Multiparty Grammars and Related Features for Defining Interactive Systems

Abstract

Multiparty grammars are introduced which contain labeled nonterminals to indicate the party that produces the terminal string. For interactive person-computer systems, both the user commands and system responses can be described by the linked BNF grammars. Multiparty grammars may also be used to describe communication among several people (by way of computers or in normal dialogue), network protocols among several machines, or complex interactions involving several people and machines. Visual features such as underlining, reversal, blinking, and color, window declarations, and dynamic operations dependent on cursor movement are also covered.