CISB434: VisiRule 1

What is VisiRule?

VisiRule is a tool for creating decision support software purely by drawing charts.

VisiRule is a graphical tool which lets you draw questions and expression which are mapped into rules. VisiRule can generate source code which can be compiled andexecuted in-situ or exported and used in a separate program.

What is VisiRule?

VisiRule be used by people with minimal programming skills who want to model their day to day decision processes. VisiRule enhances productivity by considerablyreducing the time it takes to produce a decision support system.

VisiRule combines elements of rule-based processing, knowledge-based process, decision support tools and artificial intelligence to produce a practical and flexiblemodeling and problem solving tool.

That you can augment VisiRule with code you have written in Prolog, and/or other languages, means that VisiRule can be used to model very complex processes.

Opening your first VisiRule Chart

1. Start -> Programs -> WIN-PROLOG 4700 -> VisiRule4700

2. Click on the "File\Open" menu option and navigate to the "EXAMPLES\VISIRULE“ directory. Remember to change the "Files of type:" field to "VisiRule Files (*.VSR)".

3. Select the "HELLO.VSR" and click on the "Open" button.

Opening your first VisiRule Chart

The "HELLO.VSR" chart will be displayed in its own window:

Opening your first VisiRule Chart

Right-clicking on the background of the chart’s window will display a VisiRule popup menu. Select the "Show Code." menu item at the bottom.

Opening your first VisiRule Chart

The first (and only) question will now be asked:

Creating a New VisiRule Chart

1. Click on the ’New.’ option on the ’File’ menu.

2. Select the ’VisiRule Files (*.vsr)’ entry and click on the ’OK’ button. A VisiRulewindow, known as a worksheet, will appear.

The Worksheet

The worksheet is the canvas where you will draw your chart.

The VisiRule Toolbar

Mouse over each icon to know the functionality of each icon in the toolbar

Question Box Types

In VisiRule, there are six(6) types of Question box:

1.Single Choice The menu produced will only allow the user to select one of the items on the menu.

2.Multiple Choice This allows the user to select none, one or more of the items on the menu.

3.Number Input Instead of a menu, this option provides an input box into which the user can enter any number

Question Box Types

4.Integer Input This is like Number Input, but only allows the user to enter an integer.

5.Set Input An input box is also provided by this option. The user can type in a list of items, each separated by a space character. For example: red amber green

6.Name Input Another input box is provided into which the user can type a word or phrase

Question Box Types

Linking Objects Together

Linking Objects Together

VisiRule will automatically try to prevent or warn you if two objects can not be linked together.

Exercise

Please create your own VisiRule chart and save it.This is your first VisiRule chart and you can work on it much later.It can be any design of your choice. Thank you.