A low cost knowledge based software assistant

The KBSA Consortium has introduced object-oriented, knowledge-base-supported, software engineering workstations which allow the user to model, simulate, specify, implement, test, and document object-oriented software systems. The current technology has been implemented on VAX and SUN workstations using object-oriented databases. The technology is expensive and fragile. A low-cost alternative is proposed using PC Window technology workstations, a UNIX relational database manager, and a Common Lisp inference engine. The feasibility of this concept is explored in detail, outlining the technologies required, feasibility of their employment for KBSA, initial demonstration of concept, and plan for implementation. It is noted that, by employing the technology commercially, it should be possible to remove some of the fragility of KBSA technology