FuzzyExpert: A Case Study in PC-Based Expert System Development

Abstract

Like many other complex software products, expert systems are leaving their original hardware platforms — mainframes and minis. In particular, the fuzzy set theory-based expert system FuzzyExpert was developed for the personal computer (PC) environment using various integrated paradigms. However, as the experience described in this paper indicates, the process of downsizing encounters many problematic issues. For the hardware base, FuzzyExpert’s developers chose the IBM/PC compatible, but this environment presents memory-related constraints. To circumvent these problems, FuzzyExpert’s developers employed a virtual memory mechanism. Software issues primarily concern performance, derived from the absence of multitasking in MS-DOS. As a solution to this problem, the system uses a preempting technique. This paper further presents principles of FuzzyExpert’s user interface, which is based on object-oriented programming.