TKQML: A Scripting Tool for Building Agents

Tcl/Tk is an attractive language for the design of intelligent agents because it allows the quick construction of prototypes and user interfaces; new scripts can easily be bound at runtime to respond to events; and execution state is encapsulated by the interpreter, which helps in agent migration. However, a system of intelligent agents must share a common language for communicating requests and knowledge. We have integrated KQML (Knowledge Query Manipulation Language), one such standard language, into Tcl/Tk. The resulting system, called TKQML, provides several benefits to those building intelligent agent systems. First, TKQML allows easy integration of existing tools which have Tcl/Tk interfaces with an agent system by using Tcl to move information between KQML and the application. Second, TKQML is an excellent language with which to build agents, allowing on-the-fly specification of message handlers and construction of graphical interfaces. This paper describes the implementation...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1997
• Where: ATAL
• Authors: R. Scott Cost, Ian Soboroff, Jeegar Lakhani, Timothy W. Finin, Ethan L. Miller, Charles K. Nicholas
• Keywords: ATAL 1997, Building Intelligent Agent, Intelligent Agent, Intelligent Agents, Query Manipulation Language