Rapid expert system prototyping with shells for personal computers

Aspects of rapid expert system (ES) prototyping using ES shells for personal computers are presented. Three shells-1st-class, VP-Expert, and Personal Consultant Plus (PC Plus)-are discussed. Aspects of ES prototyping based on the experience accumulated from several ES development projects with VP-Expert and PC Plus are examined. These studies resulted in the development of operational ES software. The usefulness and cost-effectiveness of ES shells for personal computers for experimenting with ES technology and rapidly creating user-friendly ES prototypes are demonstrated. Examples of the capabilities created, namely, hierarchical structuring of the problem knowledge base, inclusion of graphics as static and dynamic images, incorporation of calculations, and integration with databases, are presented. Issues for future studies are discussed