Messages

1

Programming using the Ultra Hal Brain Editor / Brain in SQLite?

« on: January 21, 2005, 06:05:09 pm »

Robert,

I am no programmer in any way, but may I suggest a different opensource database to take a look at? Our website is currently running on PostgreSql (http://www.postgresql.org/). I'd love to see if Hal can be ported to run on this database. I have a development server running if you need someone to test )

As it stands now, we have the website and accounting running in PostgreSql, and it would be great to add Hal to this. Jim

Jim Ratte
Recreational Mobility
http://www.recreationalmobility.com

quote:Originally posted by Medeksza

I've hired someone to work on moving Hal to a database engine. We hit a small snag. Originally I wanted to support Acess, MS SQL, Oracle and mySQL. Here's a quote from the developer:

quote:In order to count the number of words in one string that are contained in another string, a function is needed within the database (SQL language doesn't support this).  Unfortunately (I never knew this before), you can't call a query that uses an Access VBA function in it from a VB application.  Without that function, it is impossible to count the number of occurrences from SQL.  This only leaves the option of returning them all and counting them the way that you are doing it now, which probably wouldn't be faster than it is now.  This is only a problem with Access, and probably mySQL as well.  SQL Server and Oracle support inline function calls from SQL Statements, so it would work on those systems, but that doesn't solve your problem.

We are now looking into the feasability of using SQLite since it is open source and we can add the required functionality to the engine itself.

2

Ultra Hal 7.0 / Attention Mr. Robert E. Medeksza

« on: April 20, 2004, 05:30:09 pm »

quote:Originally posted by Medeksza


The new Ultra Hal Representative (web version of Hal) is behind schedule but is almost done. I hope to release it sometime during this summer when I have more time to work on it.

Robert,

Glad to see your back, and good to hear of your early accomplishments at such a young age. I wish I had the confidence to start my biz 10 yrs earlier then I had.

I'm sure you seen my posts in the past about wanting to purchase the Web Representative version. You mentioned a new version in the coming months...Can you give us a heads up on what will be new with it? Please?

3

Programming using the Ultra Hal Brain Editor / Basics of UltraHal Part II: Editing Database Files

« on: February 26, 2004, 05:37:48 pm »

quote:Originally posted by Don Ferguson

Hi Jim,

I haven't tried changing my Representative settings via the web interface lately, but it sounds like yours is malfunctioning for you.  It should save your settings.  I can only speculate that, because Zabaware's server traffic has been rising rapidly, something might not be working the way it is supposed to be.

As far as allowing "real time" learning versus "manual" learning on the web Representative Hal:

At first I permitted real-time learning.  It surprised and delighted some users.  However, it had a downside.  Some users would spout fifty lines of vulgarity and gibberish, and Hal Rep would of course immediately "learn" their vulgarity and gibberish.  For that reason, I had to do maintenance to edit the database at least twice a day, to prevent Hal from saying bad things to innocent users.

Since then, I've shut off the "real-time" learning.  The "manual" teaching using the web interface isn't as labor-intensive as you might think, once you get the pattern of it!  Whenever you spot a user remark in a transcript for which you'd like to teach Hal, just click "Change Hal's Answer" and the input screen appears, showing the user remark and a blank space for the new Hal answer.  Type in your answer, click the button, and presto!

Now here's something additional that might not be obvious.  Suppose you want to give Hal two or three different answers to the same user input for a bit of variety.  After you click the teach button, and you get the confirmation that you've taught Hal, just click your web browser's "back" button, and you're back at the same teaching screen with the same user remark, and a new blank form.  Enter another Hal answer, click teach again, and now you've taught Hal two different answers!  You can do this as many times as you wish!

Here are the main things that I like about using the web interface and the "manual" teach mode:

--Hal won't learn gibberish and vulgarity.

--Hal is fairly easy to teach, and using the "back" button, you can give Hal variety in his responses.

--By teaching Hal responses to actual user input, you conserve the efficiency with the database, while making sure that your responses are to actual remarks that real users make.  That prevents you from working for hours loading remarks for trigger-phrases that actual site visitors never say.

Keep examining the Zabaware Hal Representative web interface, and I think you'll find that you can gain a lot more speed and proficiency than you might think at first.  It's really quite a handy interface.  Definitely let Zabaware know whenever the interface doesn't act as if it's functioning properly.

Sincerely,

Don

Don,

I certainly agree with you about the real time learning from others and teaching it vulgar items. I had planned to switch it to real time learning only while I teach it what I want it to know. The link would be a hidden link on the website, not viewable to others. I'd then turn off the real time learning and put the 'help' link viewable on the website to others.

I feel that if I could at least teach Hal the basics and let him learn from my statements, I can then tweak his responses as you suggested. I have played with that already, although I hadn't thought of the back button trick. Thanks!

Currently we carry almost 20,000 items in our store, and many relate to each other. For instance one aircraft kit uses Rotax brand aircraft engines, which relate to propeller recommendations for that kit, engine maintenance, etc.

I big project I know, but since no one else in this industry has implented this kind of help in their websites, perhaps I could gain more of the market from the bigger companies and reduce the time my phone is firmly planted to my ear

I did send a note to Robert M. this morning about the web interface not saving changes. I also tried starting a new account, and changes made to that one were not saved either. Perhaps he has the save function disabled. I'll post what response I get from him when I receive it. Jim

4

Programming using the Ultra Hal Brain Editor / Basics of UltraHal Part II: Editing Database Files

« on: February 26, 2004, 08:14:21 am »

quote:Originally posted by Don Ferguson

Hello Recmob,

Two quick definitions for new forum members who are reading this:

There is a FREE Ultra Hal Representative which runs on Zabaware's server, and can be set up to seem like a page on our various individual web sites.  The free version has a 500K database-size limit.

There is a PAID version of Ultra Hal representative which is software that runs on the owner's own server.  The paid version is under the owner's control and has an unlimited database size.

I don't own the paid version of Ultra Hal Representative.  The Ultra Hal on my site is the free version, running on the Zabaware server.  For that reason, the only file editing that I do is through the Zabaware web interface.  I have never seen the native database file to know how it is formatted.

It sounds feasible in theory that you could amass a large database in advance on a local computer, and then "transfer" it to the paid Ultra Hal representative at a later date after you buy it.  What you would need to know (and I DON'T know) is, "What is the database file format used in the paid version of Ultra Hal Representative?"

Once you obtained a sample of that file format for Zabaware, it seems reasonable that you could use a word processor and populate the database file, by hand, in advance of purchasing the software.

Sincerely,

Don

Don,

Thanks very much for your reply. One reason I'm asking this is working with the web interface I've had some trouble using the free version. I don't know if Hal learns by just entering small statements.

In the web interface (under change account options), the first question is "Is your representative allowed to learn from people that talk to it? (People would be able to override your current brain entries, and teach it false information)" When I change this to yes (or any options on that page), and click store options they are not actually saved at all. If I don't make Hal live to others while I teach Hal, I don't see this as a problem (Hal learning from conversations with me). Manually entering every question and possible answer through the Teach Hal button would be a nightmare Jim

5

Programming using the Ultra Hal Brain Editor / Basics of UltraHal Part II: Editing Database Files

« on: February 24, 2004, 09:55:45 pm »

quote:Originally posted by Don Ferguson

Hello,

This is for Padriag and several other persons who have posted or written via e-mail regarding Ultra Hal's various databases.

Don,

Have you worked with the Representative version? I'm curious if I could teach Hal on a local computer what I would like him to know about our products, then drop the brain files into the Representative version at a later date (on my own server). If not, I'll have to ante up and purchase it long before I'll put it to actual use

I asked Vonsmith a few days ago, he replied he hadn't worked with the Rep version. I also emailed Robert directly, but have not yet received a response. Jim