======================================================
The CLIXPERT knowledge base editor and interpreter for Windows
======================================================


CONTENTS:

1. General information
2. System requirements
3. System limitations
4. Installation
	4.1 Windows 3.1x
	4.2 Networks
	4.3 Windows 95
	4.4 Monitors
5. Starting up
6. Creating a knowledge base
	6.1 Entering goals
	6.2 Editing goals
	6.3 Attribute Values and Variable Identifiers
	6.4 Classifying goals
	6.5 The Formula Builder
	6.6 Adding a graphic
	6.7 Saving
	6.8 Debugging
	6.9 Searching for a goal
7. Running (consulting) a knowledge base
8. Printing
9. Help
10. Keyboard shortcuts

_______________________________________________________________

1. General information


Clixpert version 3.1 was completed in December 1996 by Graeme
Summers of Coolum State High School, Queensland. There is no
copyright on the program, it may be distributed free of charge.
The installation disk should be copied in its entirety (see 
Installation for a list of all files required).

I would be happy to receive feedback as to how useful you have
found this program. I will act upon your feedback to produce a
better quality product. Clixpert is being constantly improved
as my students feed suggestions to me. You may like to arrange
an update. I can be contacted:

snail mail:	Graeme Summers
		Coolum SHS
		Havana Road
		Coolum 4573
		Queensland

phone:		07 5448 1555
fax:		07 5448 2402
email:		coolumshs@peg.apc.org
 
Microsoft Visual Basic was the programming system used.

Clixpert provides the facility to make graphical 
implementations of dichotomous keys. You are able to create 
and run 'programs' without writing any code. However it is 
absolutely necessary for you to carefully plan a decision 
tree before attempting an implementation.

Because no code is written, users can concentrate on the 
design aspects of the knowledge base.

The program is not aimed at any particular group of users. 
Primary school through to upper secondary students would find
an appropriate level of application.

_______________________________________________________________

2. System requirements


The minimum requirements are an IBM compatible, 386 or above, 
with 4 Mb RAM running Windows 3.1. A printer is required if 
hard copies of consultations are needed. The installed files 
will use a total of approximately 600 Kb of disk space.

_______________________________________________________________

3. System limitations


Clixpert is limited to small knowledge bases which can be 
modelled with a dichotomous tree. The only limitation on the 
total number of goals which can be reached is the amount of
available memory and disk space. So systems containing 
hundreds of goals are possible. However, the lists at each 
decision junction are limited to a total membership of 50.
There is a limit of 8 numeric variables for each attribute
value.

_______________________________________________________________

4. Installation


4.1 Windows 3.1x

Insert the setup disk in drive A. In the program manager, choose
Run... from the file menu. Type a:\setup and press Enter. Your
installation disk should contain the following files: SETUP.EXE,
SETUPCLX.EXE, SETUP.LST, VER.DL_, VBRUN300.DLL, CLIXPERT.EXE,
README.TXT, CMDIALOG.VBX, COMMDLG.DLL, SETUPKIT.DLL.


4.2 Networks

Create a directory for Clixpert eg F:\WINAPPS\CLIXPERT. Copy
CLIXPERT.EXE and README.TXT to that directory. Copy VBRUN300.DLL,
CMDIALOG.VBX and COMMDLG.DLL to the Windows directory eg
F:\WINDOWS. Create a group for Clixpert on the program manager
then add Clixpert and Readme to this group in the usual way.
Ensure that users have Read and File Scan rights to the directory
holding CLIXPERT.EXE and README.TXT. Create, Read, Write, and File
Scan rights will be required for the directory which is to hold 
the ckb files and accompanying graphics (a home directory?). 


4.3 Windows 95

Clixpert runs smoothly in Windows 95. However you should install
manually. Create a folder Clixpert. Copy CLIXPERT.EXE, README.TXT
and CMDIALOG.VBX to this folder from the distribution disk. 
Perhaps you could then make a shortcut to Clixpert.


4.4 Monitors

The video display should be set to Small Fonts if you are using a
high resolution monitor.

_______________________________________________________________


5. Starting up


The startup command is CLIXPERT (an EXE file). If you decide 
you don't want the opening splash screen to be displayed on
startup, give a command line argument of a colon (:)
CLIXPERT :

_______________________________________________________________

6. Creating a knowledge base


It is wise to familiarise yourself with Clixpert with some small
knowledge bases of up to 10 goals before attempting larger
projects.

After the opening splash screen you will be placed in design
mode at Level 0 (the root of the decision tree). At that point
a new knowledge base can be constructed or an existing
knowledge base loaded. Any existing knowledge bases are files
with the extension ckb (Clixpert knowledge base). A ckb file
can be loaded by selecting Open on the File menu.

Note that knowledge bases produced with earlier versions of
Clixpert are compatible with version 3.1.


6.1 Entering goals

If you are entering a new knowledge base you are again reminded
of the necessity to carefully plan (perhaps with an attribute
table and a decision tree) before implementing. 

If you are to have a knowledge base with a total of up to 50 goals 
you should enter the names of all these goals through the goal 
entry text box.

As soon as you start to type a goal the More... button is enabled.
Clicking this button will present a dialog box which allows the
the entering of additional information about the goal. You can enter
text information and/or a graphic to associate with the goal. This
information becomes available at the completion of a consultation
after the goal has been identified.

Each goal can be added to the root list box by pressing Enter, 
clicking the button with the tick, or choosing Add from the Edit 
menu. Goals can only be entered into the knowledge base at this root
level. The building of the branches below involves the successive 
filtering of lists. The entry text box and the lists below will only
display the first 20 characters of a goal, so ideally they should be
kept within this limit. However at the completion of a consultation,
when a conclusion is reached the entire goal entered will be 
displayed. This is also the case in logs of consultations and the 
printouts of these logs.

Please note that 50 is not the limit for the total number of goals
in a tree. It is the maximum number of goals in any one list while
you are developing the tree. If the root level list (Level 0)
reaches 50 you will then have to move these goals down the tree
before you can enter any more. A perfectly symmetric tree with 10
levels (0 to 9) would be able to contain 1024 goals!


6.2 Editing goals

Just as Adding new goals can only occur at the root level, Deleting
or Changing the names of goals can only be done at this level. This
is a safeguard to ensure all goals pass through the filters below,
arriving at their position on the tree through careful consideration
of each question. Deleting or Changing can be done by first clicking
on goals in the root list then selecting Delete or Change from the 
Edit menu. Only one goal at a time can be changed but multiple goals
can be deleted in one operation. Goals can be selected or deselected
by a single click.

Deleting a goal also deletes the additional information which is
attached to it.

When a goal is being changed you also have the opportunity to edit
the additional information with the More... button.


6.3 Attribute Values and Variable Identifiers

Below the entry list is a text box where the first question on a
particular attribute is entered. The question should be simple and
to the point but there is virtually no limit on the length of a
question. The default values of Yes and No are provided in the two
text boxes below. Alternative values can be entered. Attribute
values should be kept as brief as possible. There is a limit of
approximately 75 characters per value. That which is beyond the
limit will disappear from view during a consultation but will appear
later in the log.

Up to 8 numeric variables can be entered along with an attribute
value. Use semicolons as delimiters. Use descriptive identifiers
like length, radius, interest etc. These variables can be used in
formulas associated with goals placed on a branch below (see 6.5
The Formula Builder).


6.4 Classifying Goals

Select all the goals in the root list which apply to one of the
attribute values (the defaults being Yes and No). Then click the
Down button above the value you have chosen. The two Down buttons
have open arrows pointing South West and South East towards the
next two list boxes. All the goals in the root list will then be
passed through this first filter and added to the two lists below.

Subsequent classification can be achieved by moving down a level
(click the Down Page button beside the list you want to work on
next). The Down and Up Page buttons point North or South and have
a solid arrow caption. When you move down a level the list you 
have decided to work on becomes the root list at this next level.
This process is continued until there is only one goal at the end
of each branch. The knowledge base is not complete, and hence
cannot be consulted until this stage is reached.

The List all button, beside each of the Attribute value text boxes,
produces a display of all goals which have been classified to that
side of the tree - at that level and all levels below.


6.5 The Formula Builder

When a goal has been completely classified you can then build a
formula based on the variables entered at levels above. Select the
goal then click the button with the ellipsis caption beside it
(...). A list box will display all variable names which have been
entered above this goal.

Click the numbers, operators and brackets. Double click on a
variable to entered it into the formula. When you click OK there
is a validity check on the formula before it is accepted. Invalid
characters or numbers, incorrect use of brackets or operators will
be detected.

Note that the variables appear between their own special delimiters
when entered into the formula.

There are 4 number formats for the evaluated formula:
Integer - rounded to the nearest integer
Standard - number displayed with a thousands separator and 2
digits to the right of the decimal point
Currency - dollar sign, number displayed with a thousands
separator, negative numbers enclosed in parentheses, two digits
to the right of the decimal point
Percentage - number multiplied by 100 with a % sign, two digits
to the right of the decimal point

The result of an applied formula is displayed at the end of a
consultation log (see 7 Running a knowledge base).


6.6 Adding a graphic

The facility to add a graphic enhances the clarity of the 
attribute questions. Graphics are restricted to bmp, ico and
wmf formats. They might be graphics you have created yourself, 
from commercial collections or scanned images. It is important
that they have been prepared during your planning stage and 
preferably located in the directory they will be when you are
'running' (consulting) your knowledge base.

To add a graphic click the Graphic... button. The dialog box
presented allows you to select and preview. If your graphic is
larger than the picture box provided scroll bars will appear.
Note that the OK button confirms your selection, the Cancel
graphic button indicates you have decided you don't want a 
graphic at this stage.

The graphics you select appear during a consultation.

You may have to have the graphics located somewhere else when
you are running. For example, you may have obtained your ckb 
from a friend who has a different directory structure on his/her
computer.

If this is the case the path of all of your graphics (those
attached to attribute questions as well as those contained in
additional information about a goal) can be overridden by 
selecting Reset graphic path on the file menu. If you need to 
do this you will have to reset the path each time you open a 
new ckb. The Cancel path button, in this dialog box, reverses 
the resetting of the path so that graphics will be loaded from 
their previously saved path.

In the Reset graphic path dialog there is a check box with the
caption Path to save. Checking this box indicates that, when 
saving, this path is to be saved along with the other details
of the knowledge base.


6.7 Saving

Selecting Save As on the File menu presents a dialog box where
you can choose the path and filename of your knowledge base. 
All ckb files are saved in binary form with the same extension.
A quick save can be selected from the tool bar or from the File
menu. 

Saving can only take place in design mode, or when exiting in
either design or run.

All details of each knowledge base are saved in the one file.
If you checked the Path to save check box (Reset graphic path
dialog box) the new path will be saved at the same time.

You will be prompted to Save if you attempt a New, Open or Exit
when any change has been made since the last save.


6.8 Debugging

Selecting the Debug option on the Edit menu causes a traverse
of the tree checking all details. If it is not possible to run
because of an error, the problem will be reported. Only one 
error is reported at a time, so several traverses may be 
necessary until it is reported, with a message box, that your 
tree is free of errors.

If your tree is free of errors you will also be informed of its
efficiency.

Debug is automatically activated each time you attempt to do a
run. If no errors are found the Run will proceed without a 
message box. Debug does not, however, report on the validity of
a graphic path. If a graphic is not located where it is expected
to be during a consultation, an error message appears. This does
not, however, cause the consultation to terminate.


6.9 Searching for a goal

As your tree becomes more populated you may have some 
difficulty in locating a particular goal. Find on the Edit menu
will facilitate this. This option is only enabled if you have
gone beyond Level 0 in the development of your tree. Once the
goal is found you will be placed in the tree where your goal is
visible.

Find can also be used to simply peruse the entire list of goals
entered into your tree.

______________________________________________________________

7. Running (consulting) a knowledge base

Run can be chosen as Start from the Run menu or by clicking the
run button on the toolbar or by pressing the F5 key. Each run
is a consultation with a knowledge base leading to a conclusion
which identifies a particular goal. The questions about the
attributes are presented one at a time (along with a graphic if
one has been chosen). If a question is particularly long a scroll
bar will automatically appear giving you access to the part which
is temporarily out of view. Similarly scroll bar(s) appear if a
chosen graphic is too large to fit in the allocated space.

You simply click on the attribute value of your choice to 
continue with the consultation. If there is a numeric variable
to receive a value a keypad will be displayed for you to enter
the value. This can be done with a mouse or from the keyboard.

The Run can be terminated at any point either by choosing End
from the Run menu or by clicking the End button on the toolbar.

At any stage during the consultation the Possible goals button
may be clicked to view the list of possible goals which have
been determined so far.

When a consultation reaches a conclusion, reported by a message
box, a log of that consultation is displayed. You may choose to
obtain a printout of that log which can only be obtained in run
mode. The Print dialog box includes a Print to file check box.
If this box is checked and the OK button clicked another dialog
box is displayed. A log of the consultation can then be saved
in a text file.

When the consultation log is displayed, and if you have a graphic
for that particular goal, the View menu becomes enabled. You can
then switch between the consulation log and the graphic.

If you have built a formula for the goal this is evaluated and
the result displayed at the end of the log. Should an error be
encountered (eg alteration in variables, division by zero) then
this will be reported in a message box and the formula result
will not be displayed in the log. 

Selected portions of the consultation can be copied to the Windows
clipboard by dragging over the required portion and clicking Copy
in the Edit menu.

_______________________________________________________________

8. Printing

A hard copy (or a text file) of a consultation can be requested 
by choosing Print on the File menu. This can only be chosen in run
mode at the conclusion of a consultation (see 7). Upon returning
to design mode a record of the last consultation is lost. The
Print dialog box gives the option of Print to File. If this is
chosen the consultation can be printed to a text file.

_______________________________________________________________

9. Help

The text file you are now reading (readme.txt) is displayed in 
a text box, with a vertical scroll bar, when the Help button is
clicked, or when the Search for help on... option is clicked on
the Help menu. A search option facilitates finding a particular
topic.

Information about this program is also available on the Help menu
by clicking About Clixpert.

Descriptions of the functions of all enabled buttons and boxes
appear in a bar, at the bottom of the design and run screens, when
the mouse pointer passes over them. 

A short description of each of the buttons on the toolbar appears
below the button as the mouse pointer passes over the lower part of
a button.

Feel free to make additions or alterations to this help text file
to suit your own requirements.

_______________________________________________________________

10. Keyboard shortcuts

Ctrl + N	Start a New knowledge base
Ctrl + O	Open an existing knowledge base
Ctrl + S	Quick Save the current knowledge base
Ctrl + A	Save As the current knowledge base
Ctrl + R	Reset the graphic path
Ctrl + P	Print the last consultation
Ctrl + C	Copy the selected portion of a text box
Del     	Delete the selected goal
Ctrl + F	Find a goal
F5      	Start to consult the current knowledge base

_______________________________________________________________