manual

B-Prolog User's Manual
(Version 7.8)

Prolog, Agent, and Constraint Programming

Neng-Fa Zhou
Afany Software & CUNY & Kyutech
Copyright ©Afany Software, 1994-2012.
Last updated Nov 25, 2012

- Preface
- Acknowledgements
Contents
Getting Started with B-Prolog
- How to install B-Prolog
- How to enter and quit B-Prolog
- Command line arguments
- The command line editor
- How to run programs
Programs
- Terms
- Programs
- Control constructs
Data Types and Built-ins
- Terms
- Numbers
- Lists and structures
- Arrays and the array subscript notation (not in ISO)
- Set manipulation (not in ISO)
- Hashtables (not in ISO)
- Character-string operations
Declarative Loops and List Comprehensions (not in ISO)
- The base foreach
  - Examples
- foreach with accumulators
  - Examples
  - Examples
- List comprehensions
  - Examples
- Cautions on the use
Exception Handling
- Exceptions
- throw/1
- catch/3
  - Examples:
Directives and Prolog Flags
- Mode declaration
- include/1
- Initialization
- Dynamic declaration
- multifile/1
- Tabled predicate declaration
- Table mode declaration
- Prolog flags
Debugging
- Execution modes
- Debugging commands
Input and Output
- Stream
- Character input/output
- Character code input/output
- Byte input/output
- Term input/output
- Input/output of DEC-10 Prolog (not in ISO)
- Formatted output of terms (not in ISO)
Dynamic Clauses and Global Variables
- Predicates of ISO-Prolog
- Predicates of DEC-10 Prolog (not in ISO)
- Global variables (not in ISO)
- Properties
- Global heap variables (not in ISO)
Memory Management and Garbage Collection
- Memory allocation
- Garbage collection
Matching Clauses
- Example:
- Example:
Action Rules and Events
- Syntax
- Operational semantics
- Another example
- Timers and time events
  - Example:
- Suspension and attributed variables
  - Example:
Constraints
- CLP(Tree)
- CLP(FD)
- CLP(Boolean)
- CLP(Set)
- Modeling with foreach and list comprehension
Programming Constraint Propagators
- A constraint interpreter
- Indexicals
- Reification
- Propagators for binary constraints
- all_different(L)
A Common Interface to SAT and LP/MIP Solvers
- Creating decision variables
- Constraints
- Solver invocation
- Examples
  - A simple LP example
  - Graph coloring
Tabling
- Table mode declarations
- Linear tabling and the strategies
- Primitives on tables
External Language Interface with C
- Calling C from Prolog
- Calling Prolog from C
  - Example:
External Language Interface with Java
- Installation
- Data conversion between Java and B-Prolog
- Calling Prolog from Java
- Calling Java from Prolog
Interface with Operating Systems
- Building standalone applications
- Commands
Profiling
- Statistics
- Profile programs
- Profile program executions
- More statistics
Predefined Operators
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I get rid of the warnings on singleton variables?
- How can I deal with stack overflows?
- Is it possible to set break points in the debugger?
- Is it possible to debug compiled code?
- I have a predicate defined in two different files. Why is the definition in the first file still used even after the second file is loaded?
- How can I build standalone applications?
- How can I disable the garbage collector?
- Why do I get the error message when I compile a Java program that imports bprolog.plc.Plc?
- Can I have a Prolog variable passed to a Java method and let the Java method instantiate the variable?
- Is it possible for one language to know about exceptions raised by a different language?
- Is it possible to write CGI scripts in B-Prolog
Useful Links
- CGLIB: http://www.probp.com/cglib/
- CHR Compilers: http://www.probp.com/chr/
- JIPL: http://www.kprolog.com/jipl/index_e.html
- Logtalk: http://www.logtalk.org/
- PRISM: http://sato-www.cs.titech.ac.jp/prism/
- Constraint Solvers: http://www.probp.com/solvers/
- XML: http://www.probp.com/publib/xml.html
Bibliography
Index
About this document ...

Neng-Fa Zhou 2012-11-23