Short:	Knowledge Based System Inference Net Builder
Author:	Andrew@basden.demon.co.uk
Uploader:	Andrew@basden.demon.co.uk
Version:	1.06
Type:	dev/misc

ISTAR

Istar is a knowledge based system builder that allows you to construct
inference nets, bayesian nets and semantic nets.  It has a particularly
nice user interface, with a smoothness that only Amiga hardware can give.
So it is useful for decision support, to help you clarify complex ideas.

You build your knowledge base by drawing boxes and arrows, and then
can run the KB direct.  See Docs/.Intro to get going.

See the following Web pages:

The main inca page is 
     http://www.salford.ac.uk/iti/projects/inca/inca.html
     
The main Istar page is
     http://www.salford.ac.uk/its274/istar/istar.html

NEW IN THIS VERSION (See Docs/History)

This is a minor update from Version 1.05 (Jan 97), with better key control
and minimize/maximize boxes.  Version 1.05 added two major improvements -
dynamic documents (albeit a limited facility just now) and the ability to
add attributes to any existing item after it has been created.

PLANS

Next version I hope to put in a Lists facility that will allow
relational algebra operations like union, intersection, and also
make the goal list more flexible.

ISTAR NEWS

As bugs are discovered, as tips are suggested, and as better 
documentation is written, etc., - things that do not involve 
a new version of Istar - they will be put on Aminet as they arrive,
under the name Istarnews.  So Istarnews should appear in the RECENT
list more frequently than versions of Istar.

COPYRIGHT

Istar, all versions, are copyright (C) Andrew Basden, University
of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, U.K.  Andrew@basden.demon.co.uk.

The version with this file can be used freely as long as all copies
of it include the name 'Istar' in their file names whereever they
are stored and as long as this file and copyright notice is
kept with the file.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Known to work on Amiga 1200, 3000, 4000.  Will just about run in
2Mb machines, but recommend use the IstarPrefs_LowMem as your
preferences file.

Assigns needed (can work without them):
	IstarSys: (has IstarPrefs and, in future, other things)
	KBTools: where KBs are saved etc.
Fonts used (unless specified in IstarPrefs):
	Courier
	Garnet
	Topaz
Libs used:
	iff.library (but can work without it)

It works best if you assign KBTools: to the directory where you keep
your knowledge bases, and IstarSys: to a directory where various system
files are kept.  At present, the only file sought in IstarSys is IstarPrefs.
Otherwise just starts as Sys: root.

FILES INCLUDED:

Istar	Main program.

Other files are documentation.  Read Intro first and it explains the
other files.

DISCLAIMER:

Istar is supplied as-is.

Istar is still under development.  Some of its buttons do not work
because they are not attached to anything yet.  Some of its more
exotic data transofrmations do not yet work.

Let me know what you think of it, by mailing me at Istar@basden.demon.co.uk

Andrew Basden.
17.2.97.