[Warning:  This email may contain heretical thoughts.  Read at your own risk.] 

Again, not knowing all of the facts and project requirements, I can only say that, so far, it sounds like a great problem for Java or C or C++.   I prefer C++ to Java and C but that's a personal thing based on not needing to have "Java Expert" on my CV in order to get a job.  (I do know Java and started with it way back in 1997 with version 0.9x but I don't consider myself an expert yet.)  

The CLIPS rulebase is still the fastest bare-bones expert system except for OPSJ and TECH.  In addition, we have lots of experienced C++ programmers in the world and if we run low on C++ programmers then the Java programmers can be taught proper coding techniques and threading procedures not being used today.  [See?  I told you it was heresy.]  I wonder if Drools could be re-written in C++ ??  Sounds like a great project to me.  :-)

I say things like this, sometimes in jest and sometimes not, so that we, the techie programmers and developers, would stop and think about what we're doing and why.  Do we really need to have "Rulebase Programmer" on our CV so badly that we would use it where it is not needed?  I have seen rulebased systems used the wrong way on many projects and I just had to walk away.  But, enough philosophy for one evening.  Think about it and consider your own personal integrity - if you do you'll probably find yourself out of a job but you'll be happier while standing in the unemployment line and wondering "WHY??  Why didn't I just keep my big mouth SHUT??".  <grin>

SDG
James Owen
Founder October Rules Fest
Senior Consultant / Architect KBSC
Twitter: OctRulesFest
Blogs:
http://JavaRules.blogspot.com [Rulebased Systems Blog]
http://ORF2009.blogspot.com [October Rules Fest Blog]
http://exscg.blogspot.com/ [Expert Systems Consulting Group Blog]

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On Oct 9, 2009, at 8:13 PM, Dave Schweisguth wrote:

James,

On Fri, Oct 09, 2009 at 06:28:21PM -0500, James Owen wrote:
[...] The whole thing "sounds like" a procedural problem where values are
modified and rules are fired only once. [...]

You're right, and I've felt bad about using this very powerful system in
such a limited way. Nonetheless Drools feels like an excellent fit for us:
we do have the requirement of having rules editable by non-engineers, and
Drools provides all of the structure around that that we'd otherwise have
had to come up with, plus a lot of room to grow. I've actually been
wondering whether anyone would suggest a way to solve the problem by
designing the rules and/or facts differently!

I also left out various complications: we have other classes of facts on
the LHS, and Thing's attributes appear on the LHS as well as its
unmodifiable properties. I considered a design where attributes were first-
class facts, but it seemed to run in to the same problem. I don't think any
of that goes against your basic point, however. What I wonder is whether it's
an inappropriate problem for the tool or merely inexpert use of the tool.

Cheers,

--
| Dave Schweisguth                           http://schweisguth.org/~dave/ |
| Home: dave at schweisguth.org            Work: http://www.nileguide.com/ |
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