes, and applies rules according to the facts in memory. A particular solution algorithm emerges as rules fire on facts.

The Jess Language

Architecturally inspired by CLIPS LISP-like syntax. Basic data structure is the list. Can be used to script Java API. Can be used to access JavaBeans. Easy to learn and use.

Obligatory Tradition
Your very first Jess program!
(printout t Hello PJUG-ers! crlf)

Lists in Jess
Here are some valid lists in Jess: (a b c) (1 2 3) (+ 2 3) (Hello (foo ?x ; list of tokens ; list of integers ; an expression world!) ; a string ?y) ; a function call

Jess Variables
Named containers that hold a single value. Untyped. Begin with a ? mark. Can change types during lifetime. Assigned using bind function.

Jess Variables and Lists

Everything is a list in Jess! EXAMPLE: Adding two numbers (bind ?x 2) ; assign x = 2 (bind ?y 3) ; assign y = 3 (bind ?result (+ ?x ?y)) ; find sum

Control Flow
Common Jess-specific

foreach if/then/else while

apply build eval progn

Jess Functions
Even functions are lists.

(deffunction get-input() Get user input from console. (bind ?s (read)) (return ?s))

Jess Function Example

(deffunction area-sphere (?radius)
Calculate the area of a sphere (bind ?area (* (* (pi) 2)(* ?radius ?radius))) (return ?area))

Jess Function Example

How do we use this in Jess?

(printout t "The surface area of a radius = 2 meter sphere is " + (area-sphere 2) + " m^2")

Working With Facts

Facts have a head and one or more slots. Slots hold data (can be typed). Multislots can hold lists. You can modify slot values at runtime. Facts are constructed from templates.

Jess Fact Types

Ordered head only. Ordered single slot. Unordered multiple slot, like a database record. Shadow slots correspond to properties of a JavaBean.

Deftemplate
Used to define the structure of a fact.
(deftemplate pattern A design pattern. (slot name) (slot type (default creation)) (slot intent) (slot solution))

Asserting Facts
Facts store the initial conditions.

;; Asserting a new pattern fact. (printout t Enter pattern name: crlf) (bind ?x getInput) (assert pattern (name ?x))

All Kinds of Facts

;; An ordered fact with no slots a placeholder that indicates state. (assert(answer-is-valid))

;; A ordered fact of one slot (assert(weightfactor 0.75))

Shadow Facts
Shadow facts are unordered facts whose slots correspond to the properties of a JavaBean. defclass creates a deftemplate from a bean. definstance adds bean to working memory.

Jess Rules
are the knowledge-base of the system. fire only once on a given set of facts. use pattern constraints to match facts. are much faster than IF-THEN statements.

Rule Syntax
Rules have a left-hand side (LHS) and a right-hand side (RHS). The LHS contains facts fitting certain patterns. The RHS contains function calls.

Simple Rule Example

Checking working memory state.
;; A not very useful error handler (defrule report-error (error-is-present) => (printout t There is an error crlf))

A More Complex Rule

Using pattern bindings in rules.
;; A more useful error handler (defrule report-err ?err <- (is-error (msg ?msg)) => (printout t "Error was: " ?msg crlf) (retract ?err))

More Pattern and Control Tools

matching Literal / variable constraints Logical conditional tests Predicate functions control and structure Salience Modules Defquery Backwardchaining

Break Time!

Lets take a quick 5 minute pause

Scripting Java from Jess

You can interactively access all Java APIs from Jess. This makes exploring Java somewhat easier and immediate. No code, compile, debug cycle.

Scripting Java with Jess

(import javax.swing.*)
(import java.awt.*) (import java.awt.event.*) (set-reset-globals FALSE)

(defglobal ?*frame* = (new JFrame "Hello PJUG"))

(defglobal ?*button* = (new JButton "Click my PJUG")) (?*frame* setSize 500 300)

((?*frame* getContentPane) add ?*button*)

(?*frame* setVisible TRUE)

swingDemo.bat

Demo 1: PAT
(Pattern Analysis Tool)

PAT is a simple decision-tree for choosing a Java design-pattern. Uses an initial interview to establish problem space. Recommends a GoF Java designpattern to fit the available facts.
examples/pattern.clp

The Jess API

Organized into 3 packages, 64 classes (not hard to learn) jess - inference engine guts. jess.awt GUI wrappers. jess.factory - Allows extensions that get into the guts of Jess.

The Rete (ree-tee) Object

The reasoning engine and the central class in the Jess library. Executes the built Rete network, and coordinates many other activities. Rete is essentially a facade for the Jess API.

Using the Jess API

try {
Rete engine = new Rete();

engine.executeCommand(
printout t Hello PJUG); engine.run();

}
catch (JessException je {}

is simpleall you really do need to do is call one or more Rete methods

Demo 2: Catalog Servlet

import import import import

Here is an example of a Jess public abstract class BaseServlet extends HttpServlet { application running as a public void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException, Java servlet
ServletException { doGet(request, response); } }...

jess.*; javax.servlet.*; javax.servlet.http.*; java.io.*;

Pattern References
Shalloway, A., Design Patterns Explained, Addison-Wesley, 2002 Gamma, E. et. al., Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Orient Software, AddisonWesley, 1995

Expert Systems References

Friedman-Hill, E. J., Jess In Action, Manning Press, 2003 Jackson, P., Introduction to Expert Systems 3rd Ed., AddisonWesley, 1999 Giarratano, J., Expert Systems: Principals and Programming, PSWKent, 1989

Links
Download Jess at:
http://herzberg.ca.sandia.gov/jess/index.shtml

Join the Jess user community at:

http://herzberg.ca.sandia.gov/jess/mailing_list.s html

See Dr. Friedman-Hills Jess in Action at:

http://www.manning.com/friedman-hill/

For Further Study

CLIPS Expert System Shell http://www.ghg.net/clips/CLIPS.html FuzzyJ Website http://www.iit.nrc.ca/ IR_public/fuzzy/ fuzzyJToolkit2.html

Q&A

Thanks for your attention, and I hope that you try Jess!