Verbot 4 Manual

Verbot 4 Manual Last updated: Friday, January 28, 2005

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Verbot 4.0 Manual

Table of Contents Foreword

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Part I Verbot4

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Part II Introduction

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1 System Requirements ................................................................................................................................... 5 2 Getting Started ................................................................................................................................... 5

Part III Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview) 1 File

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................................................................................................................................... 8 New Open Recent Files Save Save As Exit

2 Tools

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Edit KnowledgeBase .......................................................................................................................................................... Info 15 Merge Knowledge .......................................................................................................................................................... 16 Print KnowledgeBase .......................................................................................................................................................... 20 Synonyms .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 Replacement .......................................................................................................................................................... Profiles 23 Skin Editor .......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Search Rules.......................................................................................................................................................... 30 Test KnowledgeBase .......................................................................................................................................................... 31 Compile KnowledgeBase .......................................................................................................................................................... 34 Expand KnowledgeBase .......................................................................................................................................................... 34

3 Help

................................................................................................................................... 35 Editor Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 35 Online Help .......................................................................................................................................................... 36 Community Forum .......................................................................................................................................................... 37 About .......................................................................................................................................................... 38

4 Resource Files ................................................................................................................................... Details 39 Resource Files .......................................................................................................................................................... 40

5 Rules

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Rule Name .......................................................................................................................................................... 41 New Rule .......................................................................................................................................................... 42 Rename Rule.......................................................................................................................................................... 42 New Child .......................................................................................................................................................... 43 Delete Rule .......................................................................................................................................................... 44

Part IV How To's

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1 Creating your ................................................................................................................................... First Rule 47 2 Creating Child ................................................................................................................................... Rules 52 3 Using Virtual................................................................................................................................... Child Rules 53 © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

Contents

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4 Creating Synonyms ................................................................................................................................... 60 5 Using Synonyms ................................................................................................................................... 63 6 Running Applications ................................................................................................................................... 67 7 Loading, Testing, ................................................................................................................................... and Talking - Oh my! 69 8 How to Compile ................................................................................................................................... a KnowledgeBase 71 9 The Teaching.vkb ................................................................................................................................... KnowledgeBase 72

Part V Advanced Features

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1 Command Line ................................................................................................................................... Options 77 2 KnowledgeBase ................................................................................................................................... Templates and CSV Files 77 Creating a CSV .......................................................................................................................................................... file 77 Creating a KnowledgeBase .......................................................................................................................................................... Template 80 Expand or Compile .......................................................................................................................................................... 82

3 Variables

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Internal Variables .......................................................................................................................................................... 89 Variables with.......................................................................................................................................................... Alternate Text 91

4 Tags and Inputs ................................................................................................................................... 91 MS Agent Tags .......................................................................................................................................................... 92 Special _Inputs .......................................................................................................................................................... 93 Verbot Tags .......................................................................................................................................................... 94 agent.load......................................................................................................................................................... 94 exit ......................................................................................................................................................... 94 learn ......................................................................................................................................................... 94 load ......................................................................................................................................................... 97 mem.get ......................................................................................................................................................... 97 mem.set ......................................................................................................................................................... 97 quit ......................................................................................................................................................... 98 read ......................................................................................................................................................... 98 readprint ......................................................................................................................................................... 98 run ......................................................................................................................................................... 98 send ......................................................................................................................................................... 98

Part VI Glossary

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1 Child Rules ................................................................................................................................... 99 2 Comma Separated ................................................................................................................................... Value (CSV) files 103 3 Compiled KnowledgeBase ................................................................................................................................... Files (ckb) 103 4 Expand

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5 Inputs

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6 KnowledgeBase ................................................................................................................................... 108 7 KnowledgeBase ................................................................................................................................... Template 109 8 Outputs

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9 Primary Rule ................................................................................................................................... 109 10 Rule

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11 Synonyms ................................................................................................................................... 110 12 Synonym Output ................................................................................................................................... 112 © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

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Verbot 4.0 Manual 13 Verbot

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14 Virtual Child................................................................................................................................... Rules 112 15 Verbot KnowledgeBase ................................................................................................................................... Files (vkb) 112

Part VII Documentation History Index

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Verbot4

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Verbot4

Last Update: Friday, January 28, 2005 2:43 PM Download this help file exe format Download this help file PDF format

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Introduction A Tale of Two Applications. With Verbot® 4.0 technology, creating your own intelligent agent becomes as straightforward as typing a sentence or command in natural language text. This manual includes information which will quickly get you up to speed with creating your own Verbot® personality. Of course you don't have to create your own Verbot® KnowledgeBase, but doing so is half the fun! Verbot® 4.0 Standard Edition comes with two applications. Verbot® 4.0 Standard Edition Player, and the Verbot® Scripting Interface. Verbot® 4.0 Standard Edition Player The Verbot® Player loads KnowledgeBases and displays an animated character that you can interact with through text based conversation. Content within a KnowledgeBase Rule allows the Verbot® character to open desktop applications, and perform various animations. Verbot Scripting Interface The Verbot Scripting Interface is used to create custom KnowledgeBases. The easy to use interface allows you to create Rules which contain Inputs and Outputs. Inputs can utilize Verbot® Synonym files to help make scripting a breeze. Outputs can contain special tags which can open and run applications, as well as animate the Verbot® in many ways. If you're anxious to get started creating your own Verbot® personality see: How to's

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2.1

Verbot 4.0 Manual

System Requirements System Requirements: · · · · ·

Windows 2000/XP Microsoft Agent Text to Speech Engine .Net Framework 1.1 or higher SAPI 4.0*

Microsoft Agent Links: Microsoft Agent Main page: http://www.microsoft.com/msagent/ Microsoft Agent Download page: http://www.microsoft.com/msagent/downloads/user.asp Microsoft Text to Speech Downloads: http://www.microsoft.com/msagent/downloads/user.asp#tts *Windows XP users require SAPI 4.0 download http://www.microsoft.com/msagent/downloads/user.asp#sapi Microsoft .Net Framework Downloads: The best way to install the .Net Framework is through Windows Update. Locate it and install as needed from Windows Update. http://www.windowsupdate.com (Note: If .Net is not listed as a windows update, you already have it installed) Alternative Download: http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/technologyinfo/howtoget/default.aspx

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Getting Started Verbot Technology was designed from the ground up to be user friendly, yet powerful. If you're eager to begin Scripting we provided links to a few terms and tutorials to quickly get you up and running. Terms you should know: · · · · ·

KnowledgeBase Rule Input Output Synonyms

How To's to get you up and running: · · · ·

Creating your First Rule Creating Child Rules Using Virtual Child Rules Creating Synonyms

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Introduction

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· Using Synonyms Once you've mastered creating Rules and Synonyms you'll be ready to move on to more advanced features. Click here for an overview of How To's

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Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview) When the Verbot Scripting Interface (VSI) first opens, you will have access to the following items: · File · New · Open · Recent Files · Save · Save As · Exit · Tools · Edit KnowledgeBase Info · Merge KnowledgeBase · Print KnowledgeBase · Synonyms · Replacement Profiles · Skin Editor · Search Rules · Test KnowledgeBase · Compile KnowledgeBase · Expand KnowledgeBase · Help · Editor Introduction · Online Help · Community Forum · About · Resource Files Details · Resource Files · Add Files · Delete Files · Rules · Rule Name · New Rule · Rename Rule · New Child · Delete Rule

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Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview)

3.1

File

3.1.1

New The "New" menu item allows you to create a new KnowledgeBase for your agent.

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Open The "Open" item on the menu allows you to open a previously saved KnowledgeBase, or a KnowledgeBase which may have been downloaded.

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3.1.3

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Recent Files The "Recent Files" item on the menu allows you to open recently opened KnowledgeBases. Use this feature to quickly load KnowledgeBases you have been working with.

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Save The "Save" menu item saves the currently opened KnowledgeBase.

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Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview)

3.1.5

Save As The "Save As" menu item saves the currently opened KnowledgeBase under a different name.

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Exit "Exit" of course, exits the Verbot Scripting Interface.

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Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview)

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3.2

Tools

3.2.1

Edit KnowledgeBase Info The "Edit KnowledgeBase Info" tool is used to fill in details about the loaded KnowledgeBase. Using the "Edit KnowledgeBase Info" tool you can do the following: · · · · · · · ·

Author: Name the Author of the KnowledgeBase Author Website: Provide a URL to the Author's website Copyright Info: Provide Copyright Information Licence Info: Provide information about how the KnowledgeBase is being released Rating Level: Set a KnowledgeBase Rating: Kids, General, Teens, Mature Audience, Unknown Additional Check boxes: Language, Violence, Sexual Content, Other Rating Description: provide any additional information on the rating you would like to include. Comment: Type any additional comments about the KnowledgeBase here. © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview)

3.2.2

Merge Knowledge Come together right now over me. To merge to KnowledgeBases together, click the "Merge KnowledgeBase" link. The Merge KnowledgeBase dialog box.

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When the dialog box first opens your current loaded KnowledgeBase is displayed. You may click any Rule in the "KnowledgeBase Rules" field to display its details in the "Rule Details" field. To merge another KnowledgeBase with the currently displayed KnowledgeBase click the "Merge KnowledgeBase" button. Select the KnowledgeBase you wish to merge with the currently displayed KnowledgeBase and click "Open"

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Once you click "Open" the KnowledgeBase merge process will begin. It may take several minutes to process depending on the size of the KnowledgeBases. As the KnowledgeBases are processed Information will be printed to the "Information" field. While the KnowledgeBase is being processed the "Ok" button will be grayed out. However, you can cancel the process anytime by clicking the "Cancel" button. When the process is complete you can look over the changes or click the "Ok" button to except changes. You may also click "Cancel" to cancel all changes.

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Look at all the pretty colors. As the KnowledgeBase loads information about the process is color coded and printed in the Information field. When the process is complete, Rules that have been changed in some form are also color coded. Each color means something different. Here is a brief overview of what the color coding means: · Green = The Rule that an Input existed in the original KnowledgeBase and the loaded KnowledgeBase. · Blue = The Rule did not exist in the original KnowledgeBase and was added from the loaded KnowledgeBase. · Red = Red text only appears in the Information box. Red text items are a result of duplicate Rule IDs being identified. All duplicate Rule IDs are regenerated automatically to avoid problems and require no manual manipulation.

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3.2.3

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Print KnowledgeBase It's not a KnowledgeBase, it's a Novel! In some cases you may wish to view you're Verbot KnowledgeBase from beginning to end. The Print KnowledgeBase menu item allows you to print the entire KnowledgeBase out for review of Inputs and Outputs.

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Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview)

3.2.4

Synonyms The "Synonym" Tool opens the Synonym Editor used to create and Edit Synonym files. For information on Synonyms see: Synonyms For information on creating synonyms see: Part 3 : Creating Synonyms For information on using synonyms in your KnowledgeBase see: Part 4 : Using Synonyms

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Replacement Profiles The "Replacement Profile" editor allows you to designate different text to be sent to the TTS verses the text displayed within the Verbot Output box. If for example you created a "Replacement Profile" that might be used in the United Kingdom - you might want to map the text "Television" to the word "Telly". With the "Replacement Profile" editor you can remap the word "Television" to send the word "Tell e" to the Verbot TTS Engine (spelling can be adjusted to allow the text to speech engine best represent the word.), and present the word "Telly" within the Verbot Output box. Below is an image of the "Replacement Profile" Editor which includes the example above as well as "smilies" remaped to Verbot Animations.

The image below is the result from asking the Verbot "do you watch Television?". Although the original Output contained the text "Television" instead of "Telly". The Replacement Profile above replaced "Television" with "Telly" in the Output box, and sent the text "Tell e" to the Verbot TTS engine.

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3.2.6

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Skin Editor The Verbot Skin Editor currently allows you to create skin files which can be loaded into the Verbot Player. Skins include information such as screen size, colors, and agent to use when the skin is loaded.

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Agent to use Select the Agent you wish the Skin to utilize when it first loads. TTS Mode Select the TTS engine the Agent should use. Speed Use the slider bar to adjust the rate of speed in which the Agent speaks. Pitch Use the slider bar to adjust the pitch of the Agents voice. Restore Defaults Use the "Restore Defaults" button to restore the Speed and Pitch of the Agents voice to the default © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

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settings. Window Height You may select the height of the Verbot Player window in pixels. Window Width You may select the width of the Verbot Player window in pixels. Allow User to resize window By unchecking the check box disables the user from re-sizing the Verbot Player. Input Text Font You may select the font style and size for the Input box. Output Text Font You may select the font style and size for the Output box. Background Image Filename Use the background choose button to select an image file to use as a background (skin) for the Verbot Player. Image file formats include: bmp, png, gif, jpg, and jpeg

Input Text Color Use the Choose Color button to select the color you wish to use for the Verbot Player's Input text.

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Input Background Color Use the Choose Color button to select the color you wish to use for the Verbot Player's Input background.

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Background Color As an alternative to an image file you can simply select the background color you wish to use for the Verbot Player.

Output Text Color Use the Choose Color button to select the color you wish to use for the Verbot Player's Output text.

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Output Background Color Use the Choose Color button to select the color you wish to use for the Verbot Player's Output background.

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Agent Background Color As an alternative to an image file you can simply select the background color you wish to use for the Agent's background in the Verbot Player.

3.2.7

Search Rules The "Search Rules" tool allows for you to search a KnowledgeBase for a text string. Using the check boxes on the Search Rules interface you can search specific areas of the KnowledgeBase. By default Rule Names, Rule Inputs, and Rule Outputs are checked. You can use the check boxes to select the area relevant to your search.

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Test KnowledgeBase "Test KnowledgeBase" allows you to test an open KnowledgeBase within the Verbot Scripting Interface. To use click on the "Tools" menu --> "Test KnowledgeBase" A popup window like the one below will open. Type your question in the Input box.

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Once you type in your question press the "Enter" key on your keyboard. Matches will be found and highlighted. If a rule has Variables, they will be displayed within the Variable field with their current value. This is useful for finding out what Variables are set to during runtime and what is being captured.

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You may click on any of the highlighted Compiled Inputs to load the Rule that fired into the Verbot Scripting Interface.

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Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview)

3.2.9

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Compile KnowledgeBase The "Compile KnowledgeBase" feature creates compiled KnowledgeBases which can in some cases speed up very large KnowledgeBase interactions. You'll usually never need to compile a KnowledgeBase unless you notice that the Verbot is responding slowly to queries.

3.2.10 Expand KnowledgeBase Expand KnowledgeBase creates a .vkb file based on a KnowledgeBase Template. Once a KnowledgeBase Template has been expanded it can be viewed and tweaked within the Verbot Scripting Interface. For more information on KnowledgeBase Templates see: Creating a KnowledgeBase Template

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3.3

Help

3.3.1

Editor Introduction The Editor Introduction is a short cut to the online help. New Verbot users are encouraged to click the link to learn more about scripting.

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Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview)

3.3.2

Online Help The "Online Help" links to the latest documentation. Currently updates are made daily.

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Community Forum The "Community Forum" menu item links to the Verbot Community Forum. You may wish to join the forum access Verbot downloads such as additional KnowledgeBases and Characters. You'll also be able to interact with a large audience of Verbot users from around the world.

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Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview)

3.3.4

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About "About" is useful for displaying the version number and build number of the Verbot application in use.

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.

3.4

Resource Files Details

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Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview)

3.4.1

Resource Files The "Resource Files" field displays the currently assigned resources. Currently supported resource file types are Synonym Files. The "Add" button allows you to add new resources, files to the currently loaded KnowledgeBase. The "Delete" button allows you to remove resources from the currently loaded KnowledgeBase. For information on creating synonyms see: Part 3 : Creating Synonyms For information on using synonyms in your KnowledgeBases see: Part 4 : Using Synonyms

3.5

Rules

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3.5.1

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Rule Name The first step for creating a KnowledgeBase is creating a Rule. The "Rule Name" field is where you type in the name of the Rule you wish to create. The Rule name can be anything and is used only as an identifier. To create a new Rule, type in the name of the Rule you wish to create and Click the "New Rule" button. To create a Child Rule, select an existing Rule from the Rule tree field, type in a name for the Rule and click "New Child"

To learn more about creating Rules see: Part 2 : Creating your First Rule

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3.5.2

New Rule The "New Rule" button is used to create a new Rule in the currently loaded KnowledgeBase.

3.5.3

Rename Rule The "Rename Rule" button is used to rename the selected Rule within the Rule tree.

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New Child Child Rules are used to create a hierarchy within Rules. Once a Primary Rule fires the Child Rule is eligible to fire. To create a Child Rule select a Rule within the Rule tree and click "New Child."

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Verbot Scripting Interface (Overview)

3.5.5

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Delete Rule To delete a Rule select a Rule from the Rule tree and click "Delete Rule". The selected Rule will be deleted.

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Verbot 4.0 Manual

How To's From start to finish you'll have fun learning! This Section is designed to get you up and running with the Verbot Scripting Interface. Verbot® 4.0 has been designed to allow anyone to script complex and engaging virtual personalities, even those without previous programming experience. With the Verbot Scripting Interface, you can create your own personalized KnowledgeBases, as well as scripting interactions with applications and character animations. The Verbot Scripting Interface This section will introduce you to the Verbot Scripting Interface. Learn out about the features of the interface and where they are located. Creating your First Rule KnowledgeBases are made up of Rules. Rules consist of Inputs and Outputs. This section will walk © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

How To's

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you through creating your first Verbot® Rule, from there you're on your way to making fantastic KnowledgeBases of your own design! Creating Child Rules Learn how to create Child Rules, that allow the Verbot to follow a hierarchy based conversation. Using Virtual Child Rules Learn how to link Rules to other Rules using Virtual Child Rules. Creating Synonyms To aid you with creating Inputs with minimal repetition. Verbot® Synonym files can be created and added to any KnowledgeBase you create. This section will step you through making a synonym file. Using Synonyms The Creating Synonyms walked you through creating a powerful synonym file, This section will show you how to harness the power by stepping you through using synonyms within your Inputs. Variables Learn how to retain, and recall user based input with Variables. Variables with Alternate Text Learn how to display text when a Variable has not yet been set. Internal Variables Learn about built in Verbot Variables like displaying the time and date. MS Agent Tags Find out how to make your Verbot® smile, move about, and more! Verbot Tags Verbot Tags add functionality such as Read, Send, and Run. Special _Inputs Verbot® 4.0 has a few special inputs used for start up, and when the Verbot is left idle for an extended period of time. Running Applications Now that you know Verbots® can smile and move around. Give them something to do! This section guides you through opening applications and urls. Loading, Testing, and Talking Now that you have a custom KnowledgeBase, find out how to load it and test it. How to Compile a KnowledgeBase Learn how to Compile a KnowledgeBase to share with your family and friends. The Teaching.vkb KnowledgeBase Learn how the Teaching.vkb KnowledgeBase helps your Verbot learn dynamically. Advanced Features: Creating a CSV file Learn to create CSV files with your favorite spreadsheet software. Creating a KnowledgeBase Template Learn to create KnowledgeBase Templates that use data from a CSV file to create data driven KnowledgeBases. © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

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Expand or Compile Once you have a KnowledgeBase Template with associated CSV file ready to go, it's time to Compile it, Expand it, or you can do both. The following section describes the difference between Expanding and Compiling.

4.1

Creating your First Rule Creating Rules in Verbot® 4.0 is quick and easy. Rules hold the knowledge of your Verbot®. A Rule is made up of Inputs and Outputs. An Input is used to match to what the user types. Once an Input finds a match the Output (or Response) is presented to the user. To create a Rule you must first give it a name. Start by typing in the Rule Name input box. We'll use"Hello World" for this example.

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Once you've typed "Hello World," click the "New Rule" button or simply press "Enter" to create a Primary Rule. Your screen should look like the following:

Adding an Input to your Rule Now that you've created a Rule. You'll need to add an input or two to make it available for your Verbot® to use. An Input can be made up of single or multiple words. For the purposes of this example, we simply want the Verbot® to respond to a user typing in "Hello" or "Hi". To create an Input click the "Add" button within the "Inputs Group".

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You'll notice that "Hello World" appears in the pop-up window and is highlighted. As a convenience, the Editor assumes your Rule name will be your first input. However for this example we want the Rule to fire on the input of "Hello" or "Hi". Change the text from "Hello World" to "Hello". And click "Ok" or press the "Enter" key.

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Now that you've added "Hello," you may want to also add the Input "Hi". To add another Input, click the "Add" button within the "Inputs Group" and repeat the process as you did with "Hello". You can add as many inputs as desired. Now that you've finished adding your inputs, it's time to create an Output (also known as a Response). To create an Output click the "Add" button within the "Outputs Group". A pop-up box appears with two fields. The top field is used to hold the Verbot® Output. The lower field is used to hold extra commands (i.e. a command to run a program).

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Enter "Hello World" within the top field and click the "Ok" button or press the "Enter" key. The Output has been added. You've now created your first Rule.

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At this point it's a good idea to save your KnowledgeBase. Click "File" --> "Save" on the menu. After you've saved your KnowledgeBase you can test your Rule two different ways. You can: 1. 2.

4.2

Load the Verbot Player then load your KnowledgeBase or Use "Test KnowledgeBase" from the "Tools" menu.

Creating Child Rules A Child Rule is designed to fire only after a Parent or Primary rule has previously fired. Looking at the window, the child rules"red" or "yellow" will never fire unless the "two colors" rule has fired immediately

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before.

A primary rule can have as many Child Rules as you want. You may even choose to assign Child Rules to other Child Rules and can even have a conversation follow a hierarchy structure. Note: In order to keep the User on track, you may want to use Virtual Child Rules to insure the Verbot is getting the response desired. For more information on Rules see: Creating your First Rule For more information on Virtual Child Rules see: Using Virtual Child Rules

4.3

Using Virtual Child Rules Virtual Child Rules are used to link Rules to other Rules, virtually! The best way to understand how Virtual Child Rules work is through a tutorial to see them in action. © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

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Example 1: All I want from you is a straight answer! In the following example, you'll learn how to have the Verbot ask a question and receive one of three possible Inputs from the User. We'll start by creating a _startup Rule. A _startup is a special Input that the Verbot looks to fire when it is first loads.

You can see that the _startup Rule has the Input "_startup" and the Output "Hi! Would you like to take a quick quiz?" Next, we'll make a few Child Rules. One for the Input "yes," one for "no," and one that will fire if there is no match.

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As you can see above the _startup Rule now has three Child Rules. Here is what each Rule contains so far: _startup Input: _startup Output: Hi! Would you like to take a quick quiz? anything else Input: * Output: I'm sorry. I really need a "Yes" or "No" Answer. no Input: no Output: Okay no problem. yes Input: yes Output: Great. Let's get started! What is the name of the planet most people live on? © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

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Okay let's test it. Click on "Tools" --> "Test KnowledgeBase" The _startup Rule will fire and display: "Hi! Would you like to take a quick quiz?"

Now, if you were to type "yes" or "no," the appropriate Child Rule would fire. However, if you were to send the Input "maybe" - the only Child Rule that would match would be the Rule "anything else" using the Input "*" with the Output "I'm sorry. I really need a "Yes" or "No" Answer."

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The problem we would have if you answered the Verbot with "yes" or "no" after the "anything else" Rule has fired - is that there are no Child Rules for the "anything else" Rule. This is where Virtual Child Rules come in. Close the Verbot Script Tester window. Click on the Rule "anything else" to select them and then click on the "Virtual Child" button. The Rule Activation List window will pop up.

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How To's

"Click" on the check box for the following Rules: "anything else", "no" and "yes".

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Once you've selected all three Rules click on "Ok". To test the Script open the "Verbot Script Tester" ("Tools" --> "Test KnowledgeBase") and test the KnowledgeBase again. Type in the Input "maybe". As before your Input of "maybe" fires the "anything else" Rule with the Output: "I'm sorry. I really need a "Yes" or "No" Answer." The Verbot will keep firing the "anything else" Rule until the Input of one of the Virtual Child Rules is received ("no" or "yes"). Once "no" or "yes" is received by the Verbot, it will look for another Child Rule. If a Child Rule is not found it will search through the Primary Rules.

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How To's

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Creating Synonyms The Synonym Editing Interface is used interchangeably to create groups of words which can be used as synonyms within Rule Inputs.

Creating Your First Synonym Type in the text you would like to use to describe your synonym. In this example we will call our synonym "What is". Once you type in "What is," click the "Add" button. The Synonym should look like the following screen shot:

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Next, enter the synonyms words/phrases. In this example we'll add "What is" and then the contraction "What's".

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How To's

Save your Synonyms Once you have added the desired amount of synonyms, click "File" --> "Save". After you have named and saved your synonym, you may click "File --> Close" to close off the Synonym Editor Window. That's it! You've created your first synonym file. For information on Synonyms see: Synonyms For information on using Synonyms see: Part 4 : Using Synonyms

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Using Synonyms First Things First... The Synonym Editing Interface allows you to create groups of words or phrases which can be interchanged within an Input. Before using Synonyms you should already be familiar with the Synonym Editing Interface, and have a synonym file saved. Quick Links: Using Synonyms within an Input Using Synonyms within an Output Using Synonyms within an Input When the Verbot Scripting Interface loads, it should look like the following screen shot. You'll notice the right side contains a group called "Resource Files". A Resource File is where you will load your previously created synonym file.

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To add a Resource File: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Click the "Add Files" button Locate the Synonym file you created. The file should have the .vsn extension. Select the Synonym file and click the "Open" button on the dialog box Your synonym file should now be added to the Resource Files field. (see image below)

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Add a new Rule You should be familiar with creating Rules by now. If not, please review: Part 2 : Creating your First Rule. You should remember that your synonym file "what is" contains the synonyms "What is" and "What's." The name of the synonym is "What is". Before you can use the synonym, you'll need a rule. Below you'll see that a Rule entitled "What is a Verbot?" has been created.

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Now that you have created a Rule, you need to add an Input. To use the synonym "What is" within the Input, you have to format it in a special way so that the Verbot Engine "knows" that a synonym exists for "What is". In order to use a synonym, you will need to write the synonym name--in this case, "what is"-- and enclose it in parenthesis. Here is an example. Click the "Add" button within the Inputs group. When the Input dialog box appears, type in the following Input: "(what is) a Verbot?", then click ok.

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As you can see, from the image above, the Output: "A verbal software robot." has been added. You now have one complete Rule ready to test. Make sure you save your KnowledgeBase by clicking "File --> Save." If this is your first time saving, you'll need to name the file. That's it! You're now ready to test your Rule. To see that it works properly, you should do some testing. To do so, click on "Tools"->"Test KnowledgeBase." You will notice that you get output if you type "What is a Verbot?" or "What's a Verbot?" and that is because you have a synonym that contains them both. Using Synonyms within an Output Much like using Synonyms within Inputs you can use Synonyms within Outputs. The Verbot will pick one of the phrases from that Synonym group and insert it in your output.

4.6

Running Applications You may have noticed when you were creating Outputs that there is a field labeled "Command". The "Command" field is used to open a web address in the user's default browser or to run an application. Below are a few examples using the "Command" field within the Output dialog box. © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

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To open a web address just type in the URL. For example: http://www.verbots.com

To open a text file in Microsoft Notepad, type in the application name and file name to open. For example: notepad c:\docs\mytext.txt

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Loading, Testing, and Talking - Oh my! By now, you should have a pretty good idea about creating Rules, Synonyms, and using Variables and Tags. Now that you have your completed KnowledgeBase, it's time to load it up and test it. Follow these quick easy steps to begin interacting with your own KnowledgeBase. 1. 2. 3.

Click on the Verbot 4.0 icon on your desktop (The Verbot will load with the last known configuration.) Once the Verbot has loaded, click on the menu item labeled "Tools --> Options." Click on the tab labeled "KnowledgeBases."

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4. 5. 6.

Click on the "Add" button and locate the KnowledgeBase you created. Once you have selected your KnowledgeBase, click "Open." Your KnowledgeBase should now be listed in the KnowledgeBase selection field.

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7.

8. 9.

Your KnowledgeBase will be added to the top of the list. The list order identifies what Rule will be evaluated first when two Rules match from each KnowledgeBase. In other words, if the engine finds matches for an Input in two different KnowledgeBases, it will fire the response from the KnowledgeBase that is at the top. Before clicking "Close," you may uncheck any KnowledgeBase you do not wish the Verbot to use. Once you've finished selecting KnowledgeBases, click "Close." The Verbot will load your selected KnowledgeBase(s). Now you should try testing the Rules you've created.

Note: That the above process reflects using the Verbot Player for final testing. You may also test during development of your Scripts using Test KnowledgeBase on the Verbot Scripting Interface menu.

4.8

How to Compile a KnowledgeBase Why Compile a KnowledgeBase? The main reason to compile a Verbot Knowledge base is to distribute your KnowledgeBase to family and friends who may have Verbot Standard Edition, but can still download the Free Verbot Player to interact with your creation. How to Compile a KnowledgeBase. Compiling a KnowledgeBase is simply a matter of loading a KnowledgeBase into the Verbot Scripting Editor, then from the top menu select "Tools-->Compile KnowledgeBase" The currently loaded KnowledgeBase will be compiled and saved with .ckb extension.

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The Teaching.vkb KnowledgeBase Who needs an Editor? The Teaching.vkb KnowledgeBase allows new Rules to be dynamically added while chatting with the Standard Player. You may want to open the Teaching.vkb KnowledgeBase to see how the Learning Rules have been setup. You may also want to tweak Inputs to your own preference using the um... the Editor :) Note: This feature can only be used if you own Verbot Standard Edition and is not supported by the Free Verbot Player.

How to use the Teaching.vkb To teach the Verbot while chatting with the Standard Edition Player do the following: Make sure that the Verbot Standard Edition player has the required KnowledgeBases loaded and selected. Teacher.vkb and LearnedKnowledge.vkb should be loaded and checked. Note: Wondering what the difference between a .vkb file and a .ckb file is? Click here to find out. © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

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To teach the Verbot something new type into the Input box on the Verbot Player and press "Enter". For example type in: What is a gizmo?

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The Verbot will respond with something along the lines of "I don't know" or some other response depending on the KnowledgeBases you have loaded. Type in: remember a Gizmo is a special device. Then press the "Enter" key.

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Julia will say something along the lines of: I'll be sure to remember that. To test her type in: What is a gizmo? Press the "Enter" key.

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Julia will now respond with: A Gizmo is a special device Note: This is a new feature and we will be adding and tweaking the Teacher.vkb KnowledgeBase in coming updates. You may also want to create your own learning Rules using the Verbot Scripting Editor.

The Teacher.vkb contains various sample learning Rules that you can use to dynamically add Rules while interacting with the Verbot. You may also add your own learning Rules to capture different kinds of Inputs. Note: When editing the default Teacher.vkb file, you may have to compile it to a .ckb file in order to interact with your changes in the Verbot Player.

To find out more about the learning tags used in the Teacking.vkb see: Verbot Tags section.

5

Advanced Features The Verbot 4.0 Standard Edition includes advanced features which aid in the development of Verbot KnowledgeBases. Use the links below to jump to areas of interest. KnowledgeBase and CSV Files · Creating a CSV File · Creating a KnowledgeBase Template · Expand or Compile

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Command Line Options The --input command line option allows you send an Input to the Verbot and start up. Verbot4Engine.exe --input="This is my input text."

5.2

KnowledgeBase Templates and CSV Files KnowledgeBase Templates allow you to create data driven KnowledgeBases. For example, you can create a list of names and phone numbers in a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel. Once complete you can export the data to a CSV file which an in turn be imported into the Verbot Scripting Interface. Using the data from the CSV and Template Rules, a new KnowledgeBase can be created which include the CSV data which can then be accessed through conversational interactions with the Verbot. The following sections cover the creation of KnowledgeBase Templates and CSV files: · Creating a CSV file · Creating a KnowledgeBase Template · Expanding or Compiling

5.2.1

Creating a CSV file What is a CSV file? CSV also known as Comma Separated Value files are a standard export format for many applications, most notably is Microsoft Excel. Use the CSV format you can create data driven KnowledgeBase by entering your data by way of a spreadsheet program such as Excel or Open Office Spreadsheet. Using KnowledgeBase Template Rules you can access CSV data by Compiling or Expanding the KnowledgeBase Template. Note: If you don't have Microsoft Excel you may want to download Open Office which includes a spreadsheet application.

Adding Data. This section assumes you have Microsoft Excel. If you haven't done so already, open a blank Excel spreadsheet.

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The first row is considered a heading. For this example you are going to make a Verbot phone book. So in row 1 column A enter "Name". Then in row 1 column B enter "Number". Your spreadsheet should look like the following:

Now that the spreadsheet has headings you can begin entering names and numbers for your friends and family. Your spreadsheet should end up looking something like this: © 2004 Conversive, Inc.

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Now that you have your headings and data entered, it's time to save the file as a CSV file. Click "File"->"Save As"

The following dialog box should appear. Click on the "Save as type" drop down and locate the file type: "CSV (Comma delimited)" format. Type in phone_book for the name of the file, and click the "Save" button.

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Once your you've saved the file it's time to move on to the next section Creating a KnowledgeBase Template.

5.2.2

Creating a KnowledgeBase Template What is a KnowledgeBase Template? A KnowledgeBase Template is used to create data driven KnowledgeBases. The first step is to create a CSV file which contains the data you wish to access. Then create Template Rules to access the data. What is a KnowledgeBase Template Rule? A Template Rule is a Rule that has been setup to use CSV data to created new Rules. The new Rules are created when you click "Expand" or when the KnowledgeBase is compiled using "Compile KnowledgeBase" The following section assumes you completed the Creating a CSV file section and are ready to create a KnowledgeBase Template. Creating a KnowledgeBase Template. To begin creating a KnowledgeBase Template, open the Verbot Scripting Editor. Once the Verbot Scripting Editor is loaded it's time to make your first Template Rule. If you're not familiar with Rule creation you may want to review the Creating your First Rule section. Create a new Rule using the following information:

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Rule Name: Get Phone Number Input: What is #Name's phone number? Output: #Name's phone number is #Number. You're screen should appear as shown below:

Now you have a Template Rule created it's time to assign a CSV file to the KnowledgeBase. Click the "Add Files" on the Resource Details panel shown below:

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it to the Resource Files Details field. Note: Multiple CSV files can be used within one KnowledgeBase.

At this point it's a good idea to save your KnowledgeBase. Now that you have a Template Rule and a loaded CSV file it's time to Expand or Compile the KnowledgeBase.

5.2.3

Expand or Compile Expanding or Compiling Once you have a KnowledgeBase Template with associated CSV file ready to go, it's time to Compile it, Expand it, or you can do both. The following information describes the difference between Expanding and Compiling. Why should a KnowledgeBase be Expanded? When a KnowledgeBase Template is Expanded a new .vkb file is created based on the KnowledgeBase Template Rules and the loaded CSV file. Once the KnowledgeBase is Expanded and the new .vkb file is created, the new .vkb file can be loaded within the Verbot Scripting Editor for tweaking or to view the results. How to Expand a KnowledgeBase Template Why should a KnowledgeBase be Compiled? Compiling a KnowledgeBase Template creates a new .ckb file which created based on the KnowledgeBase Template Rules and the loaded CSV file. Once the KnowledgeBase is compiled a new .vkb file is created which can be loaded into the Free Verbot Player or the Verbot Standard Edition Player for testing or use. It is important to note that the Free Verbot Player can only load Compiled KnowledgeBases (.ckb). To share your KnowledgeBase with friends you'll need to provide them with this link to the Free Verbot Player and supply them with your KnowledgeBase Compiled (.ckb). How to Compile a KnowledgeBase Template How to Expand a KnowledgeBase Template To Expand a KnowledgeBase Template you can click on the Expand icon or click "Tools"-->"Expand Templates" on the menu.

Once you have clicked the "Expand", a dialog box will pop-up. Give the KnowledgeBase Template a new name. For example: phone_book_expanded.

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Click the save button to begin the Expand process. Depending on the size of the CSV file and the amount of Template Rules it may be several seconds to Expand the KnowledgeBase Template. Once the Template is expanded you may load the resulting .vkb file into the Verbot Scripting Interface to see the results and tweak if needed. How to Compile a KnowledgeBase Template To compile a KnowledgeBase Template click on the Compile icon or click "Tools"-->"Compile KnowledgeBase" on the menu.

Once you have clicked "Compile" the process begins. (Note: no dialog box pops up. The file is automatically saved with the .ckb extension) Depending on the size of the CSV file and the amount of Template Rules it may take several minutes to Compile the KnowledgeBase Template. Once the Template is compiled you may load the resulting .ckb file into the Verbot Player to interact with it. In order to view the results of a KnowledgeBase and CSV file you will need to Expand the KnowledgeBase.

5.3

Variables My name is [username], do you remember me? Variables help the Verbot remember things about you. Some variables can even be setup to remember things like phone numbers, family members and more. The easiest way to understand Variables is by looking at an example. Let's start by learning how a Verbot remembers your name.

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Understanding What Variables do. When a user first speaks with a Verbot, the Verbot doesn't know the user's name. For example, if you asked the Verbot "What is my name?" it would most likely respond with "Your name is Friend." However, if you told the Verbot "My name is Mary" the Verbot would respond with "It's nice to meet you Mary." The Verbot now knows that your name is Mary. If you were to ask "What is my name?" the Verbot would now respond "Your name is Mary." What is my name? Let's look at a sample response in which the Verbot does not know your name. "What is my name" Rule first - so we can see how the Verbot responds with "Friend" if it doesn't know your name. Rule Name: What is my name Input: (what is) my name Output: Your name is [name:Friend]. Note: (what is)