[om-list] pattern conversions

[Chris Angell]

Hey all,

I thought I'd better at least at a thought or two every once in awhile, so 
here it goes.  The language paper was interesting, and helped clear up a few 
things I'm working on right now, mainly in picking a language to do a project 
in.  It's been quite frustrating dealing with different data formats, and 
interfaces, and languages.  Nothing seems to want to work together.  
Therefore I'm quite desirous to create something to get to all work together. 
 So this is what I've been thinking lately (though this has probably already 
been said, and may not tie in with om):  I would like a general (global) 
format to represent the many different formats and devices I have to work 
with.  I think om fits the job perfectly with a knowledge relational space to 
work in.  It would then be simple(simpler) to create a pattern  search 
algorithm and take om patterns then convert them to any format necessary.  
The translation app (specification) would only have to be done once,, once 
the relationship specification between om and any other format is written it 
would serve the purpose of being able to translate both ways.  Such a 
translation device (format) would be excellent (well, for solving my 
problems in my personal projects)    But in moving anything or out of om 
space could go beyond just translating docs, but serve as API wrappers, so 
you can simply buffer any external API and translate between om patterns and 
the API, device drivers for one thing, load in a hardware specification and 
automatically have a way of interfacing to the device.  This would desirably 
be AI augmented so that it can watch for patterns in the different 
translations and giving minimal information be able to create a translation.  
Even nicer would to be able to have the AI read the manufacture docs or 
format docs and generate an interpretation format based on that.  Is this 
possible?  (Any one remember web bots?  They seemed to have died a rather 
abrupt death back in 98) As of the moment I don't quite know how to take this 
forward.

-Chris