From: thunk <gmkoller@...>
Date: 2010-04-03T06:55:14+09:00
Subject: Re: Its a bird, its a plane, its.. um, an Attribute based System?


Defining "these things" may not be as simple as it may seem.  Some of
the complications include:

1.  There are multiple TYPES -  3 that I have used, and more that I
can see clear reasons for.
2.  I have repeated that they are a text file, that has a common
family Module, and a Class, all three so I'm not sure what that tells
anybody.
3.  There are SECTIONS (tarzan speak?) - and each one corresponds to a
DSL.  No big whoop here, that's been pointed out already.
4.  They Rendezvous (tarzan speak?) for? connect up with something I
call a "HelperClass" (more Tarzan? - Ruleby uses this phrase also)
.....
.....
5.  They do things with the HelperClass - by using methods (what else)
and those methods COULD DO ANYTHING - bounce light off the Moon - how
am I to speak to that...  it is OPEN.

6. There is a BLACKBOX kind of thing (from the aircraft analogy) - and
THIS thing automatically records (stack of strings) every detail of
every "transaction"

7.  The DSLs take turns going down the Sections.... depending on type.

8.  The "BlackBox" is for details, the automatic things, like
retrieving variables from someplace and giving it a name, or not
finding it and aborting, like that.   The WhiteBoard is for more
specialized communications - between "swarms" and such.  It is proving
very useful and is what I should be working on right now....

9.  The atomic units are "fired!" in a pre-determined pattern, and
they pick up some real flexibility from this, as one "pass" can leave
information for the next "pass" and so on - all common sense - but it
could seem a little foreign at first, but it is natural to our
thinking, the Taliban attacked the Germans today using a 1-2-3 plan -
small arms, then a mine - then, some scheise, different day - but
there is STRENGTH in this that seems amazing to this old programmer.
amazing and Fun.


...................
....................

But "what do it do?????"  -  one type of particular importance - by
numbers / not ability ?    Defines Attributes, Makes Assertions, and
Arrives at a "Conclusion" (tarzan?)

--------------------
.....................

I have NEVER made fantastical claims for this system: but what I see
as particularly powerful in my batShit Crazy world -

Is this:  These units are / can be created by NOTHING MORE THAN
FILLING OUT SOMETHING I WOULD CALL A "FORM" - lots of multiple
choices, and NOT much else.
Sorry, I can't think of a better name - using WEE I came up with a
system of presenting an "Expert" with this "FORM" one SECTION at a
time.

Nothing exciting there?  Maybe not, but I thought it was "kinda cool"
that everything NEEDED TO CREATE THE FORMS comes from using REFLECTION
on the various other components.

So - it sorta "free floats" / autoadjusts / self - reflecticates -
whatever - but you don't have to worry because it all works from
various tricks of Ruby Goodness.

So - now whats so useful about that???

Think about it, you have a simple form that is on-line 24-7 for
anybody anywhere anytime to add a new unit to your system - he
"authors it" - it is becomes a "atomic unit" in your system - to do
what you want.

I wrote up something I called "Capturing the Aluminum Moment" on my
wiki - not because if DEFINEs   much but because it is some of the
thought about this whole thing.

There is also another "revelation" or two that came to ME from working
with this thing - one is that the whole system could self-evolve
(tarzan speak?) with nothing more than adding HELPER_CLASSES  and
Methods to these Classes.

This sounds like the technical write up link to ABS but it is full of
'c' era stuff and doesn't smell of goodness.

ABS is the best clue yet, about what "this is" but I don't believe it
ends there.  Not because of some sort of plan, but just because Ruby
is so Good.