Sophie: ciao-1.10p8-3mdv2010.0 i586

ciao-1.10p8-3mdv2010.0.i586.rpm

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<H1><A NAME="SEC345" HREF="ciao_toc.html#TOC345">Term checking utilities</A></H1>
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<A NAME="IDX4594"></A>


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<STRONG>Author(s):</STRONG> The CLIP Group.


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<STRONG>Version:</STRONG> 1.9#219 (2003/12/21, 18:51:46 CET)


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This module implements the term checking utilities.



<UL>
<LI><A HREF="ciao_81.html#SEC346">Usage and interface (terms_check)</A>
<LI><A HREF="ciao_81.html#SEC347">Documentation on exports (terms_check)</A>
<LI><A HREF="ciao_81.html#SEC348">Other information (terms_check)</A>
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<H2><A NAME="SEC346" HREF="ciao_toc.html#TOC346">Usage and interface (<CODE>terms_check</CODE>)</A></H2>

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<LI><STRONG>Library usage:</STRONG>

<CODE>:- use_module(library(terms_check)).</CODE>

<LI><STRONG>Exports:</STRONG>


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<LI><EM>Predicates:</EM>

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<CODE>ask/2</CODE>, 
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<CODE>variant/2</CODE>, 
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<CODE>most_general_instance/3</CODE>, 
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<CODE>most_specific_generalization/3</CODE>.

<LI><EM>Properties:</EM>

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<CODE>instance/2</CODE>.

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<H2><A NAME="SEC347" HREF="ciao_toc.html#TOC347">Documentation on exports (<CODE>terms_check</CODE>)</A></H2>
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<DT><span class="define">PREDICATE:</span> <B>ask/2:</B>
<DD><A NAME="IDX4602"></A>


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<CODE>ask(Term1, Term2)</CODE>


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<CODE>Term1</CODE> and <CODE>Term2</CODE> unify without producing bindings for the variables of <CODE>Term1</CODE>. I.e., <CODE>instance(<CODE>Term1</CODE>,<CODE>Term2</CODE>)</CODE> holds.


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<DT><span class="define">PROPERTY:</span> <B>instance/2:</B>
<DD><A NAME="IDX4605"></A>


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<CODE>instance(Term1, Term2)</CODE>


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<CODE>Term1</CODE> is an instance of <CODE>Term2</CODE>.


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<STRONG>Usage:</STRONG> <CODE>instance(A, B)</CODE>

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<LI><EM>The following properties hold globally:</EM>

This predicate is understood natively by CiaoPP.
 (<CODE>basic_props:native/1</CODE>)
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<DT><span class="define">PREDICATE:</span> <B>variant/2:</B>
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<CODE>variant(Term1, Term2)</CODE>


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<CODE>Term1</CODE> and <CODE>Term2</CODE> are identical up to renaming.


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<DT><span class="define">PREDICATE:</span> <B>most_general_instance/3:</B>
<DD><A NAME="IDX4611"></A>


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<CODE>most_general_instance(Term1, Term2, Term)</CODE>


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<CODE>Term</CODE> satisfies <CODE>instance(<CODE>Term</CODE>,<CODE>Term1</CODE>)</CODE> and <CODE>instance(<CODE>Term</CODE>,<CODE>Term2</CODE>)</CODE> and there is no term more general than <CODE>Term</CODE> (modulo variants) that satisfies it.


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<DT><span class="define">PREDICATE:</span> <B>most_specific_generalization/3:</B>
<DD><A NAME="IDX4614"></A>


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<CODE>most_specific_generalization(Term1, Term2, Term)</CODE>


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<CODE>Term</CODE> satisfies <CODE>instance(<CODE>Term1</CODE>,<CODE>Term</CODE>)</CODE> and <CODE>instance(<CODE>Term2</CODE>,<CODE>Term</CODE>)</CODE> and there is no term less general than <CODE>Term</CODE> (modulo variants) that satisfies it.


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<H2><A NAME="SEC348" HREF="ciao_toc.html#TOC348">Other information (<CODE>terms_check</CODE>)</A></H2>

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Currently, <CODE>ask/2</CODE> and <CODE>instance/2</CODE> are exactly the same. However, <CODE>ask/2</CODE> is more general, since it is also applicable to constraint domains (although not yet implemented): for the particular case of Herbrand terms, it is just <CODE>instance/2</CODE> (which is the only ask check currently implemented).


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