# KEHOME/doc/MKRintro.html
# Aug/13/2003
MKR introduction

MKR introduction
version 6.1

An MKR proposition has the format
	at context { sentence };
where context is
	space=s, time=t, view=v
and sentence is
	subject verb object prepositionphrase;
View names the context, which is a list of
propositions.  A context is normally stored in
an entity-characteristic-proposition hierarchy.

The details of sentence structure depend on
the six types of sentence 
	statement
	question
	command
	assignment
	conditional
	iteration
and the nine types of verb
	definition	isa, iss, isu	(uses preposition "with" and/or "of")
	identity	is
	hierarchy	isa,iss,isu, ismem,isalt
	n-ary relation	isin
	binary relation	rel
	part		haspart
	attribute	has
	action		do, do*		(uses terminator "done")
	interaction	causes
There are many other MKR relations, not shown here.

The basic nine statements are
	subject isa object with essential characteristics;
	subject is object;
	subject isa object;
	subject isin relation = value;
	subject rel brelation = value;
	subject brelation value;	# alternate syntax
	subject haspart part = value;
	subject has attribute = value;
	subject do action = event
		with action characteristics
		out action products
		od action direct objects
		from action initial characteristics
		to action final characteristics
		done;
	subject causes object;

The question format is the same as a statement, with one
or more elements replaced by a question mark.  For example
	subject has ?;
	subject do ? done;

The command format is the same as an action statement,
with the subject omitted.  For example
	do classify od unknown to view done;

The assignment format is the same as an attribute statement,
with the subject omitted, and "has" replaced by "set" or "unset".
For example
	set charformat = column;
	unset debug;

The conditional format is
	if propositionlist:1
	then propositionlist:2
	else propositionlist:3
	fi;
The iteration format is
	every variable isa concept {
		propositionlist
	};

There are special definition formats for
	method
	relation (n-ary) 
	hierarchy
which are not shown here.  These formats are very user-friendly.
For example, the hierarchy format is an indented outline, similar
to the table of contents of a book.

The comment format begins with "#" and extends to end of line.
For example
	MKRintro.html has                  # this document
	  author="Richard H. McCullough",  # dc:creator
	  date="March 5, 2003";            # creation date

For more details see
	KEHOME/doc/MKRgrammar.html
	KEHOME/doc/MKRtoken.html
	KEHOME/src/symbol.icn
	KEHOME/src/token.icn
	KEHOME/doc/MKEtutorial.html

MKE home