Knowledge base documentation: a productivity tool for large knowledge bases

KBDoc is a report-generating facility that makes use of information found in a knowledge base and information from an external database to produce a document that describes the knowledge base. The database is useful for tracking the progress of the knowledge acquisition effort as the knowledge base is being built. The document produced by the system is useful for maintenance, validation, and verification of the knowledge base, as well as for meeting customer documentation requirements. KBDoc was developed for the FRESH program, a DARPA-sponsored command and control program used to assist the Navy in managing its fleet resources. KBDoc is a custom LISP program that goes through the knowledge base and assembles the documentation for each piece of knowledge. It is a simple program that is built around the structure of the FRESH knowledge base. The KBDoc system is described. The use of this tool in large expert system development is discussed