Acquire® SDK
What Is the SDK?The Acquire Software Development Kit (SDK), featured in the Acquire software package, lets you integrate the Acquire inference engine and knowledge bases into your applications. You can build intelligent applications using many popular development environments -- including Visual Basic, Visual C++, Java, Delphi, PowerBuilder, ToolBook -- or any other development environment that supports ActiveX controls or DLL function calls.
The Acquire SDK contains an ActiveX control and a Windows DLL for building stand-alone applications, and now includes a separate ActiveX control and DLL for building client/server applications. Sample applications, comprehensive online help and printed documentation are also included.
What's New in 2.1?
Acquire SDK 2.1 adds new features that make it easier to deliver knowledge-based applications to the desktop or over the Web. In addition to existing features such as C and C++ API libraries, an ActiveX control, full control of the Acquire inference engine, and a flexible and easy-to-use programming interface, new features have been added to provide tighter integration with the Web, enable operation of multiple knowledge bases within a single application, improve multi-user capabilities, and provide client/server support.
Under special arrangements, the Acquire SDK libraries are available for SCO Unix, Sun OS, Solaris, and Linux, and can be ported to almost any Unix variant. On Unix systems, the Acquire SDK provides a straightforward C language API.
The SDK now provides client/server support. Our NT/2000/XP service and Unix daemon use TCP/IP to provide centralized access to your knowledge bases via a LAN or the global Internet to client applications constructed using Acquire SDK.
Features
- Includes an ActiveX control and API library (DLL) to control the inference engine and access knowledge base contents.
- Includes both stand-alone and client versions of the ActiveX control and API library.
- ActiveX control has over 70 properties, methods, and events.
- API library has over 80 functions.
- Easy to use -- you can build a full-featured intelligent application in Visual Basic with just a handful of statements.
- The inference engine generates events when a rule fires, when a conflict occurs, or when it needs additional information (input).
- Ability to utilize multiple knowledge bases simultaneously in one application.
- Ability to deliver client/server applications.
- Includes sample applications that show you how to build WWW applications with CGI or Java.
- Ability to access the contents of knowledge bases, including messages written by the knowledge base author that can be used to give situation-specific commands to your application, and permitting customization from within the knowledge base.
- Flexibility of data source: obtain input interactively from the user, from the knowledge base, from a database or spreadsheet, or from a hardware device or other source.
- The expert system is embedded -- the user needn't be aware that an expert system is being used at all.
- Report generation -- you can access the Acquire "end user" reports and use them in your application.
- Approximately 400 pages of printed documentation.
Licensing
Applications constructed using the Acquire SDK can be distributed royalty free.
ActiveX Control Properties
The Acquire Active Control, which is included with Acquire SDK 2.1, has the following properties.
| Property | Description |
| CaseCaseSetup | Name of case setup that current case is based on. |
| CaseComment | Knowledge base author's comments about current case. |
| CaseCount | Number of cases in knowledge base. |
| CaseIndex | Position of current case's name within Cases property. |
| CaseName | Name of current case. |
| CaseNumbers | Numeric value assigned to objects by current case. |
| CaseObjectCount | Number of objects in the current case. |
| CaseObjects | Names of objects given values by current case. |
| Cases | String array containing names of all cases in knowledge base. |
| CaseSymbols | Symbolic values to objects by current case. |
| CaseValueTypes | Types of value assigned to objects by current case. |
| CaseSetupComment | Knowledge base author's comments about current case setup. |
| CaseSetupCount | Number of case setups in knowledge base. |
| CaseSetupIndex | Position of current case setup's name within CaseSetups property. |
| CaseSetupName | Name of the current case setup. |
| CaseSetups | String array containing names of all case setups in knowledge base. |
| ClearEngine | Flag used to clear the engine. |
| ConflictCount | Number of rules involved in a Conflict event. |
| ConflictResult | Symbolic value to which a Conflict event is resolved. |
| ConflictRules | String array containing names of rules involved in a Conflict event. |
| ConflictValues | A string array containing symbolic values that conflicting rules are attempting to assign to a single object in a Conflict event. |
| EngineCase | Name of case currently being used by engine. |
| EngineRecording | Flag to indicate engine is keeping records. |
| EngineRunning | Flag to indicate engine is running. |
| EngineState | String containing value of every object in knowledge base. |
| Index | Standard property. |
| KnowledgeBase | File name of current knowledge base. Default property. |
| Left | Standard property. |
| Name | Standard property. |
| ObjectAbbreviation | Abbreviation of current object's name. |
| ObjectComment | Knowledge base author's comments about current object. |
| ObjectCount | Number of objects in knowledge base. |
| ObjectEntryType | Current object's entry type as per current case setup. |
| ObjectIndex | Position of current object's name within Objects property. |
| ObjectName | Name of current object. |
| ObjectMessageCount | Number of messages current object has. |
| ObjectMessages | String array containing the current object's messages. |
| ObjectNumber | Current object's numeric value. |
| ObjectPrompt | Current object's prompt as per current case setup. |
| Objects | String array containing names of all objects in the knowledge base. |
| ObjectSymbol | Current object's symbolic value. |
| ObjectSymbolCount | Number of symbolic values in current object's value set. |
| ObjectSymbols | String array containing symbolic values in current object's value set. |
| ObjectType | Type of the current object. |
| ObjectValueType | Type of value possessed by current object. |
| PageComment | Knowledge base author's comments about current page. |
| PageCount | Number of pages in current case setup. |
| PageIndex | Position of current page's name within Pages property. |
| PageName | Name of the current page. |
| PageObjectCount | Number of objects on current page. |
| PageObjectEntryTypes | Integer array containing entry types of objects on current page. |
| PageObjectPrompts | String array containing prompts of objects on current page. |
| PageObjects | String array containing names of objects on current page. |
| Pages | String array containing names of pages in current case setup. |
| Port | Port number at which the Acquire server is listening for connections. |
| RangeCount | Number of ranges in the current object's mapping. |
| RangeFrom | Starting point of the current object's mapping ranges. |
| RangeTo | Ending point of the current object's mapping ranges. |
| RangeType | Type of ranges used by the current object's mapping. |
| ReportComment | Knowledge base author's comments about current user report. |
| ReportCount | Number of user reports in knowledge base. |
| ReportIndex | Position of current user report's name within Reports property. |
| ReportName | Name of current user report. |
| Reports | String array containing names of all user reports in knowledge base. |
| ReportText | Finished text of current user report. |
| RuleAbbreviation | Abbreviation of current rule's name. |
| RuleComment | Knowledge base author's comments about current rule. |
| RuleCount | Number of rules in knowledge base. |
| RuleIndex | Position of current rule's name within Rules property. |
| RuleLHSObjectCount | Number of left-hand side objects in current rule. |
| RuleLHSObjects | String array containing names of current rule's left-hand side objects. |
| RuleMessage | Current rule's message. |
| RuleName | Name of current rule. |
| RuleRHSObject | Name of current rule's right-hand side object. |
| Rules | String array containing names of all rules in knowledge base. |
| Server | Name of computer hosting the Acquire server. |
| Tag | Standard property. |
| Top | Standard property. |
ActiveX Control Events
The Acquire ActiveX control has the following events.
| Event | Meaning |
| Conflict | Two or more rules are attempting to assign values to the same object during the same cycle, and the knowledge base is unable to arbitrate among the conflicting rules. The application must resolve the conflict. |
| GetInput | The engine is requesting a value for an object. |
| RuleFired | A rule has fired. |
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