Knowledge Interchange Format Specification

Chapter 1: Introduction

KIF is not intended as a primary language for interaction with human users (though it can be used for this purpose). Different programs can interact with their users in whatever forms are most appropriate to their applications (for example frames, graphs, charts, tables, diagrams, natural language, and so forth).

KIF is also not intended to be an internal representation for knowledge within computer programs or within closely related sets of programs (though it can be used for this purpose as well). Typically, when a program reads a knowledge base in KIF, it converts the data into its own internal form (specialized pointer structures, arrays, etc.). All computation is done using these internal forms. When the program needs to communicate with another program, it maps its internal data structures into KIF.

The purpose of KIF is roughly analogous to that of Postscript. Postscript is commonly used by text and graphics formatting programs in communicating information about documents to printers. Although it is not as efficient as a specialized representation for documents and not as perspicuous as a specialized wysiwyg display, Postscript is a programmer-readable representation that facilitates the independent development of formatting programs and printers. While KIF is not as efficient as a specialized representation for knowledge nor as perspicuous as a specialized display (when printed in its list form), it too is a programmer-readable language and thereby facilitates the independent development of knowledge-manipulation programs.

The definition of KIF is highly detailed. Some of these details are essential; others are arbitrary. The following general features are essential in the definition of KIF.

1. The language has declarative semantics. It is possible to understand the meaning of expressions in the language without appeal to an interpreter for manipulating those expressions. In this way, KIF differs from other languages that are based on specific interpreters, such as Emycin and Prolog.

2. The language is logically comprehensive -- it provides for the expression of arbitrary sentences in predicate calculus. In this way, it differs from relational database languages (many of which are confined to ground atomic sentences) and Prolog-like languages (that are confined to Horn clauses).

3. The language provides for the representation of knowledge about the representation of knowledge. This allows us to make all knowledge representation decisions explicit and permits us to introduce new knowledge representation constructs without changing the language.

1. Translatability. A central operational requirement for KIF is that it enable practical means of translating declarative knowledge bases to and from typical knowledge representation languages.

2. Readability. Although KIF is not intended primarily as a language for interaction with humans, human readability facilitates its use in describing representation language semantics, its use as a publication language for example knowledge bases, its use in assisting humans with knowledge base translation problems, etc.

3. Implementability. Although KIF is not intended for use within programs as a representation or communication language, it can be used for that purpose if so desired.