read me.txt

专家系统外壳工具

 
   --- READ ME - INTERMODELLER FOR WINDOWS VERSION 3.4.1 --- 

      Tom Conlon, Parallel Logic Programming Ltd, UK

                27th January 2004 {PW 4.321}

Welcome to InterModeller, the knowledge-based modelling tool for 
Windows-based computers! 

This is commercial software, not shareware or freeware. 

InterModeller is developed in Windows and Macintosh versions by 
Parallel Logic Programming (PLP) Ltd and may be used ONLY under 
license from PLP. 

InterModeller can now run in languages other than
English - see below or read the separate 'Read Me translations' file 
in the InterModeller 'Translations' folder for details.

Visit our Web site for more information about our software, 
prices, and order arrangements. Or contact us by phone or email, 
as follows:

        Telephone (UK): 01454 201280
        WWW:  www.parlog.com
        Email: [e-mail]

This Read Me contains these sections:

        System requirements
        What's new in this version
        Known bugs and issues in this version
        Older version history

It should be read in conjunction with the InterModeller User's 
Guide (which licence holders can download from our website).


------------------------- System requirements -------------------------

This version of InterModeller has been successfully tested on Windows 98 and Windows XP 
operating systems. Note however that in order to run, your Windows system must include 
the Microsoft file RICHED20.DLL in version 5.30 or later. If you are running Windows 98 
and InterModeller fails to run when its program icon double-clicked, the unavailability 
of this file in a suitable version on your computer could be the cause.


--------------------- Known bugs and issues in this version -----------------

- Text (rule) windows are currently printed in the font currently specified 
  for them in the 'Preferences' dialogue, which could differ from the visible window font.
  Also, the font size used by a newly created text window may appear to be smaller than
  that which is specified by the dialogue.

- If you try to open a large number of windows at one time then a message 'Memory full' may 
  appear. This situation is only expected to arise in very exceptional circumstances.
  Normally, closing one or more windows will enable you to proceed, but it can happen that 
  InterModeller reports further error messages in which case you are recommended to close and
  then restart the program. Memory usage varies greatly between sessions and depends 
  on your windows' contents. Text (i.e. rule) windows occupy far less memory than graphic 
  (tree and table) windows. 

- If InterModeller is installed in a folder or path containing Chinese or other
  non-ASCII Unicode characters then the Preferences dialogue will offer font face settings
  from a very restricted list of options. 


----------------- Release version history -----------------

------------------- v3.4.1, January 2004 ------------------- 

- Fixed a bug that could cause files for graphical models to behave incorrectly when 
re-loaded and extended in a subsequent session with InterModeller.

- Fixed a bug that could create superfluous or vacuous text labels when the user hit 
Ctrl-X whilst editing the text of a graphical model.


------------------- v3.4, August 2003 ------------------- 

Improved tool icons and cursors

The tools (pen, eraser and arrow) provided in graphic windows now show revised
icons with cursors that give better feedback to the user. Each cursor now resembles 
its associated tool icon. When dragging with the arrow tool, the cursor gives
feedback on the action by changing from an arrow to a grabbing hand.

Graphics window fonts now user-settable

You can now select the font used for drawing graphics and showing help in 
table windows and both types of tree window and you can save
your preferred fonts so that InterModeller starts each session with your favourite
fonts automatically set. The 'Preferences' command ('File' menu) now accesses
three parameters, 'Graphics window font', 'Help font size' and 'Graphics window font size', 
which offer a menu of the fonts available on the host computer in various sizes. 
Note that help text is always shown in the face selected by 'Graphics window font',
although the size of help text is independently selectable. You are recommended
to close all graphic windows BEFORE altering these settings: any change to them
is designed to take effect only after the _next_ use of the 'New' or 'Open' commands and
their effect upon any already open graphic windows is not guaranteed. Table window row
height and tree window node layout will automatically adjust for font size settings. Note that 
these new  parameters are _not_ saved in the information that is stored for an individual 
window by the use of the 'Save' command, so unless their values are made permanent 
by means of the Set_Save button then graphic windows will revert to the 
default font when re-opened in a subsequent session with InterModeller. This
is different from the way that the already existing 'Text window font' and 'Text window 
font size' parameters (which affect rule windows) behave: 
text font details _are_ saved in a window's file information, so the 'File'/'Open' 
command displays a previously saved text window in the font that was 
active when the window was created regardless of the current setting of 
the font parameters. There is currently no way to change the font of a text 
window after it has been created. However, you could change the text 
font parameters and then use the 'Transform' command to produce a 
version of the rules in a window that shows the preferred font.

Translation to non-English languages

InterModeller can now run in languages other than English. The current version of
InterModeller can be configured to run in English, Chinese, and French. Switching
between these languages is a very simple process: see the separate 'Read Me translations'
file in the InterModeller 'Translations' folder for details. It is an easy matter to extend
InterModeller for other languages too, just by adding to
its 'System' folder a file named TRANSLATIONS.TXT that gives non-English
equivalents of the English words and phrases used by the program's menus 
and windows. See the 'Translations' folder for details and examples.
 
Dialogues easier to read

Several dialogues, including the 'Preferences' and 'Transform' dialogues,
have been increased in window size and/or font size. The 'Runtime tracing'
window also now uses a larger font. 

Tree layout improved

To reduce the incidence of clashing text, classification trees now have an 
increased default arc length. To accommodate more roots, the distance between
new roots (eg as created by the 'New root' or 'Transform' commands) has been
reduced for both kinds of tree model.
 
Folder contents changed

The InterModeller folder's file contents have been changed. In particular, 
a new 'System' folder now stores cursor, icon and other resource files. 

Bug fixes

- A bug that caused the printing of text (rule) windows in a minute font size has been
  addressed. A remaining issue is described below.
- Tree and table windows are now printed to centre on the printed page.
- A bug that affected menu operations on incomplete (gappy) table windows has been fixed.
- The Transform command banner has been removed (on all but extremely slow computers,
  its appearance was too brief).
- A bug has been fixed that prevented InterModeller from loading its essential icon 
  resources, and so from running graphical models, when installed in a folder or path 
  containing Chinese (or other non-ASCII Unicode) characters. However there is still an 
  issue relating to such installations - see below.
- Fixed a bug that sometimes caused text labels on vertical arcs of decision trees not to 
  be de-highlighted correctly following editing.


------------------- v3.2, June 2003 ------------------- 

Upgrade for Windows XP

This version has been recompiled under Windows XP. This ensures
that InterModeller runs fine under this version of Windows, whilst
retaining comapatability with older versions of Windows. 


------------------- v3.11, November 2002 -------------------

Runtime tracing available

A trace of the runtime consultation can now be conveniently obtained. 
To activate tracing, use the File/Preferences command and set the 
'Runtime tracing' option to 'activated'. (The default setting is 'not 
activated'). After this is done, a trace of the user's input and system 
output will be listed into a special text window. The window can 
be printed or its contents can be copied and pasted into a word 
processor document, for example, to provide evidence of a particular 
expert system's runtime behaviour.

Changed eraser tool appearance

The 'bomb' icon that previously identified the eraser tool has now been 
replaced by an icon resembling an eraser.

Scroll bar and buttons improved

In previous versions of InterModeller, clicks on these controls effected
minimal movements. The controls now give a more satisfactory response.

Arrow tool feedback

The arrow tool now gives visible feedback in the form of a dashed line
while dragging.

Memory warning

A memory warning is now given when an attempt is made to create too many
windows.

Bug fixes

Fixed several bugs: the loop detection methods sometimes caused
non-loopy models to be incorrectly reported as loopy; the compilation
of classification tree class names sometimes left these with trailing spaces;
explanations did not display if they were too lengthy (eg from Fishes Ctree); 
on one network OS, File/Open was reported to fail unless a multi-selection was made.


---------------------- v3.0, January 2002 ------------------

New 'Hide\show tools' command 

A new 'Hide\show tools' command now appears in the Models menu 
whenever a graphics (tree or table) window is at the front. 
The benefit of this command is to make the entire window area 
available for editing and inspection. The first use of 
'Hide\show tools' will hide the window's graphical tool icons 
and status field (the small area at the bottom of the window 
that displays tool help). The pen tool is automatically selected, 
so that trees and tables can still be edited, but with the benefit 
of the extra space that is normally taken up by the toolpane and 
status field. All menu commands behave as normal but of course 
the other graphical tools (arrow and eraser) will not be accessible. 
A subsequent use of  'Hide\show tools' will restore the standard 
toolpane and status field. 

File/Save command context-sensitive 

In previous versions of InterModeller, the File/Save command was 
always enabled regardless of the state of the front window. The 
command is now context-sensitive, ie it is disabled unless a change 
has been made to the window since the last use of Save or 'Save as'.

Arrow key behaviour improved

When editing text in a table or tree window the left and right arrow 
keys now function normally, ie they move the cursor in the edit field 
rather than skipping to another tree node or table cell as before. 
This change has been made because long text labels were sometimes 
difficult to edit without the normal use of arrow keys. You can still 
use the arrow keys to move rapidly between tree nodes and table cells, 
but to do this you must now hold down the shift key.