README.FIRST

DISCERN: Processing script-based stories
========================================
Version 2.1.1, 1/8/97

Copyright (C) 1994,1997 Risto Miikkulainen

This package contains the C-code and data for running the complete,
trained DISCERN system for reading, paraphrasing, and answering
questions about script-based stories. The software allows the user to
interact with the model in real time through an X11(R5) graphics
interface. It also prints detailed log output during processing on the
standard output and collects statistics about the overall system
performance. See the file INSTALL for instructions on how to install
DISCERN in your system; see USERDOC for instructions on how to run the
program; see FILES for explanation on the software package itself.

In case you don't know what DISCERN is, see
@Book{miikkulainen:subsymbolic,
  author = 	"Risto Miikkulainen",
  title = 	"Subsymbolic Natural Language Processing: {A}n
		 Integrated Model of Scripts, Lexicon, and Memory",
  publisher = 	"MIT Press",
  year = 	"1993",
  address = "Cambridge, MA"
}
A short precis (from PSYCOLOQUY) of this book and a summary paper are
also available by anonymous ftp from
ftp.cs.utexas.edu:pub/neural-nets/discern, and in World Wide Web under
NLP publications in http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/nn.  An X11 graphics
demo, showing DISCERN in processing the example stories discussed in the
book, can be run remotely under World Wide Web at
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/nn/pages/demos/discern/discern.html.

DISCERN was put together from the final results produced by the three
training programs available in the discern directory: PROC developed the
processing modules, DISLEX the lexicon, and HFM organized the episodic
memory.  Although DISCERN performance package does not contain any
training code, it can serve as a starting point for various demo
programs in modular connectionist NLP. It shows how various
architectures (SRN and feedforward backpropagation, feature maps,
association matrices) can be put together into a single, large model
that interacts with the user on-line. There are general routines for
managing the simulation, collecting performance statistics, visualizing
the system performance and interacting with it through a command
interface and the mouse.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as published
by the Free Software Foundation. This program is distributed in the hope
that it will be useful, but without any warranty; without even the
implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
See the GNU General Public License for more details.

We hope that this software will be a useful starting point for your own
explorations in connectionist NLP. The software is provided as is,
however, we will do our best to maintain it and accommodate
suggestions. If you want to be notified of future releases of the
software or have questions, comments, bug reports or suggestions, send
email to discern@cs.utexas.edu.


Versions
--------
v1.0 8/9/93 risto
v2.0 8/9/94 risto
- rewrote the X code, cleaned up

v2.1 9/21/94 risto
- added mouse support for examining lexicon and episodic memory
- added command line options, inputfile parameter
- reorganized the structure somewhat; separated stats.c
- renamed qa-files proc (for processing modules)
- included up-to-date procsimu file: order of weights changed
- removed nword, nsent keywords; changed several other keywords

v2.1.1 1/8/97 risto
- fixed color allocation bug (screens with more than 256 colors)