RE: Runtime "learning"

> However, I would like to build a parser which learns the grammar of
> the IDL-like language at runtime. In other words, I want it to read
> some templates of some kind, and then recognize sentences conforming
> to the language described in those templates. In this way, when
> updating the language, the parser doesn't need to be compiled again.


A few links that might get you started:


http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/research/mtech1998/9811115/index.html
http://sequence.rutgers.edu/~nevill/ (Projects - Sequitur)


The above two examples are not template, but instance based.


On the theoretical end, some of the literature on adaptive grammar cited here:


http://QuinnTylerJackson.n3.net/computer_science/literature_review.html


(In particular, the work of Christiansen, Burshteyn, Boullier, and Shutt.)


An upcoming paper (Jackson & Langan - "Adaptive Predicates in
Empty-Start Natural Language Parsing") covers some of the issues of
template based modification, but in the context of NLP. Abstract: "We
examine the usefulness of the §-Calculus as a formalism for natural
language parsing, and in particular the power of a single adaptive
predicate in a structure-only English grammar in providing document
wide context resolution. We were able to construct an §-grammar for a
limited subset of English that a) contained no English words at start,
and b) correctly parsed a series of twenty-two sentences without the
use of any mechanism outside the formalism of the §-grammar itself."


Very few out-of-the-box parsers can modify the grammar proper on the
fly in the way you're describing. (For a very small value for "very
few.") A commercial-scale PG that allows just that is "coming soon"
however. (Implemented - not fully documented.)


Cheers,
--
Quinn Tyler Jackson
http://QuinnTylerJackson.n3.net/

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