Software innovations for the texas instruments explorer computer

Explorer is a LISP Machine from Texas Instruments. Its software starts with a vast body of software developed at MIT. Texas Instruments has stabilized that software and added more packages and utilities. This paper describes certain innovations in Texas Instrument´s software for the Explorer. TI´s software innovations were in two areas: increasing the learnability of this sophisticated system and adding software components as an aid to prototypers and software developers. Learning aid innovations are embodied in Suggestions Menus and the Universal Command Loop. Software component innovations are embodied in the Universal Command Loop, the Graphics Window System and Graphics Editor, the Relational Table Manager, and the Menu-Based Natural Language Interface. The innovations represented are of two kinds: innovations in concept(Suggestions Menus, Universal Command Loop, and Menu-Based Natural Language Interface) and innovations in design (Graphics Window System, Relational Table Manager).